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Thread: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

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    Default The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Hi everyone,

    Following the success of the Article series by myself regarding the generic husbandry and breeding of the Mantella genus (Currently a two part series, with more to come), I have decided to start discussing the basic and advanced husbandry techniques and requirements for 14 of the species within my own personal collection.

    The Husbandry sheets will still be uploaded as care sheets on the main forum but to try and boost up the posts regarding the genus, I thought this would be appropriate.

    If you are interested in reading a copy of the Article 1 in the Practical Reptile Keeping Mantella series, please send me a Personal Message and I will provide a PDF copy of the article.

    If you are interested in reading a copy of the Article 2 in the Practical Reptile Keeping Mantella series, please send me a Personal Message and I will provide a PDF copy of the article.

    And Finally, if you are interested in finding out more, about the conservation of the Mantella genus in captivity and in the wild, then please feel free to Like the Mantella Conservation Project on FaceBook. (Click Image Below)


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    Many thanks and keep your eyes peeled for more posts on this thread.

    Kind regards,

    Joshua Ralph
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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    I absolutely love my Mantella. They are very shy, but that makes me appreciate the pictures and videos I am able to get of them. I have a few very rookie videos of feeding them and one "for fun" video of them like a move trailer up on my youtube channel.

    The most common thing people say to me when they see pictures of my M. Ebenaui is that they are not very pretty frogs. I couldn't disagree more! They are not flashy like some of the Dendrobates, but the coloration on them is simply beautiful.
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Joshua,
    Thank You for sharing all of this terrific information of which, of course, membership will always value and benefit from.
    Current Collection
    Dendrobates leucomelas - standard morph
    Dendrobates auratus “Costa Rican Green Black"
    Dendrobates auratus "Pena Blanca"
    Dendrobates tinctorius “New River”
    Dendrobates tinctorius "Green Sipaliwini"
    Dendrobates tinctorius “Powder Blue"
    Dendrobates tinctorius "French Guiana Dwarf Cobalt"

    Phyllobates terribilis “Mint”
    Phyllobates terribilis "Orange"
    Phyllobates bicolor "Uraba"

    Oophaga pumilio "Black Jeans"
    Oophaga pumilio "Isla Popa"
    Oophaga pumilio "Bastimentos"
    Oophaga pumilio “Mimbitimbi”
    Oophaga pumilio "Rio Colubre"
    Oophaga pumilio "Red Frog Beach”
    Oophaga pumilio "Rio Branco"
    Oophaga pumilio “Valle del Rey”
    Oophaga pumilio "BriBri"
    Oophaga pumilio "El Dorado"
    Oophaga pumilio "Cristobal"
    Oophaga pumilio "Rambala"

    Oophaga “Vicentei” (blue)

    Oophaga sylvatica "Paru"
    Oophaga sylvatica "Pata Blanca"
    Oophaga histrionica “Redhead”
    Oophaga histrionica "Blue"
    Oophaga lehmanni "Red"
    Oophaga histrionica "Tado"

    Ranitomeya variabilis "Southern"
    Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"
    Ranitomeya sirensis "Lower Ucayali"
    Ranitomeya vanzolinii

    http://www.fernsfrogs.com
    https://www.facebook.com/ferns.frogs

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Josh,

    I would like to get a discussion going around prepping a group to breed. When is the right time, what are the best practices, caring for eggs, raising tadpoles, raising froglets, and when froglets are ready to be sold or traded.


    As I have said before I have a small (5) group of Ebenaui (thanks for the proper id!!!) and originally purchased them with the hopes of breeding them in captivity and start trying to develope a strong healthy line of CB Mantella in the US. I do plan to add more species to my collection as time and availability permit.

    Thanks

    Paul
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

  6. #5

    Thumbs up Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Quote Originally Posted by DigitalPunk View Post
    I would like to get a discussion going around prepping a group to breed. When is the right time, what are the best practices, caring for eggs, raising tadpoles, raising froglets, and when froglets are ready to be sold or traded.

    As I have said before I have a small (5) group of Ebenaui (thanks for the proper id!!!) and originally purchased them with the hopes of breeding them in captivity and start trying to develope a strong healthy line of CB Mantella in the US. I do plan to add more species to my collection as time and availability permit.

