Natures Gems Introduction and about me

[Natures Gems]

Hello all,

i have just joined this forum today as an alternate to dendroboard after recent experiences there. i look forward to meeting all of you and conversing and sharing dart frog related subjects. this forum was suggested to me overnight from a dendroboard member that disagreed with a post being removed from dendroboard without explanation from that forum. it was the lorenzo thread and unfortunately i was unable to touch upon details of the transaction before it was removed. there were a few members there that disappointed me with their actions. not all members but a few. i have never dealt with anyone on dendroboard in a transaction or spoken to a member in person for anyone to know anything about me. still some members thought they had a right to make assumptions to why i bought the lorenzo pair. also some members thought it was ok to openly tell me, not ask me why i bought the pair. this is when things go to far in a forum. so i thank mike for sending me a pm suggesting this forum. i won't start the lorenzo converstaion again in this post but feel free to pm if you would like details i have no problem sharing the entire transaction with anyone who asks.

So now a little about me for those that are interested. i grew up in the north and now reside in the south. when i was a little kid i lived in a city and would still explore every green area for anything that crawled. of course bugs were first. when i was 9 we moved to the suburbs and the adventure began for me. instead of riding bikes,skateboards, etc i would be anywhere around water. creeks,ponds all there for my explorations. i started an interest in amphibians at the age of 10. i would visit the many local ponds,streams and creeks and pretty much dive in leatning about the newts,salamanders, frogs and turtles to be found in the area. by 11 i was already literally knee deep in wild caught frogs, newts,salamanders and toads. i kept them and learned from them through my pre-teen years.while i was literally addicted to catching every amphibian i could find i became interested in reptiles. first snakes then later geckos. my teen years were spent the same way as pre teen except now i had a passion for reptiles and amphibians. i caught snakes in the wild kept them successfully and learned all i could.

in my 20's i became heavily into learning about geckos. i read everything i could find on the subject. as the years went by i became a reptile breeder and had my own company up north before moving south a few years back. now in my 40's. about 3-4 years ago i saw a national geographic special i believe it was on costa rica and the vanishing rain forest at a rate of 10,000 acres a minute or something like that. the show ended by them showing frogs that they stated were only living in a very small pocket of the rainforest and were becoming endangered. that was the beginning of my interest in dart frogs. since then the last 3 years i have spoken to many people about dart frogs. i read everything in books and internet that i could find. i spoke to people in the hobby as well as experienced breeders and wanted to make sure dart frogs were indeed for me as other frogs had been, and i fell in love with them and their diversity.

over the past few years not only did i do all my research that some have doubted, but i also have made all my purchases up the this point from very big well known breeders. i researched 2 years before picking my first darts.everything i could find on the subject including diseases and SLS. i got tinc and auratus morphs first and have since added to tincs, auratus and pumilios all through those breeders. i have asked questions along the way and have never assumed anything of a trasaction until recently. the one time i did, it bit me in the keester. all my dealings were good and professional and i did not think i had to ask how do you pack. sorry i assume they know how.i just assumed it would have been right. my mistake. anyway for those wondering, i studied everything i could find as well as asked every question i could of the reputable breeders before i attempted keeping darts. i got into numerous types and i love so many i can't even start a list.
i have bred various morphs, i make sure that i am meticulous in housing, temperatures,humidity, supplementation, water quality, food quality,cleanliness, etc.

i have produced many tadpoles and juveniles and have been lucky enough to avoid SLS and any other disease. i have been rewarded for my husbandry with not only receiving great clutches but almost having a non existant mortality rate for tadpoles and also juveniles. i have yet to lose one juvenile frog from my breeding. i've been very fortunate. that combined with no sls and never losing an adult yet makes me extremely happy that i did all the research i could long ahead of time.a total of 3 years before beginning my dart frog journey.

i'm looking forward to being a member of this forum and hope this intro will help some of you who don't know me get a better grip on who or what i am. i have a lifelong passion for frogs and amphibians. i'm not someone who has an overnight interest. it has been a huge part of my life and i have always been around these magnificent animals in one way or another.i love both amphibians and reptiles, i breed both, and yes a person can do both. i hope to meet all of you in the future posts. have a great day.thanks again mike for the suggestion of this forum, i appreciate it..

[Philsuma]

Welcome to Dart Den. I think you will have a better experience here. Sounds like you have a passionate interest in these animals and you should fit in nicely.

Please give us a first name and some sort of location (state). You become a "real person" that way - with a vested interest in the hobby and this community. We try to help each other and look out for each other that way.

There are only 2 "Serious" incidents that I've seen in 7-8 years with the Dart Frog community and they were (chronologically) Smuggled frogs and the theft of frogs at a local community meeting. Edit...make that 3. The U.K individuals' theft of U.S hobby monies totaling over $10K.

If you have problems or issues with a vendor or fellow hobbyist....I bet we can be of help. Most issues start out large, but in the end, can be handled fairly easily.

Welcome aboard and don't be shy about posting threads, questions or pictures.

~Phil

[Natures Gems]

thanks again phil,

i'll update location info as well as answer any questions you guys have. thanks a lot for the welcome i hope to have some great experiences over time here on the forum.


regards,
tom

[afterdark]

Hi Tom, I'm pressed for time tonight, but I wanted to quickly say that I'm glad to see you decided to join up over here. I think you'll find people a little more forgiving and willing to help...and the moderation on this board is light years ahead of DB.

More later, but welcome!

[Natures Gems]

mike,

thanks for the invite i'm glad i joined too hopefully it is as you say. it seems to be a very good and organized forum. glad to be a part of it.

[BcsTx]

Hi Tom!
I read some of your thread and did not see you said anything wrong, just your observations.
As far as DB goes, lots of newbies, endless posts about rare frogs, silicone and mixed tanks, I stopped visiting there because it would make me want to take a nap on my keyboard.
As far as them deleting your post and not letting you post in Vendor Feedback, guess you offended the "good ole boy" Club.

[Stu&Shaz]

Hi Tom,i know nothing of the shennanakins,i just want to say hi and hope we can talk about our addiction with these frogs,be warned i will try to steal as much knowledge as i can from you :lol: , folks here have been very welcomming to us i'm sure you'll receive the same warmth,
regards
Stu and my silent darling Shaz