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ross |
My new aquarium |
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Yester day I got two fish tanks, one bigger than the other and put it inside the other so therer was about an inch of space all away around. I now have 5 queens 200-300 workers and about 50 eggs and they have dug well loads! They seem to be doing well and are digging at the side of the glasss so i can see them!
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Locutus |
Re: My new aquarium | #1 | ||
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What species do you keep?
Regards LOKI |
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Peter E K |
My new aquarium | #2 | ||
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Ross, I am interested in keeping ants in an aquarium and your idea of placing another inside has me thinking of ways to make that work. I just purchased an aquarium on eBay and will pick it up sometime in the next couple of weeks. I am thinking of constructing a Plexiglas box to put in the aquarium to allow for some surface soil and force the ants to tunnel in the outside couple of inches. Please let me know how your experiment works out.
Pete |
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antdude |
Re: My new aquarium | #3 | ||
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Hello Peter E K and welcome!
"It's like stepping on ants... I don't step on ants, Major." --Odo and Kira from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine /\___/\ / /\ /\ \ Ant (aka AntDude), Your Host & Fearless Overlord| |o o| | \ _ / The Ant Farm's Message Board & Ant's Quality Foraged Links. ( ) |
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Paradyme |
Re: My new aquarium | #4 | ||
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Welcome aboard Peter E K. I'm going to be attempting the same with some small established Lasius neoniger and Tetramorium caespitum colonies this summer. I'll post write-ups of how it all goes.
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ross |
Re: My new aquarium | #5 | ||
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Locutus: I keep myrmica rubra
Im thinking of making a nest out of plaster but i thinking how do the ants get air to breathe??? The nest I have in the tank now, when the mating seson comes and they go up in the air to do that nuptial flight thing (don't know how to spell it). I am going to put it into my mum's greenhouse so they can still mate then when they fly back down im going to catch them then put them in the plaster nests and a few in test tubes. I don't know wether to put quite a few of the newly mated queens in the plaster nests because they are a multiqueen type of colony (forgot the name for that aswell!) so there are loads of brood. Also!!!! does any body know when the nuptial flights happen in britain??? |
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Kane |
Re: My new aquarium | #6 | ||
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First, you did spell nuptial correctly. Good job!
Now, I wouldn't suggest putting newly mated queens in a plaster nest at first, as most species prefer a confined area to raise their brood. I say use test tubes, then transfer the ants to the plaster nest after the first 5 workers eclose, and feed them right away. I suggest hydrostone as opposed to plaster of paris. It's stronger and more resistant to crumbling when exposed to moisture. And the ants can breathe very well in plaster because it is quite porous. I don't know any specific details for the species you want, but flights usually take place either at sunrise or sunset, after a medium-heavy rainfall on a nice warm day anywhere from May to August-September. Getting ants to mate in captivity is quite difficult, even using your greenhouse idea. They prefer being out in the open. It's quite easy to spot newly mated queens after a flight because they are looking for cover, and may have removed their wings. I hope some of this helps. Edit: And the term for multi-queen species is "polygynous" I believe. And single-queen species are called "monogynous." |
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ross |
Re: My new aquarium | #7 | ||
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OK, thanks mate
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