formiLAB (L)

The formiLAB large nest is perfect for colonies of up to 1000-2000 ants depending on the size of the species. Four natural sponge pieces or plaster pieces, to which water is added, provide the essential moisture needed within the nest and also provide a moisture gradient for the queen and colony to raise their brood.
 
Key Features
 
Accurately monitor temperature and moisture within the nest
Choose to have a monitor with or without a thermostat probe cutout
Strong 3mm Perspex® used throughout the nest
The V4 connectors are now secured with a screw for additional strength and maximum security
Natural sponge pieces or plaster to add moisture to the nest
The sponge or plaster can be removed or replaced at any point if needed.
Different elevations within the nest
Standoffs for heat cables supplied
Connector for use with Standoffs included
PVC Tube Connector V4 included
Temperature and moisture monitor can be transferred if you buy another V4 nest
Can be stacked using our stacking kits.
 
General Information
 
The nest is supplied with a 3mm clear Perspex lid for viewing within the nest, but also comes with a dark red Perspex lid to keep the nest dark.
 
A PVC tube  connector V4 is supplied with the foundation nest to connect it to an outworld or an arena. The tube connector is designed for PVC tube which has an outer diameter of 13mm and an inner diameter of 10mm.
 
Tube can vary slightly in dimensions, but the tube connector is designed to fit the tube in our shop perfectly. The tube also has no writing on it for an extra clear view of the colony.
 
You can also attach any of our other V4 Connectors to this nest, including our Tubeless Connector V4. This nest can also use crystal clear 10mm ID or 16mm ID acrylic tube with our new acrylic tube connectors.
 
What makes this nest, and all our nests special, is the ability to attach our temperature and moisture monitor to it. This is included with this nest and simply attaches to the formicarium with the use M3 screws which are supplied. To read more about the Bluetooth monitor please click here.
 
Each species of ant has its own temperature and moisture requirement within the nest. For example, Lasius Niger ants prefer a moisture level of between 10-50% and a temperature of between 20-27°C. In order for your colony to be happy and for your queen to lay eggs at an optimal rate, you should keep the nest within these moisture and temperature ranges. Our temperature and moisture monitor makes this job easy. If the nest is too dry, add a few drops of water and watch the humidity within the nest increase. Or, if the nest is too cold, use a heat cable to raise the temperature. No longer do you need to guess if your nest is at the correct temperature or humidity.
 
We recommend using a heat cable rather than a heat mat to heat the nest, because a heat cable can be used to heat a certain part of a nest to provide a temperature gradient for your ants. A heat cable can also be used to heat more than one nest at a time. 
 
Care must be taken when using a heat cable, and only very low wattage cables should be used. We recommend using these 15w heat cables which we have successfully tested with our nests.