13 replies to this topic

[Dry_Twig]

My Solenopsis have completely outgrown their mini-hearth and need to be moved in the next week or two. I have a ten gallon tank that I made a lid for with acrylic. I'm would like to spend around $50 for the whole thing, but I can go a little higher if needed. I've done some research, and from my understanding, I need a drainage layer, a layer of charcoal, a seperator, and finally, the soil. I have some questions: 

 

1.  I know ants need a sand/clay mix, but how would I make this? Can I gather some dirt from a place where colonies normally nest? 

 

2. The lid I have right now is pretty well-fitting and has only a few gaps caused by the plastic bending a little. How can I give it a tighter seal? Weight? Silicone?

 

3. How can I create sufficient ventilation with the lid on, so that the oil barrier isn't rendered ineffective?

 

As, I get closer to actually building it, I'll probably have more questions, but this is it for now.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Pictures of the tank and lid (excuse the black sand, I just drained it yesterday):

 

[Manitobant]

Xyloni and other large stinging solenopsis are very destructive in terrariums and will destroy all your plants and decorations as they build their nest.

[Dry_Twig]

Xyloni and other large stinging solenopsis are very destructive in terrariums and will destroy all your plants and decorations as they build their nest.

Yeah, I figured I was going to keep plants and decor to a minimum. After all, the focus is on the ants. I was thinking maybe a piece of wood I have lying around and some tough grasses, which I don't they'll destroy too badly. I've seen pictures of terrariums of similar species, and they're mostly just mounds of dirt, so I didn't have too high of expectations

Edited by Dry_Twig, September 20 2020 - 1:52 PM.

[AntsDakota]

You could replace live plants with fake ones. They would at least last longer.

[Dry_Twig]

You could replace live plants with fake ones. They would at least last longer.

 

Xyloni and other large stinging solenopsis are very destructive in terrariums and will destroy all your plants and decorations as they build their nest.

 

Why do they even kill the plants? There doesn't seem to be anything they get from it, so why waste time destroying their keeper's hard work? Is it simply a side effect of nest building?

Edited by Dry_Twig, September 20 2020 - 2:54 PM.

[Manitobant]

Solenopsis build large mounds and have massive colonies so they need to clear everything in the area.

[ANTdrew]

1. Yes
2. Seal gaps with silicone
3. Ventilation is a big deal with Fluon, but I don’t think it matters with olive oil.

[AntsDakota]

You could replace live plants with fake ones. They would at least last longer.

 

Xyloni and other large stinging solenopsis are very destructive in terrariums and will destroy all your plants and decorations as they build their nest.

 
Why do they even kill the plants? There doesn't seem to be anything they get from it, so why waste time destroying their keeper's hard work? Is it simply a side effect of nest building?

Ants like to create a clearing around their nest entrance, and therefore remove every object in the desired area.

[Dry_Twig]

Today my ants built a small 'nest' in the outworld, with leftover trash. Combined with the permanent storage of brood there too, I've decided that they really do need to be moved quickly, so as soon as I have time, I will build the terrarium and put them in it.

[Ants_Dakota]

can't wait until i can see the finished product!

[Dry_Twig]

Is there a way to clean soil of chemicals?  I live next to a freeway so I think our dirt is a bit polluted and going to an active trail with a shovel and bucket would look a little weird. Sorry if I'm asking for help too much, either I'm a terrible googler or there's not a lot of information online.

Edited by Dry_Twig, September 21 2020 - 8:56 PM.

[Dry_Twig]

Some bad news:

1. I couldn't finish the new nest today, which isn't that bad. 

2. I had given the ants some soil to play with, instead they used it to help them climb the walls. Now whenever I open the lid, around 3 ants escape. To try and fix this, I wiped down the sides with oil but they crossed it anyways and around 10 ants escaped including 1 major. To top it off, I killed 4 more when closing the lid 

I suppose that this is what I get for keeping Solenopsis for my first species and not moving them when they were at a way more manageable size.

[Dry_Twig]

It's not much to look at right now, but I finally finished the new nest:

The first picture is of the drainage layer, which isn't very good, since the sand I used isn't very coarse. Then, for the rest of the dirt, I just used my backyard's soil and sifted it too remove anything I didn't want, then froze it. I'll add some more stuff later, but this is it for now. I don't have pictures, but they started digging next to the heat pad almost immediately. 

[Ants_Dakota]

It's not much to look at right now, but I finally finished the new nest:

 

 

The first picture is of the drainage layer, which isn't very good, since the sand I used isn't very coarse. Then, for the rest of the dirt, I just used my backyard's soil and sifted it too remove anything I didn't want, then froze it. I'll add some more stuff later, but this is it for now. I don't have pictures, but they started digging next to the heat pad almost immediately. 

awesome! looks amazing and functional!