[rainforestbox]

Hi, I'm new to the hobby and I'm planning out a new setup (36x18x18) for dart frogs. I have singled down my first choice to either a group of terribilis and leucomelas. Temperature should not be an issue because the hottest my house gets is the mid 70s. What are some pros and cons of either frog?

 

[Fahad]

I really enjoy both species.

P. terribilis:

• Very bold
• Large & impressive
• Loud, pleasant call
• Can be kept in groups

Tend to be intolerant of overly wet conditions and higher temperatures. Require more space.

D. leucomelas:

• Tend to be bold
• Pleasant trilling call
• Sharp, variable patterns
• Can be kept in groups
• Hardy and tend to be slightly more forgiving of small beginner mistakes that may happen.

Leucomelas are probably the best 'beginner' frog but if you do your research and remain diligent, terribilis are also a good choice. Note that I said "small" mistakes -- meaning that little things can go wrong or need tweaking if you're inexperienced, but so long as you do very thorough research from good sources, like this board's deep archive -- bigger errors shouldn't happen.

If possible, I would get a taller tank. Mine (both species) will use all the space given to them. Especially the leucs, but my terribilis also climb frequently. You'll also lose a lot of height to things like substrate and false bottom construction.

 

[fishingguy12345]

@Fahad hit the nail on the head, they're both very hardy, beginner friendly species. I prefer 24" tall tanks for the reasons Fahad mentioned, the frogs use every inch of the tanks.

 

[rainforestbox]

I really enjoy both species.

P. terribilis:

• Very bold
• Large & impressive
• Loud, pleasant call
• Can be kept in groups

Tend to be intolerant of overly wet conditions and higher temperatures. Require more space.

D. leucomelas:

• Tend to be bold
• Pleasant trilling call
• Sharp, variable patterns
• Can be kept in groups
• Hardy and tend to be slightly more forgiving of small beginner mistakes that may happen.

Leucomelas are probably the best 'beginner' frog but if you do your research and remain diligent, terribilis are also a good choice. Note that I said "small" mistakes -- meaning that little things can go wrong or need tweaking if you're inexperienced, but so long as you do very thorough research from good sources, like this board's deep archive -- bigger errors shouldn't happen.

If possible, I would get a taller tank. Mine (both species) will use all the space given to them. Especially the leucs, but my terribilis also climb frequently. You'll also lose a lot of height to things like substrate and false bottom construction.

Sounds good, I haven't ordered the terrarium yet, so a 36 x 18 x24 will certainly be more advantageous. I'm strongly leaning towards leucomelas for now. For leucomelas, I am debating about either the banded or normal form. While the banded form looks nicer, I have read on this forum that they are harder to breed and can be less bold. The care sheet for leucomelas says that we haven't discovered the trigger for breeding bandeds but that sheet was written 15 years ago so I was wondering if a trigger has since been discovered especially since bandeds have been bred.

 

[Zippy]

I have the banded and fine spot. I’d say banded are my favorite.

 

[rainforestbox]

I have the banded and fine spot. I’d say banded are my favorite.

How bold are they?

 

[Zippy]

How bold are they?

Both are very bold. Always out hunting.

 

[Daniel559]

I have both terribilis and leucomelas. My terribilis are by far more bold like tiny bulldogs!