My colony arrived and some water had leaked past the cotton into the tube. The queen looks okay. What should I do?
First, check whether the tube has actually flooded. Tubes get tipped and shaken a lot in transit, and a little water past the cotton or sponge is common after shipping. It usually isn't a problem.
Look through the glass without opening the tube. If the water is only minorly pooling, and the ants still have a dry space to stand, you don't need to do anything. Everything in between flooded and completely dry is fine, and the workers will move the brood, tend to the queen and make sure everyone is where they need to be.
If the water has soaked into the chamber and the ants are standing or floating in it, the tube has flooded. That's an emergency! Photograph the colony, the shipping label, the packaging and any heat or cold pack before you touch anything, since the two-hour window for our Live Arrival Guarantee starts at the carrier's delivery timestamp. Then get in touch with us before you do anything else.
If the ants aren't standing or floating in any water, the next 48 hours is pretty tame. Put your ants somewhere dark, quiet and still, put out sugar water, and otherwise leave them alone. Wait until the end of the week to offer protein.
Your Colony Just Arrived: The First 48 Hours has more information on settling in a new colony.