8 replies to this topic

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Hello everyone! this "3D printing corner" has been a personal idea of mine for a while, ever since I saw people posting about 3d printed nests a year ago. 

 

The idea is that people who own a 3d printer and those who are interested, could come here and give ideas to each other, praise each other's work and share STL / 3mf files! We can also use this place to discuss 3d printer models. We can also use this place to seek knowledge on 3d printing, like how to make layer lines less visible.

 

Hopefully this works out and we can establish a group of 3d print enthusiasts!   

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

I'll start off by showing my most latest print

 

It's a micro formicarium that I am using to ship my current colonies due to the possibility of moving.

 

 

The nest is pretty small, around the size of the palm of my hand. It's good for small colonies and I've lined the bottom with some coarse sand for grip. I've printed this nest at 0.20mm layer height with a 0.4mm nozzle with my Anycubic Kobra 2 Max. (very good large scale printer in my opinion   )

 

 

The colony I have in the nest is my Myrmica ruba sp. They are still growing and have a pupa but I don't feed them much protein because they need to overwinter soon, not to mention I need to get them packaged and send them to a fellow ant keeper here in the forum.

 

 

 

Anyways, that is all I wanted to say. 

 

[ANTdrew]

Here’s a challenge for you 3D printers:
Design a liquid feeder base to fit an even larger bottle for a liquid feeder than the mega size ones on the market, a super-mega liquid feeder.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Here’s a challenge for you 3D printers:
Design a liquid feeder base to fit an even larger bottle for a liquid feeder than the mega size ones on the market, a super-mega liquid feeder.

Like a one liter liquid feeder?

 

Hmmmm, honestly it's pretty easy to do that, it's just a resize job.

 

I do have liquid feeders for 20mm test tubes though

Edited by OwlThatLikesAnts, November 11 2025 - 10:11 AM.

[ANTdrew]

Maybe something like this: https://www.amazon.c...d=BZ0aK6OdAHEF8

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I'll start off by showing my most latest print

 

It's a micro formicarium that I am using to ship my current colonies due to the possibility of moving.

 

NewFormicaiumMyrmica4.jpg

 

The nest is pretty small, around the size of the palm of my hand. It's good for small colonies and I've lined the bottom with some coarse sand for grip. I've printed this nest at 0.20mm layer height with a 0.4mm nozzle with my Anycubic Kobra 2 Max. (very good large scale printer in my opinion   )

 

NewFormicaiumMyrmica3.jpg

 

The colony I have in the nest is my Myrmica ruba sp. They are still growing and have a pupa but I don't feed them much protein because they need to overwinter soon, not to mention I need to get them packaged and send them to a fellow ant keeper here in the forum.

 

NewFormicaiumMyrmica1.jpg

 

 

Anyways, that is all I wanted to say. 

quick question as I have been wanting to do something like this to. Can specific filler be harmful for ants?

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

 

I'll start off by showing my most latest print

 

It's a micro formicarium that I am using to ship my current colonies due to the possibility of moving.

 

The nest is pretty small, around the size of the palm of my hand. It's good for small colonies and I've lined the bottom with some coarse sand for grip. I've printed this nest at 0.20mm layer height with a 0.4mm nozzle with my Anycubic Kobra 2 Max. (very good large scale printer in my opinion   )

 

The colony I have in the nest is my Myrmica ruba sp. They are still growing and have a pupa but I don't feed them much protein because they need to overwinter soon, not to mention I need to get them packaged and send them to a fellow ant keeper here in the forum.

 

Anyways, that is all I wanted to say. 

quick question as I have been wanting to do something like this to. Can specific filler be harmful for ants?

 

 

May I ask, what do you mean by "specific filler"? Like plastic that I'm using or grout to fill the bottom of the chamber?

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

The specific thing that you use to make the print. So yes the plastic.

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

The specific thing that you use to make the print. So yes the plastic.

 

Most common plastics that you use for FDM printers, like PLA and PETG are harmless for ants. I don't know any plastics that are bad for ants in FDM printing but I do know that in resin printing (a completely different way of printing), the fumes that come from the resin itself is toxic for them. I personally don't know about this because I don't do resin printing, but I've heard that if you cure the resin very good, there will be no more fumes from the print.