So what is a Formicarium? Well, its the official name for a place to house ants. You will probably be familiar with the term Ant Farm, an ant farm is a type of formicarium. Below is a short breakdown of the different types of formicariums available, and the kinds of species ideally suited to these types.

Ant Farms

There are three main types of ant farm, acrylic farms, glass farms, and gel type farms.

Acrylic Ant Farm

This is an acrylic ant farm.  Its is an acrylic type nest that is designed for people to use when then first get interested in ants. Over the years i've had a number of these great little sets and they have been ideal for keeping both L.niger (Black Garden Ants), and M.ruginodis (Red Ants) in. I don't think they would be much good for any larger species, but certainly they are good for the smaller species. They usually come in a kit form which makes it good fun to begin with. They come with the farm itself, a supply of fine sand, and tubing connecting to a magnifying petridish so that you can see the ants close up.

Pros: Cheap, Easy to build, can be linked to other farms, great for smaller species.

Cons: Ants can get through the air holes, most colonies will outgrow the farm, difficult to maintain moisture, can scratch internally.

Glass Ant Farm

This is a glass ant farm.  It is made of tough and durable glass and is designed for both starters in ant keeping, and also keeping ants on a more professional basis. These are excellent pieces of kit and tend to be a bit larger internally so can house slightly larger species. I currently use them to house both T.caespitum (Pavement Ants) and C.ligniperda (Carpenter Ants). These farms can also be linked, especially to small basins or other farms.

Pros: Strong and robust, can house larger species, scratch resistant, excellent for viewing the ants tunnels

Cons: Ants can escape if they are not built properly, colonies can still outgrow them, difficult to maintain moisture.

Gel Ant Farm

This is an antworks farm. It is made of acrylic and comes pre-filled with a gell. This gel acts as both the medium for the ants to tunnel into, and also their food. Some may think this a great idea, but it is widely accepted throughout the ant keeping community that they are cruel. The trouble is that you can only really keep a few dozen ants at the most, and while it may look pretty when the ants are alive and digging, its when the ants die that the trouble begins. They will being to grow mouldy on the gel, and will be impossible to get out which makes the farm both unattractive, and completely useless. 

Pros: Looks pretty. a good starter set to get youngsters interested in ants.

Cons: Cruel, limited use, Pricey (one time useage),

Ant Apartments and Basins

This is an ant apartments and basins. It is made of glass, and has both a basin and also a farm area built into it. The sand etc goes both into the front of the unit so that you can see the tunnels, and behind in the main area so that the ants have further tunnelling possibilites and somewhere to forage, all in one unit. This would make a good set up for small to medium ants, and because of the area could house slightly larger colonies than all of the previous farms. 

Pros: Strong and robust, can house larger species, scratch resistant, excellent for viewing the ants tunnels, added bonus of the inbuilt foraging area.

Cons: Ants can escape if they are not built properly, difficult to maintain moisture

Ytong and Plaster Nests 

These nests are generally used by people wanting to house either larger type species, or species that like a dry or arid environment. They are also excellent for viewing purposes. Ytong nests can be built from most materials, gypsum, cork, plaster.

Gypsum Nests

This is a gypsum nest. It is made out of gypsum, a kind of brick if you like. Its been carved out to include 6 chambers, a feeding chamber, and a moisture chamber. These are excellent type habitats for all types of ants, and a great for viewing the ants with. The glass top can be removed in sections so that you can feed and water your ants. The picture shows a pre-made nest, but it is relatively easy to make your own with a gypsum block, a dremmel and some glass. 

Pros: Strong and robust, can house larger species, excellent for viewing the ants, easy to maintain

Cons: Ants can escape if they are not built properly, colonies can still outgrow them

Plaster Nests

This is plaster nest. Its my own, and houses my growing colony of Messor Barbarus. I chose to build it to house them because they didn't really like the ant farm that I had put them in. I also wanted to be able to observe them in closer detail. It was made using wood, mdf and plaster of paris, so was relatively cheap. This type of nest is great for housing all kinds of ants including some of the larger species. If you look closer at the picture you will see that some of the chambers have been formed in the shape of an ant.

Pros: Cheap, Easy to build, can be linked to other farms, great for observation.

Cons: Ants can escape if not built properly (I lost a few myself), difficult to keep clean and tidy internally (especially as I had to silicone seal the lid to stop them escaping).