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Travis

Hi everyone. I am new to the husbandry of Poison Dart Frogs, and I would like to ask a few questions...

I am wanting to keep a water style set up, and I was wondering what spec. of PDFs would do well in this setting.

I am wanting to use this 12x12x12 cube as the housing.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 006+113494

What should I use for lighting? I know I am supposed to simmulate Day and Night. Can anyone suggest the typs of bulbs etcetera?

I am thinking about going with the 10g Delux PDF starterkit from blackjungle.com. Are they a reputable seller?
http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/me ... ory_Code=K

Will I need a fogger for this setting?

I am new and as with my other hobby, Salt Water Reefs, I will be taking every thing SLOWLY doing alot of research/reading.

kiwi melon killer

First off, hello to the forums, I think you should go for the 18" cube exo terra tank. It cost more but it's worth it, you can get larger plants, wich it allows you to do more with the landscaping. As for Black Jungle they are a great place to buy from, I have dealt with them many times, although there frogs are a little pricey. I'm not sure if pdf's like water so somone else can address that issue. I personally think you should stick to a strickly land tank as water features can be a hassle. If you go with the land tank i would recommend the green and black poison dart frog. Lighting is simple just go to home depot and pick up a dome shop light for $5 and a 60 watt compact flourecent, these lights last really long and won't over heat the tank. Anoter issue to tackle is food i suggest friut flies, because they are easy to breed and won't eat a sleeping frog like pin heads. I suggest you set up the tank and food supply before buying the frog. If you have more question ask there are lots of intelligent people here. Here's some pics of my frog and set up. The tank is the 18" Exo terra cube.

[Image: clyde_frog_3.jpg]

[Image: clyde_frog_2.jpg]

Rad3Dad

Welcome to the Den Travis,

I'm not sure how much water your talking about with your "water setup", but most people use water features, a pool, waterfall, drip wall, or a combination of them. Most of the recommended beginner frogs will spend a lot of the time on the ground hunting for food.

The exo terra cube will need some modifications to be suitable for keeping the humidity stable, and keep the fruit flies in. There are a lot of different threads discussing these issues, and is something that I am in the process of working on also. Your best bet with these are to find one locally so you can check the gap between the front doors. I was lucky to find my 18x24 with doors that actually made contact when closing, leaving a complete seal. Others I looked at left a space large enough for fruit flies to fit through. But there are some different ideas out there on sealing these gaps.

Lighting is more dependent on the plants you put in the tank. Most recommend 6700k bulbs w/ 2 to 3 watts per gallon.

Black Jungle are very reputable, but with kits, you have to use what they send. I enjoy the "hunt" for that perfect piece, or plant, that I am looking for. I have never used a kit from them, but I have heard of others that were very satisfied with what they received from them.

Foggers are not mandatory for anything in the tank. But are more of eye-candy when showing off the viv. They do add humidity to the enclosure. Misting the system by hand or automated mist systems will be necessary to keep the humidity up, and keeping the the system clean(washing fecals off the plants and glass).

Keep up the research, there are tons of great posts, and advice on here. And many members to help out along the way.

Have fun with the new hobby, but expect to find some room for your future frog room, cause "once you pop, you can't stop". :wink:

Travis

Thanks for the info and advice guys.

When I say water setuo I mean like a spring and having the water fall into a pool. What frogs would do well in that setting?

Rad3Dad

All of them would be great for that kind of setup. It will add humidity to the enclosure which they will enjoy. And really makes the viv. that much better to look at.
This kind of setup would be easiest to do with an egg crate false bottom. Do a search on false bottom setups to see how they are made. I have heard of some rare occasions of frogs drowning, so keep that in mind. Make sure they have easy access out of the pool, and/or try to keep it shallow for there safety.

Travis

Thanks Rad3Dad Smile