Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking to set up a terrarium with 1.1 phelsuma laticauda (Gold Dust day geckos) and a few mantella frogs in a 26 gallon bowfront tank. Any recommendations on which mantella species would work best in a day gecko enclosure? Thanks.

No Mantella species should be housed with any Phelsuma species. I keep two species of Mantella and one species of Phelsuma and from what I have observed with them I don't think that they could be housed in the same terrarium successfully for a long period of time. You would probably be better off keeping some laticauda with a large species of dart frog, but not in a 26 gallon aquarium. The three main reasons not to keep mantella frogs in the same enclosure as day geckos are:

1) Eventually the mantella frogs would probably get eaten. I've watched my Phelsuma dubia eat crickets that are just about as big as my male golden mantella frogs and I'm sure that she wouldn't hesitate to eat a small frog if I put one in with her.

2) If the mantella frog did not get eaten it would do poorly in the high temperatures that gold dust day geckos preffer. Most mantella frogs do best when kept between 65F and 78F. Many species will die quickly when the temperature in the cage rises above 80F. In a 26 gallon aquarium there is not enough room to have a basking spot that reaches 90F-95F for the day gecko and a cool area on the floor that will stay in the high 60's to low 70's.

3) Mantella frogs and day geckos eat different sized food items. 1/2 inch crickets for the day geckos would stress and possibly harm the small mantella frogs. An adult gold dust day gecko won't show any interest in fruit flies or 1/8 inch crickets that need to be fed to mantella frogs.

There are many other reasons not to house them together but hopefully those three will be enough to stear you away from housing the two together. Both animals are wonderful to keep though and with a 26 gallon aquarium you should have plenty of room to setup a nice terrarium for one or the other. Good luck,
-----
Devin
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com
3.2 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Dwarf French Guiana'
1.1 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
5.1 Mantella aurantiaca
2.1 Mantella crocea
1.0 Ceratophrys cranwelli
1.0 Bufo americanus
0.0.1 Salamandra salamandra
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.1 Chamaeleo calyptratus
0.1 Phelsuma dubia
1.1 Uroplatus ebenaui
0.0.1 Chrysemys scripta
0.0.1 Chrysemys picta belli
1.0 Terrapene carolina triunguis

I do have one contention (though generally agreeing with the post). I have fed all the Phelsuma I have had fruit flies. This includes P. ornata, P. klemmeri, P. guimbeaui, P. laticauda laticauda, et al. I agree the thank is too small to mix. I had a friend about a decade ago when we were young kids mix P. laticauda angularis with M. aurantica and E. tricolor. The E. tricolor was young and was attacked by the P. l. angularis one day. If they were full sized and in a large enough tank (over 50 gallons), it could work. However, I would probably lean towards separate tanks. With that said, if you wanted to mix darts and Phelsuma, P. klemmeri would do well with larger (read: D. tinctorius tribe) frogs. I have also heard of P. guimbeaui with dart frogs.
Best,
Justin