Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I'm getting a 45 gallon bowfront, and I wanted to know If anyone has had sucess in mixing groups of darts past juvenile stage. I have two new frogs, and tinc and a azureus, both babies in a 10 gallon right now, and I wanted to know if this mix was ok, I might try my hand a breeding, so keeping them seperate is no problem, but I wanted to develop a show tanks with alot of colors. What is everyone opinions about this?
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4 Whites Treefrogs (Gleep, Gloop, Gazoo, and Mrs. Chubs)
1 Bearded Dragons (Butterfinger)
1 Mali Uromastyx (Groucho)
1 Nile Monitor (Starbuck)
1 Dendobates Azureus (BoBo)
1 Dendrobates Tinctorius (Stan, the man)
1 Argentine Horned Frogs (Mcfatfat)
1 Betta Splendins
1 Koi (mr. winkie)
1 Spectacled Amazom (Indiana Jones)
2 Button Quail (Bob, Bob)
3 WOW char (they are pets too.)
Even us girls can like slimey scaley and squishy things.

You have one Dendrobates tinctorius and one D. azureus? Am I correct here? The tinctorius species has several different color morphs, and the D. azureus, depending upon different opinions, is just another of the tinctorius morphs that has developed more separately, and has been given a possibly undeserved species status. You really shouldn't mix them together in the same tank. Ethically, you should not even mix different tinctorius color morphs together for breeding. Most dart breeders and dart hobbyists eschew hybrids and "designer" frogs. While what you do on your own is your own business, as long as you keep them and never give away or sell the offspring, mixing different color morphs or interbreeding species is still problematic.

Both tincs and azureus are territorial. They do best in mated pairs without other competition. I would keep them separate, not put them together in your 45 gallon tank, then try to sex them and find same color morph, species mates for each, to keep in separate tanks for breeding.

A lot of people want a "display tank" with variously colored dart frogs, as a show case. That would be fun and colorful, except the different colored dart frogs don't cooperate by mixing together in a compatible manner, and have ideas of their own about how they want to be kept outside a vast rain forest. This usually involves their wanting to be with their own species, or even with a single mate only, with azureus and tinctorius.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris

Thank you so much!
I went and did a little bit of reading and got a little more learned on mixing frogs (and yelled at a little by my buddy dart frog breeder) I have decided to seperate my frogs when they become a little larger and get them mates and try a little breeding. As for the Bowfront tank, I still have to choose what species I would like, but it will be only one kind. I'm edging towards Terribilis right now, but I'm also halfway on Imitator, *sigh* decisions, decisions.....
-Lauren
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4 Whites Treefrogs (Gleep, Gloop, Gazoo, and Mrs. Chubs)
1 Bearded Dragons (Butterfinger)
1 Mali Uromastyx (Groucho)
1 Nile Monitor (Starbuck)
1 Dendobates Azureus (BoBo)
1 Dendrobates Tinctorius (Stan, the man)
1 Argentine Horned Frogs (Mcfatfat)
1 Togo Starburst
1 Blue Cobalt
1 Rosehair
1 African Spitting Scorpion
1 Betta Splendins
1 Koi (mr. winkie)
1 Spectacled Amazon (Indiana Jones)
2 Button Quail (Bob, Bob)
3 WOW char (they are pets too.)
Even us girls can like slimey scaley and squishy things.

A 45 bow would hold about 6 imitators, which are really fun to watch if you have lots of bromeliads and a nice mossy battlefield for the females on the bottom, and let them do their own thing about raising their babies without worrying too much about the wicked things they do. It's usually always "show time" with a group of them competing for breeding rights and tad raising. The terribilis aren't nearly as active or as athletic as the imitators, but are bold and in view nearly all the time, mostly because they like to pig out and quickly figure out where the food comes from. It's hard to make a choice. I love them both for different reasons. Imitators seem to have different, somewhat distinct personalities from each other, and earn themselves names. I rarely "name" my frogs, but some of the imitators have names such as "Baby Huey," "Auntie Mame," "Jewish Mother," "Bad Dad," etc., for different reasons. They don't always follow the rules.

Whichever you choose, you won't be disappointed.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris