Is my vivarium ok for two Mantellas or D. Auratus?

[nathanmills1975]

I have been working on this vivarium for about a month now, and the temperature is stable at 75-78 degrees and my humidity is ALWAYS at or above 85, and the tank is a 12" by 12" by 18".(the plants are live, and the partly exposed log is a hideaway). I want to use it to start breeding a pair of dart frogs or mantellas, I personally think that would be THE BEST hobby EVER!! But, I'm not sure which to get... I've had a tree frog and some fire bellied toads before, but never any terrestrials. PLEASE HELP!!

[DartEd]

78 is kind of high temps for this early in the spring. Just ensure that it doesn't get any higher. Darts do not do well Temps exceeding 80degrees. Give the tank a month for the plants to grow in and acclimate, the tank to mold over once, and microfauna to establish. Have you added springtails and isopods to the tank? If not you should. They clean the tank for you and offer random snacks for darts and mantellas. If you can, take a pic of the tank and we can better help you.

D.Auratus is a great frog to keep but keep in mind they are very good hiders. If you want something bold and visible, I'd look into a tinc, leuc or Santa Isabel.

[deranged chipmunk]

the temps are ok for mantellas, but the humidity is too high. the room is negligible for mantellas. even though they are small frogs, they like territory. as far as breeding them, they need to have the seasons cycled as far as temps AND rainfall. this means you need to have a rainy season as well as a dry season. a cold season as well as a warm summer as well. then there's the thing of the tads take about a year to morph, so you need to keep that in mind as well. if a breeding project is what you have in mind, you would probably be better off with Darts. breeding mantellas is definitely not for the faint of heart