What Is The Good Sand/Dirt Substrate and Structure For Antkeeping

[cosmo1190]

Hey ,I'm new to antkeeping just buying iridomyrmex queen recently.and i was wondering about the best kind of substrate and structure for my digging formicarium.

i was wondering about adding small bark to my weak sand on my formicarium,is it strong enough to accomodate ant nest? or should i just not use weak sand at the first place and use dryed dirt instead?

[SYUTEO]

You can use coco peat, AntsCanada used it all the time.

You can add a little sand for decorating your formicarium.

[cosmo1190]

You can use coco peat, AntsCanada used it all the time.

You can add a little sand for decorating your formicarium.

I see,thank you

[AntsLuxembourg]

Depending on what species they may be able to build a nest with sand. However you do need to water it from time to time so the sand can lumb and stick together. I gave my Messor barbarus colony a sand outworld that I watered sometimes and they dug around in it from time to time. But of course when it get's too dry it will just crumble and the ants will have to start all over with the digging if they don't enforce their tunnels.

[cosmo1190]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

[AntsLuxembourg]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

Nothing about ants is off topic here. At least nothing I could think of right now. ^^
Sadly I cannot help you much with your question about them being easily stressed or not. Hopefully someone else can help you to answer your burning question.

[SYUTEO]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

I've only kept Iridomyrmex once and it was I. anceps (it's the only Iridomyrmex species in Malaysia) and during founding, she doesn't seem to get stressed to much while I check her.

[cosmo1190]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

I've only kept Iridomyrmex once and it was I. anceps (it's the only Iridomyrmex species in Malaysia) and during founding, she doesn't seem to get stressed to much while I check her.

How is she doin now?

[cosmo1190]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

Nothing about ants is off topic here. At least nothing I could think of right now. ^^
Sadly I cannot help you much with your question about them being easily stressed or not. Hopefully someone else can help you to answer your burning question.

Ah..it's alright...thank you though..you helped a lot

[SYUTEO]

I see,uh...it may be off topic but do iridomyrmex queen easy to get stressed?

I've only kept Iridomyrmex once and it was I. anceps (it's the only Iridomyrmex species in Malaysia) and during founding, she doesn't seem to get stressed to much while I check her.

How is she doin now?

She successfully founded a colony but they all died a couple months ago while moving them to a new test tube.