# Help building a formicarium? Ideas welcome!



## SandDeku (May 18, 2011)

Hey guys I looked at some youtube vids on how to make em. But I kinda wanna make em "special" and customized. I was wondering if with the mold mixture I could mix in sand. Like you know when you're going to set the plaster mixture? When its still being made(pouring the thing with water and mixing it) can I pour in some sand along with it? 


To make it "rough" looking and feeling? So that the ant's feel better at home and I get a nice look for a mould/plaster? I'm putting it inside of a tank like the one in a youtube video that was for lascious niger. 

One of my queens already laid eggs and I think they hatched because I see two little wiggling larvae looking thingies(they're white) in the glass tube. It happened after I put in a small piece of ham. xD I guess I was just worried. I'm taking the ham out tomorrow to make sure but yeah. How long will it take the larvae to turn into ants? As well as do they sell fluon at home depot?  and when I set it--- will the ants eventually "learn" not to get near it? Not that I won't stop applying it... But I rather have the ants on the ground of the tank-- not the glass. You know?  How can I discourage them from climbing any part of the glass? Will the sand stay in the mould/plaster? or will it peal off? I rather it stay so that the carpenter ants' colony looks "nice" to my eyes and I guess it helps with climbing. 

Any ideas?


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## Travis K (May 18, 2011)

Bioquip sells a product called insect-a-slip that works great and is relatively inexpensive.  I remember calling around to local paint distributors and they were all clueless when I asked them about Poly Fluoro Resins and the the like.  Please post some pics, as I have been thinking of doing this again as well.


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## SandDeku (May 18, 2011)

Travis K said:


> Bioquip sells a product called insect-a-slip that works great and is relatively inexpensive.  I remember calling around to local paint distributors and they were all clueless when I asked them about Poly Fluoro Resins and the the like.  Please post some pics, as I have been thinking of doing this again as well.


I will once I get it going and get a nice cam. Sadly while trying to get the piece of food out the ant accidentally(queen) got out and the eggs too.... I found the queen and I cleaned out the vial again to make sure its clean and I'm letting her scout the area where I think the eggs maybe for her to get them. 

Is it possible if I grab eggs from another colony outside that are of the same species as she is? Will she tend to them? Or not?


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## PhobeToPhile (May 18, 2011)

I wouldn't risk it if I was in your shoes.


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## SandDeku (May 18, 2011)

PhobeToPhile said:


> I wouldn't risk it if I was in your shoes.


Hmm okay. Well a question for you guys out there....

what is the "best" honey to feed my ants? Like I want something extremely healthy, sweet and that the ants won't be able to resist. 
http://www.health-benefits-of-honey.com/typesofhoney.html

I don't really care how much it costs because an ant colony won't go through a whole honey jar that quickly. lol. 

This is for carpenter ants. I'm just wondering what are some great honey types that I can use. Like there are some made from blueberry flowers, from some other types of plants. You know? Can you feed ants "syrup"?

I was wondering if I can alternate on sugary sources to give them the pleasure of a different sugar source. As well as can they just be mixed together? I guess for something that will benefits the ants alltogether. 


For protein foods. What are some good protein foods? I'm thinking of getting the insects pre-killed and storing them in a fridge or freeze or something. Any ideas? 

I was told I can put in the honey/water/sugar solution A PINCH of calcium and vitamin powders. Is that okay?

P.s. I ask all of this because I like being extremely dedicated and only providing what I keep the best quality. IF possible.


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## echostatic (May 19, 2011)

Giving brood of the same species to a new queen is called "brood boosting", and although some consider it cheating, it does help a colony to get going more quickly. You don't have to buy expensive honey, as long as it's honey and not "honey sauce" it will work just fine. For feeding protein, don't buy pre-killed insects. They are usually loaded with preservatives. You could buy live crickets, feed them and provide water for at least 24 hours to "gut load" them, then freeze and store them. It is possible to apply sand to plaster, but having never done it myself, I have no tips. I would also recommend finding hydrostone and using it instead of "I assume" plaster of Paris. It will be stronger and more mold-resistant. 

Just remember to be patient. Carpenter ant colonies tend to take a long time to grow. They can spend 2 or 3 months going from egg to worker.