    Thanks

    Paul
    Well Paul, I breed annually around about the same time every year, from March till around about the middle of September, after which I slowly start to ease off the main triggers for breeding including Feeding and Precipitation.
    Unfortunately, there is no set method of breeding the members of the genus and will require slight differences in regards to temperature, preciptation and dietary in take. The way I do this in regards to the Brown Mantella group species (M.ebenaui and M.betsileo) is like so;

    WARNING
    Please ensure that all individuals are fully prepared for this preparation, as this can be stressful for the animals
    (I add this to everything I advise people, as it is an incredibly risky process.)

    Humidifying – Winter (Mid/Late October/November - Late Janurary/February time).
    In regards to what the humidity should remain at, the optimum amount should be about 70-75% which should be provided in the form of a light spray every other day (once on the spray days. This will provide the required triggers to mimic the build up to their summer period of plentiful precipitation, and the spraying that is provided, of course, prevents the specimens from drying out completely.

    Temperature – Winter (Mid/Late October/November - Late January/February time).
    In regards to temperature, 18˚C - 21˚C is thought to be the best and highly recommended temperature requirements for the species; however it can rise to approximately 22˚C during their winter period.

    Feeding – Winter (Mid/Late October/November - Late Janurary/February time).
    The dietary schedule should be altered completely for this breeding preparation, to mimic the lack of food that would be available for the individuals during their “rest” period. Lower not only the quantity you feed them but also how often you feed them, which can be twice a week if needed. (Please heed warning above, do not attempt this if the specimens are not fully prepared prior.)
    Feeding can be provided, 3 times a week at the beginning of the process (Late September) and towards November I get to about 2 times with the one off 3rd feeding. When it gets to late December time I normally get them down to 2 feedings only carry this on till the end of January then slowly build up again.

    When the time is right, you can slowly bring an end to the winter period and start to build an increase in all the previously lowered habitat stimuli.

    Humidifying – Summer.
    In regards to what the humidity should remain at and built up to, the optimum amount should be about 80-90% which should be provided in the form of a medium/heavy spray every day for 3 times day.

    Temperature – Summer.
    In regards to temperature, the temperature can be slowly risen back to 22˚C - 25˚C to show the difference, yet again, in climate and season. This should be done gradually, not immediately due to the shock and stress this could provide to the individuals.

    Feeding – Summer.
    The dietary schedule should be altered and resumed as normal with the increased amounts of dietary items and variation, but with a gradual increase over the course of a week.
    I have breed a lot using the above method for this species in particular and have about 39+ tadpoles from them in total.
    When it comes to the Spawn, Tadpoles and Froglets, this is the norm for me;

    Spawn.
    The spawn can normally be found in secluded areas of the Terrarium and most of all, at night time in the gaps between the leaves of Dracaena plants where water collects (Like bromeliads), you can replicate this by providing camera film canisters and filling them up with a small amount of water. With my E.N.T style terrariums, spawn has been found on the gravel in the water trench, where there are mounds coming out of the water.
    If you find spawn within the first few weeks and the Ovum of the egg is a Yellow colouration, then it is more than likely freshly laid. However, do not remove straight away and leave up to 3 days before removing it, due to the possibility that a male has yet to fertilise the spawn. If, after a few days (up to a week) the Ovum starts to turn a Brown/Tan colour, they have not been fertilised and must be removed immediately.

    Tadpoles.
    For up to 4-5 days, the Tadpoles will not need to be fed at all, and more than likely will not feed if dietary items were provided. The specimens can be housed together and normally seem to prefer being housed communally, as cannibalism is not a great threat with the species.

    Water Changes.
    Care must be taken to make sure Water Quality is not lowered and cleaning must be provided regularly in the form of a minor water change, every other day. Water filters can be provided, however the strong currents produced by these devices can actually cause many health problems and even fatalities, especially during the first couple of weeks after the Tadpole has hatched.



    Water Temperature.
    Water temperature must be controlled and monitored closely, and should remain within the 22°C to 25°C temperature mark. However, make sure that it doesn’t fluctuate too much and remains at a constant ideal temperature.

