[Loon3yDnA]

hello everybody im loony! lol

so its like this, i have fell in love with dart frogs and i blame my co-worker b/c she is the one who pulled me to the dark side lol but anyway lol i dont know where to even start at. all i know is im going to get a 20gal long tank and i want it to have a little waterfall and lots of pretty plants. so can anybody give me any ideas of where to start or even what kind of pretty dart frogs i can pick from?

 

[frogface]

Welcome, Loony

I think a 20g long won't have enough height for a waterfall. If you are set on a waterfall, look at a 20g high or larger. Maybe 29g?

 

[Pumilo]

Welcome aboard! I agree with Frogface although you may get away with a meandering mountain stream with a couple of 2 inch drop "mini-falls".
That said, remember that a water feature is for you. Your frogs would prefer more hunting grounds. Try to keep you water feature to a minimum in such a small viv.

 

[B-NICE]

Wait until you get your builds up to do a water feature.

 

[parkanz2]

I know it sucks seeing so many discouraging posts about not doing water features but it's so true.

Like every other new person that comes to these boards, when I built my first enclosure 4 years ago (it was actually for my boa) I definitely wanted a water feature. I spent a lot of time planning and taking extra steps to make it work, and it did. But it still ended up being a royal pain in the ass in the long run. I've since dismantled that cage and he's in a simpler cage which is better in many ways, for him and me.

So what I say is this; Do a water feature if you want but at least have an unoccupied viv up and running and ready for frogs at any sign of trouble because chances are you're going to have some (everyone does when it comes to water features.) In fact, I would have a water feature viv up an going for several months before putting frogs in (so you might as well do two builds! Twice the fun!) and you can move them over eventually if you decide it's working well.

Just my 2 cents... trying to save you some head aches that I experienced when I first started.

 

[tclipse]

The above post is pretty accurate, they limit space and usually end up being more of a pain than they're worth... I do like giving my epips (and would for ameerega & some phyllobates) small ponds just because it makes finding their ~25 tads at a time MUCH easier

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

 

[Loon3yDnA]

thanks everybody! there's still a lot i dont know and this is the place to find out lol. i seen a few pics of viv's and i found something i do like and probably could do something like it. parkanz2 thank you so much on your thoughts, all the reply's did make me a little sad lol. But if you say its a pain in the ass i'll take your word for it lol.

Also are there any sights that can tell me more about how i should house the little guys. Like how many i can have in what size tank, best foods to feed them and breeds?

 

[alex111683]

The most helpful thing for me when I first started, was reading over the care sheet section on this board. Also don't forget to start reading about fruit flies. They should be your number one priority in learning when you first get into PDFs.

 

[jrgobble]

Welcome to the frog world. I agree that the water features can be a pain and eat up space for the frogs. BUT, if you have experience with aquarium fish and water care, you can do it. I also manage my space over my water feature with wood type bridges. So I can see the water, and the frogs do not lose any hunting and hopping space. My frogs seem to prefer the hunting logs over the water, they are on it quite a bit. The frog care sheets are a very good place to start. Also, many very good websites have lots of information. I would start with a trio of easy care frogs for your tank. Leuc are great, but my azureus are usually up front in your face, good eaters, and very pretty(if you like blue). Also, just ask questions to the site. Many people here are very helpful, and sometimes the posts will go on for a long time with lots of info. Good luck. Johnny

 

[leuc11]

I dont recommend a waterfall unless you have a good sized tank and you now exactly what your doing. Some good starter frogs are azureus auratus leucs vittatus and maybe some tincs depending on if you have some frog experience good luck and remember NO MIXING

 

[purplezephead]

Hey Dee! Welcome to my obsession, again (mwahahah!). A really good site for the general info you were asking about (besides this one of course) is Saurian Enterprises, Inc.

http://saurian.net/frog_main.html

They have a really good break down of species profiles. Pm me and I'll give you a list of other good sites.

 

[marylanddartfrog]

Welcome,as far as places to gain some good info try herpetologic.net ran by sean stewart,db of course,and youtube can be helpful with step by step vids for everything from viv builds to vitamins.good luck and if you have any questions be sure to post.

 

[brosta]

I just recently started my tank and I can remember being right where you are! I wanted a waterfall too, but I looked into it and instead I created rock wall type area. The frogs really like it, so that is always something you could do.

I have 2 leucs, they are the cutest little guys. Both of mine are very active and love to jump around and play all day long.

When I first decided which kind of frogs I wanted, one of my friends helped me out and his advice was:
Dendrobates Leucomelas- bumble bee or black and yellow were the kind he had they were bold and active and medium sized in the PDF world.
Dendrobates Auratus-come in many colors, some may be shy but there are exceptions.
Dendrobates Azureus- blue- frogs are normally bigger and very bold. Great starter frog
He also suggested to stay away from "thumbnail" frogs they are tiny and more dependent on their environment.

I would say that fruit flies would be the easiest. They are not that hard to culture, it is just all about the timing.

 

[randommind]

The one thing that helped me out the most was finding a local hobbyist and checking out all his tanks and frogs. It was nice to be able to see in person what a finished viv should look and function like. I asked a million questions (thanks again JimO) and I feel it really got me started off in the right direction. With that said, if you and/or your co-worker ever venture over to St Augustine let me know as I would be more than happy to show off my collection and help out in any way I can.

