I want to share something awesome with you all...

As the first stage of Ant-ture winds to a close, and the second stage still in the planning phase, I'd like to bring another, MUCH more ambitious project (Posted in my comments, I might add) to your attention.

http://hampture.blogspot.com/

This man has taken the idea of an underwater habitat to an entirely new level.
I love his designs, and his idea as a whole. I ask that you all drop by, and offer this man as much support and input as you can. I am looking forward to the outcome of his project more-so than my own! =D

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Now, onto Ant-ture; As of last night, I believe all the ants have died. Oddly enough, not from living conditions or a design flaw. (Which I had expected.)

But because of RAGE. They apparently weren't very compatible; and that should've been apparent when the tube arrived with 10 ants ripped to shreds and dead.

This is NOT a bad thing, after-all. This was meant to be the first attempt. The second attempt is where everything will come together, and I'll actually uproot a real colony to implant inside a larger living quarters.

So, as of today, the first chapter of Project Ant-ture comes to a close. The second chapter is still quite a ways off, what with my limited funds.

But so far; two things I have learned.

1). Yes, they CAN survive underwater without any immediately noticeable negative effects.

2). I can re-use the pump for this model for the next, as I really doubt they'll need any extra air pressure. (In fact, I think it was starting to dry out the top 1/8th inch of the gel.)

I thank you all for supporting the endeavor, and I will do my best to rectify my mistakes for the second design!

It's Finished!

After months of waiting, it's finished. The colony is submerged, the ants are digging, and the air is circulating.

I present to you...




Ant-ture.

The seal around the lid is air/watertight, the air is flowing better than it was BEFORE I sealed the lid, and the Ants are busy little... Um... Ants. About 85% of them survived the trip here, and they're currently in the process of eating and transferring gel to bury the dead ants with. According to what I've read, this coupled with the air circulation will prevent any sort of disease or issues.

So, I plan to update once a week until all the ants are dead. I will attempt to setup a 24/7 webcam, but I have no idea how well that will work. So we'll see in time.

Thanks for reading the blog, thanks for sticking with the project, and thanks for the donations that made the finished product possible!

Ant-ture will not fall, my friends!

FUCKING MAIL.

Ants STILL aren't here. If they aren't here in the next 2-3 days, I'm hitting up a local pet shop. Hopefully pet shops still carry ants.

The entire fucking colony is FINISHED. I just need to drop the fucking ants in. Jesus christ, I hate ordering things online sometime.

Post #10: To quell your appetites.

I'm HOPING the ants will be here tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll be proven wrong, because FUCKING USPS.

So to appease you, here is a picture of the air pump running through the "filtration system".



The seals for the tubing are pretty much fail-proof. You can't see the inner side of the lid, but it's done up roughly the same. The chances of any water getting in from THERE is miniscule. The bigges problem is the rim of the lid itself, due to the "friction band" not actually fitting the corners, so any time there is any water pressure, the water will leak in at the corners. I'm going to solve this by gluing the entire lid on, after I've inserted the ants. This should fix the problem.

Also, due to the air inside the colony, I'm going to have to anchor it to the bottom of the aquarium. Gluing it to the bottom before filling it would probably be the best bet.

I am so convinced this will work fine, but I can't help but worry about not gluing the lid well enough. I would really hate for this project to fail because of something as silly as a tiny little crack.

Oh well... Time will tell.

Yeah. I so damn long-winded, but I felt the need to give a REAL, substantial update.

All the pieces are here. All that's left are the ants. =D

Post #9: Shipping Updates.

The AntWorks colony has left Nevada, and is currently in-transit.
The Tubing has no tracking, so it's anyone's guess where it is.
The Air Pump had tracking last night, and had arrived in Nevada, so I can only assume it's with the Colony.

I'm gonna estimate it'll make it here by about Tuesday or Wednesday next week. =D

I really hope the tubing gets here first, in all honesty. I want to measure it, cut it, and find a drill-bit that's going to be a slight bit smaller in comparison. (I figure the more friction between the lid and the tubing, the better. It'll make the need for a water-tight seal with glue a little less important.)

The other $14 posted in my bank account, so as soon as I have it all assembled, I'll order the ants.

I think I'll take a few pictures of the colony once it's finished, and then make a video once a week to show off their progress.

Post #8: Input on Design

I have two ideas for the "air filtration system". Ants only need a small amount of air to survive, so I purchased a 1.0psi Air Pump and tubing, to route air through the lid.

I plan to drill two holes, equal to or slightly smaller than the tubing itself, and route the tubing in.

Now, I have two ways of doing this.



