WaKooshi Venus Nest Review
Bruma 5 min read
In short
The WaKooshi Venus nest is a great starter nest: three medium test tubes with different entrance sizes, a 5.5x6 cm demountable outworld with a round lid, heat cable ports and an expansion port. Its small outworld is the main limit; the Mercury nest offers a bigger one.
Hi guys! I hope you’re doing well!
Today I'm going to make a little review of this cool ant nest made by the company WaKooshi!
Let’s see if it’s any good!
Discount!
Get this extremely cool ant nest on the WaKooshi online shop! Use the discount code BRUMA to get 10% off your entire order!
General Info
This one is the WaKooshi Venus Nest. It’s a really cool-looking test tube-based ant nest, very different from the other nests you can find on the market.
It consists of 3 medium-sized test tubes, kept together by an acrylic structure. As you can see, the concept behind the nest is fairly straightforward.
It combines the effectiveness of the test tube setup with the expandability of a modular nest, adding also the convenience of a small outworld.
This combo creates the perfect ant keeping starter nest, suitable for almost every ant species.
The Test Tubes
The test tube setup is the starting point of every ant keeping journey, and it’s probably the easiest and most effective way to create a comfortable space for a newly mated queen.
This setup creates an environment very similar to the one they experience in nature.
In the wild, after mating with a male, the queen starts searching for a small and quiet space, probably in the soil, where she can start to lay eggs. This tiny space is called the “claustral chamber”.
With the test tube setup, the ant keeper tries to recreate the same conditions of a claustral chamber, providing the queen with the right temperature, humidity, and light levels.
This particular setup will also give you the chance to see inside the chamber, considering it is made up of glass or plastic, and it will also be able to hold a water reservoir.
If you want to find out more about how to build a test tube setup, I would suggest you check out this easy tutorial! It covers everything you need to do to create the best possible environment for your queen!
The 3 test tubes are attached to the main structure by a clicking mechanism, which makes the assembly and cleaning process very easy.
As you can see, the test tube entrances are made in 3 different sizes. This clever feature is designed for housing different species of ants of varying sizes.
Having 3 different entrance types allows the queen or the colony to choose whichever test tube better suits their needs, and whichever entrance gives them a better sense of safety.
To simplify, the smaller the nest entrance, the safer the queen and the colony feel, and the faster the colony will grow!
If your colony already needs more than 3 test tubes of space, this other product could be a better option for you! This other nest is made by the same company, and it can hold up to 5 test tubes in its medium version (or 7 in the large one), at least 2 full test tubes of nesting space more than the Venus!
The Outworld
This nest also includes a little outworld, which greatly facilitates the process of feeding your colony.
As you probably already know, one of the hardest tasks when you have a medium to large colony in a classic test tube setup is the feeding process. Every single time you try to feed them, you end up with some escapees.
Having an external outworld makes your life 1000 times easier, as it drastically reduces the chance of losing your beloved ants. The outworld of this nest measures 5.5x6 centimeters and has a cool round-shaped lid to close the top section.
This lid is very easy to remove. Just turn it a bit until the little block on the lid is aligned with the cut in the acrylic, and then lift it up. It comes out without any problem!
The top part of the outworld is large enough to enable you to apply escape prevention oil, which is very useful if you have a large colony with lots of ants wandering around in the outworld.
The outworld is fully demountable. The top transparent acrylic lid and the bottom white acrylic floor are both detachable from the main structure. This is a handy feature, as it greatly facilitates the cleaning process of the outworld.
You can block the test tube entrances with a small cotton ball and then proceed to clean the outworld without the risk of having escapees.
If you think that this outworld is a little bit too small, in this other article I compare this nest with another one made by the same company: the Mercury nest! This other 3D-printed nest has a larger and more spacious outworld, making the feeding and cleaning process a lot easier!
Heat Cable And Expandability
As you can see, with this nest you have the option of using a heat cable. When you buy the nest, these two ports are sealed. To open them, you just need to break the pre-cut little doors, possibly with the help of a small clamp.
Once the ports are open, you can pass the heat cable under the test tubes. This will greatly assist with the development of the brood, as it speeds up with higher temperatures.
This nest is also expandable. Using this little port placed at the end of the outworld, you can connect another nest or a bigger outworld, giving your ants more space to inhabit.
This feature is also very useful if your colony has grown to a point where the current nest is too small for them, and you want to move them into a nest with a lot more living space.
To do that, you just have to connect the new nest to the auxiliary port, cover the new nest to create a more comfortable space, and place a bright light on the test tubes. The ants will do the rest.
I hope you have found this guide helpful!
If you’re planning to buy some other ant nests, I would suggest you check out my WaKooshi Mercury nest review! It’s a really cool ant nest made by the same company!
FAQs
5The WaKooshi Venus Nest is a test tube-based ant nest made of 3 medium-sized test tubes held together by an acrylic structure, with a small outworld. It combines the effectiveness of the test tube setup with the expandability of a modular nest, which makes it a great starter nest for almost every ant species.
The test tube setup mimics the claustral chamber, the small and quiet space in the soil where a queen starts laying eggs after mating. The keeper recreates the same conditions by providing the right temperature, humidity and light. Being glass or plastic, the tube also lets you see inside and holds a water reservoir.
Different size entrances let the queen or the colony choose the test tube that suits their needs best. The Venus Nest has 3 different entrance sizes, designed for species of varying sizes. The smaller the entrance, the safer the queen and the colony feel, and the faster the colony will grow.
Yes, the outworld of the WaKooshi Venus Nest is fully demountable, as both the top transparent acrylic lid and the bottom white acrylic floor detach from the main structure. You can block the test tube entrances with a small cotton ball and clean the outworld without the risk of escapees.
Yes, the WaKooshi Venus Nest can be expanded through an auxiliary port at the end of the outworld, where you can connect another nest or a bigger outworld. It's very useful when the colony outgrows the nest: connect the new nest, cover it to make it comfortable, and place a bright light on the test tubes.
Product Review
Venus Nest
It is a really cool-looking test tube-based ant nest, very different from the other nests you can find on the market. The main living area is composed of 3 test tube setups, the gold standard of ant setups. The nest also includes a reasonably sized outworld, perfect for feeding your ants without having any escapees. In conclusion, this nest is a good-looking low-maintenance solution for your beloved colonies!
Author
Bruma
