NEED HELP FROM DART EXPERTS THANKS

[dartlover]

hi i am very new to the dart frog world and as well this site i would like to learn about dart frogs before i am ready to buy one or a few. i did the same thing with my chameleons and it turned out great. i don't like to just go out and buy something and then learn about it

so i had a lot of questions that hopefully you experts can answer for me

where can i get some nice starter dart grogs for cheap?

what do i need to start ?

what kind of tank?

what should be in the tank?

how many darts should i start with?

if i buy a 20 gal tank how many can i put in there?

how long until dart frogs are sexually mature and they are ready to breed?

why are they so expensive?

can they die fast if you do not know what you are doing?

what sort of lights do they need?

what does there humidity need to be at ?

if you just have advice or pictures of your setup and any type of help for me that would be great

i have so many questions i am sorry for just jumping in and asking a million questions

any help would be appreciated

thank you for your time

btw nice to meet you everyone

[dartlover]

sorry i would like to add another question

do the frogs smell or do their vivs smell because the humidity has to be so high?

[MattySF]

what do i need to start ?

can they die fast if you do not know what you are doing?

Yes. These frogs can be delicate if your not prepared for them.

Buy Greg and Amanda's book at www.azdr.com

http://www.azdr.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=34

Everything the newbie needs to know to be prepared to start. IMO.

[dartlover]

any other help here ?

[brettlt]

I think you are not getting more help because you have so many questions in one post.

I will answer a few of them, but searching through the forum will probably answer all of them.

Temps and humidity: http://www.dartden.com/viewtopic.php?t=3247&highlight=

Why are they so expensive? Frogs generally cost between $25 and $250 depending on what you like. It is fairly easy to get a couple of frogs to get started for less than $125. As a comparison, to adopt a dog usually costs around $70-$100, while pure breds may cost several thousand, so frogs are relatively cheap by comparison. Also their food costs are much lower than a dog.

Where can I get some frogs to get started? Frogs are shipped all over the country during the right weather. If you want local, then it depends on where you live, it may not be possible. I drove a few hundred miles to pick up my first frogs. If shipping, then I would look at the sponsors of this board. (I just realized there are not many frog selling sponsors on this board. And no list of sponsors that I could find. Sorry, I was thinking of dendroboard, when I made that comment.) www.azdr.com is a sponsor here, and I have heard good things about them.

What kind of tank? Most people use converted aquariums. If you go this route, a glass top is reccommended. Plastic tends to warp and this can cause escapes, which normally lead to death of the frog.

The book suggested is supposed to be a really good book, but I have not read it.

[dartlover]

bump HELP PLEASE

[kristy55303]

here is a list of sites that have excellent darts for sale. IMO you don't want to buy cheap wholesale darts as you really should be looking for quality. getting that book as mentioned is a good idea and searching through posts.
pat nabors sells quality darts excellent guy www.suarian.net
jl exotics
azdr
www.dartfrogdepot.com
blackjungle.com
just to name a few. i can add some later.

p.s. research is most important. usually takes a perosn a year to two years to get all the info they need before purchasing dart frogs....atleast that's my opinion. getting the tank set-up and established first would be my best advice as well as learning proper quarantine methods and knowing that fecals are important and proper husbandry skills
i can add some later. kristy

[pl259]

where can i get some nice starter dart grogs for cheap?
Herp shows, classifieds here and on other forums, other froggers.

what do i need to start ?
Knowledge. Seriously. Do your homework. Research. Read the archives. Read books.

what kind of tank?
Glass fish tanks are fine

what should be in the tank?
Drainage material, substrate material, plants

how many darts should i start with?
One, two, or three

if i buy a 20 gal tank how many can i put in there?
One, two, or three

how long until dart frogs are sexually mature and they are ready to breed?
9months to 3years

why are they so expensive?
That's what people are willing to pay for them

can they die fast if you do not know what you are doing?
Yes

what sort of lights do they need?
6500k fluorescent is good for frogs and plants

what does there humidity need to be at ?
Greater than 80%

Hope that helps

[kristy55303]

as stated research is most important. you'll need a 20 gallon....ten at the least. jungle box makes kits for them as i know of so they are slightly vented and keep humidity up as well and fruit fly proof. he can make anything. the lights can be spendy as well depending on what kind you get. there are classifieds here and on dendroboard.com. there re also good caresheets on both. you'll need to do some extensive researching trust me or you will waste your money and likely have some dead darts...which we both know you dont want. So many questions.....i realize you r intersted. owning dart frogs isn't in any way cheap. It requires a lot of your time and knowledge about how to care for them. it is however very rewarding and once you do get your darts you'll probably get addicted to them lol. the size of the tank and the number of darts you can safely house depends on what darts you choose also. You'll need to learn how to culture your own fruit flies(flightless) in order to save some money and have enough food available for threm. i hope you can get all the info you need to safely own dart frogs because they are amazing exotic animals and great to own. Kristy

[dartlover]

wow thanks for the help people i guess i need to do alot more reaserch befor i even think of geting even 1 dart frog and it is goign to cost a lot as well wow im going to skim thought this site as much as possible and try and suck up as much knowledge as possible