Ant Keeping Founding Formicarium (Test Tube Replacement)

thingiverse

I created this founding formicarium as a replacement for keeping queens in test tubes. I wanted something that kept the best bits about a test tube setup * Low maintenance. The water almost never needs to be changed * Easy to stick in a draw and forget about * Cheap and easy to get in large quantities * Easy to clean and re-use and dealt with some of the more annoying parts, such as * Not being able to refill the water or replace moldy cotton without convincing the queen to leave first * Chance of ants escaping when feeding and cleaning * Ants slipping on the glass The formicarium is designed to fit 13mm tubing, with one end taking a tube with water in it and the other having a smaller piece of tubing that is either connected to an outworld or blocked off. Feeding and replacing the water will be much easier as there are two small inserts that can be used. This means there is no chance of escapees, and the ants don't need to move out of the tube to replace the water source. After you've printed this, all you need is * 13mm vinyl tubing * Cotton buds * 1mm thick acrylic to cut into a 2x6cm window. If you cut it right, the layers will hold onto it all by itself and there's no need to glue anything. Please keep in mind that this formicarium has been designed for large ants, and smaller ants might be able to escape. Also keep in mind that the water will need to be changed more frequently than with a regular test tube, but generally lasts 1-2 months (depending on the length of hydration tube you use and climate etc). Enjoy! **Make sure you test the hydration tube before you use it to make sure if doesn't leak. If you're having issues, try add cotton wool inside the plug like in the pictures.** **UPDATE: 20/5/2018 added printable sliders so that there's no need to buy mesh.** **UPDATE: 13/6/2019 added smaller feeding chambers that can be attached.**