Reptile & Amphibian Forums

could i mix mantellas and darts together?also is a 10 gallon tank to big for a single mantella?

Darts and mantellas live in different climates. Also, most are territorial and there could be some fighting.

You could do one mantella in a 10 gallon with no problems.
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Josh Willard
www.joshsfrogs.com

I've never tried Mantellas, but from what I've read, they like it a bit cooler than darts (in general) and do best with some kind of running stream or shallow waterway. Is this a golden Mantella aurantiaca? It would be fun to see a picture if you can post one.

I haven't ordered this yet, but there's a nice looking book by Marc Staniszewski on Mantellas. See the link below.

Again, I agree with Josh that it would not be a good idea to mix it with darts, especially in something as small as a 10 gallon. Those who mix species or different genera successfully usually have a lot of experience with the different groups separately first--certainly more than I have had with six years in the hobby.

I don't know about the prices, but $25.00 was probably more than fair if it is a healthy frog.

Good luck with it, and have fun.
Link

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

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

I am unable to check the links without losing the post if I use the preview for some reason, but after much fussing around, this is the right one. http://www.zoobooksales.com Go to the catalog and search for "Mantellas."
Link

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

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

I have a golden mantella(little less than a year),two azures (1.1 around six months) and a green and black froglet (month out of water)in a twenty gallon high terrium.
I have been keeping them together since they were first purchased. All the frogs are almost the same size. I have not seen any signs of territorial disputes amoung the differnt species.
There are lots of hidding spots and everyone seems happy.

They are young yet. I would watch them carefully as they grow. Things may change. What is the picture of? It's out of focus as I receive it, so I can't tell. A green and black auratus?
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

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

Although a few have had occasional success keeping mantella frogs and dart frogs together, it does not usually work out for two reasons:

1) Prefered temperature differences. There a few species of Mantella that can tolerate warm temperatures (M. expectata, betsileo), but the majority need to be kept cool. Temperatures over 80F often kill those from high altitudes such crocea, aurantiaca, and cowani. Dart frogs, although tolerante of cool temperatures, generally do best when kept in the mid to high 70's during the day, occasionally up to the low 80's; a temperature range that will stress and possibly kill most mantellas.

2) The majority of mantella frogs that are available are wild-caught. Most arrive from Madagascar in a delicate state, often with internal parasite problems. Introducing a captive-bred dart frog to a wild-caught mantella that is harboring foreign parasites will not work well. Wild-caught mantella frogs are also often still poisonous when purchased, and could potentially harm other frogs this way.

There are also ethical reasons not to keep the two together, but I won't go into those here. To answer your other question, a 10 gallon aquarium is fine for two or three mantella frogs. Good luck,
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Devin Edmonds
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com