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Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...
Dart Den

Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

Poll - Which size Vivarium is best ?
Poll: what is a better viv size and or easier to maintain?
You do not have permission to vote in this poll.
36x24x48
31.25%
5 31.25%
24x18x36
37.50%
6 37.50%
36x24x36
25.00%
4 25.00%
Other (Please post description in thread)
6.25%
1 6.25%
Total 16 vote(s) 100%
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Poll - Which size Vivarium is best ?
#1
Hello,

I Recently took my 90 gallon african cichlid tank down (after 10 years), so my wife would let me get my dart frogs back up and running. i had vitatus at one point in time, however when i moved they all died Cry . I was going to set up a reef tank when i went to http://www.blackjungle.com and saw there viv. This inspired me to come back to this. I want to set up a display tank in my home was thinking on a veriaty of sizes: 36"x24"x48", 24"x18"x36" or 36"x24"x36". I want to make this work better this time, however will need some help and our local pet stors aren't that great. The local pet store recomend i do tri colors and aratus in the same tank i know that is wrong but that was just an example. Could you please give me some pointers. I want to do a drip system not sure if i can do a water fall too i am going to put a false bottem (unless it can be avoided) in have pre-drilled holes in the bottem running to a fluval 404 (might be overkill but left over from fish). I have a fogger that I would like to use in the tank as well. I am going to do a foam back ground was hoping to use cypress wood in it. Could you please recomend some good hardy beginer plants that are easy to come by and if any one knows a good place to get frogs in Canada, please post. Any suggestions will be taken to heart and are very much appreciated.
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#2
as for tank size, you should first decide on which frogs you really want. are they aggressive frogs which only do well in pairs, or are they social frogs which do best in small colonies (of all the same morph, of course)? are they primarily terrestrial or arboreal? do they prefer flat leafed plants or bromeliads? the needs of the frogs will determine which plants are best, and this will determine the best size for your tank.

as a canadian, you're in luck, try:

http://www.understoryenterprises.com/

for basic plants pothos, philodendron, fittonia, scindapsus picta, ficus pumila(creeping fig), pellionia, and ludisia discolor are all pretty plants which are commonly available and will thrive in your viv. make sure to remove all of the potting soil and rinse them over and over and over and over to avoid introducing pesticides or harmful fertilizers to your tank. i further bleach the plants in a 5% solution to destroy parasites/pathogens.

pothos, philodendron, and ficus pumila all grow too well, in fact. if you just want plants that thrive for the benefit of the frogs, use them...however, if you want fancier plants, the above mentioned can overtake slower growing specimens. the 'quercifolia' variety of ficus pumila grows much more slowly and has beautiful leaves.
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#3
thanks alot i really love the smaller frogs but i need somthing that is hardy and easier to maintain. also i have a 17 month old who loves to smack the glass so....this can lead to problems :wink: thanks for some plant ideas i want some air plants that i can attach to the cypress wood i amgoing to use. i am confused if i tie a plant to a branch will it grow? if i attach it to the back ground how will it grow in silicon/foam? any suggestions as to what frogs would be best would apretiate that as well. i love lucs tinks and arautus, however want a frog that is more of a climber not so terrestrial. sorry and with my fluval 404 could i run a water fall and some drip lines? if yes how many do u recomend?
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#4
leucs sound like the best choice for you. they have the reputation of being very bold, they have a nice call, and they climb more than most big frogs. tincs would be my next choice for boldness, but they are basically terrestrial, though juvies are supposed to climb more. auratus are beautiful (i have two different morphs), but are shy, so you rarely see them.

the air plants you want are tillandsias. they will grow on wood or back wall, but must be able to dry out. you almost have to mount them somewhere dry (not on a wet part of a drip wall, nor under a mister head) and hand water them when you rinse down your tank with the mister. once they flower, they die, but will produce side plants called pups.

i'm not sure about the frogs adapting to having the glass banged....is there any way to cordon off the tank so that little hands are not tempted? i don't have kids, just a very spoiled weimaraner, so maybe someone else has experience with frogs adapting to this.....
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#5
thanks mac i have figured a way of keeping little hands off the tanks. when i said air plants i meant plants that dont need to be planted where u can just mount them to a stick or back ground. I was reading up today and saw some people using mortar (mortar with coco fiberand tree fren mixed in) is this common? i was thinking of this to cover my Great Stuff. What do u think? i love the thumbnails but i hear they tend to be harder to keep, is this true? I love Lucs but i was told adults dont climb and i am planing ont having little if no real land mass, mainly a vertical tank on about a 60-80 degree angle. I was thinking of adding a misting system to this set up is it worth the $200? Can i add it after the viv is up and running (I am short on funds Sad ). For now was thinking of hand misting till i get some extra $$$$ together
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#6
the air plants you want are tillandsias. they will grow on wood or back wall, but must be able to dry out. you almost have to mount them somewhere dry (not on a wet part of a drip wall, nor under a mister head) and hand water them when you rinse down your tank with the mister. once they flower, they die, but will produce side plants called pups.

i don't know nothin' bout mortar. i've used silicone with fiber on top, and bought some mortar from http://www.vivariumconcepts.com/, but haven't gotten around to using it yet.

if you will only have one tank, hand misting will be fine.

