Patrick also has good care sheets and lots of information otherwise. There are other reliable breeders with good information, as well. Along with saurian.net, you can explore blackjungle, which is also beginner friendly.

For a first experience, you will probably want to begin with one or two of the tried and true "beginner" frogs, which doesn't mean they are any less colorful than others, and they are less expensive. They are usually a bit larger, bolder, and preferably get along in groups without a lot of territorial disputes. Most darts are often difficult to sex, so this is important for a beginner.

So you might want to start out with something like Dendrobates leucomelas, which I think are the most popular, and among the easiest to keep. The Phyllobates terribilis, either mint green or the orange morphs are easy and rarely shy. More costly, but incredibly hardy and delightful, are the galactonotus, especially the orange morphs. D. auratus are also inexpensive and not very territorial, but some of the color morphs can be frustratingly shy, to the point they hide all of the time. You will want a frog that leaps out and shows off for your first venture, I assume.

At the minimum, you will need a 10 gallon tank for just one or two frogs. This should have a drainage layer of gravel and a terrestrial layer of an organic soil mixture planted with various tropical vines and small tropical plants with wood logs or branches, and perhaps a background of cork bark or other features. With larger vivariums, you can put in a false bottom with an small internal pump and build waterways, with a small pond, drip walls or waterfall. But you don't have to do this--a simple drainage layer under the soil will do. It doesn't have to be fancy at all. All you need to do is sump out the drainage layer if it gets full of water with a length of airline tubing.

Dart frogs are diurnal, and are active during the day. The simplest tanks can be lighted with a fluorescent aquarium light in the mid range. This is mostly for the plants.

Most aquariums that you might be building the dart tank from also have accessory hinged glass lids as an option. I highly recommend these, as they retain humidity and are easily opened for feeding and misting. There are others built especially for darts that are front opening. I have no personal experience with these, but look into them. Exo terra, Zoo-med, etc.

You will not need UV light for your darts, as it is nearly impossible to keep these lights inside the tank without harming the frogs or blowing them out from the humidity and moisture, and the glass tops filter out UV if you place them on top. So in lieu of this, we dust the food, which is usually fruit flies as a staple, with vitamins, including at least one product containing both calcium and D3. The D3 is essential if there is no UV lighting getting to the frogs. At present, most of us are using a combination of Herptivite and Rep-Cal without phosphorus, with D3. Many of my frogs have lived and bred on this for over 10 years.

1. You will establish a biologically recycling tank using live plants, and organic substrate and live frogs.
2. You will not need to take this tank down and clean it, or replace the substrate, at least not for several years. The most you will need to do is wipe off the inside of the glass for viewing, trim back over-enthusiastic plants, and perhaps add a top dressing of substrate about once a year.
3. You will need to mist the tank daily, or less, if you have a circulating water way. Distilled water works best for this, since it won't add deposits to the glass.
4. Room temperatures that are comfortable for you, will be comfortable for the frogs.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

Dendrobates: auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, tinctorius azureus, leucomelas. Phyllobates: vittatus, terribilis, lugubris. Epipedobates: anthonyi tricolor pasaje. Ranitomeya fantastica, imitator, reticulata. Adelphobates castaneoticus, galactonotus. Oophagia pumilio Bastimentos. (updated systematic nomenclature)

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