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Help on how to create Tiny heating (stone) DIY

Posted: Fri May 15, 2020 8:14 am
by fskraum1
Hi All,
short version - I would like to make a tiny heating or heating stone which will heat only part of the 10cmx20cmx1,8cm formicarium. Power source would be preferably 230V, but 12V is ok as well.
Probably best would be to create it as a tiny stone which would be laid on top and thus ideal to mimic natural habit of Lasius Niger
And I believe this should be very very cheap since it will be just one or more resistors soldered to cables and attached to the power source. I will however need actual numbers on power source and types and numbers of resistors or better some very easy theory to understand myself how to calculate such heating element.

Long version - right now I have two colonies of Lasius Niger in the test tube setup with the attached forage space. In a near future I plan to let one of the colony go, and the other move to the small glass formicarium (https://www.antstore.net/shop/en/antfarms---nests/antfarms/antfarm-glass-M/ANTCUBE---ant-display-20x10---M---detached-5444.html).
What I would like to achieve is to have as natural habitat for them as possible with the exception that I will be able to see them all the time for study and fun. I have seen in the nature and also in guides on net that Lasius Niger usually have nest below stones so they can use it as "heating element" for pupae.
However all the heating mats I found are "huge" for this formicarium, and same with the heating cables. I do not need a 1meter of heating cable to heat this small area. So I believe it should be quite easy to just put few resistors to the sandstone, and plug them to power and voila we have a very small heating stone. Problem is I do not understand basics to be able to find out what resistors to what kind of voltage and ampers to create something which will work and not burn my ants.

I have available thermostat which sensor I plan to put very close to the heating to be able to regulate the temperature. So no need to discuss the heat regulation for now.
I would really like to see the work of the ants while they are moving the pupae closer to the power source based on the temperature of the heating (I plan to also regulate hours when this will be on to simulate day night cycle)

So if there is someone who can provide some guidance on this I would be very gratefull

Take care

Re: Help on how to create Tiny heating (stone) DIY

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:02 am
by Antloverhuman
I think the better place to ask for help would be on an electronics related forum. All i can say is 230 volts house power supply is kinda too difficult as it would take lots of designing to step it down and make it produce a comfortable temperature so you should use 12 volta dc adaptor. Attaching some microcontroller or your thermostat to it and some nichrome wire as the heating element. You could encase the heating element in some sort of non toxic resis that doesn't burn or melt and make it a rock shape