# Newbie to Dart Frogs



## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

Hi, just found this Forum and I have LOTS of questions I expressed and interest in Dart Frogs with some friends and there was a local show in my town and while I was there working the show (I was helping our local herp club) I was gifted with a Cobalt Tinc (Dendrobates Tinctorius Cobalt), and I have absolutely NO CLUE how to care for one of these I have researched and found care sheets and that has been helping with feeding and care but aside from that I'm lost again I'm new to dart frogs I have snakes and lizards and more than a few Tarantulas here at home but this is my first Dart Frog, and I want to do well and eventually have a few frogs in the same enclosure (requires more research) if anyone has suggestions ideas or generally good advice for the first timer feel free to contact me or drop a line...

thanks in advance for any and all help

John
aka
DartfroginLA


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

Hey, maybe you can get in touch with a frogger in your area and check out their set up. 
There are lots of useful posts so read all the stickies in the beginner and general discussion section 
If you have any questions, ask away.


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

John, do you have fruit flies to feed your frog right now? I'm in Baton Rouge and can give you a culture if you need it. Did your frog come from a local breeder or a vendor at the show?


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## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

Be careful with the high temps, darts like low to mid 70's. I know most snake/lizard environments are quite warm so, keep an eye on the temps.

But yea, tons of info on here, and/or feel free to pm me with any direct questions.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby! 

Tommy


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

the frog came from a show...the show I was working with my local herp club (my wife is the president) a friend bought it and then suprsed me with it if I had known it was happening I would have at least gotten a habitat set up... there are no local froggers in my area I seem to be the only and first in my club.... so Im reading a lot and trying to get a good list of materials to use for a 10 gallon tank....


again any and all help is greatly appreciated...


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

no local froggers? check out Spaff, he said he was in Baton Rouge.


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## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

That's almost 4 hours away.


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

JPccusa said:


> That's almost 4 hours away.


Unfortunately, there are very few of us down here. I know of someone in Lafayette, but other than that, I may be the closest person in Louisiana. Maybe there's someone in east TX that's a little closer?


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## Ripley71 (May 14, 2011)

What do you have the frog in now? Given the frog w/ no enclosure? For fast set you know the basic floor plan - drainage layer/moss/ABG mix/leaf litter. Mist so they don't dry out. Plants as for a place to hide as well as cocohuts or something similar.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

what is ABG ?


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

ok I have a small habitat in the process of being set up... I put dwn about an Inch of pea gravel, and added some activated charcoal to the gravel... will be getting the moss soon and the leaves today... I DO have 1 fruitfly culture (not sure how long it will last) and I'm working on getting its Final Habitat ready in the interim... so far I have managed to keep the frog alive


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## suztor (Aug 14, 2011)

I'd go to one of the vendors that sponsor this page and get some abg, some fruit fly starter kit (get the melo) and leaf litter. As far as plants you can just throw some cleaned (10% bleach dipped) clippings of philodendron (pretty easy to come by) 

Remember to use a substrate divider between the pea gravel (if that's your drainage layer) and the abg.

You can keep the frog for a little while on damp paper towels with some plant clippings for hideing.

It's better to get set up right the first time around.

~Sue


Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

For a short time, he'll be ok in a temporary container with damp sphagnum moss or damp paper towels. You'll need to change it periodically. Also add something for cover; pothos, leaves, cups, whatever.

In the meantime, do some research over in the construction area, for enclosure ideas. Basically, you'll want a drainage layer or false bottom, covered with screen, substrate on top, leaves on top of substrate. You'll also want plants and maybe wood or rocks or vines. Lots of options!

Oh the top should be glass. Some completely cover the top in glass. Others leave a few inches for ventilation. I like to leave a strip of ventilation (covered with screen) as it can be covered or uncovered depending on how humid you want the tank.

You will also need supplements for the froglet. This is very, very important. Many like to use Repashy Calcium Plus because it is an all in one supplement and contains Vit A in a form that the frogs can readily use. 

Substrates and supplements can be purchased in many places. Some of our sponsors here sell these items. I make my own substrate using orchid bark, crunched up 100% natural charcoal, crunched up sphagnum moss, crunched up leaves. I soak this mixture prior to using it. On top I put a healthy layer of leaf litter. 

Here's a link to the construction area: Parts & Construction - Dendroboard


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

well I have worked on setting up.... right now in the interim habitat Im working on I have the pea gravel in... some activated charcoal on top of that but I have no substrate in there just yet... hoping to get some moss in there tonight... getting the leaves tonight as well but for the most part like I said Im still figuring this all out I was really not planning on getting any of these frogs until I had a Viv set up but it was a gift and something that came out of the blue so I am scrambling to get everything together at the last minute..... so far I have kept the frog alive for a week I have some fruit flies for it to eat and all is going mostly ok (except for the last minute thing) oh and Frogface your Avatar pic is the exact same frog I have I thought it was a Cobalt Tinc... but I could be wrong


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

Kris's avatar is a Lorenzo. I seriously doubt you have one of those.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

My avatar is a Lorenzo but they do look very similar to Cobalts. The Lorenzos don't have the patterning on their sides the way Cobalts do. They only have a yellow crown and sometimes a bit of yellow dabbed here and there. The guy in my avatar pic has yellow elbow pads. Their bodies are dark blue, almost black. In close-up photos, you can see some blue-on-blue patterning on their sides and stomachs. It especially comes out with flash pictures. 

