The Stronghold

The Stronghold formicarium is a double-sized "Fortress style" habitat.  This formicarium features double foraging areas, a 4" x 8" nest area (100mm x 200mm), and removable glass faces.  The Nest block attaches/detaches via powerful magnets and short one inch tubing.  

The Stronghold formicarium is in essence, a double "Fortress" formicarium.  The foraging area for the Stronghold is either a dual foraging area. which allows for a greater degree of control of feeding areas, or a single 4x8" foraging area (same size as Nucleus and Hearth).  We have found this to be a benefit for keeping foraging areas cleaner and feeding maintenance times down to a minimum.

Stronghold Features:

• dual foraging areas OR 4" x 8" nest area (100mm x 200mm)
• magnetically removable glass
• Large Water Towers (Screen covered apparatus inside habitat for humidity)
• 2 nestmates
• Interior Sand Coated Chambers
• Optional Foraging Area Decor
• Option Museum Quality boxes
• Type III or Type I (Ytong Material)

Many of the Stronghold features are similar to the Fortress such as the vertical style nest (ants moving up and down in their habitat), nestmates being included as a standard feature, and a small bundle of accessories included with each order.  

What comes with your formicarium?  Mini Liquid Feeder, 2 feeding dishes, 2 nestmates, stoppers for access ports, and a syringe and blunt tip adapter.

"Bottom-Up" design - Both the Fortess and the Stronghold formicaria were planned so as to have a different arrangement of their nest and foraging area.  The entry for the ants into the foraging area is on the bottom level of the habitat.  The other expansion chambers and tunnels are above this entrance and the water towers.  In order for ants to store trash in the upper areas of their nest they must struggle against gravity (an unnatural behavior for ants as they bury most food inside their nest in the wild or discard it).  Ants naturally move the trash away from the most humid areas of the nest which would be the foraging area (the goal of this arrangement). We have found this leads to a cleaner habitat overall and limits the amount of maintenance needed inside the nest due to trash that ants may leave inside their nest areas.

Watch the new Fortress Formicarium Video below

Options

Decor options - the 4" height limits decor options only slightly. 

• The Great Tree option is available for $10 in this formicarium but please keep in mind this takes up a lot of space in the foraging area.  We find it useful in creating additonal foraging surfaces.  Only one tree is included in one of the two foraging areas when this option is chosen.
• 50/50 Decor options - One foraging area is (for example) a desert mountain foraging area and the other is a desert foraging area.  For more detailed instructions for this setup please include these in the comments box when ordering.