Ok, super easy. If you've ever owned any other reptile or amphibian pet, these guys are very different and in my opinion, all the differences are positives. First, they're diurnal so they're not hiding all day like a lot of reptiles or amphibians. Also, they are active predators, not sedentary ambush predators. So they're always out and about, looking for food. Next, since they only eat small prey items which mainly will consist of wingless fruit flies you won't have to worry about weekly trips to the petstore to get crickets, nor having to house and feed those crickets. The flies are cultured in a clean, closed container which has enough food to keep that culture thriving and feeding your little froggies for about three weeks.
Now to the enclosure. Super easy. Just follow some basic rules and then you can take it from there. This will allow you to have a thriving little terrarium ecosystem at the lowest cost. From here you can move up to water features, automatic misting systems, high output plant lights, custom ventilation, planted backgrounds and more.
To start, you'll need an aquarium with a solid glass lid. This will provide a humidity of 75-95% which is mandatory for dart frogs. Usually the glass aquarium lids will have plastic on the back. That's ok as long as there aren't holes cut for filters. Use at least a ten gallon tank. I prefer to tape all along the sides and back of the lid to cover any little fruit fly escape routes. For lighting just use a standard single bulb fluorescent aquarium light. The double incandescent spiral fluorescent fixtures may get too hot for your frog. The tank should never get over 85 degrees. Next, the planting and decorating. Put one layer of aquarium gravel about an inch deep then choose hardy plants like pothos, star ivy, small tropical ferns and African violets to plant as desired. Put those plants right on the gravel. Then use a moss made for reptiles or an orchid moss like sphagnum moss to layer above the gravel and surround the plants. Make this layer about 2" deep. You'll need to soak the moss till saturated then ring it out till its damp but no longer dripping wet. You can then add any wood, rocks or caves to finish off your ecosystem. Your now pretty much done. I prefer to let new tanks sit for a week or two because they will often go through a mold phase as wood, moss and plants adjust to the high humidity. And that's the basics. Hope that helps. Continue reading, learning and enjoying. There are a lot of helpful websites. Dendroboard.com is a good forum to get info and ideas.
Ben
Feel free to call or email with any questions.
Now to the enclosure. Super easy. Just follow some basic rules and then you can take it from there. This will allow you to have a thriving little terrarium ecosystem at the lowest cost. From here you can move up to water features, automatic misting systems, high output plant lights, custom ventilation, planted backgrounds and more.
To start, you'll need an aquarium with a solid glass lid. This will provide a humidity of 75-95% which is mandatory for dart frogs. Usually the glass aquarium lids will have plastic on the back. That's ok as long as there aren't holes cut for filters. Use at least a ten gallon tank. I prefer to tape all along the sides and back of the lid to cover any little fruit fly escape routes. For lighting just use a standard single bulb fluorescent aquarium light. The double incandescent spiral fluorescent fixtures may get too hot for your frog. The tank should never get over 85 degrees. Next, the planting and decorating. Put one layer of aquarium gravel about an inch deep then choose hardy plants like pothos, star ivy, small tropical ferns and African violets to plant as desired. Put those plants right on the gravel. Then use a moss made for reptiles or an orchid moss like sphagnum moss to layer above the gravel and surround the plants. Make this layer about 2" deep. You'll need to soak the moss till saturated then ring it out till its damp but no longer dripping wet. You can then add any wood, rocks or caves to finish off your ecosystem. Your now pretty much done. I prefer to let new tanks sit for a week or two because they will often go through a mold phase as wood, moss and plants adjust to the high humidity. And that's the basics. Hope that helps. Continue reading, learning and enjoying. There are a lot of helpful websites. Dendroboard.com is a good forum to get info and ideas.
Ben
Feel free to call or email with any questions.
D. Tinctorius azureus
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