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Pet Ants - Housing
Pet ants are delicate creatures and special, heated, escape proof housing is needed. This will be divided into two main sections: a tank and nesting chamber cube. The ideal type and size is a glass tank about 75cm long, 50cm wide and 40cm high with a 5cm high platform 20cm square at each end plus a 10cm wide, 5cm deep moat, to be filled with water, around the rim of the tank, to prevent escapees. One platform suitable for mounting the nesting chamber and ‘garden’ cube. The other platform for placing leaf material. The nesting chamber cube should also be made from glass and measure 30cm each way, but without a lid. The heating is by way of a thermostatically controlled aquarium heater.
The empty tank should be positioned in a light airy position out of direct sunlight. The tank is quite heavy when assembled and occupied so ensure that it is well supported on furniture, shelf or bespoke frame.
The bottom of the tank should be filled with tepid water up to 1cm from the top of the two platforms. The aquarium heater, (set at 30 oc, read the instructions carefully), should now be attached to the bottom of the tank. (The water level will now have risen to just below both the platforms) The water is heated, as the nest temperature needs to be around 25 oC for the benefit of the fungus and not for the ants, as the fungus needs this temperature and the additional humidity, created by the water heater, to be able to thrive. Where the water heater cable exits the tank, kink the wire into the moat so that ants can not use it as a bridge.
The nesting cube is to be filled with a fungicide free, sterilised soil based compost mixed with between 25% and 50% garden peat moss. Leave a hollow at the surface for the section of mycelia starter ‘garden’ about the size of a grapefruit. When you introduce your queen colony there is no need to cover the starter ‘garden’ as the ants will do that naturally. Place the nesting cube on either of the platforms leaving a gap between it and the tank sides. The water acts as a moat to prevent escapees. The moat around the rim should now be filled with water
Once the tank is set up thus far you can introduce the queen colony and fungus ‘garden’ into the nesting cube hollow.
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