You don't need a green thumb for living terrariums. They are self sustaining for the most part, as long as they contain appropriate tropical plants. Nearly all dart and mantella tanks are now "living" terrariums. They won't reflect the state of your lawn, or even how well you grow house plants. So don't be discouraged by a lack of "green thumb" myth.

The principle is simple. There is a drainage layer for draining off excess water, which may or may not need to be sumped out occasionally. There is an organic substrate layer on top of that that sustains living (tropical) plants, preferably the more miniature ones that suit the conditions you are maintaining for the frogs. The tank maintains temperatures between approximately 65 and 80 degrees and a high humidity of 80 to 100%. There must be a light source for the plants, preferably something like an aquarium florescent in the range of around 6700 Kelvin for the most efficient range for land plants. From there, one can get much more fancy, utilizing false bottoms, circulating waterways of various sorts, depending upon how much work and money you want to put into it. Once set up and working correctly, maintenance is minimal and involves mostly cleaning off the glass for visibility, trimming back voracious plants, or perhaps removing those that don't adapt to the conditions. The frogs are misted and fed, of course, but the living tank as such, more or less sustains itself without any big interference such as total take-downs and cleaning, for a matter of years.
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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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