A peek at my Brown Mantellas (mantella betsileo)

[Geo]

Here are a few pics of my Brown Mantellas. I wish that the frog community called them Bronze Mantellas due to the luster of the golden / bronze color on their back.

[jz24]

Hi Geo,

What exquisite frogs. I love them. Thanks so much for posting their photos. Best of luck with them.

Judy

[Mentat]

Very nice and healthy looking frogs !

[Geo]

Thanks everyone. I do what I can to make these beautiful creatures stay healthy, safe and content.

[Geo]

[flybyferns]

Geo,
Great photo!
You might consider entering this photo in this month's 'photo of the month contest '!
Thanks for sharing!
Lynn

[deranged chipmunk]

George, when you say brackish, are you meaning black water? Tannin infused water? Because brackish water is in between fresh and salt water. Like mangrove swamps.

[Geo]

Sorry Bill. You are correct. I have gotten used to using that term for anything that is not clear water lol. Yes, tannin infused water. I do the same with the Siamese fighting fish and African dwarf frogs that I have and it seems to benefit them. I believe that there is chemistry / organisms present that benefit them more then "pure" water does. I had a discussion at a local petstore recently with a gentleman who kept frogs. He was very much a "pure" water frog caretaker. When I mentioned tannin infused water he had a bit of a hissy fit and said I would make them ill, bad caretaking, that the literature available is against it and so on. I told him that my critters were very healthy and happy from all my observations and I am fully aware of when they would be in some sort of mental / physical distress. I asked him one simple question - what type of water does he think is in a puddle, stream, lake, etc? He just paused, stared at me and said something along the lines that we know better to which I responded that nature knows better then us and we would benefit to copy her whenever we can in the hobby. sigh.

[Mmfh]

When I used tannins it was my understanding that it made the water slightly acidic.

[deranged chipmunk]

When I used tannins it was my understanding that it made the water slightly acidic.

It does, which is not necessarily a bad thing, since most plants prefer slightly acidic conditions. But tannins do not affect the pH as much as something like worm castings or bat guano would.

[deranged chipmunk]

Sorry Bill. You are correct. I have gotten used to using that term for anything that is not clear water lol. Yes, tannin infused water. I do the same with the Siamese fighting fish and African dwarf frogs that I have and it seems to benefit them. I believe that there is chemistry / organisms present that benefit them more then "pure" water does. I had a discussion at a local petstore recently with a gentleman who kept frogs. He was very much a "pure" water frog caretaker. When I mentioned tannin infused water he had a bit of a hissy fit and said I would make them ill, bad caretaking, that the literature available is against it and so on. I told him that my critters were very healthy and happy from all my observations and I am fully aware of when they would be in some sort of mental / physical distress. I asked him one simple question - what type of water does he think is in a puddle, stream, lake, etc? He just paused, stared at me and said something along the lines that we know better to which I responded that nature knows better then us and we would benefit to copy her whenever we can in the hobby. sigh.

I agree wholeheartedly!! In fact, in the past, I have done black water amazon biotope tanks. Black water takes a bit getting used to, but it is definitely very close to their natural environment. I remember reading about adding black water extract to dart frog tadpole water for a reason I don't recall.

[Geo]

A few updated photos of the M.Betsileo colony. As of late I see 5 of them on a regular basis but a particular one (mocha rather then brown/bronze) has been missing from the feedings. I am not willing to tamper with the habitat just yet as they have "vanished" for long periods before.

[DigitalPunk]

Excellent pictures and truly amazing looking frogs. Thank you for sharing Geo!

Was the missing one the one you found guarding the cave that the newly discovered Froglet was hanging out by?

[DigitalPunk]

Geo I am so sorry to hear about the damage done to your home and the loss of your M. Betsileo breeding colony. I am very grateful that you, your wife, and your dogs made it to safety during that storm. I hope you get the repairs done to your home in short order, I hope spring weather comes to your neck of the woods sooner rather than later, and I hope to see a build thread on your new mantella tank in the future.

You and your family are in my families thoughts and prayers.

Paul

[Geo II]

Thanks everyone for the sentiment over the loss, was and is much appreciated. Im back in the game again, this time I am starting out with E. Anthonyi Santa Isabela from UE, and then going from there. Since the last time I have had the house upgraded to handle extensive power outages so past issues arent a present concern. Using a new account (couldnt get into the old account), reconnecting with old friends, seeing some new players on the scene doing some incredible stuff with their critters.

[deranged chipmunk]

An example of amplexus within the Mantella Betsileo species.

Gotta love frog porn!!! Lol

[Geo]

Yes Paul, Moca was indeed the missing mantella and interestingly enough is guarding the cave area that the froglet is hanging around. She seems to be ignoring the froglet but they are hanging out together. I am curious if she has more eggs in there besides the tadpoles in the water.

[deranged chipmunk]

Yay! Geno's back! Glad to see you are well and back in the game buddy!!


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