Thumbnail frogs are much more delicate. i'll repeat that I really suggest choosing a frog and designing a tank for them, instead of the the other way around. if you are set on getting thumbnails, 'standard' vents or 'standard' imitators are hardier than other thumbnails.
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#7
Thanks again mac. Is there any lager hardier frogs that like to climb? i know lucs will climb a bit are there any others to choose from?
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#8
Have not been posting much, but you I like you. :lol:
O.K I will say I do things a little different from most. I have a 150 gallon acrylic tank that I did. I also had the bottom drilled out /under gravel filter. I stayed with this I feel it gives better and more natural filtration. Now for how I did this. Because of the size I have two holes on the bottom and two on the top back of the tank. I do have a bit of land so one hole is under "land" the other is in my pond. With the land I built it up as most do just skipping the false bottom " the canister filter does that. I then set up in the pond section a under gravel filter like you did with your cichlid tank. I then ran tubing from the bulkheads "the plastic things that screw in the holes" to a "T" splitter and into the canister filter I use a Rena star similar to your 404. Now from the canister I ran a tube up to the back of the tank and glued a "T" splitter on and attached the tubing. One tubing from the T I ran to a water distributing unit "Look and read the set up of Black Jungles Big tank" and from that the tubing for my drip wall. The other side of the "T" on the back of the tank I ran a tube to my water fall put in an adjustable valve to adjust the flow " I learned the hard way" The canister filter gives better flirtation and the under gravel and "under land" filter give a good natural filtration. I do keep about 10 to 15 tetras in the water. They do come from the same environment. I have had no problems from my set up and plants are doing great. I will have pictures soon in go big or don't go at all. Please if I can help let me know. :twisted:
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#9
hey snapzz,

i think that the bigger frogs available in the hobby are all basically terrestrial. it's just to what degree they climb around. i don't have leucs, but my understanding is that they climb more than most. some friends who breed them here report that they sleep in bromeliad like plants, which is on the climb-y side. maybe cindy could opine about the relative climbyness of truncatus, galactonatus, and leucs...i believe that she breeds all three.
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#10
Voodoo, Mac thanks alot I think i have a good idea what i am doing viv wise. I am going to buy my display tank (still unsure what size), however going to set up my little one i have from my first attempt (18"x18"x18"). The choices I have for my main tank have been narrowed down to two options: 24"x24"x36" in 1/4" glass ($425 Can), or the Exo XXXL for aprox $235 Can. This is my delema. I want the bigger tank however it is twice the money and 6 cubic feet larger (not sure of my math). What do u feel is the best deal? Should i wait a while longer to save up the funds for my prefered display tank or should I settle for the cheaper option (even though i want the bigger one)? You opinions are very much apretiated. Thanks
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#11
Always go for what you want and I do belive bigger is better! Or so I'm told :twisted:
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#12
Snappz,
save your money, and get the large tank, you will be a lot happier in the long run.
Truncatus are terrestrial, very little if any climbing.
Galactonotus will do some climbing.
Leucomelas will be all over the tank.
One thing you mentioned was that you planned to have very little if any land area, if you are planning to go with the larger darts, you will need more land. Even though the leucomelas do like to climb, they spend a good amount of time on the ground.
If you are planning to do a foam background, you can incorporate some planting areas in the background. We use small treefern pots (made out of treefern fiber) and also small mesh pots. We like the treefern pots because they will "breath" even with being embedded in the foam.
Keep us posted.
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#13
I have amended my origonal plan of little to no land area, i am going to go with Leuc's for the frogs. I still plan in using the foam back ground with a silcone (with coco fiber) sealant and will have a water feature made with a mortar covering. The base of the tank will be divided in to zones. 25% going to the background, 50% to land area (with vairing hights) and 25% to water. I am going to do a false bottem and want to use a fogger (wich i plan to hide using cypress wood) to help with humidity when i am not there to mist the tank. This is going to be one hell of a process i am going to custom build my stand; canopy; lighting; filtering; and wireing will be build into a box in the stand. This will be a complete DIY project and i am expecting about a year to a year and a half till completion. Just need to decide if i am going to use a tall squar tank or a tall corner tank (for placement room). I thank all of you for your help and continued help. If you can post any good DIY site it would be great will keep you updated with my progress and when done will post a photo journal of my tank creation.
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#14
mack Wrote:leucs sound like the best choice for you. they have the reputation of being very bold, they have a nice call, and they climb more than most big frogs. tincs would be my next choice for boldness, but they are basically terrestrial, though juvies are supposed to climb more. auratus are beautiful (i have two different morphs), but are shy, so you rarely see them.

the air plants you want are tillandsias. they will grow on wood or back wall, but must be able to dry out. you almost have to mount them somewhere dry (not on a wet part of a drip wall, nor under a mister head) and hand water them when you rinse down your tank with the mister. once they flower, they die, but will produce side plants called pups.

i'm not sure about the frogs adapting to having the glass banged....is there any way to cordon off the tank so that little hands are not tempted? i don't have kids, just a very spoiled weimaraner, so maybe someone else has experience with frogs adapting to this.....

I appreciate it. I'll just follow it!
I'm living in Vancouver, Do you think it is a good choice to buy frogs from understory next month? leucs, right? Thanks again.

I will set up my tanks next week.
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