11-08-2011, 10:51 AM
I was doing some reading on some sponsor sites from this board and another. I came across some information and wanted to see what you guys felt with the truth behind it as partial or alot etc.
"If you are especially interested in breeding your frogs, then I recommend that they be kept only in pairs. If you dont really care one way or the other, then you can set the frogs up in the terrarium without sexing them. If you are mixing unsexed frogs, make sure that the terrarium is spacious, and allows plenty of places where frogs can go to get out of the line of sight of the other frogs in the tank. If you do decide to try to breed your frogs, you will need to sex them, so you can set up a pair. When the frogs are about six months old begin by taking one frog, and place it in a ten gallon or larger aquarium, set up with plants, and a good light source. You can use the tank you eventually plan to setup your frogs in. Give the frog a few days, and if under appropriate conditions it does not call, then assume it is probably a female. Now remove it, and record the information so you keep the frog identified. Now put another of the young frogs in the tank. Work through the frogs, determining your sexes. Obviously if the frog calls it is a male, but if it does not call, it is not a definite that it is a female, but most males will call, if the tanks is warm and humid, and well lit. "
"Breeding tanks for D. pumilio can range from around the size of a ten gallon to large custom tanks. Most pairs of pumilio here are kept in fairly small custom built tanks, made of glass, and with a door which opens in the front. The tanks are about seventeen to twenty inches high, but have the floor dimensions of a ten gallon, twenty inches by ten. The typical setup is to mount several bromeliads to some cork bark which is stood up on the back wall of the tank, and several leaves are scattered around the floor of the tank. The floor consists of small aquarium gravel. A bit of moss is added for decoration, and to grow out and cover more of the floor. If you have access to live moss, and like it use it as much as practical. Watch placing it in areas which are not well lit, since it will die and rot fairly quickly. Other decorations and hiding places are added as needed. I do not plant any of the more traditional plants in my tanks any longer, such as pothos, as they tend to take over the tank, even if you keep them pruned back the root system will eventually fill the bottom of the tank! The bromeliads and the moss need high light for good growth, and I have had a difficult time getting some bromeliads to grow with most standard light sources. I am currently using a fairly new type of light, called a power compact fluorescent. Power compacts are still a bit more expensive than the often used shoplight, but offer much more light for your wattage than standard fluorescents. I have found AH Supply (ahsupply.com) to be a good source for these lights, which they sell in do it your self kits. A fixture which might do for a single tank or two, would be around sixty dollars, give or take. Check their site out at www.ahsupply.com and see what they have which might work well for your situation.
Care for adult pumilio is quite simple. They like it a bit warmer than the standard Dendrobatid frogs, temps in the low eighties have worked well for me. I let it drop to the ambient temperature at night, low sixties to seventies are fine. Each tank is fitted with a misting nozzle, I feel that the changing of the tadpoles water is very important, and the misting system is an excellent tool for doing this. Otherwise you should pay special attention to spraying the bromeliads and flushing the water from them on a regular basis, say every other day. When using the misting system, set it to run two or three times a day, for a couple of minutes each time. In addition to aiding any tadpoles the misting system will rinse the tank down, and keep the humidity up. D. pumilio like things a bit dryer than most dart frogs, and would benefit from having some ventilation. The leaves and glass should dry out within an hour or two of misting, so adjust the ventilation accordingly."
What would all of your guys thoughts be on the majority of information here? Really looking for feedback from Phil, Craig, and Rich since I know you guys have alot of expierence with this type of frog. I definately want anyone elses feedback as well, I just know 2 of the guys are local to me and have kept them and know Rich is involved deep with these as well. Just havent gotten a chance to learn from and meet the rest of you that do keep Pumilio morphs.
"If you are especially interested in breeding your frogs, then I recommend that they be kept only in pairs. If you dont really care one way or the other, then you can set the frogs up in the terrarium without sexing them. If you are mixing unsexed frogs, make sure that the terrarium is spacious, and allows plenty of places where frogs can go to get out of the line of sight of the other frogs in the tank. If you do decide to try to breed your frogs, you will need to sex them, so you can set up a pair. When the frogs are about six months old begin by taking one frog, and place it in a ten gallon or larger aquarium, set up with plants, and a good light source. You can use the tank you eventually plan to setup your frogs in. Give the frog a few days, and if under appropriate conditions it does not call, then assume it is probably a female. Now remove it, and record the information so you keep the frog identified. Now put another of the young frogs in the tank. Work through the frogs, determining your sexes. Obviously if the frog calls it is a male, but if it does not call, it is not a definite that it is a female, but most males will call, if the tanks is warm and humid, and well lit. "
"Breeding tanks for D. pumilio can range from around the size of a ten gallon to large custom tanks. Most pairs of pumilio here are kept in fairly small custom built tanks, made of glass, and with a door which opens in the front. The tanks are about seventeen to twenty inches high, but have the floor dimensions of a ten gallon, twenty inches by ten. The typical setup is to mount several bromeliads to some cork bark which is stood up on the back wall of the tank, and several leaves are scattered around the floor of the tank. The floor consists of small aquarium gravel. A bit of moss is added for decoration, and to grow out and cover more of the floor. If you have access to live moss, and like it use it as much as practical. Watch placing it in areas which are not well lit, since it will die and rot fairly quickly. Other decorations and hiding places are added as needed. I do not plant any of the more traditional plants in my tanks any longer, such as pothos, as they tend to take over the tank, even if you keep them pruned back the root system will eventually fill the bottom of the tank! The bromeliads and the moss need high light for good growth, and I have had a difficult time getting some bromeliads to grow with most standard light sources. I am currently using a fairly new type of light, called a power compact fluorescent. Power compacts are still a bit more expensive than the often used shoplight, but offer much more light for your wattage than standard fluorescents. I have found AH Supply (ahsupply.com) to be a good source for these lights, which they sell in do it your self kits. A fixture which might do for a single tank or two, would be around sixty dollars, give or take. Check their site out at www.ahsupply.com and see what they have which might work well for your situation.
Care for adult pumilio is quite simple. They like it a bit warmer than the standard Dendrobatid frogs, temps in the low eighties have worked well for me. I let it drop to the ambient temperature at night, low sixties to seventies are fine. Each tank is fitted with a misting nozzle, I feel that the changing of the tadpoles water is very important, and the misting system is an excellent tool for doing this. Otherwise you should pay special attention to spraying the bromeliads and flushing the water from them on a regular basis, say every other day. When using the misting system, set it to run two or three times a day, for a couple of minutes each time. In addition to aiding any tadpoles the misting system will rinse the tank down, and keep the humidity up. D. pumilio like things a bit dryer than most dart frogs, and would benefit from having some ventilation. The leaves and glass should dry out within an hour or two of misting, so adjust the ventilation accordingly."
What would all of your guys thoughts be on the majority of information here? Really looking for feedback from Phil, Craig, and Rich since I know you guys have alot of expierence with this type of frog. I definately want anyone elses feedback as well, I just know 2 of the guys are local to me and have kept them and know Rich is involved deep with these as well. Just havent gotten a chance to learn from and meet the rest of you that do keep Pumilio morphs.