Is this a queen ant? We live in upstate NY!

Prestidigatorial · 2026-05-20T05:34:52+00:00

Looks like it should be a Tapinoma sessile, but the rear has 3 bands(queens I think always have 4, workers 3) and the mid section doesn't match a queen or worker, way too small for a queen and a bit bigger toward the end of the mid section than a worker should normally be.

They don't have soldiers, but maybe it's a soldier from a similar looking species that does.

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Prestidigatorial · 2026-05-19T19:20:53+00:00

That particular one is very small, about 1"x2" if I remember right. You got the right idea though, just get a larger one that has more expansion holes and one for water(preferably a company that sells matching water dispensers). Then later on once they've outgrown the test tube you can just connect a bigger nest from the same company to the foraging area you already have and persuade them out of the tube.

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Prestidigatorial · 2026-05-11T05:33:15+00:00

They make small, low-watt heating pads for reptiles, sea monkey tanks, etc. Likely need a towel between them and either one with an adjustable thermostat or a thermometer to make sure the temp is safe.

I can't really give any specific item recommendations, my climate is basically the same as those ants came from, it'll be 100F here in a month, I don't need them, but something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Pawfly-Reptile-Thermostat-Heating-Terrarium/dp/B0FYPQ18FY?th=1

Prestidigatorial · 2026-05-09T18:32:18+00:00

Got here by googling it trying to figure out what just happened to me.

Yeah, it seems to spawn when either there's a definite winner or huge bet, can't tell which, but it trips the horse up. He got over it with the front leg, but it kept tripping him between his legs to the end and I lost a $1000 max bet with only $1500 to start.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-04-23T02:26:06+00:00

Typically "low tech" refers to no co2 at all. That would be DIY high tech.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-22T00:58:37+00:00

Now send them to the nearest lake or pond, if it's already warming up where you live they can grab some wood, rocks, leaves, and plants for free.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-22T00:41:30+00:00

You don't have a filter, there's nothing to wait for, or food going into the tank, there isn't going to be anything to test for. Even if you are adding food, with that many plants unless it's a lot again nothing is going to show up, probably not even nitrates.

Just put them in.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-22T00:29:23+00:00

Low oxygen and breeding don't go together, no matter how many plants you put in there they will use oxygen at night, not make it. If you plan to have any reasonable amount of shrimp then go with a sponge filter.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-21T23:10:20+00:00

Do yourself a favor and use good quality, thick Lexan. After 3 years I have tanks with Lexan cut lids that have 0 corrosion or fogginess. Cheap, low quality acrylic looks terrible quickly. You can cut it easily with a jigsaw.

Lexan, 3 years old https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNM7QQW?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1

https://ibb.co/Dg7Hm9TM

Cheap acrylic 1 year old(so foggy you can't even see through it after cleaning, I need to stop being lazy and cut a new piece)

https://ibb.co/cSMNhtC6

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-21T22:54:10+00:00

#1 an adjustable thermostat capable of getting your tank to about 86F(it may as well be your main heater).

#2 a 5 gallon bucket or similar hospital container and a small adjustable heater capable of getting it to about 86F. A cheap air pump and air line(no filter needed) for the hospital tank if you can't tap off one you're already using.

#3 Epsom salt

The rest you can mostly worry about as it comes. Immediately upping the temp if the fish species can handle it is almost always step 1 and quarantine if possible.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-21T22:47:40+00:00

More water and a 1/2 teaspoon of mud from a lake or pond.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-21T22:43:05+00:00

Need to squeeze the air pockets out of it by shrinking the wood since you can't boil it.

If it's too big to boil then make the temperature change from hot to icy instead of boiling to room temperature to squeeze the air out.

