Por Amor Curvesome Formicarium – Medium

The curvesome formicarium from Por Amor has eight big rounded chambers, a heating cable canal, two hydration systems, humidity and temperature gradients, a rugged substrate, including a water evaporator module.

The formicarium can house mature-sized ant colonies and large species similar to camponotus or pogonomyrmex. This nest’s diverse heating and hydration combinations make it adaptable to the needs of dry to wet and warm to cold species.

The formicarium hydration systems work with evaporation and capillarity:

-The evaporator module provides humid air through a mesh-protected tube port. Temperature and condensation play a role in how much water enters the nest and condensates into the walls and substrate. The evaporator module is sensitive to heat; the hotter it is, the more water it evaporates and flows into the nest. A heating cable can be placed between the formicarium and the watering module.

-The internal water chamber (capillarity) transports water directly through the substrate. Heat does not change the transport of water into the substrate but accelerates evaporation to the rest of the formicarium. The water reservoir feeds water directly to the substrate on the chamber above it; in such, the humid substrate is on all walls up to the glass; this is your most wet area in the nest.

If you need to ventilate and dry the formicarium by chance, you can disconnect the evaporator module and aerate the nest through the mesh on the connecting port.

The bottom of the chambers has a thick, humidity absorbent and rugged substrate, providing crevices and grip to ants. In this design, we left the side walls clean and smooth with exposed plastic; this separates the substrate humidity from reaching the glass directly. As a result, ants with difficulty climbing smooth surfaces will be less likely to populate walls; those who can climb will be less likely to deposit wet organic material between the glass and the wall/frame.

Light protection options include a translucent red film cut out and a black plastic lid that completely darkens the nest.

Tubing connectors are 9.5mm.

It measures 10×10 cm wide and 3 cm tall. Includes; formicarium, external water evaporator module with 10ml bottle, a small piece of 12,7 mm tubing to connect evaporator module, three plugs for each entrance and the light protection sheets

Unit weight is approximate: 250 grams.