Kit Diamond

• Formicarium Diamond — compact acrylic ant nest, 10×9 cm, 9 mm chamber; humidification chamber, escape protection, laser-cut ventilation, made in Poland
• Live Camponotus colony — carpenter ants (nicobarensis, fedtschenkoi or irritans by availability), a laying queen and roughly 1–10 workers
• Decorative sand — for the arena floor
• Tweezers — for feeding and tidying
• Arena decorations — to set the scene
• Drinking bowl — for sugar water
• Live arrival guarantee — covers the colony in transit

The cheap novelty farms are usually gel or sand tanks that ship with a handful of workers and no queen, so they cannot raise new ants and are normally over in two to three weeks. Kit Diamond is built around a real laying queen, so the colony grows and keeps going for years. The nest is the same 3 mm layered acrylic used across the ANTonTOP range, with a proper humidification system and a screw-locked lid rather than a loose clip. You are not buying a toy; you are starting a hobby.

Camponotus are carpenter ants, among the largest you can keep, and the tropical species we supply — typically Camponotus nicobarensis, with fedtschenkoi or irritans by availability — are an excellent way in. Nicobarensis grows fast, needs no winter rest, and throws big-headed majors reaching 10 to 14 mm next to small minors, so a single colony shows off real size-polymorphism. The kit suits a first-time carpenter-ant keeper, a child of about 8 and up with an adult helping, or anyone after an affordable living gift with real presence. They do not sting or bite, and the formicarium is escape-proof once the lid is closed. Most presents are forgotten by January, but a living colony is bigger by spring; order around 7 to 14 days ahead for a birthday or Christmas and we will time the dispatch, with a parent on board rather than springing it on a very young child.

Lightly moisten the humidification chamber, and cover the nest with a dark cloth or card while the colony settles. Connect the transport tube to the entrance and leave it alone — the ants move across when ready, usually within a few hours and sometimes up to two days, kept warm (24–28 °C suits tropical Camponotus) and quiet. Camponotus are not seed-harvesters; they need insect protein and liquid carbohydrates: keep sugar water or diluted honey topped up in the drinking bowl, and offer a small insect or protein substitute once or twice a week to feed the brood. Keep the humidification chamber lightly moist, hold around 24–28 °C, and keep the formicarium out of direct sun; clean the arena now and then with the tweezers while the nest looks after its own hygiene. When the colony grows past roughly 200 to 300 workers and fills the Diamond, the natural next step is the taller Formicarium Crystal (16 mm chamber for big majors), then Comfort, Ideal or the modular range — all connected with standard tubing.

Every colony is covered by our live arrival guarantee. The ants travel in a secure transport tube with moisture and food, and we have shipped thousands of colonies across Europe in seasonal thermal packaging — a heat pack in winter, a cool gel pack in summer. Full care instructions are included, with a video guide at youtube.com/@AntOnTop. If anything arrives damaged or the queen does not survive transit, contact us and we will put it right.

Why is the Diamond smaller than the Crystal?
Diamond is the entry-level Camponotus kit — compact, lower price, ideal for a founding colony. Crystal is the next step up with more space and a taller 16 mm chamber for large majors.

How big is the starting colony?
A laying queen plus 1 to 10 workers. It is a founding colony with a real queen, so it grows steadily and can reach 200 to 300 workers in the Diamond before an upgrade.

Do Camponotus eat seeds?
No. Camponotus are not seed-harvesters; they need insect protein and liquid carbohydrates. The kit includes a drinking bowl for sugar water; add a small insect or protein substitute once or twice a week.

Do Camponotus need a winter rest?
The tropical species we supply, such as Camponotus nicobarensis, grow year-round and need no hibernation. The included instructions cover the exact species sent.

How long does delivery take?
1 to 2 days inside Poland (InPost); 2 to 3 days to Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium (DHL); 3 to 5 days to France and the rest of the EU; 5 to 9 days to the United Kingdom; worldwide tracked and quoted at checkout.

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.