49 replies to this topic

[JoeByron]

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That's the one that has to go.
I tried to improve on it but I just can't make it work and I know my new one will make this look stupid.

Also my messor barbarus in there are underground almost exclusively so I won't put them in my new setup.

 

 

This is so cool! Can you paint on the walls? Carry the story of your formicarium out on that white wall! 

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Yea I do plan on painting on the wall behind the tank a bit.
I want blue LEDs to light up the wall in a sky blue and paint some small flying birds or something to sell the dimensions of the scape.

The tank background itself is inside the tank in Form of the foam structure which will glow red at night.
A lot of work and pretty expensive to make but hopefully worth it

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Some Problem solving had to be done.
The reason I removed the island from the first setup was because it shifted to reach out of the setup.

This one had the same problems so I cut up the foam and bent the tree back and filled the gap with more foam.
I had to readjust the wires too to get it upright.
I made the island in a way that can always be tinkered with. I can remove it fairly easy in case I want to redo it or if I have to move some day. I can easily crank back the wires if needed in this case it was the added weight from the stone and the tree overreaching put a lot of stress on the wires.

I need some supplies but my cars in the shop so it'll be a couple days.
By this weekend the setup should be finished I'm just held back a little

[Antkeeper01]

yay!

[ZTYguy]

Well I hoping that everything works out. Question, what do you plan on putting in there. Anyways awesome job!

Edited by ZTYguy, April 27 2021 - 12:19 PM.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Thank you very much.
That's still an open question for me as well.
I have a messor barbarus colony that used to be in the old tank that I could put in there again but I'm not sold on that idea yet.
I'd like something more intimidating so I'm on the lookout for a species. Preferably large and stinging.

It will house a lot of millipedes and isopods with cool colorations. Basically a population that makes it look like another planet. like the avatar movie with the floating islands and crazy fauna that's what I'm going for.

[ZTYguy]

You could get trap jaws.

[Leo]

problem with most ants is that if there is soil they will absolutetly yeet the scape and redesign the whole thing. Trap jaws while cool as heck, are pretty agressive and will probably try to nom on your isopods (maybe not milipedes) 

[AntaholicAnonymous]

I think you'd be surprised how much soil they have to work with.
The manica in my other setup are notorious diggers and they are not even close to ruining the scape despite 24/7 construction. Watching ants build is one of my favorite things about keeping ants.
A mature solenopsis colony would be an issue but I'm sure I could handle trapjaws.

They can hunt whatever is in the tank with them and they can be hunted by centipedes and spiders. I want to observe realistic behavior so I'm cool with that.
Getting my hands on a colony will be the hard part.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Let's use my first tank for reference.
During their hibernation this winter I gave them an additional access point to the big wall of sand they live in.

They used that entry and excavated a couple fists full of sand but it doesn't mess with the setup. It's made for exactly that and they use it exactly like intended.
If you do soil setups you get a good feel for how ants are gonna use a space and I have that in mind as I'm building a tank