1). Run two separate lengths of tubing. One on each side. Hot glue cloth over the ends, to prevent any escape attempts. One side is hooked to the air pump, to pump air in. The other end is glued to the outside of the aquarium, to allow air to flow out/pressure equalization.

2). Run a single length of tube down, and perforate it along the inside of the lid with small holes, to allow airflow in. One end connected to the pump, another end connected to the outside of the aquarium.

In my mind, #1 sounds like the safest route, as I don't know if air will be able to travel back IN the tube, in-case of a pressure spike. I'd rather not crush the ants with air, when they're managing to survive underwater.

Input? Other possible design ideas?

Keep in mind, this is the prototype/experimental stage of the project. If successful, I plan to create a much large version. The vision is a 20-gallon version, with a Plexiglass crafted colony filled with the purchasable gel mix. Ultimately, I'd like to add various sealife, such as crabs, snails, and a few fish. (Maybe an eel?)

Post #7: "Order has been placed."

The farm, air pump, and tubing are on their way. =D

All that's left are the ants. As soon as the other $15 posts in my account, I'll order those too. The only downside is that the shipment will be here between the 7th or 13th. I'd have paid the extra for expedited shipping, but the Farm would have still shipped on the 7th.

So by this time next week, there is a very good chance I will have at least ONE of the items for the project in my hands. From there on, it's a matter of taking the time to do this project the right way, and not cut corners to make things work.

OUR VISION MUST BE PRESERVED.

Post #6: What's this?...

Seems that someone has donated $40 in my PayPal account. (I know who you are, and I think you immensely for being so damn patient and supportive.)

Do you know what this means?

This means that...

1). In 3-5 days, Paypal will deposit the cash in my checking account.

2). 2-9 days after that, Ant-ture will be a stones-throw from complete. (Aside from the finding ants part. Kinda rainy, as of late. If it comes down to it, and there's still some cash left over, I'll just shell out the $4.95 for some ants from LiveAnts.)

I'm excited as fuck, right now. All that's left is to dig out the glue sticks/glue gun, and get ready to make some SERIOUSLY water-tight seals.

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EDIT: That SAME person donated another $15 to the cause. There is absolutely NO DOUBT this will be finished in the next two weeks.

Post #5: Progress!

Aquarium is CLEAN!



It took water, dish soap, bleach, and the green shit endured. It wasn't even Algae. It was some sort of weird-ass hard buildup. Finally though, with the help of a trusty Brilo pad (WITH THE SCRUBBING POWER OF OXYCLEAN!), the tank was saved from it's green and crusty deathbed.

I've had it filled with water for about 3 hours now, and there are no leaks, so far. The Aquarium is 9" in width, so it should fit the AntWorks habitat no problem, at an angle. The "Donate" button has been added, for those of you looking to help out. So far I still need...

- AntWorks Colony. ($20 + $5-7 Shipping.)
- Air pump and tubing. ($5 + 5 Shipping, and $3 + $5 Shipping.
- Gravel and decorations. (This is optional, and the decorations have to fit within an 8"x8" space. The Aquarium is only large enough to fit the Ant Colony.)

Altogether, it'll cost about $45-$50 for everything. (Apparently, Amazon likes to rape you for shipping.)

I don't EXPECT donations. But it's really the only way it's going to get done before the ass-end of Summer, and I'd really like to have this finished by then.

"And then one day, the happy answer came to me, my friends: there was no colony for ants like me! And -that- was the moment I decided... To build one."

I'm still here!

I have NOT forgotten about this project, my loyal friends.

I just happen to be having horrendous luck on the job-hunt, and the project has come to a screeching halt for the time being. As it stands, I have a small ant-farm being maintained by my brother, and they will be the initial colonists implemented into Ant-ture, as soon as I can afford to pick up the AntWorks colony.

It's a sad, sad world when I cannot spare $15-$20 to pick up a fucking Self-sustaining Ant colony.

If you guys really want to see this go through, I guess I can accept a small donation to get me far enough to get the fucking colony. I already have an 9'' wide aquarium that will fit it. I just really don't like the idea of taking a donation if there's a chance I suck at this whole "underwater colonization" concept, and end up drowning a shit-load of ants on accident.

If anyone's interested, leave a comment. I doubt anyone still follows this, but I really don't want to give up on this project. If only as a way to make it up to those of you who hoped I'd have this done A LOT sooner.

Fucking Luck.

Another setback. My PC is dying on me, and almost all my funds are going to have to go to replacing it.

