Getting Started with Darts

[bshmerlie]

Im very excited for you Stanton. Im glad you like your frog. Aren't Cobalts amazing? Give her time to settle in and they are so much fun to watch. As soon as it cools down we'll get you a boy. I can't wait to see the pictures.

Thanks Kristi for all your help.


Cheri

[guppygal]

Stanton, it was such a genuine pleasure meeting you and your family. Your parents and siblings are wonderful, and we enjoyed our visit immensely.

As promised, here's the recipe for my fruitfly culture:

dry ingredients:
8 cups plain potato flakes
1 cup confectioner's sugar (or powdered sugar)
1/2 cup brewer's yeast

liquid ingredients
half vinegar, half water

measurement for a water bottle culture:
1/4 cup dry mixture + 1/4 cup liquid

add excelsior - the wide stuff can be found at Hobby Lobby and it does go on sale sometimes -

If you prep extra cultures for later use, make sure you replace the bottle top so that wild fruitflies can't get in.

The plants I included are 1 bromeliad with a pup - remove the brom from the container, wash the dirt off the roots, and separate the pup as close to the original brom as possible; you can use the cat clay mixture to attach the broms to your background.

Also, you have several vine and fern cuttings: selagenella, ficus pumila, ficus pumila variegated, silver philodendron, and a small Anthurium. There is one cutting that does well in vivariums that's a reddish color, but I can't remember the name.

Bob says to remember to mist often so that the plants take root. Your new frog was accustomed to a pond and a humidifier, so she'll enjoy the misting as well. Don't forget to add a piece of fruit to keep the fruitflies in one place. As far as the substrate goes, you can add a layer of dried oak leaves - there are so many due to the drought. They'll break down quicker than the magnolia leaves but this is okay - it will enrich the substrate. I meant to bring out some springtails, but I forgot - maybe next time.

We dust our flies at every feeding, which may be contrary to what other hobbyists do. I've noticed that out of all the tadpoles we've had, we've never seen a case of SLS (spindly leg syndrome). It could be a coincidence, or there might be something to dusting every feeding. It's never hurt any of my frogs. Also, your new frog can eat pinhead crickets and the rule of thumb is that she can eat anything that is smaller than the distance between her eyes.

That's about all I can remember - if you think of anything else, let me know and I'll help.

cya!
kristi and bob

[MeTree]

Thank you so much for getting me the fruit fly recipe, Kristi!

Sorry for the disappearence and scare! I guess you could say I got...*cough*...grounded. LOL! I am back on now, and the dart frog is doing great! I am still trying to think of a name for her. She gobbled down so many fruit flies today, it was great! She has such a long, purple tounge!

I don't have a feeding video yet, but here is a video of her. She is doing well with over 80% consistant humidity.
‪First Poison Dart Frog!‬‏ - YouTube[/URL]

She has been so great! I love how bold she is becoming! She is quickly becoming more used to seeing me. It is so cute when she turns her head to stare at me!

[guppygal]

Uh, I guess mom told you I called, huh? I just wanted to make sure that your new Cobalt didn't make the 'great' escape and turn into frog jerky. If that ever happens, and I'm sure it won't, I still have the other gal to replace her.

Suggestion, shugar - go across the street and pull a bunch of those dried up oak leaves off the trees. Soak 'em or boil them in water, let 'em cool, then lay down a thick damp layer on your substrate. It will keep your frog clean and also provide a place for micro-fauna to grow. If you get any springtails, that's where they'll hang out.

If you want to hunt down your own springtails, you can try this - get a bag of Cowboy's All Natural Lump Charcoal 8.8lbs from Lowes and soak a few pieces in some dechlorinated water. After that, if you don't buy a culture, take the charcoal to the woods and place a couple of pieces under the leaves in moist area. Yeah, I know - it's a little hard to come by due to the drought. Check it after a few days and see if there are any signs of life. Springtails are tiny white critters and I meant to bring you a culture, darn it. Next time we're out, I'll give you a call and see if we can drop one off. You can always use several cultures of springtails.

Okay, here's how I use them, and there are other methods, so you pick what's easiest for you. I use a normal fruitfly culture cup with a tiny bit of water. Then, I pick up a piece of charcoal from the culture, turn it over, and use a spray water bottle to spritz the springtails into the cup. Once I get enough, I just dump the water and springtails onto the substrate. This will give your frog something to hunt between meals. Also, I feed my springs flake fish food, and they seem to thrive on it. Keep the cultures moist with about a 1/4" of water on the bottom of the container. Cover the container, but make sure they can breathe - poke some pin holes in the top. Don't let fruitflies get in, or the culture will die. I actually throw a towel over a couple of mine and they're producing very well. Apparently, they like dark places ~

One other thing - some of the cuttings I gave you are selagenella. If you keep them misted, they'll cover your background nicely.

Looks like you're on your way to being Dart Vader - yay! Holler if you need anything, okay?

kristi