Por Amor The Cave 2.0

The body block measures 10x5x 5 cm (LxWxH), each removable glass measures 10x5cm. Tubing ports on each side can be 9.5mm (3/8″) or 12.7mm (1/2″) in diameter.

It is made with PLA pro plastic, clear glass, neodymium magnets and mineral substrate based on portland cement grout plasters and additives.

Before introducing any species, fill up the water reservoir to the max capacity at least 24 hours before introduction. After that, add distilled water as needed; read below for further instructions.

Approx Weight: 180 grams.

Hydration Chamber Instructions

Simple  rules:

• Always use distilled water; this helps diminish mineral build-up.
• It is ideal to wait at least 24 to 48 hours after the water chamber empties before adding more water.
• The substrate will go from light gray to darker depending on how humid it is; use this colour change as an indicator to add more water or wait.
• If water droplets are present on the glass or substrate, or if it looks wet, do not add more water; unless you know what you are doing and are dealing with a high humidity species, remember too much water can cause mould outbreaks and also such water will look for ways to escape and evaporate.

>> The goal is to create a watering schedule, for example, “1mL of distilled water every five to six days”. The temperature and humidity around the formicarium change how fast the water escapes; we want to add just enough to keep a balance around the moisture needed.

The glass has been carefully paired with the unit to ensure a perfect seal using the magnets pull. Glass is waterproof, and the plastic frame around it is close to being waterproof; this means containing humidity inside is very easy. The substrate is only water-resistant, meaning water does not quickly go through it but gets absorbed within the material. The water chamber uses porous materials to transfer humidity to the inside walls of the nest, similar to cotton inside a founding test tube. Still, we can control the amount of liquid on the other side.

OK, so how do we do it? Measuring how much water goes in and how often, and the colour of the substrate is the recommended method.

When water is added to the chamber, it is expected to absorb into the rest of the inside walls slowly. You can observe the substrate changing from a light grey to a dark grey as humidity distributes thru the inside walls. Using this gentle change in colour, you can determine when the nest is starting to dry again and, at such time, add a small amount of water.

The water chamber slowly distributes the liquid through the entire nest; this creates a humidity gradient. If you overfill and water to often the nest, the walls will become soaked. In addition, the water will look for ways to evaporate and most possibly leak through the glass or crevices in the plastic frame and increase the possibility of a mould outbreak or mineral build-up.

We suggest observing the glass and substrate surfaces for condensation; having some minor condensation early in the mornings is typical (or with any drop in temperature), but if it is always there or it takes longer to disappear as the day warms up, this means you need to add less water and less often. On the contrary, if you never see condensation even with quick reductions in temperature, then you may need to add more water or do so more often; you can test this quickly with a tiny piece of ice against the glass, do it on an empty chamber or right in front of the water chamber internal glass, pay attention to the times it takes to see condensation form and use that time as a reference.

All of our mineral substrate formulations are MOLD resistant, BUT > any leftover food or organic materials as well as excess humidity can result in a mould outbreak; the key to preventing this from happening is to provide foods that cannot be dragged into the inside, always use feeding dishes and liquid feeding trays, clean up as often as possible, keep humidity to the minimum needs and ensure your colony has a small tight space to ensure they keep it clean.