Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I am hoping to put some pictures on shortly, but I am super excited about my new tank that I just built and I needed some fellow dart frog enthusiasts to brag to. I have 2.2 D. azureus in there. It's a 20 gal long with river rock on the bottom. The rock is built up on the left side and then I have orchid moss on top of it to about 6 inches below the top. Then I flooded the bottom so that the water level is about 2 inches above the rock. There is a little Duetto filter in there to keep the water from becoming stagnant as well as changing 50% of the water each day. Then, I found a fake mangrove root thing at Petsmart and I put that over the water area. It allows them to hang out in the water w/out feeling exposed. There is also a pothos growing in the water. In the moss, I have 3 bromiliads and a couple arroid plants as well as their coco-huts. There is a small under-tank heater under their "stream" so that keeps the water from being too cold. The temp stays at a perfect 79 degrees with the humidity at 90%. I am so excited! My frogs love it!!! Sometimes I wish I was one of my frogs!!

That's what makes our vivariums so much fun-- those of us who can miniaturize ourselves in our imaginations, imagine living in the small environments we create, or even find in the woods are very lucky. Beverly Nichols, (a British author and playwright, now mostly remembered for his charming garden books such as Down the DOWN THE GARDEN PATH, GREEN GROWS THE CITY, SUNLIGHT ON THE LAWN, GARDEN OPEN TODAY, etc.) referred to people who appreciate the smallest of these charms as "shrinkers." I have always been a "shirnker," so do know what you are saying when you would like to be a frog in your own vivarium.

I would have only one caution however. We niggling bores always have some kind of discouraging word, damn us. With 2:2 azureus in 20 gallons, you may want to consider building another tank relatively soon in case you need to separate your two pairs. It may be too small for each pair to have their own territory--and azureus are among the more territorial of the darts. They are more like blue colored tinctorius. They may not choose to "mate" one on one, either, and you could have some competition going on there between the females over the most attractive male and perhaps some male inhibitions as well. They may not be happy next door neighbors that close.

The rule everyone cites of 5 gallons per frog, doesn't always work out with the more territorial species.

In the meantime, do send some photos of your tank.
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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

Always glad to know there are other "shrinkers" out there.

Thank you for your words of caution too. My frogs all came out of the same clutch and have been raised together for the past 3 years. I watch them constantly, but I have never seen any fighting among them. I work at a zoo and am well aware of what it looks like when a brawl breaks out among azureus. In my own personal opinion, if you have enough space, some fighting isn't a bad thing. I built a very large tank (100 gal.) once and housed 11 D. azureus in it. For the first week, they were all wrestling, but eventually they figured out their territories and now there is no fighting at all. If things did get too rough though, I would never jeopardize my animals safety, so I wouldn't hesitate to make a second tank. Plus, building tanks is half the fun of taking care of such amazing animals.

Okay, so I am retarded. I can't figure out how to get a picture in this message, but I did manage to get it into the photo galleries.

Go to Photo Galleries, then the Cages and Terrariums section. It is called "My Tank" and as of right now, it is the most recent posting.

If someone can help me, I will attempt to get it in a message on the message boards again.

So I just realized as I submitted that last post, that I can select my picture from the bottom so....drumroll please...here it is--

That looks nice. Is the "stump" on the right artificial or real wood? I have something very similar that I purchased from Black Jungle at the Arizona Frog Day, but haven't used it yet. It both looks and feels "real" cypress knee, but apparently isn't. I wonder what they are made of? Most phoney stumps and wood are so obviously false, that I don't usually buy them.

You obviously have more experience with azureus than I do, and what you said about those you have getting along together for 3 years is interesting. Keep posted about how they work out in your 20 gallon.
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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

Looking back, you stated that it was an artificial Mangrove root, so it is about the same as mine. Sorry about the redundant question. I have a hard time remembering everything that's been said and can never seem to preview my own posts here without losing them. I still wonder what they are made of, since they are so truly realistic.
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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

I honestly don't have a clue about what that is made of. Maybe some kind of plastic, but it is fairly brittle. I feel like if I dropped it, it would shatter.

As for groupings of frogs, like I said, I've never had issues with my azureus fighting. At one time, I had an auratus in with those four and they didn't fight either...but those azureus are such big and intimidating frogs that my auratus didn't stand a chace in the chase for food. Azureus are such hogs! They are such aggressive eaters and auratus are more of a leisurly paced eater. (I just realized how anthropomorphic that whole paragraph was, but I figure, if I wouldn't be happy living in the tanks I build, neither are they. Again w/ the whole "shrinkers" thing... )