Potential New Frogger

[LilyPad]

You can only put one species in there. The tree frogs will eat the dart frogs and possibly get sick and die. Even with an excess of hiding places, the stress and potential toxins will be too much for either of them and their immune systems will break down.

[flybyferns]

Hello John,
Welcome to Frog Forum
God luck with your build.

Heads up... be careful with the plastic top/part. If it moves, even a little, a frog could escape.

[elly]

Frog species have different kinds of toxin in their skin. Even though captive raised darts don't have toxins that can affect humans, there's still a chance they could harm other frog species, or other species could have unfamiliar toxins that harm them. From everything I've heard from experienced froggers, keeping two different species in a tank is asking for trouble.

Also I don't think anyone's mentioned yet that darts/mantillas species are awake during the day while tree frogs are nocturnal. (My white's are awake in the early evening so I do get to see them a lot though.)

[EMCookjb]

Thank you everyone for the input. I am leaning toward getting dart frogs. I have two questions: 1. Will dart frogs crawl/climb up broken branches to the upper part of the tank? 2. I would like to put some sort of water feature into the living exhibit. I am thinking either a "pond" with a shoreline, a 4 inch wide and 2 inch deep running stream, and/or waterfall. What are the "experts" input regarding a water feature?

Thank you,
John

[elly]

1. I've seen pictures of darts climbing glass, I doubt they'll have trouble climbing branches.

2. I'll let people familiar with water features answer.

[Lija]

Welcome to the forum! Oh gosh if a tank like that would get in my hands .....lol

anyhow... Water features are nightmare.... and very strong headache... But if you are up to and are well equiped with some Advil... You should be fine but you gotta do a reseach and of course if you have qs you are welcome to ask.

and now when I have my darts... I must say.. They are the most entertaining frogs out there. Get one of the bigger ones, azureus or similar, they are always out, eating like pigs, recognize you and beg for food. Tree frogs will be sleeping all day and you won't see them doing much of anything unless you are night owl yourself.

Oh and yes, they ( darts, depending on species) will be climbing all over the place. My azureus are using very single inch of the tank, it is 24" in hight. Keep in mind the actual height will be less when you put false bottom, substrate, stuff.

[EMCookjb]

Lija,

Thank you for the input. Based on what you said, I really do think I am going with the darts. I know they won't have all 24 vertical inches to use, but if I can get a species of darts that like climbing, they will appreciate the vertical space.

I don't mind spending the time and energy researching how to do an effective water feature, as long as I think it will enhance my frogs "lives" and they enjoy it. From what I have read so far, some dart frogs do enjoy hanging out around water.

I am beginning to get a feel for what I think will work and all, including the frogs, will enjoy.

John