Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few years back I used to work at the zoo helping out keeping tarantulas since then I have a ton of experience with them. I built a few humidity systems and such for tarantulas over the years but never vivaria. Then about a month back my old friend from the reptile department gives me a call asking if I want a Dendrobates auratus. But I keep thinking I will do something wrong in caring for it. I have people at my current job telling me "these are the hardest frogs to keep and its much more than humidity and heat". They keep saying that I should try caring for a waxy monkey frog or a whites tree frog before even attempting it. So I have been reading books and these forums and have been getting mixed messages.

A.That they are extremely difficult to keep
and
B.That some people that know nothing about frogs have kept them.

I mean what the hell is going on. One breeder at a reptile show said that Dendrobates auratus would die easily if I did not know anything about frogs....
Really want to help the guy but I dont want to make the poor thing suffer.

There not hard at all just make sure they have humidity, and dont let them get to hot say 83 degrees. The hardest part is getting food. I use kyle1745 media for melangoster and I get huge production.
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1.2 Leucomelas
1.1 Green and Bronze Auratus
1.1 Imitators (getting them 8/17)
0.0.2 Vents (also 8/17)

I thought the same thign about a year ago, and then too the chance. I've been at it almost a year, and I have to say as long as you keep the food going well, and you always have a supply you should be fine.

For a simple setup heating and humidity is easy as long as your house is the right tempurature. If its not then it can get a little harder. I keep my house at 72 in the winter and 74 in the summer, so my tanks stay about 72-78 which is about right.

Get some Fruitflies and starts some cultures and if you can do fine with that you should be ok. Could also setup a 10gal tank with a glass lid and some plants and let it sit for a couple weeks to make sure you can keep the plants going.

Good luck and you can also search here for most questions.

Also I don't want to take credit for the FF medium, I got it from http://www.doylesdartden.com/ and then read someplace else that you could use vinegar instead of Methyl paraben.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
0.0.2 D. azureus

Nothing to be affraid of at all. Auratus is an excellent starter frog. As a matter of fact it is the 1st frog I got. They are realtively easy to are for and breed. Don't let anyone scare you from this hobby it is awesome. I have done reef tanks, Snakes, dogs, whatever, and this is the best. The one thing I would recomend is you get your FF cultures started atleast 2 weeks before you get the frog. Hope to see your future post when you get this little guy home.

TonyT

1.1.Azureus
2.2 Auratus G&B
1.2 Imitators
2.2 Leucs
0.0.4 Oyapoks
0.1 Mint terribilis
1.0 Citronella
0.0.5 Alanis (today)
0.0.2 Orange galacts (soon)
0.0.5 Mint terribilis (soon)

Hey,

I thought the same about a month ago until I got my first darts. They are really easy to keep, the fruit flies are probably the msot annoying thing, but if you already deal with them, it's a cake walk. Also, I keep waxy monkeys, they aren't as easy as white's...
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P. sauvagei
derekb15.tripod.com/tropicaltreasures
3.1 P. sauvagei
2.1.2 P. hypochondrialis
2.0 P. vaillanti
0.0.3 P. aurotaenia
2.2 B. orientalis
0.0.10 S. pustulosa
0.0.3 B. americanus
1.0 T. horsefieldi

Hi there,

Keeping dart frogs is deffinetly more difficult than keeping most species of taurantula but it is by no means difficult. Many older books and magazines say that they are hard to keep and difficult to breed but these articles are outdated. Its now easy to buy healthy captive bred frogs as well as safe vivarium supplies and tiny feeder insects. As long as you have a steady source or two of small feeder insects such as flightless fruit flies (www.edsflymeatinc.com) 1/16" crickets (Salph's Cricket Ranch 1-800-238-7322) and plan out the terrarium well in advance to when you get the frogs then keeping dart frogs is not too difficult. They are sensative animals though and won't put up with a lot of common begginer mistakes like a whites tree frog would so just be careful. Good luck,
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Devin
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com
3.2 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Dwarf French Guiana'
1.1 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
5.1 Mantella aurantiaca
1.1 Mantella crocea
1.0 Ceratophrys cranwelli
0.1 Hyla chrysoscelis or versicolor
1.0 Bufo americanus
0.0.1 Salamandra salamandra
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.1 Chamaeleo calyptratus
0.0.1 Chrysemys scripta
0.0.1 Chrysemys picta belli
1.0 Terrapene carolina triunguis

Well the food is really not a problem since I have a contract with fluker farms on pinheads that are used for spiderlings. I also have a colony of lobster roaches that when born are about the right size.
Setting it up wont be much of a problem but what exactly are these beginner mistakes?

My major mistake was underestimating escape-proofing the habitat. I lost an imitator through a tiny crack around an electric cord I would have sworn a fruit fly couldn't have negotiated.
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Patty
Lost River, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
3 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
4 D. leukomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos

Another beginner mistake is not setting the enclosure properly so that optimal temps and humidities are achieved. Most will agree that setting up and maintaining a killer terrarium is half the fun of keeping darts. Especially getting everything right so that the frogs feel right at home. Lots of people said to make sure you have good food production and it sounds like you have that licked, now just make sure you have an enclosure that suits their climate needs. Setting up the enclosure a couple weeks in advance will let you test the humidity and temp of your enclosure in adveance that any changes that are needed can be modified. It will also ensure that moss and plants that are in the enclosure have a chance to settle. It will also, if you did some custom glueing ensure that the fumes have disapated.

Keep asking questions that is the best thing. nd don't be intimidated. Good Luck.

JP www.themossman.com
www.TheMossMan.com

Ill probably try it since the terreria is underway. Anyone every gotten stuff from black jungle? Trustworthy site? I told my friend I was building it today and he comes saying that he had darts before and that they are horrible to care for. It seems everyone I know at work that had them lost them but when I read online and ask breeders they seem to be ok.

Currently I am setting up a 20 gallon with a river that runs through into a shallow pond of sorts. It will share the misting system my tropical tarantulas share (although it will have to be adjusted). Now all I need are some plants and moss.
Another thing that worrys me is lighting what in your expieriences is a good lighting for the plants and frogs? For plant raiseing I am going to use a hagen life glo , but thats going to change once I get my frogs in november.

By the way my tarantula room is kept at 78-82F is that ok for these guys or would I have to move them and give them a seperate heating system

The temps. in that terrarium are fine.

Even though I haven't bought anything form black jungle according to most I know they have had very few problems. Good Luck.

JP
www.TheMossMan.com

I have gotten plenty of things through Black Jungle including my two azureus and never had a problem. They were extremely helpful on the phone with all the questions that i had for them when i first purchased my frogs. i wouldn't be worried, like what everyone else said the key things are set up some cultures and your tank, let everything adjust and get started before buying a frog and you should be set.
hope this helps
ADAM