[Azriel]

I'm a newbie looking into getting a pair of dart frogs, and am still in the process of learning, weighing my options, and deciding if this hobby is for me. So I thought it would be nice to hear from some people about what they most enjoy about this hobby.

As a side-note: Sometimes it seems like all the emphasis is placed on the vivarium and/or equipment, but how about the frogs themselves? Do you find their behavior enjoyable to watch? (I would assume so )Are the animals themselves a worthwhile pet?

Thanks in advance!

 

[heatfreakk3]

Hi Azriel, welcome to the board. Personally I have always had an interest in poison dart frogs. I think it's just crazy being able to own a blue, orange, yellow, red, ect. frog! They are extreamly cool, and I think everyone here would agree with me. Of course you cant pick them up and pet them like a dog, but they have their own pros. Not only is the frog cool, but making their viv is a whole lot of fun as well. It lets you be very creative. Also one of the biggest enjoyments people including I have, is being able to watch life happen. If your frogs ever start to breed, you get to watch nature basically. And you get to experience the life of a frog from egg, to tad, to baby frog, to adult. It's very fun and rewarding in my opinion. Hope this helps.

 

[Brien]

I personally enjoy watching the frogs themselves. I go into my reptile room and relax to get away. I personally enjoy egg feeders because I pull a chair up to one of my tanks and look for new froglet's and watch the current ones. I have seen my male blue jean start calling and then the female showed up and they eventually laid eggs right in front of me, it was a pretty rewarding experience.

 

[Mitch]

It's amazing to have a little glass box of rainforest (the vivarium) in your home. You could see an entire life cycle occur, egg to froglet, all in that glass box. The behavior of the frogs is fascinating, and care is a breeze (unless you have like 50 vivs haha). The plants are a whole different story but I find growing these tropical plants alongside the frogs to be awesome too. Good luck!

 

[eldalote2]

When I was little I had plastic frogs out the wazoo, never thought I would keep real ones eventually.

I have always been an outdoors type and also artistic/creative. Viv building lets me make something and decorate with the plants and wood features, also allowing the outdoors to come inside. Love it!

The frogs are amazing. Easy to care for, interesting behaviors, breeding and rearing of froglets, small and normally fairly quiet. I love them and can't wait to tend to them as soon as I get home.
Feeding could take as little as 5 minutes, but it usually takes me around 30 just to look and mist, trim a plant, etc.

 

[chinoanoah]

I like talking about hybrids.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I like talking about hybrids.

Cue the de-evolution of this thread lol.

I really like seeing how it all just works and fits together. The plants and microfauna cleaning and the frogs tending to their fertilizing needs (well, just pooping actually) and keeping microfauna populations in check. It's relaxing for me to look at something that just works. As a student, every day I am tossed into the middle of problems that are often too large or complicated to really understand and it's nice to have something simple to come home to.

 

[Azriel]

Awesome replies so far, thanks everyone! I think I'll really enjoy this hobby, because I'm like many of you in that I have a creative side and I also enjoy nature. I've always been really interested in keeping some type of amphibian, and I think I've finally found the perfect type for me. Still have to decide which species, but that's a topic for another thread.

 

[GRIMM]

I enjoy having one of the only pieces of the rainforest within thousands of killometers from one.

Plus, I love plants, animals, being creative, and building things, so the hobby combines everything into one sweet tropical package.

 

[chinoanoah]

Plus, I love plants, animals, being creative, and building things, so the hobby combines everything into one sweet tropical package.

Exactly what he said.

 

[bristles]

Like Mitch I'm a "glass box guy" since I was a kid I've had glass box's of South American water's (freshwater tropical fish) & in the past few years I've been keeping glass box's of rain forest (frog vivs) working with live plants & animals from a place that I can only fantasize about visiting is like a safari without the passport & plane tickets.

 

[vivbulider]

i also like the little things in tanks like a plant smaller than your fingernail

 

[JasonE]

Aside from the beauty of the frog. As well as the simple enjoyment of watching them eat, climb, and fall (it's comical to see a tinc climbing a plant that you know isn't going to support it for long), is the vivariums. They're incredibly fun to build and it's awesome to watch the viv grow. To see the plants grow, and watching the decor slowly start to get a green growth over it. Watching epiphytes take hold of the background. As a kid, I always said I wanted a rainforest set up in my house like zoos had. I never thought I would actually have them. They're way cooler than I imagined as a kid.

 

[Colleen53]

Rain or shine, vivs in your home will be a relaxing place to retreat to. As a landscape gardener, I really enjoy the "landscape in a box" along with the many varieties of frogs to add to it.

 

[moose12]

I am a zoo keeper so anything that involves animal husbandry and exhibit improvement/innovation....I love!!!!!!!!! herps have the perfect microhabitat in which to try and replocate...how fun!!

 

[oneshot]

All the stuff said before, plus:

No water changes.
I actually like making the fruit fly cultures.
Not having to clean the tanks.
There's always something to do.

that's all I can think of now, but I'm sure there's more...