Now you have chosen Atta, with an all in one ‘Self Contained’ display case housing nest, walkway and feeding area within one exhibition unit, and you want the basic model, do you want the ants travelling from nest to feeding area through a clear pipe or on a rope?

Choice No 4

Within your self contained unit there will be a space between the nest tank and the feeding area. This will accommodate the walkway, some would say the main part of the exhibition. Because this unit has a glass front there is no real need to have the ants walking through a clear pipe, however there is the option of having the walkway coming out of the front of the display and along the bottom of the viewing window, at waist height, so the visitors can get very close to the ants and see them outside of the exhibit. Alternatively, and by far most commonly for the self-contained unit, the ants are walking along a rope or vine which is coiled back and forth so the actual walking distance of the ants can be up to 20m.

A. The ants are walking between the nest and the feeding table through a clear plastic pipe which travels back and forth and can come out through the front of the unit so visitors can see the action close up. This can also be routed around the outside area to a maximum distance of 50m before returning into the unit.

B. There is a rope or vine walkway between the nest and the feeding area. This is the most common option for this type of setup. The rope / vine can be hung back and forth, making a walkway of up to 20m long. Some would say this is a more natural looking setup. The ants do not generally fall off the rope.