I have a weird "Formicarium" design- need help!

[MaxWilldernessKids]

I am a new ant keeper trying to raise a black crazy ant colony (Paretrachina Longicornis). Right now they are still in a test tube+ small outworld setup, but eventually I will have to give them a real formicarium. I need something secure and escape-proof, easy to maintain, and AntsCanada quality while still under $50 USD. So I had an idea. I could buy the AC deluxe test tube pack, which comes with 5 test tubes and plenty of adapters, an AC test tube portal, and some large vinyl tubing. I would stick 3 of the test tubes into the portal, and in the last hole I would stick a tube leading to an outworld. Do you think this setup would work? And would all of the connections and ports fit and connect? Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

[IndoAnts]

It should be alright for the ants. Try to also add a bit of substrate around the middle of the test tube portal. The only problem about this setup is maintaining the humidity within the nest. This is because the water in the test tubes will slowly dry out and the ants might even transfer their nest in the outworld which you really dont want, especially if the ants are paratrechina longecornis as this species is very mobile and would relocate if conditions are unfavourable. Another reason from my experience with paratrechina longecornis is that they very like humid nests. If this is your only option for a formicarium, the only way i could think of for hydrating this formicarium is by either moving all the ants and brood out of the dried out testtube by shining it with bright light and then quickly changing the test tube with a new test tube setup. I must say that this is not very practical. I would suggest you make a formicarium out of ytong, known by other names as hebel or air concrete. You could usually find this in home depots. Other materials i find safe and great for ants are cork or plaster of paris. All the materials stated have been used by me and are great.

Sorry for the long reply

[MaxWilldernessKids]

Thanks for the advice! I might have to edit my plans.

[MaxWilldernessKids]

Ok, so this is my new plan. I have a 10 gallon aquarium that I can use as the outworld. And I came up with a new idea for the formicarium. I will attach two water bottles with a T connector and and use the third opening as the nest exit. inside one of the water bottle, on one side there will be moist cotton balls for a humidity gradient. Here is a blueprint I made to show you guys:https://imgur.com/a/ZmTOM8a

Any new advice on this idea? Again, all help is appreciated!

[TriumphAnt]

I may be wrong but maybe you should put a few cotton balls in the other water bottle as well? Not as wet as the really moist ones but maybe wet them then wring them out really good. This would give them a substrate they could pull at, while also giving them a soft, absorbent place to gather if condensation were to collect, don’t want any drowning ants. Also I haven’t cared for Black crazy ants but would they like crawling on the cotton more than crawling on the moist plastic? Would it depend on how much humidity is needed and how much is too much I guess. A cotton ball drained of most of its water would allow more humidity in the nest while also being able to absorb an excess amount of water while you’re figuring out humidity levels. Sometimes when I’m keeping my ants on a plastic floor I line the floor with a thin layer of paper towels, slightly pulled cotton balls or some kind of substrate in addition to having an area with hydration media. That might be just me though.
Hope any of this info helped!!
Good luck caring for your Black Crazy Ants, I hope they do great!!