3 replies to this topic

[JLawson]

I'm sure there are pros and cons to both.  I have an all-in-one with a decent outworld that I was considering using for honey pot ants.  Is there any serious drawback to this course that anyone can illuminate?

 

Thanks all!

[Ants_Dakota]

depends on if you want to create your own personalized outworld. some people do, and some don't.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Just consider that ant colonies outgrow smaller formicaria repeatedly. Over the course of two years, my larger ants with larger colonies have gone from

 

test tube -> mini-hearth -> Fortress or equivalent -> Nucleus or Labyrinth (and the Labyrinth is now too small for them)

 

I'd say bigger factors are the ease of moving them out of their old chambers, ease of cleaning, etc. I have an all-in-one printed plastic formicarium that is fine ... EXCEPT ... I can't clean the interior nest. I can't force them to move out. And their outworld lid has a bad habit of allowing small inhabitants to escape if not pressed down absolutely 100% completely.

 

Also, if you don't have too many ant colonies (like I do) you should make sure whatever you have can easily be hooked up to an extra outworld. I've used a mini-hearth with an extra outworld and that was very useful until I moved them to a Fortress.

 

For smaller, younger colonies, all in one (like a mini-hearth) is much easier to handle, move around, etc. Actually larger ones probably this is true as well.... Just that a Nucleus III is freaking heavy.

[Ants_Dakota]

if the colony grows fast and does not need any special care(ie. tetramorium, pogonomyrmex, etc.) than use the modular.