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Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

Help with a 20 gal tall tank....
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Help with a 20 gal tall tank....
#1
Okay I am new the the PDF's and I have been doing research on them for the past 4 years... and well as of this past weekend I was given the okay to start getting everything ready for them...And well right now I have a 20 gal tall tank. I have been putting together a shopping list for items that I need... I just want to make sure that I am not missing anything and that the items I have chosen are okay for them.

From what I was told I would need Terra Lite for the bottom of the tank for holding the water... now I have been told that I can use this or pebbles, but what is best?

Than for the background I was told to use Tree Fern Panels, but how do I set them up? I have seen so many other pictures that people have posted up here using the foam... but wouldn't that harm the PDF's?

I have Coco bedding that I use with my corn snake that I was told that I could use in the PDF's tank as well, would that be the same as the moss or should I just get moss?

Than it comes down to the plants, as I said I am using a 20 gal tall tank, what plants would look best in the tank and would work the best? I have heard that I should get Bromeliads, Peperomias and Ficus Primula, could anybody please let me know what are the best ones??

I would like to have 4 frogs in the tank, (one for each family member) would that be okay to have 4 in one 20 gal tank?

And I like the green and black frogs and the blue and black frogs, would it be okay to mix them 2 and 2? And what type would be the best? I want something that will be out and not hiding all day long, something that the kids can watch or look at and that would use the whole tank, I have seen people say to go with Auratus but I have not been able to find more information about them and if the little ones that I like are considered these guys.

Also I am sorry for all the questions but I have been reading everything that I can find and it just brings up so many questions because one site or book will tell you one thing than another site or book will tell you something totaly different... If somebody could please be kind enough to put up with me and help me out it would be great...
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#2
update.... okay I had spoken with a local pet store and thankfully they have talked my husband to be to buy me a larger tank, so we will be looking at new tanks and they had gone over in detail with me how to set up the background and what to use and what not, but the only thing they did not know was how to put plants on background... can somebody help me with this?
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#3
[Image: IMGP4879.jpg]

This is a little more complicated then what you need but you get the idea. There are a few things you need to know about the frogs to keep them healthy. First you need to give them enough hiding places to cut down stress and let them hide when ever they want to.

The gound should be leca ( hydroton pellets ) with a cocoo bedding top and alot of leaf litter... this is most basic way to do a tank. Make sure also that the top of the tank is covered with plexyglass/glass with a little room for airflow, you need to keep the humidity in the tank high but not 100% all the time......

Your frogs need vitamins, there are many out there including herptivite, rep-cal, dendrocare... when feeding your flies or what ever else you dust them with one of these, make sure to alternate between them.

You can do the background with foam covered with silicone/cocoo mix and this has been done for years so dont worry about your frogs getting sick from it, just need to make sure if you do it this way you let the foam and silicone cure for the recomended 48 hours. Tree fern can also be used and might be your best option, easy and clean .... ( just attach it to glass with a few dabs of silicone.

Plants vary and what works for one person might not work for another, but the species you wrote seem to work fine... you will find yourself buying alot of plants and out of half will make it and half will not .

FYI .... i am not sure how much experience the people at the pet store actually have but i would move to another source of information, they usually dont have a clue on how to take care of these guys......

gl
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#4
You can use pebbles for a drainage layer, but the disadvantage is the weight. Leca or hydroton are lighter. I got mine from a hydroponics shop, but you can also get them online. You need to get your tank set up and make sure the temps and humidity are good before buying frogs. You should pick just one kind of frog, otherwise they will stress and possibly interbreed. I wouldn't trust advice that you get from pet stores. They are in the money making business. It would be rare to get the right information. There is tons online and also a couple of books that are helpful.
Fran
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#5
Do not look to pet shops for good info, at all.
Look up "mixing" and really dig in. Read, read, and read some more. These are not simple animals to keep healthy and happy.
Good luck,
Rich
Darts with parasites are analogous to mixed tanks, there are no known benefits to the frogs with either.


If tone is more important to you than content, you are at the wrong place.

My new email address is: rich.frye@icloud.com and new phone number is 773 577 3476
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#6
When using silicone and foam to build a tank, how long does it need to sit before you can introduce frogs into it? Will the smell of the silicone harm the frogs?
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#7
From what I read it takes 48 hours to give it a good cure. I also heard 2 weeks, but I think 48 would be great.

I was also reading if you are using driftwood to use RO and boil it for a few hours and let it soak to remove the Tannic acid.

After this post I will be making my post, since I am allowed now. I was looking at doing foam set up with the coco/peat mix as well and adding some driftwood and a petri dish or two.
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