Hi guys! Poison dart frogs are easily among my favorite frogs and I've been strongly considering one for quite a while. I do have frog experience. I have a pacman frog and two tomato frogs and many years ago when I was younger I had a red-legged running frog. I've heard though that dart frogs can be more difficult to care for because of their smaller size and humidity requirements so before I get one there's a few things I would like to know. I have done some research but would like to get some direct answers here as well.

First of all I know that they are harmless in captivity because they don't have access to the special insects they eat in the wild that make them toxic but just to be safe I want to make sure that applies to all species. There's no species that retains natural toxicity is there?

Secondly the ones I've been seeing at the reptile expos I've been going to are quite young and tiny so I was wondering that since one of the last expos in my area for the year is coming up next week and I still have to plan a permanent enclosure that if for the time being while I figure out space if a small dart frog would do okay in a plastic critter keeper at room temperature? So long as I kept it moist and provide a hiding spot and some plastic plants?

Are they difficult to feed? For one thing is it hard to get them to eat? I've had that problem with my pacman frog on occasion. Also do they need to eat tiny things like fruit flies and springtails their entire lives or will they be able to take small crickets and similar sized insects as they get bigger? For that matter I've never quite understood how you are supposed to feed fruit flies to something. Do you just shake a few in there or do you gather up a certain number and put them in a dish or something? Wouldn't they be hard for the frog to see among substrate?

How hardy are they? Do they have any common health issues they are especially prone to compared to other frogs? According to my research they can live anywhere from 4-20 years. Is more than 10 years common? I know they don't take up much space but I'm hesitant to get animals that live too long because I can only keep so many things at once and there's a lot of variety I want to experience caring for in my life.

Do they need any special heating or lighting? Do they need a place to to bathe or swim? Maybe just a dish to soak in like most frogs?

Finally the last thing I want to know is if it's okay to keep different species together in a large enough enclosure? I read you should avoid mixing species but I've always wanted to put a variety of these colorful frogs together, especially the blue poison dart frog and the black and yellow one. Is it really that much of a problem? I mean if they can live in groups with enough space anyway and they aren't toxic in captivity I don't see why it would be so bad to keep different species of a similar size together? Especially when they have pretty much the same habits for the most part.

Thanks guys! I know it was long but I'm really considering getting one incredibly soon and I would love to hear back from anyone who has some advice. I noticed there hasn't been much activity in this section as of late so I sure hope somebody sees.