Formicarium Test Tube Arena
55,90 zł
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Escape-Proof Design
Stable Humidity System
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Description
Every ant-keeper starts here. The Test Tube Arena is the simplest complete starter in the range — a 15 mm test tube set inside a compact 5 × 5 × 5 cm acrylic box. The water-charged tube gives a founding queen the humid, enclosed space she needs to raise her first brood; the box adds a small foraging area where you can drop food without disturbing her. An 8 mm or 10 mm port connects it to any modular nest when the colony grows.
New to the hobby? Start right here.
Additional information
| Dimensions | 5 × 5 × 5 cm |
|---|---|
| Material |
Acrylic |
| Tube size |
⌀ 15 mm tubes |
| Made in |
Poland |
Formicarium Test Tube Arena — the simplest complete ant-keeping starter setup
This starter formicarium pairs a classic 15 mm test tube with a compact 5 × 5 × 5 cm acrylic box, ready to use the moment you place the tube. The water-charged tube gives a founding queen the small, humid, enclosed space she needs to raise her first brood, and the box adds a neat foraging and feeding area just outside it — the ideal first home for a single queen and her first workers. Made in Poland and shipped with tracked delivery across the EU, UK and worldwide. When the colony grows, an 8 mm or 10 mm port connects it straight to any modular nest.
Specifications
| Material | Layered acrylic box + standard glass/plastic test tube — made in Poland |
| Outer dimensions | 5 × 5 × 5 cm |
| Test tube | 15 mm diameter |
| Expansion port | 8 mm or 10 mm — connects to any modular nest or arena |
| Best for | A founding queen and her first workers |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly — the ideal first setup |
| Suitable species | Messor structor, Lasius niger, Tetramorium caespitum, Camponotus nicobarensis, Pheidole pallidula |
| Colour / sticker | assorted as standard (specific on request) |
Why a tube and a box is enough
A founding colony does best in a small, humid space, and a water-charged test tube is exactly that: a warm, enclosed microclimate the queen can raise brood in without stress. The box adds just enough room to drop in food and water without opening the tube, so the most fragile stage of the hobby stays simple and low-risk, with no over-housing of a queen that wants to be tucked away. All for the price of an entry-level accessory.
Who it suits
It is made for a single queen with her first workers, or any newly founded colony still at the tube stage. A beginner gets a foolproof first home; an experienced keeper gets a tidy founding-and-feeding unit and can run several side by side.
How it works and how it grows
Plug the test tube with a cotton ball and half-fill it with water behind the cotton; the cotton holds the water back and keeps the tube warm and humid, the founding microclimate a queen wants. The colony lives in the tube and forages in the box, so to feed you set food in the box instead of opening the tube. When it outgrows the tube, connect the 8 mm or 10 mm port to a modular nest or arena and the ants migrate across at their own pace, carrying brood themselves, with no handling of the queen. The Test Tube Arena then joins a larger ANTonTOP setup, or frees up for your next founding queen.
Setup and care
Set the charged tube in the box, plug any unused port, and it is ready. Drop small amounts of food into the box for the workers to collect; when the water runs low, swap in a fresh water-charged tube. Keep the box tidy and wipe the acrylic clear, and the setup largely looks after itself.
Pairs well with
Spare 15 mm test tubes, cotton wool for plugs, an ANTonTOP modular nest for when the colony grows, and standard connection tubing. A small feeding dish keeps the box clean between meals.
FAQ
Is this a good first setup?
Yes — it is the simplest complete starter, ideal for a founding queen and her first workers. There is nothing to assemble beyond placing the tube.
How do I set up the tube?
Plug it with cotton, half-fill the back with water so the cotton holds it in, and place it in the box. That’s it.
Does it include the test tube, and when do I move the colony on?
Yes — a 15 mm test tube and the 5 × 5 × 5 cm box; you add cotton and water. When it outgrows the tube, connect the 8 mm or 10 mm port to a larger nest or arena and let the ants migrate across themselves.
Which species is it suitable for?
Any founding queen at the tube stage — most popular pet species start exactly this way, in a 15 mm tube.
Do you ship outside Poland?
Yes — tracked delivery across the EU, UK and worldwide, dispatched within 24 hours from Poland with heat or cool packs as the season needs.
A note on care: each item is built for a specific job — please use it only as intended. Responsibility for correct, safe use rests with the keeper; ANTonTOP accepts no liability for misuse or damage from improper use.
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