New To Frogs, Lot's 'O Questions!

[Scottyhorse]

Hey froggy people! Long story short I had the crazy idea that it would be awesome to have some poison dart frogs. Well I never thought that would happen because I didn't think regular folk like me could keep them Just zoo's and eccentric millionaires. I was looking for some terrarium plants for a muskipper paludarium, and tripped upon a website that sells, what do you know, Poison. Dart. Frogs. Coolio!!
Now I reeeaaallllyyyy want a few. From what I have read, they are like a bike. (When I first started riding bikes, I ended up in the bushes a lot. Thank goodness frogs like foliage!) I am up for the challenge! I figured setting up a 'little' terrarium for them would be a fun and easy project. Right now, I am thinking of getting this or this - the mini tall one. Or something similar to those.

I'm thinking of getting three. I would like ones who are sassy, have attitude, and aren't afraid of me. Like me little dwarf cichlids I have in one of my fish tanks!
I'd like ones who use the entire space, and different colors also. I am really hoping to spend under $50 each, and I will buy them one at a time. I'd like to go with a species(s) (can you mix species?) that will forgive my newbish mistakes.

I'm going to have a little pool of water for 'em and hand mist their place down twice a day when I feed all my fish, and also have live plants.

I'll take all the advice I can get!!!

Thanks!!

[Bombina Bob]

Hey froggy people! Long story short I had the crazy idea that it would be awesome to have some poison dart frogs. Well I never thought that would happen because I didn't think regular folk like me could keep them Just zoo's and eccentric millionaires. I was looking for some terrarium plants for a muskipper paludarium, and tripped upon a website that sells, what do you know, Poison. Dart. Frogs. Coolio!!
Now I reeeaaallllyyyy want a few. From what I have read, they are like a bike. (When I first started riding bikes, I ended up in the bushes a lot. Thank goodness frogs like foliage!) I am up for the challenge! I figured setting up a 'little' terrarium for them would be a fun and easy project. Right now, I am thinking of getting this or this - the mini tall one. Or something similar to those.

I'm thinking of getting three. I would like ones who are sassy, have attitude, and aren't afraid of me. Like me little dwarf cichlids I have in one of my fish tanks!
I'd like ones who use the entire space, and different colors also. I am really hoping to spend under $50 each, and I will buy them one at a time. I'd like to go with a species(s) (can you mix species?) that will forgive my newbish mistakes.

I'm going to have a little pool of water for 'em and hand mist their place down twice a day when I feed all my fish, and also have live plants.

I'll take all the advice I can get!!!

Thanks!!

Hi there
Before you suggest getting PDFs you want to do a good amount of research for proper temperatures and humidity and are a more difficult to keep.
some dart frogs are extremely sensitive to temperatures and may die due to inappropriate conditions and may need much more than twice a day misting, a
fogger or rain system may save the troubles of misting but do as you wish.

Good plants for dart frogs and mantellas (madagascar equivalent to darts) are bromeliads,these plants provide a cup for an area for the darts to possibly reproduce.
Wandering jew a more vine like plant that will take over the terrarium and grow on a lot of things. Pothos for a large leaf plant that will grow through the terrarium
quickly, and ficus vines, java moss (plants that love the humidity).

with your choice of enclosures, keeping the humidity in Exo terra brand terrariums may be difficult since thy are built for ventilation, you can put a piece of plexiglass or
glass on the screen top of the enclosure to trap in the humidity. with your size of enclosure, the taller one may be for more of an arboreal species like Dendrobates leucomelas
and the lower one in the cube format would be for more terrestrial frogs like Dendrbates azeures (blue dart frog) keep in mind what species you want to keep because mixing
species is not always the best idea and to be safe i would not do it. if you want a "Beginner dart frog" i would look at other threads on the forum.

Darts and Mantellas will eat fruit flies that can be cultured or eat pinhead crickets, Culturing friut
flies will be much easier and there is a care guide on the forum on how to do so.

Having PDFs can and most likely will be a rewarding experience, and there are hundreds of members on the forum
including the moderators and John that know an incredible amount of keeping dart frogs. i hope you have success
with your frogs!

[Scottyhorse]

Hi there
Before you suggest getting PDFs you want to do a good amount of research for proper temperatures and humidity and are a more difficult to keep.
some dart frogs are extremely sensitive to temperatures and may die due to inappropriate conditions and may need much more than twice a day misting, a
fogger or rain system may save the troubles of misting but do as you wish.