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## SandDeku (May 19, 2011)

echostatic said:


> Giving brood of the same species to a new queen is called "brood boosting", and although some consider it cheating, it does help a colony to get going more quickly. You don't have to buy expensive honey, as long as it's honey and not "honey sauce" it will work just fine. For feeding protein, don't buy pre-killed insects. They are usually loaded with preservatives. You could buy live crickets, feed them and provide water for at least 24 hours to "gut load" them, then freeze and store them. It is possible to apply sand to plaster, but having never done it myself, I have no tips. I would also recommend finding hydrostone and using it instead of "I assume" plaster of Paris. It will be stronger and more mold-resistant.
> 
> Just remember to be patient. Carpenter ant colonies tend to take a long time to grow. They can spend 2 or 3 months going from egg to worker.


She laid another couple of eggs(only 2 this time) i actually cleaned out the tube when I accidentally dropped her cause I didn't see the eggs anywere and I let her roam where I had dropped her to see if she would carry them with her. But it looks like she didn't find any. 

Hydrostone? Ill look into it. I saw plaster of paris at some guys youtube video so i assumed it'd be okay. Ill look into the hydrostone matter. I can try gutload them with other and make sure they get their intake of vitamins and calcium. I don't care if its cheating. If it helps the queen it helps the queen. XD Wonder if when the ant colony grows a bit in size  like atleast 50workers if I can find larvae of other ant species like "lasius niger" or something of the sort and make them be slaves to the carpenter ants colony. xD 

I can't seem to find the hydrostone mix on lowes. Ill check online again on home depot to see if they have it. 

Here's the plaster of paris:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_41323-68-10...plaster&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=plaster

Look into it if you can, please and thank you.

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I can't find it...


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## AntyBarbie (May 20, 2011)

From what I have learned visiting the Ant Farm and Mymrecology Forum (  http://antfarm.yuku.com/  ), grout is the primo material to use for casting formicariums.  I, too, have carpenter ant queens (camponotus vicinus).  I was fortunate one night to walk outside at the right time...the queens had mated in their nuptial flight earlier that day and gone into hiding, waiting until it was safer in the dark to roam and find a suitable nest spot.  I found 10, yes, TEN!  Now I have 10 queens with eggs/larvae in small boxes in a hall closet where it's dark.
One of my queens got knocked over and her eggs got scattered, but still were inside here box.  She didn't seem able to find them, even after a few hours, so I dumped the box out on a piece of paper and searched the contents with a magnifying glass and flashlight.  I reunited her with all of her eggs.

I have a couple of kinds of grout to start with, practicing making formicariums and a half price scratched up piece of plexiglass for practice as well.  I bought unsanded grout for the express purpose of being able to add the color and size sand I wanted.  I will experiment with adding perlite to make the formicarium lighter, more porous and add places that will absorb water better.

Note: if you go on the antfarm site, use your best grammar and spellcheck.  They don't tolerate anything less than perfection in the English language.


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## SandDeku (May 20, 2011)

AntyBarbie said:


> From what I have learned visiting the Ant Farm and Mymrecology Forum (  http://antfarm.yuku.com/  ), grout is the primo material to use for casting formicariums.  I, too, have carpenter ant queens (camponotus vicinus).  I was fortunate one night to walk outside at the right time...the queens had mated in their nuptial flight earlier that day and gone into hiding, waiting until it was safer in the dark to roam and find a suitable nest spot.  I found 10, yes, TEN!  Now I have 10 queens with eggs/larvae in small boxes in a hall closet where it's dark.
> One of my queens got knocked over and her eggs got scattered, but still were inside here box.  She didn't seem able to find them, even after a few hours, so I dumped the box out on a piece of paper and searched the contents with a magnifying glass and flashlight.  I reunited her with all of her eggs.
> 
> I have a couple of kinds of grout to start with, practicing making formicariums and a half price scratched up piece of plexiglass for practice as well.  I bought unsanded grout for the express purpose of being able to add the color and size sand I wanted.  I will experiment with adding perlite to make the formicarium lighter, more porous and add places that will absorb water better.
> ...


Grout? I see theres lots of methods of making an ant farm... Sorta hard to choose from the "best" I guess.


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