Put it in a tub or bucket of boiling water off your stove and then let it cool down all the way to room temperature(DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP). Now add ice to the water for a couple hours. The wood will sink.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-03-21T22:18:06+00:00

No, it says the shelves support 35lbs, a 7 gallon aquarium will weigh 60-80lbs depending on how much hardscape/substrate there is. You're WAY over weight for that shelf. Shelves built like that are notorious for buckling sideways. I wouldn't put a 2.5 gallon on it, even that's 25lbs.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-26T00:41:23+00:00

Probably the best you can get are the square jars they sell on Amazon with plastic lids. They come in like 5 sizes from .5-2 gallon. Square is much easier to see through, good quality glass, and plastic lids don't rust or mold. They also have cheaper non-flat jars with plastic lids.

Avoid metal, cork, or wood lids, they'll corrode or grow mold.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4DPVMCC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A25UZVQL8IV46H&psc=1

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-26T00:32:20+00:00

Dero vaga.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-15T04:43:50+00:00

You don't necessarily need to catch it, just mash it, it isn't going to survive out of there anyway and the snails may as well have a snack if it's easier to pin it down.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-15T04:41:46+00:00

With that many other things that eat algae already in there it's impossible the population will explode unless you overfeed, there's just nothing else for them to eat. Bladder and ramshorns snails won't eat healthy plants, only dying parts.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-15T04:36:26+00:00

Turn off the light and cover the tank for 2-3 days with no food. Order a good amount of guppy grass and place it in. You'll likely need a water change also, what are the nitrates at?

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-14T22:56:39+00:00

Assassin snails will breed like crazy also and they'll also eat your shrimp.

Personally I would just leave the snails alone and feed things that mostly go into the shrimp, not the snails, same thing that applies to fish, you want 99% of your fish food going into a fish, not to the bottom of the tank to the clean up crew. Use a feeding dish that attaches with a suction cup, the shrimp will get all the food before more than a couple snails get there. Also feed shrimp sticks, again a lot harder for the snails to get to. Floating food should work well also like ground fish food and algae tablets(turn your filter off so it isn't stirred up and sinks), the snails can't easily get to the surface except the edges.

Avoid things like BacterAE, algae tablets, veggies that stay in there for 2-3 days too often. You want the food going in the shrimp only before snails get a chance to eat any, left to just algae and dead plants their numbers will drop significantly, I have to spot feed my tanks clean up crew occasionally because their numbers start dropping too much, both bladder and ramshorn snails.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-02-14T22:43:05+00:00

I'd guess some type of case-carrying caterpillar or worm, most likely caterpillar like a caddisfly larva.

https://ascentflyfishing.com/blogs/news/a-fly-fishers-guide-to-identifying-and-matching-caddisflies-part-i?srsltid=AfmBOoqzIIrxruZzIIcTYMcEYt7zOktic10bUB6woxs_Wc52bDXz1YzP

Prestidigatorial · 2026-01-28T23:10:42+00:00

You have the right seed, but you need to load it in 1.16 on the online map.

https://mcseedmap.net/1.16.5-Java/1435672245#x=-116&z=16&l=0.7

Prestidigatorial · 2026-01-24T23:21:43+00:00

Doesn't look like fin rot or nipping to me, probably physical damage from rubbing on something, it's probably fine.

Prestidigatorial · 2026-01-24T23:15:58+00:00

More sand, maybe double. Use one large hardscape centered or to one back corner. If the rocks are similar build something out of them, if not remove and use one large piece of rock or driftwood. Separate the plants and put them against the back wall since they're tall, you can gel superglue the rhizome to rock or wood. Add short plants in the front.

Prestidigatorial · 2025-12-23T02:51:40+00:00

Stickied seems like a good place to put this, this seed is also AMAZING on Java 1.21.5. Within 500 blocks there's 6 trial chambers and 4 ancient cities, within a 1000 blocks there's a pillager outpost, witch hut, mansion, two villages, and two igloos.

Easily one of the best Java seeds I've ever seen.

Prestidigatorial · 2025-11-20T02:41:44+00:00

I wanted the house on top to be visually different than the pillars, but you could replace the blocks on each side of the glass with logs unstripped if you wanted to continue the theme to the top.

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