 

[B-NICE]

My first build I had not set up a drainage area, nor did I have a way of taking out the water pump in case it was clogged. 4 builds later and only my Pacman viv has a waterfall (I haven't kept it running for about a month). If you are going to do a water feature, you should take your tank to a glass shop and have them install a piece of glass to section of the water feature from your substrate; if not your water is going to get dirty fast due to misting.

 

[randommind]

If you are going to do a water feature, you should take your tank to a glass shop and have them install a piece of glass to section of the water feature from your substrate; if not your water is going to get dirty fast due to misting.

IMO this is a bit unnecessary and from all that I have seen, majority of the attempts to 'contain' water have either ended frustration or a very unnatural looking viv. In the OP's case, where only a "small waterfall" as opposed to a pond section is desired, simply using hydroton instead of a false bottom would suffice in keeping the water at an acceptable level of cleanliness. I am not saying I would recommend adding a waterfall to a 20L, I am just saying there are other ways besides custom glass work and tons of silicone to achieve the desired effect.

 

[DragonSpirit1185]

research research research research research research, and more research.
I have been on here for nearly a year and I just did my first viv.
gather supplies as you research and it won't put such a huge dent in your wallet as it would if you was to get everything at once.
I saved up everything and wound up only spending like $50 to complete the build but it all it costed me like about $100 or more.
most was bought using gift cards so if you have a bday coming up ask for Lowes and JoshsFrogs (Josh's Frogs - Largest online herps feeders and reptile supplies store) gift cards lol

this is gonna be your best friend and you can find everything you need here: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/search.php
yup the search feature
search for:
GS backgrounds
False bottom
ABG Mix (the truth about ABG mix is the best thread on this)
How to culture Springtails
How to culture Fruit Flies
Search for your local state group on here and get you some frogging buddies who can help you obtain supplies locally or you can purchase frogs, cultures, and supplies off them.

search 'poison dart frogs' on Google and find out which one stands out to you but you need to find out if they are for beginners or not.
there are care sheets on here for a lot of PDFs and you can find care sheets elsewhere.
these little guys are pretty expensive and just the shipping can cost $50 or more.
I'm looking at $120 for the ones I'm thinking about getting and they are some of the cheapest.
be prepared to have spent at least $250 or more by time you're done

good luck and welcome to the community!
good luck and I hope to see a build thread from you soon

and they are right about the water feature. I did a build when I had only been on here for a few months with a water feature and it didn't turn out to well.
best to wait till you get experience.

 

[kychris]

research research research research research research, and more research.
I have been on here for nearly a year and I just did my first viv.
gather supplies as you research and it won't put such a huge dent in your wallet as it would if you was to get everything at once.
I saved up everything and wound up only spending like $50 to complete the build but it all it costed me like about $100 or more.
most was bought using gift cards so if you have a bday coming up ask for Lowes and JoshsFrogs (Josh's Frogs - Largest online herps feeders and reptile supplies store) gift cards lol

this is gonna be your best friend and you can find everything you need here: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/search.php
yup the search feature
search for:
GS backgrounds
False bottom
ABG Mix (the truth about ABG mix is the best thread on this)
How to culture Springtails
How to culture Fruit Flies
Search for your local state group on here and get you some frogging buddies who can help you obtain supplies locally or you can purchase frogs, cultures, and supplies off them.

search 'poison dart frogs' on Google and find out which one stands out to you but you need to find out if they are for beginners or not.
there are care sheets on here for a lot of PDFs and you can find care sheets elsewhere.
these little guys are pretty expensive and just the shipping can cost $50 or more.
I'm looking at $120 for the ones I'm thinking about getting and they are some of the cheapest.
be prepared to have spent at least $250 or more by time you're done

good luck and welcome to the community!
good luck and I hope to see a build thread from you soon

and they are right about the water feature. I did a build when I had only been on here for a few months with a water feature and it didn't turn out to well.
best to wait till you get experience.

This should be the first thing you see when clicking on the beginner's section. It has taken me a while reading through posts to figure out just what I need to learn about as a beginner. Wish I had seen this post first!

 

[DragonSpirit1185]

This should be the first thing you see when clicking on the beginner's section. It has taken me a while reading through posts to figure out just what I need to learn about as a beginner. Wish I had seen this post first!

haha well thanks.
there should be a thread on here that talks about what you should do as a beginner and if not then there should be one.

 

[froggie too]

You will learn what you need to know, if you do your research on this forum. I am also relatively new to frogs. I read books and searched all over the web. But I have found more info on this forum than anywhere else. Make sure you can grow a fruit fly culture. And I suggest you find a pair. I got three sub adults, and when they matured, fighting broke out. Now I have three viv and am looking for females. I started out wanting one tank and look at me now. On my hunt I found a small Patricia at a reptile show that I had to take home, so now I have four viv. It is very dangerous as the more frogs you look at, the more you would like to have. My suggestion is get the frog you want, to start with. Get a young pair. A lot of people will disagree with that, but it is hard to get rid of a frog once you start watching it grow. So you end up with viv all over your house. My little guys are the best. It was a little costly when the fighting was going on, as every other weekend I was bringing home a new viv to set up. My little guys sing all day, looking for girl friends, and I have not found the girls yet.