    Feeding Tadpoles.
    You can use such feeding products similarly used with Tropical Fish and Aquariums, such as “Tetra Pro Algae” and “Tetra Min – Baby”, which can be mixed together into a pulp and made into smaller pellets. However, other foods can be used though, such as Bloodworm, Daphnia and Shrimp pellets which can be fed every day or every other day.


    Tadpole Growth Rate.
    Regardless of being from the same clutch, Tadpoles can actually morph at many different rates. At about the 6-7 week mark, the first of the offspring will begin to grow their front legs and hind legs and slowly start to take their first steps out of the water. Once this begins, they should be moved over to a separate rearing enclosure that has either a very low water depth of less than a inch or perhaps a container placed on a tilt which has a water section (shallow one of less than a inch) and a land section. This will allow the individuals to choose when the time is right to finally leave the water. Please ensure that a lid is now provided for the container to prevent the offspring from escaping.
    As for selling the Froglets, I normally wait till they are about 20mm in size at least, just so I know that they are well established and not going to die on their new owner

    Kind regards,

    Joshua
    Last edited by MantellaGuy; August 22nd, 2014 at 05:23 PM.

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Excellent Thank you Joshua! I plan on putting my group through a winter cycle this year. I will follow this guide and let you know who it turns out for me.

    I have also been wondering if the current tank is setup correctly or should be modified some. It is a Paludarium and has an open water feature in the front right corner of the tank. The rest is pretty standard. It is heavily planted and has a piece of driftwood that runs at an angle across the land section (under this wood is where all the mantella have dug out homes in the moss).

    I have considered removing the wood and forcing them to use more of the tank to find a home, but if it is working for them I don't want to upset the tank.

    I have also considered converting the tank to a traditional false bottom and eliminating the water feature all together, but my hesitation comes in from not wanting to take the whole tank apart... It is growing quite nicely.

    So for now in my waffling I have all but decided to leave the tank as is for now and see how the breeding goes next year. May end of needing to change things just to make it easier to find spawn.
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

  8. #7

    Default The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Hey Paul! Don't forget, if Josh's post helped you, give the man a rep point!! Ya know, that little star button thingie??


    Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela
    1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
    0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
    0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
    0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
    0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
    0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
    0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
    0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
    1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
    0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
    0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
    0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
    0.2.0 Canines
    1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
    2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
    0.1.0 Bed Bully

  9. #8

    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Quote Originally Posted by DigitalPunk View Post
    Excellent Thank you Joshua! I plan on putting my group through a winter cycle this year. I will follow this guide and let you know who it turns out for me.
    Not a problem, may have taken me ages to respond to but I got their eventually! lol Let me know, this is recommended by many breeders and does try to simulate wild environmental factors.

    Quote Originally Posted by DigitalPunk View Post
    I have also been wondering if the current tank is setup correctly or should be modified some. It is a Paludarium and has an open water feature in the front right corner of the tank. The rest is pretty standard. It is heavily planted and has a piece of driftwood that runs at an angle across the land section (under this wood is where all the mantella have dug out homes in the moss).

    I have considered removing the wood and forcing them to use more of the tank to find a home, but if it is working for them I don't want to upset the tank.

    I have also considered converting the tank to a traditional false bottom and eliminating the water feature all together, but my hesitation comes in from not wanting to take the whole tank apart... It is growing quite nicely.

    So for now in my waffling I have all but decided to leave the tank as is for now and see how the breeding goes next year. May end of needing to change things just to make it easier to find spawn.
    Haha, well I had 3 different things to suggest but your last comment rendered it all useless! :P



    Quote Originally Posted by deranged chipmunk View Post
    Hey Paul! Don't forget, if Josh's post helped you, give the man a rep point!! Ya know, that little star button thingie??
    Hahah thank you man

  10. #9
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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    I unfortunately have already given josh rep points and cant give more till more people are helpful enough to warrant a rep point lol. So I blame society as a whole in the lack of new Rep for Josh
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Handing out Rep like candy and still Josh is denied Rep from me by the system. My search continues.
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    I gave rep to him in your stead, don't worry
    “Life is a journey, not a destination.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

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    Default Re: The Basic & Advanced Husbandry of Mantella Species - By Joshua Ralph

    Rep has been given. It is late sadly and may not be as appreciated, but it was hard earned and well deserved. Thanks to the FF community at large for helping me make this Rep add moment possible.
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

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