Spring is here, so the Ant's are finally out. Their Nuptial Flight passed, I think, but I can still get a Queen if I work hard, and dig like a motherfucker. Depending on how much cash is left after I put together my new PC, I'll invest what's left into the AntWorks colony, and get started on the project. I still have to clean the aquarium, as I'm a lazy bastard. But we're currently re-roofing the house I live in, so I've had a lot of shit to work on lately.

I really am sorry this is taking so fucking long, but I don't know a better way to get shit done faster, with all I have on my plate. Job-hunting, house renovation, and the constant nag of shit breaking on me is getting hard to handle.

Like I said; Even if it takes MUCH longer than I expected, I will make this for you, my friends. There will be an aquatic home for the Ants. I will create my utopia, and you will all be with me to see the efforts of my laziness come to fruition.

Thanks for keeping up.



-PK Shitstorm

Post #4: Delay

I will be delaying the project for a week or so;

I have an aquarium to clean out for the project, which won't take much time. But I have a few job prospects popping up, so until I've either exhausted them, or found one I can manage to keep.

So until then, keep an eye on the blog, and play Dwarf Fortress, or Minecraft, or something.

Like I've stated before, this project WILL be finished.

I give you my word.

-PK Shitstorm

Post #3: Examination

Today, in mine and my associates perusal of the junk-heap that is our backyard, we came across a startling discovery.

A Carpenter Ant nest.

These motherfuckers are vicious. My grandfather had one take a chunk of meat out of his hand, when I was younger.

This is NOT the colony I plan to transplant to Ant-ture. This will be a last ditch effort, if I cannot find a suitable colony for transfer.

HOWEVER. I have been informed that this colony has remained in this exact spot for the past 3 years. They continue to feed off the wood scraps inside that barrel. So if we ever have need for "Sploicers", they are available.

Look at these fuckers. They're large.

Ignore my associate's meaty hand. He is part giant.

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In other news, we have a very large/long aquarium, with an easily repairable side-window. If the first colony is a success, I will transplant Ant-ture to this larger tank, and add in more scenery and "atmosphere". It will probably also be this second iteration that I add in a radio for the playing of 50's music.

Ant-ture's planning stages have begun.

"What is the difference between an ant and a parasite?
An ant builds. A parasite asks 'Where is my share?'
An ant creates. A parasite says, 'What will the neighbors think?'
An ant invents. A parasite says,
'Watch out, or you might tread on the toes of God... ' "

-PK Shitstorm

Post #2: Organization

*Things I Need*

Fascination AntWorks: $19.17 (Amazon)

16 x 12 x 8 Aquarium: $29.97 (Wal-mart)

Queen Ant, Workers, Soldiers: A garden spade and care.

Air-pump: Not sure, need to find one that either puts out very little air-flow (Don't want to cause too much wind in the colony), or one that can have a hose attached to either side for one hose in, one hose out.)

Lego Blocks to build Little Rapture: I'm going to have to download "Lego Studio" to design mini-Rapture, and then send find out how much the pieces will cost, total. I'm also going to need Good, High Res, High Quality shots of the city. My PC cannot handle playing the game on Low, let alone anything high enough for me to discern quality.

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I'm heading to bed, now. I'll try and find out more tomorrow. Any ideas would be helpful. Keep in mind, though: The first attempt at this is going to be relatively simple. I need to make sure that the colony can handle the water "pressure", devise a decent air-filtration system, and most importantly, I need to figure out how the fuck to get a Queen without getting ants in my dick.

Apparently, a few sites sell the gel that is used in the AntWorks kit, so I could make a bigger version? But baby steps, y'know? Rapture wasn't built in a day, after all.




-PK Shitstorm

Post #1: Theory

"I am Ant-drew Ryan, and I am here to ask you a question. Is an insect not entitled to the sweat of his brow?

'No,' says the mantis in the brush, 'it belongs to the female.'

'No,' says the ant in the hill, 'it belongs to the queen.'

'No,' says the worm in the garden, 'it belongs to the earth.'

I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose...

Ant-ture.

A city where the black would not fear the red,

where the male would not be bound by his expectations to impregnate,

where the worker would not be constrained by the soldier.

And with the sweat of your brow, Ant-ture can become your city, as well."

This is an experimental idea, where-in I use the game "BioShock" to give me an excuse to submerge an ant colony underwater, and observe how the creatures thrive in a different environment.

As of now, it is in the conceptual stages. I am broke, and need to acquire the fund to purchase what I will need to forge The Great City of Ant-ture.

This will be where I update the masses with my progress, when work begins.

By the sweat of our brow, Ant-ture will become a reality.




-PK Shitstorm