Sadly, there aren't many Lorenzos in the US anymore. 

Cobalts are beautiful frogs! Grats on an excellent first frog


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

ok so the temp. Habitat for my Cobalt is doing well I have a layer of pea Gravel down with activated charcoal sprinkled above that then I have a thick layer of Moss. I check on the frog every morning for feeding and misting if needed so far everything is going well and its allowing me the time to get the final Viv materials together and build the final Habitat for the little froglet... I was wondering about keeping Cobalts and Azures in the same (Larger) Viv... or is this a bad Idea... my eventual goal is to have a large VIV with lots of differently colored frogs...Im trying to get reading materials and such to get more research done but Im more interested in the Azure Dart as Im a big sucker for the Brightly colored Blues on the dart frogs....


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## Buddysfrogs (Mar 29, 2012)

DartfroginLA said:


> ok so the temp. Habitat for my Cobalt is doing well I have a layer of pea Gravel down with activated charcoal sprinkled above that then I have a thick layer of Moss. I check on the frog every morning for feeding and misting if needed so far everything is going well and its allowing me the time to get the final Viv materials together and build the final Habitat for the little froglet... I was wondering about keeping Cobalts and Azures in the same (Larger) Viv... or is this a bad Idea... my eventual goal is to have a large VIV with lots of differently colored frogs...Im trying to get reading materials and such to get more research done but Im more interested in the Azure Dart as Im a big sucker for the Brightly colored Blues on the dart frogs....


Please don't mix species. Many Many Many reasons why. Try searching it.
Buddy

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Keeping them together is a bad idea. The general consensus is to keep the frog morphs as separate lines. Azureus and Cobalts are able to breed together and would produce cross bred froglets that make the frog community go mad (and you would be ostracized as one of *'them'*).

Do a search on 'mixing' or 'hybrid' and read the many posts.

eta: On the bright side, instead of one tank with lots of colorful frogs, you get to have many tanks with colorful frogs


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

I like the way you think..... more tanks with more frogs...

ok so now Im in a pickle.... I placed an order with Timberline for a Fruit Fly starter kit cultures and medium and EVERYTHING I needed to start breeding my own food for the frog.... but when the package got here the containers (except for the flies) were all opened and my medium is scattered to hell and back as the box was not properly sealed or packed it seems.....

this is what I received









so now I'm in a pickle and need a fruitfly culture to hold me over until I can get this matter resolved.... HELP


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

You can make it yourself Recipe for Fruit Fly Culture Media - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com


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## TheCoon (Feb 8, 2011)

The frog will be ok without food for a little while, but I would PM Spaff and ask him to ship you a culture. Ground shipping should have it there in a day or two. Unfortunately its saturday but the frog should be fine without food until Wednesday. 

And get your money back for that package.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

the wife and I have contacted the vendor via voicemail and e-mail... attached the photo of the package as it arrived..... and now we are going to play nice and see how they take care of a customer.... if they do fix this they will continue to get my business for other little projects if not then that will be another matter and best handled in private


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

@Vivbuilder, thanks for that link it has just become very helpful as I have just saved the recipe to a text file so I have it for future reference.....


thanks again guys.... Im starting to get attached to the little froglet but it has no name yet..... mind is drawing a blank.....


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

That packaging looks very strange. The containers were all open? I wonder if it was inspected during transit and that's how they left it. I dunno, but it doesn't make sense for anyone who knows anything about ff cultures to leave it like that. 

If you have a PetCo nearby, they sometimes have ff cultures. It think they are about 10 bucks per. One of those cultures (if doing well) should be good enough to feed your frog and start your own cultures.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

I think that thanks to Vivbuilder I can make my cultures (just need the bakers yeast) and I can get this going.... man no one told me that dart frogs would be this much work on Initial set up... but when I have a whole wall of Vivs set up with different frogs it will be oh so worth it.....


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

Is basicly special dirt with nutrients for plants check out joshsfrogs.com you can get everything you need and watch instructional videos on all your questions.


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

Oops didnt see there were 2 more pages my bad


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

its late getting this out but the company I ordered my culture kit from made everything right and sent me another culture kit got it Monday and I have started making 1 new culture every 3 or so days so I can build up the cultures to feed my frog.... all is well little frog is eating like a piggy.....


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

I don't know what happened.... I went in to check on my frog today and he was dead.... now I have fruit fly cultures and no frog to feed them to.... truly annoying.. I did everything I was told in regards to care and feeding..... so now I no longer have a Cobalt Tinc....


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## Ranitomeya Jack (Nov 11, 2012)

Sorry to hear that, were you using supplements on the flies?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Oh no! I'm so sorry. I wonder what happened? Supplements? Temps?


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

actually I got in last night and checked on the little frog and it showed signs of life so I hydrated the viv again put in a waterbowl again and put in more fruit flies and now the little guy seems to be doing fine... I don't understand it..... so I did not kill my frog and have somehow managed to bring it back from the brink of death....


