O. pumilio questions

[pez]

It turns out that I have the oportunity to get some Oophaga pumilio, but I have some basic questions. I know this aren't the best frogs for a dart begginer but I have had some experience with Dendrobates auratus before. I took care of my cousin's D. auratus tank while he was travelling.

So here are the questions
-I got the flightless fruit flies (D. hydei) but do the supplements are necessary? I ask this because each jar will cost me about $20. Why so expensive? Because there is only one place where you can get the supplements here.

-How should the terrarium be? Vertical I suppose?

-How many frogs should be kept together? How big for that number of frogs?

Any other recommendations are welcomed.

[clownonfire]

Pez, wow, lucky you! Pums... One day... when my hands will be less full... I had done some research on them a few months back as I was pondering getting some...

Basically. They can be a good frogs for beginners. Again, depending on the morph. But as you said, you a are far from being a frog beginner.

A pair can be held in a 10 gallon. But as usual, bigger is better. And yes, they will take all the space given to them, therefore vertical and terrestrial space.

Because of their size, it's often suggested to feed them D. melanogaster as opposed to D. hydei (and if you end up breeding, the melanogaster will be important). You should also dust them. I know supplements are costly, but because pums do not have the advantage of having a varied diet as in captivity, whatever you feed them should provide all that they need. Therefore a little dusting will go a long way. Seed springtails, as always.

Humidity: 75% and higher. As you would expect, very humid and with good air circualtion.

Let us know as soon as you know which pums you are getting.

Eric

[pez]

Pez, wow, lucky you! Pums... One day... when my hands will be less full... I had done some research on them a few months back as I was pondering getting some...

Basically. They can be a good frogs for beginners. Again, depending on the morph. But as you said, you a are far from being a frog beginner.

A pair can be held in a 10 gallon. But as usual, bigger is better. And yes, they will take all the space given to them, therefore vertical and terrestrial space.

Because of their size, it's often suggested to feed them D. melanogaster as opposed to D. hydei (and if you end up breeding, the melanogaster will be important). You should also dust them. I know supplements are costly, but because pums do not have the advantage of having a varied diet as in captivity, whatever you feed them should provide all that they need. Therefore a little dusting will go a long way. Seed springtails, as always.

Humidity: 75% and higher. As you would expect, very humid and with good air circualtion.

Let us know as soon as you know which pums you are getting.

Eric

Thanks Eric. I have only one problem on getting D. melanogaster. I can't get them here! The only flightless fruit fly I could get here was D. hydei. Ok, so it looks like I will have so spend some money in suplemments, well it is for the frog's health. I can't buy springtails here, so I can't seed them. On the other hand I have been looking for them to get some, but I haven't find them. Maybe with the sart of the rainy season. I am getting "blue jeans".
Thanks

[MikeM670]

Oophaga pumilio is diurnal and primarily terrestrial. They inhabit the forest floor and can often be found in leaf litter in both forested and disturbed areas. So you want a horizontal setup.

You should always dust your flies before feeding. The jars of supplements should really last you a very long time.

Males are extremely territorial and guard small territories. So I would say only keep pairs or provide enough horizontal space to allow them to setup their territories.

It turns out that I have the oportunity to get some Oophaga pumilio, but I have some basic questions. I know this aren't the best frogs for a dart begginer but I have had some experience with Dendrobates auratus before. I took care of my cousin's D. auratus tank while he was travelling.

So here are the questions
-I got the flightless fruit flies (D. hydei) but do the supplements are necessary? I ask this because each jar will cost me about $20. Why so expensive? Because there is only one place where you can get the supplements here.

-How should the terrarium be? Vertical I suppose?

-How many frogs should be kept together? How big for that number of frogs?

Any other recommendations are welcomed.

[pez]

Oophaga pumilio is diurnal and primarily terrestrial. They inhabit the forest floor and can often be found in leaf litter in both forested and disturbed areas. So you want a horizontal setup.

You should always dust your flies before feeding. The jars of supplements should really last you a very long time.

Males are extremely territorial and guard small territories. So I would say only keep pairs or provide enough horizontal space to allow them to setup their territories.

Ok thanks, I wont be getting sexed pairs so I guess I better buy a 50 gal. horizontal tank.

[clownonfire]

Just a comment on Mike's post. Pums are indeed territorial, but they are known to enjoy all the space they are given. Therefore, if you add lots of room to easily climb all, they will take advantage of all the area they can cover.

[bshmerlie]

Mauricio get creative. If you're going with a 50 gallon that should give you more than enough room to make slopes and levels. I use pieces of wood to hold back dirt and make tiered levels. This will allow more terrestrial frogs to use more of the height of the tank. Its easy to do and adds a lot of dimension to the tank. Ramps, slopes, tiers and work your way up the background.

[pez]

Thanks for the idea, I will be using it!

[pez]

After some reading (yes I read fast) I found out that supposedly males become more aggresive when thare are few or no bromeliads. So the terrarium will have several bromeliads. I will be posting every update about the terrarium building and the frogs.