The elevator formicarium is vertical and slim, a small ant habitat ideal for tiny species or a colony with low numbers. It has five small chambers that let you watch ants go up and down the tower; four have substrate, and one houses connection ports and a mesh screen for a water evaporator module.
UPDATE: we now offer the elevator in 2 depths; the "Original at 16mm" and "Deep at 26mm" > some of us want slightly deeper, more spacious nesting chambers for the not-so-small colonies.
It is easy to connect multiple elevators side to side, slowly expanding a growing colony.
In this formicarium, humidity works using evaporation; a "water evaporator module" attaches to the back, which also helps keep the formicarium upright. The formicarium and the evaporator have mesh screens on their openings, ensuring no escapes. The evaporator module is sensitive to heat; the hotter it is, the more water evaporates and flows into the nest. A heating cable can be placed between the formicarium and the watering module.
Humid air tends to rise, travelling through the chambers to the top. This creates a humidity gradient where the substrate between chambers is not directly connected.
Disconnect the module to refill the water unit; ants won't escape as the mesh screen will prevent so. Unscrew the glass jar, fill it with distilled water, re-attach the module, and reinsert it into the formicarium; done! The module stays in place using a small portion of vinyl tubing that fits snugly on both sides.
The walls on the top four sections are coated with a rugged, water-absorbent substrate that provides grip to ants.
We also sell the formicarium as a kit bundled with a mini outside world and accessories; you can find it in our "bundles and kits" section.
The connection tubing size is 9.5mm (3/8") for the entrances and 12.7mm (1/2") for the water evaporator module.
The formicarium includes two plugs, a small portion of 12.7 vinyl tubing to connect the evaporator, an evaporator module with a 5mL glass jar, and the light protection option of your choice.
Unit weight: approx 50 grams for the original version and 60 grams for the deep version.
Glass measures 25 by 75 mm, depth of the formicarium is 16 mm or 26mm, based on your choice.
The Elevator formicarium corresponds to the "Evaporator module class" please read the "Formicarium hydration guide" and the "Hybrid formicarium gen & class" page for more information.