# whats a good easy to care for first frog??



## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Hi I have a exo terra 30x30x45 empty:gasp: I have lizards but this would be too small for new lizard. So which type of frog can be housed in this Viv . I would like one that dont need UV, I can do a heat mat for heat. I have no clue about them and will totally research first, any ideas/tips guys. T:2thumb:hanks


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Take a look at this: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/amphibians/529374-best-beginner-frog-species.html

Between us, we've kept most of the species, so we can advise further on any species that catch your eye.


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks some good reading there, I am wanting a quieter type as I have an easily wound up dog :lol2: And I have reptile room upstairs , which I am filling up fast:2thumb: So plenty of research is the key. Silly question here as I am totally clueless with frogs , but do they live long?


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## frogfreak (Jul 28, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> Take a look at this: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/amphibians/529374-best-beginner-frog-species.html
> 
> Between us, we've kept most of the species, so we can advise further on any species that catch your eye.


Curious as to why Darts aren't on that list? They are quite easy to care for IMO.

Best,


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Are they , they are very nice looking too. Dont they need high heat?


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## frogfreak (Jul 28, 2012)

micky0 said:


> Are they , they are very nice looking too. Dont they need high heat?


Nope, room temps are fine. You want to avoid high heat.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Glenn is correct.
Room temps are sufficient for most if not all dart frogs.
Most of my vivs have no heating in them.
Them that do is only due to the heat off the lights.
Rule of thumb is to have daytime temps of around 25c with a night time drop to about 18c.

Mike


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## kevchandler (Jul 14, 2008)

frogfreak said:


> Curious as to why Darts aren't on that list? They are quite easy to care for IMO.
> 
> Best,


I have to agree with this ..I've only kept dart frogs since January of this year and I have had some great success with them. The hardest thing I've had to deal with is culturing flies. However I Must say that do as much research as you can ..


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Great stuff , they do look good. I must admit I had my eye on the pac man frogs . Im still researching :2thumb: . Anyone know of places near Southport/liverpool that do frogs or breeders ?


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

We`re all over the place lol.
You see most of us posting on here.

Mike


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Your best bet would be to sign up for B.A.K.S and attend one of their meetings. You'll then be able to attend one of the 2 annual breeders meetings where there will be plenty of breeders and people whose brains you can pick for knowledge aswell as getting their newsletter which, based on the last one, should be jam packed with care sheets and tips.
Have I pimped it enough Ade and Mike? :whistling2:


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

You did a grand job there Ronny.
But of course your right these shows/meetings are ultimately the best way to get all the info that you need and of course there`s nothing to beat having the frogs on display for you to see and of course help make your mind up.

Mike


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

frogman955 said:


> You did a grand job there Ronny.
> But of course your right these shows/meetings are ultimately the best way to get all the info that you need and of course there`s nothing to beat having the frogs on display for you to see and of course help make your mind up.
> 
> Mike


All I need to do is find one near me, google time :lol2:


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

The next BAKS meeting will probably be in April at Stafford which isn`t too far from you.
If you are interested in having dart frogs you could use the waiting time to get a viv up and running ready for the ones you buy.
Many of them use similar setups so if you have an idea of what you want then set up your viv accordingly, then when you get your frogs they should settle right in.

Mike


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## mmattys30 (Jan 7, 2012)

*Hi*



micky0 said:


> Great stuff , they do look good. I must admit I had my eye on the pac man frogs . Im still researching :2thumb: . Anyone know of places near Southport/liverpool that do frogs or breeders
> 
> berksmike dose some nice beginner darts called tri colours
> 
> Look in the classifids on here for him


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

mmattys30 said:


> berksmike dose some nice beginner darts called tri colours


I've got four tricolors and I'll second that they're a great beginner dart


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

micky0 said:


> Thanks some good reading there, I am wanting a quieter type as I have an easily wound up dog :lol2: And I have reptile room upstairs , which I am filling up fast:2thumb: So plenty of research is the key. *Silly question here as I am totally clueless with frogs , but do they live long?*


Not silly at all- frogs in general live a surprisingly long time; I have clawed frogs (obtained as youngish adults) which have been with me for over 25 years, and some of my fire-bellied toads for over 12.


