Which frog to get ?

[mark97r6]

Hey guys
I have been reading for months, and building my viv slowly. I have now come to a standstill.
I planned to have a small group of 4 D.Auratus, but sounds daft! i don't want green frogs (got plenty of them in the pond! :lol: )
So i have been planning on the blue/black morph, though i am now finding that these are very shy! Much shyer than the green/black's.
And i aint so keen on the D.Azureus

So i am reavaluating the situation. And i am now thinking of either Vents, Fants or Reti's!
Although i am new to frogs, i have (and still do) kept many lizards, including chameleons and other exotic pets.
So i do feel very comfident about keeping frogs well and happy.

This said, i appreciate that i still have lots to learn and don't want to jump in.

The viv i have been working on is a 18" cube which gives me 25 U.S/g
So far i have the false bottom in, water fall/pump in place and the coco panels on and was just ready to order my plants.
Though i have decided to wait and read a little more specificly about the thumbs to see if the viv is suitably (more/less water etc...) and choose plants more suitably to them.

So i have a few questions:

Are the blue/black Auratus really that much more shyer than the greens? I want quite a heavily planted tank with an open space front centre. I don't want frogs i wont see, though i dont expect them 'on show' for me!

From the thumbs, i am thinking Vents. As they seem the 'safest' option, and i have read they are quite bold. Would a group of 5 or 6 be ok in this viv? What male to female ratio would workk best with these?

Any immediate changes any of you would make to a viv designed for Auratus, converting to thumbs? Any 'must haves' in a thumbs viv?

As the Vents are supposed to be more aboreal than the Auratus, how is it best to lay out the viv? I was planning a clearing front centre but will this be wasted on these? How would you landscape to provide best veiwing? And encourage natural behaviour?

Thanks guys and girls

[trinacliff]

Hey there,
Just a few thoughts...if you are considering thumbs, I would definitely stay away from retic's as a first. They are extremely small and very delicate, but vents or imitator would be a good choice. I've never had blue auratus, so I can't comment on whether or not they are definitely more shy than the green...though, I have heard the same thing. I would ask around and see just how shy they are...some people's definition of shy varies. As long as they don't constantly run and hide, so I can see them fairly often, I am happy. They are beautiful little frogs...I saw several this weekend at Frog Day, and I was very tempted.

Take care,
Kristen

[mark97r6]

Thanks for the reply Kristen

The very limited stores around i can get frogs from, wont even stock them because of their shy nature! Though they stock the green and blacks.
I have found a breeder selling them, but they want 3x the price of greens for them! Alot for a frog i may not see.

I do like the Vents but am nervous at trying the thumbs as a first frog.
I have recently seen D.Azureus in person for the first time, and i was quite taken aback by their colour! Pictures dont really do them justice. So i am thinking i may be converted...They had only a single frog, and i am not quite ready for frogs.
Though i think this is the one for me, also seems like a nice first breeding frog! So i amm keping my eyes out for a pair.
Vents will definetly be my next frog, but i will keep reading about these and learn from keeping the Azureus.

thanks for the help
Mark