[Bowser]

I would like suggestions on a dart frog species that would actually use my entire 40 breeder.

I'd like something that is a little more bold and is willing to come out more instead of hiding, but also uses the background i'm planning on making.
There wont be much traffic in the room since the tank is in my bedroom, if that helps with anything

I haven't built the tank yet, i'm looking for suggestions on frogs first, then will build a background around that frog.

Not sure if this matters, but i will be using live plants with a T5HO fixture and 6700k bulbs. Don't know if it's too bright for some frogs, I'm just taking down my fish tank and that's the light I have for it currently. Any suggestions on a change in light if i need one will be appreciated too.

 

[Zoomie]

Hey Bowser, I am going to take a stab at this in spite of the fact that I am new here as well.

Operating under the assumption that you are new dart frogs since you posted here, it is very difficult for someone to make recommendations. There are just so many variables. From what I have seen, it's far easier for the members to make suggestions once they have a feel for your level of knowledge and see what PDF's you keep. One person's favorite is another person's disappointment.

I read the care sheets found here...

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/care-sheets/

Every one of them, even those that I had no business keeping. Once I ran through those identified as great starters, I did a search to learn everything I could about each.

You can also go here as it is extremely insightful when trying to get a feel for different species/morphs.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/species/

A 40 is a very nice home. Be sure to post up a build thread once you make a decision.

 

[Bowser]

Alright, i'll read about it and actually post a build of me doing it

 

[Woodsman]

Hi Bowser,

You should try to meet-up with some froggers in your area and get to see a lot of different frogs in person. Knowing local breeders will help you immeasurably in the long run (and could be the place you get your first frogs from).

I started with D. leucomelas and they are still a great favorite. They are extremely active all day long and use all of the 55 gallon I have my pairs in. They have a great little call and are about as bold as they get. They are also VERY hardy and forgiving of some of the mistakes we all make as newcomers to the dart frog hobby.

Good luck which ever species you choose, Richard.

 

[Bowser]

Is there a place where I can search for local froggers? I'm located in Minnesota and maybe i'm just not looking hard enough, but I only know of one place that actually sells dart frogs around here and they only get them in if you order them in.

I read about that species, and read that they have a really loud call. How far away would you say you can hear it from?

I've heard about making a take fruit fly proof also, I have a glass lid that fits over my tank, Is that enough?

 

[arielelf]

I would also suggest Leucs, they are really a beautiful frog with lots of personality, plus they are very resonably priced.
Terribilis would also be nice and bold but they are not tolerant of high temps, which can be an issue if you are new to the hobby.

 

[Zoomie]

Is there a place where I can search for local froggers? I'm located in Minnesota and maybe i'm just not looking hard enough, but I only know of one place that actually sells dart frogs around here and they only get them in if you order them in.

I read about that species, and read that they have a really loud call. How far away would you say you can hear it from?

I've heard about making a take fruit fly proof also, I have a glass lid that fits over my tank, Is that enough?

There is a regional section which you can find here:

MidWest - Dendroboard

Depending on where you live, it can be tough to find local froggers.I live in a little town. The closest people to me that I found are 3-4 hours away. Looks like I will be doing a little road trip.

Be sure to go to your User CP and list your city and state. That way people will see where you are from when you post and may reach out to help or invite you over.

You can also watch for shows in your region. Lots of people show up there and you may be able to make some contacts. Be careful at the shows. Unleass your tank is completely set up and established, it's far too easy for we new folks to fall in love with something and drag it home when we aren't yet prepared to care for it.

As for purchasing, I would be uncomfortable purchasing from a local shop unless you know where the stock is coming from and are clear that the owners have the knowledge and experience to get them acclimated and settled.

I would lean toward hobbyist breeders or breeders for purchases. Experienced hobbyist/breeders are the best IMHO. They are selling you THEIR CHILDREN and will be able to tell you everything about them. They usually have excellent prices and will do everything in their power to get the frogs to you safely. Same thing for many of the breeders. Most of them became breeders because they were really good hobbyists. If you watch the classifieds here, you can good a good feel for who regularly has stock.