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

not sure what the problem was since I was doing EVERYTHING I was told to do from the breeder and all the information I gleaned on the forums.... but I have managed to save him so maybe I still have a shot.... is it possible that the little frog is lonely ?


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## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

No... frogs don't almost die of loneliness. Please answer these questions so we can better help you:



frogface said:


> Oh no! I'm so sorry. I wonder what happened? Supplements? Temps?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

That could be a sign of vitamin deficiency. What are you supplementing his flies with? The cause needs to be sorted out. He won't keep coming back to life.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

What exactly is your temporary container? Do you have it covered in a waythat will keep the humidity in? Do you have something for the frog to hide in? If you don't have a coco hut, you can also use a disposable cup or tiny butter bowl turned upside down with a hole cut for the frog to enter. He would also be more comfortable with a few plant clippings in there...many people have a pothos plant which would be a great addition. 

Posting a pic of the enclosure along with the information the above posters asked about may help figure things out.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

the only supplement I have been using is a calcium supplement that my wife uses to dust the crickets she feeds to the other reptiles and her Tarantulas... not sure what its called.... I don't have anything in the shoebox viv for it to hide in just yet Im still working on getting stuff I know will be safe for him..... the temperature ranges in the room where he is kept range from 75 degrees at night to 78-80 degrees during the day.....

what suppliments would you suggest.... as I'm still new and a lot of this for me is unexplored territory, and I know most of you know more about this than I do but let me preface this with this statement, I was not looking to get any kind of dart frog right away I expressed an interest in them to a friends and while I was doing my research I was working on making my viv and getting it set up and running.... so at a reptile show back in January ( I was not ready to get a frog yet as my research was not complete nor was the viv) I was gifted with a beautiful Cobalt Tinc so since then I have been scrambling to get everything right, I'm still doing research I am going to be asking newbie questions and I am going to make mistakes.....


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

A month without the correct supplements is not a good thing. Repashy Calcium Plus is a good all-in-one supplement. I would recommend ordering it asap and dusting with it (at least) every time you feed. Here are some links to some of the sponsors that carry it...

Repashy Calcium ICB Plus 4oz - Alpha Pro Breeders

Repashy Calcium Plus (3 oz Jar) - Calcium Plus Supplements | Josh's Frogs

I would move him to an area that stays in the low to mid 70's. If he's stressed and perhaps also not in the best health, I wouldn't risk the temps possibly hitting 80 or above. I would also get something in there for him to hide in. This will help reduce his stress.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I realize that you weren't prepared. It's good that you're here. 

But, this really needs figured out.

...also, how often are you feeding? I would recommend feeding dusted flies daily (because of escapees from the shoebox) if there aren't any present. Get that supplement into him


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

It might help him feel less stressed if you put some stuff in the box for him to hide in. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something he can safely get under or into; small container on it's side, washed out pill bottle, etc.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

put in a couple of places for it to hid and started using the proper supliment....lets see what happens


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

little Froglet is doing well... went to NARBC in Arlington TX Saturday... got some Repashy Calcium Plus Suppliment for my Tinc from Josh's Frogs... just started working on an 18x18x18 Enclosure... I got it at the Auction so now I need about 3 more Cobalt Tincs to put in it..... then I will get another 18x18x18 for another type of Dart Frog.... good thing these things are kind of modular..... OH... and I got a new snake too..... Albino Kunasir Island Japanese Rat Snake.... one of the ONLY albino Snakes that Thrive in the wild.....

also on another note... no need for me to keep making new threads when just posting updates and what not here works just as well gives me a reason to necro the thread from time to time with updates.....


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Great to hear! 

In an 18x18x18 I'd put a pair of tincs. They can be territorial, especially the females.


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

yeah I got the enclosure for $90 at the auction it was a steal considering I could not find one anywhere near that price at the show...


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## Froggywv (Aug 9, 2010)

You can't house 3 tincs in a tank that size, first because its barely got room for a pair. Also tincs can be very territorial, particularly the females. Research the correct set up for cobalt tincs and make sure you give them lots of hiding spaces. Cobalts are a great first frog, they are hearty, bold and beautiful 

also, in your temp tank you could give him a bunch of leaves to hide in, give him someway to hide and he'll be a lot less stressed


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

well Im working with what I could affoard and currently Im looking at froglets so I don't know if I have a female yet or not... still an interim set up until I can get what I want


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## ForbiddenFrogs (Feb 5, 2013)

hey La i live in upland Ca and am the new owner of evostvll dart frogs, but not using the company remolding and total make over but im close to la and if u need help or flys im here for you as well


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## DartfroginLA (Jan 17, 2013)

DartfroginLA refers to Louisiana not L.A. California but thanks for the offers I just got a couple books in the mail "Poison Dart Frogs" by Amanda and Greg Sihler, and "Reptile and Amphibian Keepers Guides Poison Dart Frogs" by R.D. Bartlett, lots of good info here and will answer most of my newbie questions and maybe inform me enough that I can actually start asking EDUCATED questions in the future...


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