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Thread: New to hobby, help me get started please

  1. #1
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    Default New to hobby, help me get started please

    Hello all,

    I am new to the hobby and am trying to make some decisions now. I am hoping someone can help me get going and making some decisions.

    Right now I am trying to decide what type of frog to begin with (breed) and then what I need to get going. I am not in a hurry and am very patient. It want to get started soon. I have a lot of experience with saltwater fish so patience and doing things right is not a problem for me.

    So I am looking for advice on a few things.

    1. I am leaning toward beginning with a type of dart frog but am not sure what type to go with. I want one that is brightly colored and not one that hides too much. I am also looking for one that is a popular type and that I can breed in the future (not right away while I figure it out).

    2. Another option of frog to look into would be a red eyed tree frog but I am leaning toward the dart frog. Please advise?

    3. What size of a terrarium/Vivarium would I need to accomplish those goals? I have found a 18”x18”x18”, a 12”x12”x18” and a 18”x18”x24” as well as longer ones rather than tall ones. Help me decide based on the species I am looking at, please.

    4. Is there a good guide that you can recommend for dummies? I am looking for information of setting things up, what I need for breeding, how to select exactly what I would like, etc.

    Thank you for your help in advance.

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    100+ Post Member DanDrobates's Avatar
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    Default Re: New to hobby, help me get started please

    If this is your first foray into Dart Frogs I would recommend you start with something in the phylobates genus. P. terribilis is a good choice. They are large, bold, reasonably hardy and do well in groups. They are among the more forgiving species and a good start for a new hobbiest in my opinion. For a pair of adults a vivarium with a 24 inch width will be fine but you can go bigger. Mine prefer to stay low and they don’t use much in terms of height. They will take hydei as juveniles and mine take small 1/4 inch crickets as adults. . This is a plus when you experience a fruitfly culture crash as you can always pick up some small crickets to act as a lifeline so to speak. They are the only frogs in my collection that accept them. Color wise they are quite stunning and yellow and mint morphs are commonly available.

    Another possibility would be Dendrobates tinctorius “azureus.” However there are some caveats to tincs that you should understand. They do not always do well in groups and a social dynamic may develop requiring you to separate them into separate vivariums. Even sexed pairs may not get along from time to time. It takes a bit of experience and a lot of observation to pick up on this as a beginner. They are also more inclined towards smaller prey. Hydei are the largest prey items that mine will accept. This means that you need to have a ready supply of fruit flies at all times and you cannot count on crickets as a substitute. A single tinc is generally easy enough though and an adult will do well in a wider tank. Mine will climb though so it’s fine to have additional height if you’re looking to plant bromeliads or other epiphytes.

    As far as breeding goes obviously you will need an adult pair that preferably come from separate bloodlines. (Never mix locales!)Nutrition goes a long way too and adults should be in top condition. Repashy makes some excellent products for this purpose. I’d master husbandry first before attempting to breed.

  4. #3
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    Default Re: New to hobby, help me get started please

    Thank you very much. This is great information to have. I will look into the specific care of these and decide from there.

    Is there a site that you might recommend to help me get set up. Like I said, I can be very patient and will not start anything until I know exactly what I am doing to best care for these frogs and, yes, I want to learn the husbandry and take care of them before attempting to breed them. I know that is a goal, however, so I want to make sure I have the correct mix and make sure I am set up for it from the beginning so that it is not a complete change for me when that time comes. Hopefully that makes sense.

    Thank you again for your help and the great information.

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