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Rescaped Dart Viv pics

23K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  organic sideburns 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a 18x18x24 Exo terra vivarium that doesn't like to have it's picture taken. Sigh. I swear it looks nicer than this in real life. When I take pics the wood always comes out looking like dirt! This has been running around 2 years now (that plant in the back used to be jus two little leaves). It is home to a four year old Yellow Banded Poison Dart Frog.

This is a false bottom tank, with four levels under the 'dirt' and about five inches of water in the bottom (that the frog can't get to). The driftwood to the right is actaully glued to the glass, to give depth.

If anyone knows good tips on taking pics, please let me know! I have a good camera, but poor skills.



This is how it started out




Here's Bee the frog!



Here's a close up when I first got her, she's much fatter now.

 
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#6 ·
I placed screen down and then s. moss (dried, for drainage) and then a mixture of pure soil, sand, and peat moss (about a one to 1/2 to one) and then the plants and live moss. it's not egg crate it is the stuff you put in the ceiling to hide florecent lighting, you can get it at Home Depot, made of good plastic and easy to trim with wire cutters.
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
What do you feed bee the frog? I have been doing some reading on keeping dart frogs and everything I read says you need to culture fruit flies. I read that crickets are to big unless you can get like one day old crickets. Is this true? I have a homeade 240gallon tank with starfire glass that I would love to set up for dart frogs. I love those little guys and im a little jealous of yours.
 
#15 ·
Just a heads up, bigger is not always better when it comes to darts. Yes, you need to culture fruitflies as the staple of the diet. However, with something like a 240 gallon tank, you run the risk of frogs not being able to find food unless you cover it in flies every feeding. There are ways around this, but a 240 gallon is definately a difficult thing to do, especially if you're new to darts.

-Pat
 
#16 ·
Gotta agree with patm, 240 gallons is a HUGE dart frog tank and feeding, heating, and humidity could really be a problem. It will cost thousands of dollars worth of stuff, equpitment and frogs to fill something like that.

I feed flightless fruit flies and baby crickets.

If I could see pics and get dimentions I might be able to help ya out a little more.
 
#17 ·
The tank is not totally finished, today I drilled it and installed bottom bulkheads It is a homeade plywood tank made with 1" plywood its 96" long 24" tall 24" wide I havent siliconed the front glass into place yet wich is 12.5 mm starfire glass. originally I was just gonna fill it as a regular planted aquarium but the more I look at pauldariums and vivariums the more im leaning that way. I cant help but think I will like it much better as a pauldarium. I can still have a good 80 to 100 gallons of water in the tank and have a good sized chunk of land. I just need to make a commitment on inhabitants. Im definetly inspired by the way your has turned out. I am using a 100 gallon sump for filtration and Im thinking about building a small waterfall and a winding stream leading to the water. I know its going to be expensive but no matter what I do with this tank is gonna be expensive. I have saved quite a bit building the tank myself the whole project was about $800.00 including sump. Now if you think im getting in over my head with dart frogs be honest. I was thinking only halph the tank is going to be land so 48"X24"X24" would be where the frogs are. unless you dont want water in the tank with dartfrogs. Im not sure can you help?
 
#18 ·
Wow, sounds cool. Here's the problem....Dart frogs drown. I know, it sounds strange. But if you have a big pool of water in there (deeper than 2 inches) the dart frogs are going to drown. The waterfall I have draines through rocks that are up on a false bottom, so the frog only has the waterfall to soak in and he almost never soaks.

Keeping the 85-90 % humidity is not only going to be tough, but could rot the wood unless you plan to seal the whole tank in some way.

If you really want a dart frog I'd save myself the heartache and go out and get a ten gallon or exoterra and put the frog in there and save the big tank for something more suited to such a large enviroment.
 
#19 ·
The tank is totally sealed in non toxic epxy paint so it wouldnt rot. Thanks for the heads up on the frogs drownding thats crazy... Who ever thought a frog couldnt swim? I guess im better off going for a biotope Ive always loved the idea of a biotope. So pretty much dart frogs are out of the question. Im gonna look and see what other exotic frogs I could keep that CAN swim if there is any. This is kinda what Im thinking of doing only on a larger scale http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/Paludarium-Construction-Photo-Journal/28/ If I try dart frogs ill definetly get a smaller tank without deep water I would feel so bad if I drownded my frog.
 
#20 ·
All sorts of cool frogs can swim...just not the darts. giggle. They are jungle dwellers and often times won't even lay their eggs in the water, just in the tiny puddle in the center of a bromeliade.

Pixie frogs and Pac man frogs are cool, they get huge, they don't really swim, but they don't tend to drown either as long as they have a good way out of the water. And they would be easy to feed cause they like little mice.

I'm going to go check out that link!
 
#22 ·
I rescaped my Dart tank today cause the large moss thing I planted was not happy and died. So I pulled it out and placed shale all over in a shelf and covered it in java moss, which I've heard is very happy in moist setting like this so we will see! I want a carpet. Also put my big anub in there and built up a few areas with shale. Put a frogbit in the waterfall pool and it swirled in a photo circle.

 
#25 ·
I rescaped my Dart tank today cause the large moss thing I planted was not happy and died. So I pulled it out and placed shale all over in a shelf and covered it in java moss, which I've heard is very happy in moist setting like this so we will see! I want a carpet. Also put my big anub in there and built up a few areas with shale. Put a frogbit in the waterfall pool and it swirled in a photo circle.
I really like your dart frog tank, very good job on the setup. The raised area on the left front side is striking. Are you going to add more Leucomelas? I understand the males call is very nice.

-Rick
 
#27 ·
Eyebeat- uh...methinks you miss the point. Giggle.

Al- I've got my eyeballs out for another Leuc...but they are hard to get in the dead of winter in minnesota.
 
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