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Thanks guys , I will have a look for berksmike . I came across tri colours in my google searching today, they are great looking :no1: I think pac man frogs are not for me :lol2: saw some noisy buggers on You tube :gasp:


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Hmmm, tri-colours are actually a little drab as easy to begin with darts go. :lol2:

Not my pic this one, but a tricolour:-










Compared to THE easiest dart frog to get started with, the humble dendrobates leucomelas (this is my pic) :-










Or even the equally popular dendrobates tinctorius Azureas:-










Or even the absolutely stunning dendrobates tinctorius Alanis:-










The point I am trying to make here isn't so much that 1 frog is better than another, it's that the absolute best way to chose is with an informed choice. Best achieved at a show or meeting like BAKS or the NESAS day that's further north. Not only are there frogs for sale there, but the people who keep them and bred them, who WILL very happily spend time talking things through with you. Not that just going to a hobbyist they wont give you good advice, but you are unlikely to find the same plethora of frogs to look at and chose from. : victory:

Then there's the purely social side of meeting other phib hobbyists. :2thumb:

Ade


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

It's all a matter of taste at the end of the day- personally I don't find tricolors drab, the iridescent stripes are gorgeous and they certainly have great personalities as they constantly seem to be on the move. Personally when I first got in to keeping frogs I never liked the look of leucs, I just thought they looked boring but now over time I've been won over and, space and wife permitting, they're on my wish list for the future. Along with mysties. And arautas. And terriblis. And oyapok.......
Go to a meeting, see these frogs in the flesh and get some first hand accounts of what they're like to keep instead of just reading your average caresheet and your opinions may change. Just make sure you're getting something you like and not what you're told to like :2thumb:.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

ronnyjodes said:


> Go to a meeting, see these frogs in the flesh and get some first hand accounts of what they're like to keep instead of just reading your average caresheet and your opinions may change. *Just make sure you're getting something you like and not what you're told to like* :2thumb:.


Never has a truer word been said.


Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

That's exactly my point Ronny! Photographs do NOT do dart frogs justice. I didn't like the look of leucs either when I started out, then I saw them at Dartfrog and bought some to go in a viv I had set up and ready.

Another good example are my ameerega bassieri Sisa:-










Ok, they look nice in photographs sure, but in the flesh so to speak that blue is actually metallic! You just wont see that in photographs.

The absolute best way to chose a frog is to see them in the flesh. The best place to do this is at an amphibian meeting or show, or at a push somewhere like Dartfrog. The best place for advice is the people who actually keep and breed them. I know for a fact that some of the people giving advice via the internet have never kept the species they are giving advice on for example, a LOT of care sheets are compiled by people just gathering information from here there and everywhere, which means that garbage gets repeated as fact a lot of the time.

Ade


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Before I kept any frogs I read loads of care sheets.
Now i`m of the opinion that yes read care sheets to get an idea, then BIN them.
They give you an idea and thats all.
The best info is had from breeders who have taken them and bred and raised froglets which makes them more inclined to give sound advice.

Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

I just want to add one more thing. Like a lot of other dart frogs, tri-colours (epipidobates anthonyi) come in many different morphs. Unless you go to see them in the flesh before you purchase you could find yourself very dissapointed. The same would apply to arranging to buy 'dendrobates tinctorius' with no morph name.

That photo for example is a particularly nice one, the ones I have seen in the flesh were dull brown with cream stripes. No metallic green and no irridescence.

So yeah, there ARE some gorgeous anthonyi out there, some of which I would love to have, however there are a heck of a lot of drab boring ones too. Same applies to pretty much every dart frog type out there. On the flip side, some people like brown frogs.

I certainly wouldn't buy frogs without at least seeing a photograph of the actual frogs you would be getting. Even a pic of the parents is often no guarantee the young will look the same. For example one morph of anthonyi wild caught frogs are a lovely red with cream stripes, whilst captive bred ones tend to be more of a brown with cream stripes. On the flip side, some frogs look completely different as adults, but at least if you see pics of both you will have a hint of what they will look like. Better yet though, go somewhere where if you don't like the frog you went for you can change your mind and get a different one. lol

Ade


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

If you want a nice E. Anthonyi then look no further than Dartfrog as he has them in stock.
Look for _Epipedobates anthonyi _Buena Esperanza
I owned some of these and they are an attractive frog.

Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Agreed Mike, that's a gorgeous MORPH of enthonyi. 

Ade


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