Click HERE to view our Ready-Made Mini Hearth XLs.                                       

The Mini Hearth XL is a founding formicarium created by Tar Heel Ants.   For your specific species, especially smaller and tiny ant species, it is always important to understand the best habitat to fit their specific needs and life-cycle stage.  Starting a colony (or a queen) in the right environment with the proper preparations and maintenance is a key first step in your journey to growing a successful ant colony.

The installed Water Tower™ has a refill time (hydration maintenance) of 3-4 weeks or longer.  Like other Mini Hearth ersions, a key feature of the Mini Hearth XL is the connection port located on the left and right side for future expansion and options for moving the colony when they outgrow their habitat.  There are also two nestmates in the back.

There are many variations available for the Mini Hearth!  These are to help house the many thousands of ant species around the world.  Some variations include features commonly requested by users such as glow-in-the-dark feature, dual-chamber designs, and so on. 

  Other variations include:

• Stalactites (Now Optional)-NOTE: These do benefit some species that hang from the ceilings.  Ants can be seen cleaning themselves while hanging upside-down, carrying food while those below feed, etc.  Some ants, such as "honey pot" ants actually must have spacious chambers for their repletes to hang comfortably. The stalactites seemingly add this behavior.  In the end the choice is yours as the user if you want to incorporate them into your Mini Hearth but we recommend examining the options for your potential inhabitants.  As a user myself, I always incorporate stalactites in my own Mini Hearths.

• Two Levels, also known as Bifurcated

• Modular (Now included in all Mini Hearths as a standard feature) 

Features:

• NEW - Expandable/Modular - Each short side of the Mini Hearth formicaria has magnets.  These connect to other Mini Hearths (Including XL and XXL, but not bifurcated) with this feature.  Multiple units can be connected together to form a larger formicarium.  All Mini Hearths with this feature can be used In this way.  Other Mini Hearths without this feature (Bifurcated and some older models) can be connected using 3/8" tubing to the modular Mini Hearths.

• Removable glass - Museum Glass optional

• Large Water Tower™ (Screen covered apparatus inside habitat for humidity)

• Sand-coated OR vermiculite-coated interior chamber

• Golden-brown sand, White Sand, gold vermiculite, or tan/brown vermiculite optional for interior

• Painted exterior

• Stalactite decor on chamber celing

• 3/8" Side connection ports

• Foraging Area Decor Optional

• Nestmates Optional ( Watch nestmate video) NOTE: Choosing "No Nestmate" will only mean you do not receive the actual nestmate(s) apparatus, the hole will still be included with a plug to fill this opening.

• Dimensions approximately 4.5" x 1.75" x 2"

****Each Mini Hearth XL ordered on this page (you choosing colors, decor, and other features) takes 10-14 days (average) to complete before being shipped.  We make everything to order, unless otherwise stated.  Please note this time during our busy season can increase dramatically (up to 3-4 weeks sometimes).  Please contact us at tarheelants@gmail.com for more details on completion and delivery times.

***Pdf file is available for this formicarium, please email us at tarheelants@gmail.com for an emailed copy***

The Ant Network Did a Review Video On The Mini Hearth: 

Watch this short video clip of a Solenopsis invicta colony in an old-style Mini Hearth that has outgrown formicarium...

What comes with a Mini Hearth?

Mini Hearth formicarium, stoppers for connection ports, blunt-tipped syringe for hydration and PDF user guide and instructions(upon email request to tarheelants@gmail.com).

                     ***Above photos - 1st photo Camponotus chromaiodes colony in a Mini Hearth.  2nd photo Pogonomyrmex occidentlis workers inside a golden-vermiculite coated Mini Hearth.

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