A 3D-printed modular ant nest compared with an acrylic nest.

Most acrylic nests are cut sheets glued or bolted into layers, with a chamber layer between clear plates. They look sharp and show the ants clearly.

The trade is assembly and seals. More joints mean more places for a gap to open, and a gap is how a small ant gets out. Hydration is usually a separate cup or tube you fit and refill, and some designs need the nest taken apart to clean.

The Founder, $42, is one-piece PETG with a built-in reservoir beneath a printed mesh humidity floor. You fill it through the side holes and close it with a Fill Plug. There are no cups or inserts to place.

Lids are clear acrylic, so you still see the colony. The lid design keeps the opening snug; a keeper should still check it with the colony's smallest workers in mind.

Parts share one connection standard, AA-01, so a Scout or nest can be joined to an outworld with a Link, with no tubing to cut.

Acrylic suits keepers who want a custom layout and are happy to assemble and seal it themselves.

A printed modular system suits keepers who want to buy the next room when the colony needs it and have it connect the same way as the last. See the formicarium overview and the outworlds page.

Whichever you pick, keep drinking water separate from humidity, and read the watering guide before filling anything.

Ask how the nest is filled and cleaned, whether the lid closes without a gap for the smallest workers, and what connects to it later.

Check the size against your queen. The size guide and the beginner page walk through it.