Good plants for dart frogs and mantellas (madagascar equivalent to darts) are bromeliads,these plants provide a cup for an area for the darts to possibly reproduce.
Wandering jew a more vine like plant that will take over the terrarium and grow on a lot of things. Pothos for a large leaf plant that will grow through the terrarium
quickly, and ficus vines, java moss (plants that love the humidity).

with your choice of enclosures, keeping the humidity in Exo terra brand terrariums may be difficult since thy are built for ventilation, you can put a piece of plexiglass or
glass on the screen top of the enclosure to trap in the humidity. with your size of enclosure, the taller one may be for more of an arboreal species like Dendrobates leucomelas
and the lower one in the cube format would be for more terrestrial frogs like Dendrbates azeures (blue dart frog) keep in mind what species you want to keep because mixing
species is not always the best idea and to be safe i would not do it. if you want a "Beginner dart frog" i would look at other threads on the forum.

Darts and Mantellas will eat fruit flies that can be cultured or eat pinhead crickets, Culturing friut
flies will be much easier and there is a care guide on the forum on how to do so.

Having PDFs can and most likely will be a rewarding experience, and there are hundreds of members on the forum
including the moderators and John that know an incredible amount of keeping dart frogs. i hope you have success
with your frogs!

Thanks a lot for all this information! I will look into a misting system for sure, I think it would save me a whole lot of trouble!
I'll be doing a whole lot of research, that's for sure. I want the frogs to be happy.
I'll look into those plants, hopefully I can have good luck with terrarium plants as I do with aquarium plants.

What type of terrariums are best for the frogs? I would like to buy one that has the least amount of changing that's needed.

I really like the blue dart frog, but I think I would be happier with a frog that likes to climb. If it is recommended not to mix species, I will not do it.

I'll look into culturing fruit flies.

Thanks again!

[Bombina Bob]

Hi again
if you get springtails (small insects) and put them into the terrarium, you wouldnt need to change the cage very much at all, i've heard of people never changing their terrarium! the springtails will eat the mold that
grows in the tank and are good food for the dart frogs. the rule of thumb for larger frogs like dendrobates is one frog per 5 gallons of space so you could put two
dart frogs in a ten gallon but more space is always better.

You can get springtails at a dart frog dealer (Josh'sfrogs) and i think at a gardening center?

[Scottyhorse]

Hi again
if you get springtails (small insects) and put them into the terrarium, you wouldnt need to change the cage very much at all, i've heard of people never changing their terrarium! the springtails will eat the mold that
grows in the tank and are good food for the dart frogs. the rule of thumb for larger frogs like dendrobates is one frog per 5 gallons of space so you could put two
dart frogs in a ten gallon but more space is always better.

You can get springtails at a dart frog dealer (Josh'sfrogs) and i think at a gardening center?

What do you mean by changing the cage?

Also, I have read that some people make false bottoms on the cages? What is the purpose of it, and is it necessary?

I was looking at Josh's Frogs, and I really like
Dendrobates leucomelas '1995 Import'

Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus'

Dendrobates leucomelas 'British Guyana'

Dendrobates tinctorius 'Brazilian Yellow Head'

This isn't just what I am limited to, just some that I find interesting color wise. I would like a frog to use the who terrarium, but if frogs don't do that I would want one that likes to climb around on stuff. Also, I would like to keep a group of them, maybe even try breeding them? I don't know... Haha, this is all so new!!

[Bombina Bob]

I mean changing the cage as in taking out all the substrate, plants and decorations then cleaning the glass terarium and replacing
the other substrate, False bottoms are made of egg carton and are used for a drainage layer so the water at the bottom dosent
soak and become filled with grossness, i use gravel for a drainage layer, its much simpler but is more heavy.

If you want a frog that will use the whole terrarium, use a terrarium that is wider than tall for a terrestrial species like the blue
arrow frog and the Brazilian yellow head or you can get more arboreal frogs like Dendrobates leucomelas. You can probably keep four dendrobates frogs in a 20 gallon and six in a thirty gallon, again applying the rule of thumb. to make the frogs really happy, live plants will bring up the humidity but will need some flourecent light for live plants.

[Scottyhorse]

Oh, okay. That makes a lot of sense. I'll look into that for sure..

I would like a frog that likes to climb, and can be in groups. What frog from the ones I listed would be best for that?

I also have another question. I know that the light will keep the tank warm during the day, but how do I go about heating it at night? The terrarium will be in my room which is also in the basement.

What kind of light fixture would be best? I'm used to buying things for fish tanks, so I don't know what terrestrial plants need.