Darts for the dedicated beginner?

[clownonfire]

Tony, for some reasons, I was told that Pums were not extremely bold. Now perhaps this when compared to terribs which will stand all day in front of my viv rarely hiding...

As for a caresheet, I didn't have the time. I will with time...

I can definitely help you start with terribs... I knew of one great breeder in the state but he has closed shop.... I will gather a few more names, but anyone who would like to help out with this one, by all means. As for the rest, I'll write back later on with more...

Eric

[Tony]

Tony, for some reasons, I was told that Pums were not extremely bold. Now perhaps this when compared to terribs which will stand all day in front of my viv rarely hiding...

Some are, some aren't, there is a lot of variability between morphs. My El Dorado are very bold, my Cauchero are a bit shy, and my Almirante and San Cristobals are somewhere in between.

I can definitely help you start with terribs... I knew of one great breeder in the state but he has closed shop.... I will gather a few more names, but anyone who would like to help out with this one, by all means. As for the rest, I'll write back later on with more...

Ask Mike, he'll know where Aaron's frogs went.

[clownonfire]

Ask Mike, he'll know where Aaron's frogs went.

It's exactly who I was thinking of. I know Mark Pepper is working now with P. terribilis "Mint" from Aaron's line, but his "Orange" ones are from the Netherlands. But he doesn't haver any froglets but "Yellow" ones right now anyway...

I'll ask Mike tonight...

[clownonfire]

Baelari, Phyllobates terribilis, the golden poison frog, is a frog from Columbia. In the wild, they are extremely lethal, and loose their toxicity in captivity as their poison is from their diet (here's a fun fact... according to AmphibiaWeb.com: "Phyllobates terribilis is the most highly toxic of all frogs"). They are also the largest species of the dart frogs (my juveniles right now are as big as some Dendrobates tinctorius azureus adults I have seen). You will find Phyllobates terribilis in three morphs: "Yelllow", "Mint" and "Orange" (Phyllobates terribilis and Phyllobates bicolor are two different species).

One of the reasons they are often suggested for new frog enthusiasts is that terribs are extremely voracious, and because of their larger size, they can eat a wider variety of feeders: from fruit flies to 3/8 crickets (I personally did not see them eat springtails even when these were gathered close to the water from my waterfall, nor were they very interested in D. melanogaster - microfauna in general). D. hydei is my staple food of choice, and right now as I'm feeding an excited bunch of 6 juvies, 2 weeks old crickets, dusted.

Phyllobates terribilis are social frogs and will do very well in groups. Actually, if you are going this route, I would advise you to get a trio minimum. The rule of thumbs with these frogs is one frog per 10 gallons. You will hear 1 frog per 5 gallons, but I think that's bullocks. Currently, I have 6 juvies in a 50-gallon tank. Once adult, I will move them to a larger tank, even though they are not as territorial as other dart frogs.

Terribs are terrestrial frogs, so when you will work on your tank, work mostly on floor space (as juvies though, they will be climbing everywhere, so just be warned - I had one frog escaping a few months back and mauled by one of our cats, but that is a different story). Your tanks should be maintained at 80%+ humidity, and don't be afraid to go as high as 90%. Being from rainforest, terribs will enjoy a "wetter" tank, as opposed to D. tinctorius frogs who like it humid but not necessarily wet. Lots of plants. Temperature wise, keep your tank lower than 80°F. These frogs are more sensitive to higher temperatures.

Now if you want to create a real biotope, I'll have to write you back with a list of plants that come from
Columbia, and specifically from La Brea and Rio Saija. Personally, I use bromeliads (mine will often sleep in the broms at night in group), Alocasia, Hypoestes, Ficus pumila and I tried baby's tears but it did not survive although I know some which planted these with success.

I do have a waterfall, but I have disabled it for the moment. Phyllobates terribilis get sexually mature later than other dart frogs... it can anywhere between 12-18 months. Once they are ready to breed, I will activate the waterfall again as has been shown to help during the breeding season. I'll write you later about the breeding part as this is getting lengthy (for breeding, I have heard that a higher ratio of male will help as it will promote competition amongst males).

If you need help on how to build a tank from scratch, let me know. John Clare owns a few terribs himself... Here's his thread.

Terribs are great frogs. They are active, they look fierce. My wife likes to say they look evil, or intense like a Bald Eagle look intense. It's true. And they won't go hiding if you approach the tank, they will just hop away.

Hope this help!

Eric

PS French is my first language. I didn't take time to revise my syntax, etc... So please bear with my bad English.

[dtfleming]

Sean Stewart is a good source for terribilis and alphaprobreeders

[clownonfire]

Sean Stewart is a good source for terribilis and alphaprobreeders

Thanks Don. You're right.

Here's a link for you, Baelari: Frogs main. It's an older article though.

I will also write you back as to where you can find Aaron's line of terribs. You can then make your choice.

Eric

[bshmerlie]

I already checked with Alphapro breeders. They are out of Oranges right now. Although they have some pretty cool looking strawberrys.

[Baelari]

Thanks for all the help

It seems like petco is due for another 1$ per gallon sale if they do them about twice a year. I think I might wait for it and get a tank then. I think a 40 gallon breeder would be as big as I could fit into my apartment with a little rearranging. Do you think think this would be too ambitious to start with, or is it easier to plant and plan at this size?

[Tony]

Bigger is better. I am in the process of redoing my darts in either 33x17x20 (about 50 gallons) or 45x17x20 (65 gallons) custom tanks. Having a larger enclosure allows for more options in hardscaping and planting, increased surface for microfauna to colonize, and the creation of more stable microhabitats (areas of higher or lower temperature, humidity, light, etc.) than a small enclosure.