Glass tops are highly recommended. Not so much for keeping fruit flies in. More for humidity retention. In addition, most of the flies are small and love to go on walkabouts. Any small gaps can be sealed with fiberglass screen or weed cloth depending on the application.

I have no experience with Leucs yet. I wont be getting mine for about two to three weeks, give or take. I have yet to read a post where people actually complained the Leucs were keeping them up at night. They typically call during the day. While they can be vocal, I can't imagine they sound like a Howler Monkey !

Keep reading, keep researching and keep asking questions !

 

[Bowser]

Alright! I updated my User CP to show my location

The last show in MN that i've found for reptiles was last year, and it looks like there's no show for them this year in MN ( I'm still in highschool without a license so going out of state for a reptile show is out of the question )

I've been reading about leucs and they seem to be perfect for me! I still can't find out how loud they are. The problem isnt them keeping me up at night, it's them being annoying to the rest of the family during the day while i'm at school haha

 

[Woodsman]

In a closed terrarium, they are not loud at all. Just a little background music for the family!

 

[Bowser]

Alright! Thanks! Another question, I'm making a background using great stuff, then putting grout on it and then painting it. Is there anything in paints that i should avoid in using? I Have some paints that came in a tube ( i used it to make Tshirts ) that seem like it'd be good but i want to make sure i don't use paint that will kill the frogs i eventually want to put into the vivarium.

 

[Zoomie]

Hey Bowser, thanks to you I ran across an old thread and found 2 people down in Knoxville! You helped me and didn't even know it.

I don't know anything about paint. The Exo Terra stock backgrounds are painted so there has to be some type of paint that works.

Be sure to rough the surface of the GS foam to knock down the shiny for adhesion.

 

[Bowser]

I'm going to just make the GS into the general shape i want it, and cut it so that i get the shape that I want and then put grout on it, and then paint it. It seems to work very well for some people and i like the look it creates. They never really say which paint they use, and i'm hesitant to just use any paint because there might be a chemical that's toxic to a frog but fine for us that i don't know about. since I don't know much about frogs

Glad you found 2 people! I actually hunted someone down in minnesota that's pretty close but they're currently rebuilding their frogs they DID help me find someone who might have some E.Anthonyi just looking for someone who has Leucs.. lol

 

[illinoisfrogs]

leucs aren't loud, but audible. In your bedroom, they would easily wake you up. Our male calls every morning as the sun comes up. Ours can be heard from as much as probably 20 feet or more away from the tank, and it has an all glass lid. I would get a pair of tincs, or a group of auratus. They will use the whole tank, and they won't wake you up!

 

[Bowser]

Do they call constantly throughout the day? That's more of the problem, I'd actually like to be woken up to them It'd be really nice haha

 

[Darts15]

Yeah. Pretty much any mature male frog is going to call off and on throughout the day.

 

[illinoisfrogs]

Do they call constantly throughout the day? That's more of the problem, I'd actually like to be woken up to them It'd be really nice haha

Yeah, it's not constant, but mine seem to call frequently early in the morning (like 5:30-7:30 AM), and then randomly throughout the day......

 

[brod322]

Do they call constantly throughout the day? That's more of the problem, I'd actually like to be woken up to them It'd be really nice haha

I know exactly what your saying. I have a pair of imitators and a group of intermedius in my room that call back and forth. I find their calling relaxing, it's actually put me to sleep haha

 

[Bowser]

So i'm still wondering if there are paints i should avoid using in vivariums. I want to start my build soon but i want to get supplies all bought before i start

 

[hypostatic]

I agree with the general consensus that leucs would be the best fit. I have some azureus, and if there is a bug above their heads they'll usually just stare at it instead of climbing up to get them.

Also, a good way of dealing with noise in the morning is shifting when the "sun" comes up. My vivs lights are on a timer to be on from 11am-11pm so that I get to enjoy my frogs when I come home from work.

 

[Bowser]

I can probably shift it to whatever i want then my room is dark until the fish tanks turn on.
I guess i'll just have to see how loud they are and see when I want the lights on.
Do you think a computer screen next to the tank at night would cause them to call? I sometimes stay up until around 4AM doing homework and if its really loud i wouldn't want to keep anyone in my family up.