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Does anyone have any advice on (simple) formicariums for Leafcutters?


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#1 Offline Vendayn - Posted November 30 2016 - 7:28 PM

Vendayn

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I posted in my journal, and my colony of Acromyrmex versicolor is VERY quickly running out of room. I knew space was an issue for a few months now, but the colony wasn't growing that fast. Two or so weeks ago, they only filled up two containers with workers. Now each container (except one they always avoid) is completely filled with workers and fungus growing. Despite the main fungus garden dying by half two weeks ago, its already recovered a lot, and hasn't stopped the colony from having the biggest growth spurt they've had.

 

The only design I can think of, that I always really liked and use for most of my ants. Is a typical large container (plastic) of some kind, filled with substrate (peat moss in this case). I'd have tiny holes, and use the syringe I got from Tarheel and wet the peat moss that way. I thought about using a hole blocked with a sponge, but that would end up in disaster as the Acromyrmex versicolor chew it up. This design I can easily do, containers that are large in size aren't really that hard to find and I always use them for a lot of my colonies. I don't know how well it work for Acromyrmex though

 

I don't want to use a glass aquarium, and my money is kinda limited to afford fancy aquariums anyway. Most aquariums I find that would be adequate in size that I see europeans use, are far too out of my budget. I can probably spend 50 dollars easily, but up to 70 dollars at most. Though I need to get my wife a Christmas gift, which brings my budget really back down to 50 dollars. I'm on disability, so I make very little every month after paying my dad rent.

 

But a nice high quality aquarium are far more than that. Even 10 gallon aquariums aren't that cheap, and I don't like them anyway. I'd also vastly prefer using some type of plastic (so I can expand it in the future by drilling holes and connect with tubing, and plastic aquariums that are large in size, are even more expensive than the glass ones. 

 

Sadly, because I've been lacking in expanding my colony and haven't done much. I'd say in a month at most, they'll be overcrowded. And even then, in just about two weeks the colony has grown a crazy amount.

 

So, outside of the typical large substrate-based formicarium setup. I can't really think of what else I can use to give them more room. I do like substrate nests A LOT, because its always fun to watch them more naturally. With a syringe, water wouldn't be that much of an issue...more high maintenance than Drew's formicarium that they are in. But, that is okay. I wouldn't see them as much in a substrate nest, but they already block most of my view from them anyway with peat moss. I don't really care about seeing them 100% of the time anyway, and the fungus hides a lot of the ants as is.

 

But, I'm posting to see if anyone else has any ideas I can do within a month for my colony in terms of upgrading their home. Right now, a large container full of peat moss is the best thing I can think of, that I can easily afford and dad wouldn't need to do much with (just tiny holes). I can't drill, or make my own formicariums (any time I hold a drill/saw or even a screwdriver, my hand shakes a lot, part of my disability). So I do rely on dad a lot, which is one reason why a large container is what I always tend to use. Dad doesn't really have much time though to design and build complicated formicariums.

 

Really I'm trying to figure out something simple, without much needed to do to make it. Again, just the substrate based formicarium is the best thing I can think of, but maybe you guys will have different ideas.

 

I have also looked at other journals from European ant keepers who keep Atta and Acromyrmex. But, some build their own ROOM for their entire colony lol...their income is vastly more than even my dad makes lol. Literally, I read one person's thread who actually built an entire room just for his colony. Also, it was specialized humidity/temperature inside the room. I wish I could afford that. But if I could, I'd probably hire someone to take care of them instead of all that work building. :P


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