Dart frog vivarium

[guppygal]

I've found a couple of recipes for ABG mix, in case you want to try to duplicate it:

2 parts Ground Tree Fern Root
2 parts milled Sphagnum Moss
2 part fine orchid bark
(i cannot emphasize *fine* enough here, it's hard to find)
1 part sphagnum peat moss
1 part charcoal

Will you be planting your vivarium?

[MikeM670]

I've found a couple of recipes for ABG mix, in case you want to try to duplicate it:

2 parts Ground Tree Fern Root
2 parts milled Sphagnum Moss
2 part fine orchid bark
(i cannot emphasize *fine* enough here, it's hard to find)
1 part sphagnum peat moss
1 part charcoal

Will you be planting your vivarium?

I haven't tried mixing my own ABG Mix yet as its hard to find some of the materials needed. I have purchased all of the ABG Mix used so far from Josh. I just dump it into a bucket dry, mix up with my hands and then add non-chlorinated water, and mix again. Then apply. No fuss no muss!

[guppygal]

That's what I do, since it's the easiest way. I don't think that leaf litter on top of sphagnum is gonna cut it, but that's just me

[camfish]

I might put a couple plants in but i just want to keep it simple for my first dart frog viv. For leaf litter though should i just get dead leaves from my backyard and boil them or microwave them? Also what kind of guard would be good to keep the substrate out of the gravel that ill use for the drainage layer?

[MikeM670]

I might put a couple plants in but i just want to keep it simple for my first dart frog viv. For leaf litter though should i just get dead leaves from my backyard and boil them or microwave them? Also what kind of guard would be good to keep the substrate out of the gravel that ill use for the drainage layer?

I can say on the leaves from your yard as all the leaves I have in my tanks came from Josh. I don't know if they are treated in some fashion or not.

As for the filter mesh you can use plastic window screen or landscape fabric.

[camfish]

Do you treat the ones from joshs frogs or do you just put them straight in the tank?

[Grrrit]

Straight in the tank.

[MikeM670]

Do you treat the ones from joshs frogs or do you just put them straight in the tank?

Yes they go straight into the tank. They come in what I think is a 1 gallon bag.

[guppygal]

I might put a couple plants in but i just want to keep it simple for my first dart frog viv. For leaf litter though should i just get dead leaves from my backyard and boil them or microwave them? Also what kind of guard would be good to keep the substrate out of the gravel that ill use for the drainage layer?

Darts require lots of places to hide, or they will die from the stress. Usually, the substrate is the last thing on the list when building a vivarium. Most of the work goes into the background and the planting. PDF hobbyists consider their vivariums a work of art resembling a small tropical ecosystem. The background can be as simple as some cork tiles siliconed to the glass, or raw cork bark mashed into Great Stuff on up to some very elaborate and artistic root systems, vines, rocks, etc. It give the frogs places to hide, explore, and hunt for their food.

It sounds like you have the substrate under control. The only thing I can add is that the substrate also provides a home for springtails and isopods to thrive and reproduce, thus providing your frogs with extra snacks.

Have you done any research on your fruitfly cultures yet?

[camfish]

Yes i've started to look into them what kind should i first get when i get my frogs? and would it be ok to dust with tetrafauna reptocal?

[guppygal]

Yes i've started to look into them what kind should i first get when i get my frogs? and would it be ok to dust with tetrafauna reptocal?

You need to start your cultures BEFORE you get your frogs. Melanogaster fruitflies take about 2 weeks before you can feed out and start new cultures; hydei take longer, about 3 weeks, but they're a larger fly and less work for the frogs to hunt down and eat.

I've never heard of the supplement you're talking about. I've heard of Repashy, tho I don't use it. My supplements consist of 45% each of Herptivite Multi-vitamins and Rep-Cal Calcium with about 10% paprika for my yellow and red frogs. It helps them keep their color.

The most important thing is to get the hang of culturing your fruitflies before you get your frogs. You can purchase both the flies and supplements at various online vendors, tho I think Josh's Frogs seems to be the most reliable. You can also get that ABG substrate from him.