# How to build a Dart Frog viv....



## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

How to build a Dart Frog viv (properly this time...)

1. Take a freshly cleaned and disinfected viv








(i have three bulbs in this one, one full spectrum bulb so the plants don't die, one sun glo bulb to make sure the 'room temperature' is a friendly one! Also a night glo bulb so the temp doesn't get too low in winter nights)

2. Put a thermometer and hygrometer on top of your viv, put the leads through now so you dont forget them or get them tangled later.... (she says from experience...)









3. Put a thin layer of ceramic water ball thingys at the bottom of the viv so the soil doesnt get all water logged this time.. (these can be found in bags for a couple of quid from B&Q)









4. Put in a nice thick layer of Orchid soil (make SURE this does not have any fertilizer in it!!!) you can also put a layer of orchid bark on top of this so that the frogs don't trapse soil all over the viv...









5. Water feature time - i use the Exo terra medium waterfall as its simple and easy to clean and cheap if you get it from the right place... if your careful with the wire you can hide this nicely : victory: i always use water conditioner in any water within my viv - aquatize is my personal fav...









6. Landscaping!!









7. Insert pretty orchid into orchid corner and put in some pretty logs









8. Put in pretty twisty vine and wrap a vanilla orchid around the vine









9. Put lots of suitable (non poisonous!) plants in, (it is now you decide you hate the positioning of everything you've put in already...) hide the leads for the thermometer/hygrometer behind the nearest convenient chunk of wood, add some living sheet/sphagnum/tropical moss, fill up bowl full of water, (put some pebbles in the bowl so they dont drown as their silly..) put pebbles in holes in waterfall so they dont fall in...









10. Add froggies and there you have it! :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

use one of the fish water conditioners. Stress Coat by API is probably the cheapest. I know the exo terra stuff is quite expensive in comparison and it's exactly the same stuff. Even cheaper but less common in shops is by a company called Sera.

It's just that you often get more for less with the fish stuff. Shop i'm in the exo terra stuff is sold in 100ml bottles but they cost more than 250ml of the fish tank stuff.


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## moonlight (Jun 30, 2007)

This is an excellent thread we need more like this you will have helped a lot of people here


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## Bebeop1980 (Jul 10, 2008)

Yeah that is great, i have always been a bit reluctant to get dart frogs but that looks great and easy.:no1:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

their really really easy to keep so long as you can keep the humidity up with a fogger or misting system (or just spraying it!!!) i forgot to mention i use plastic sheets over the ventilation mesh at the top so the humidity stays high :2thumb:


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## fergus77 (Sep 21, 2008)

cracker thread, many thanks for the info.

I'll be using some of your tips to set up a habitat for my _Leptopelis uluguruensis, _but maybe incorporating an aquatic section for a fire bellied toad at some stage.

One question, what about a heat source for the frogs? Are the bulbs enough to get the temp right and the humdity high?


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Dart frogs should be kept at room temperature (75F-80F) so unless the room your keeping them in regularly drops to a low temp your frogs will be fine. dart frogs die from being too warm a million times more often than from being too cold - they can even survive sub zero temperatures, there have been many people in the states who have had darts shipped in winter and the pilot forgot to keep heat on in the hold on the plane, darts have arrived ice cold and appearing dead but their in a hibernation state and many have re-awoken to live full lives and still able to procreate. 

As for the humidity, exo terras have a mesh lid so the canopy covers half of this, to cover the other half i use vinyl cut to size to cover up the holes. at the moment im using a fogger and spraying twice a day to keep humidity up with no problems. Hope that helps!! : victory:


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## Axel01 (Jun 14, 2008)

Just the job.

I usually stick a sheet of membrane between the leca and soil. It's supposed to stop them mixing


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## Dave23 (Sep 2, 2008)

LOL and I just hapen to have a spare viv as of today as well lol


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## fergus77 (Sep 21, 2008)

thanks Chondro13, will have to give the mesh a new cover. Just finshed the terrarium tonight and it's looking well cool :2thumb:

Looking forward to getting the guys in tomorrow


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

fergus77 said:


> thanks Chondro13, will have to give the mesh a new cover. Just finshed the terrarium tonight and it's looking well cool :2thumb:
> 
> Looking forward to getting the guys in tomorrow



aww wicked send us some pics when you can :no1:


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## Dave23 (Sep 2, 2008)

Sorry to go a bit off topic but how do you keep a dart frog when they are very poisanus?

Cant tuching them be just a bit fatal?


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## fergus77 (Sep 21, 2008)

Ok, here's a few pics of the final setup

Before:










This is the Exo Terra Rainforest Habitat Kit, got the biggest one they sold, 45x45x60

the terrarium includes an aquatic section to the front with a home made waterfall flowing over some bog wood


































What do you think for a first timer??


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

wow hun looks great!! your froggies look very happy :no1:



Dave23 said:


> Sorry to go a bit off topic but how do you keep a dart frog when they are very poisanus?
> 
> Cant tuching them be just a bit fatal?


As to answer Dave, dart frogs ARE poisonous in the wild but this is because they eat poisonous insects and plants, these toxins are then metabolised and pass through their skin. In captivity we feed them small insects such as crickets that are not poisonous and contain no toxins. I still would not really recommend licking a captive PDF lol! But they are MUCH less toxic in captivity - if at all. Hope that helps : victory:


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## fergus77 (Sep 21, 2008)

just another quick question, do you think i could house a fire bellied toad in the same enclosure, is there enough room for them plus the _leptopelis_?

Was really glad to see them in there jumping from the bottom to the top of the glass, all over the place, really stretching their legs.

Always pays to get the biggest terrarium possible me thinks


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

hmmm well i dont know quite so much about FBT as i do about tree species but i would be inclined NOT to in this case - FBTs get a lot bigger than your tree frogs and are likely to bully them or at the least eat all of their food! it would also stress out both species in my opinion and also breeding would be a big problem - if your tree species were able to breed they'd have nowhere to lay! sorry to put a downer on it but thats my thinking!! why not put a filter in your water section and try keeping some simple fish that like soft water? : victory:


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## fergus77 (Sep 21, 2008)

ah, i see what you mean, competition for food and space etc
good point

Will maybe go down another road and setup another terrarium for the future toadie's..

i'll have to do more reserch into the tree climbing species, otherwise i'll be pestering you for answers to my questions :notworthy:

Many thanks Chondro13


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

haha your welcome! keep us updated with all your projects :no1:


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## Miranda (Dec 25, 2006)

That is the coolest froggy viv i have ever seen!


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

*Addition*

have put a small coconut hide in the corner with a plastic petri-dish underneath as a laying spot : victory:


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