# Any tips for my new vivarium for dart frogs?



## Florek (Oct 5, 2021)

Hey,
It's my first vivarium and I'm planing on keeping 2 or 3 dendrobates auratus in it.

All the dirt in my vivarium is currently covered in moss spores and I'm waiting for it to grow.
The plants on the ground are placed temporarily because I don't know where to put them.
Somehow I don't like the ground of my vivarium because it looks "empty" and there is no cover for the frogs.

Once all the moss has grown I will add leaf litter and coconut hides.

Do you guys have any tips on improving my vivarium?

Maybe some plant recommendations?


----------



## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

Hello and welcome. 

What size is the vivarium?

Putting moss on top of the substrate is an outdated husbandry technique. It serves no benefit for the frogs and keeps the leaf litter too wet which can cause issues for the frogs' feet.

The best cover for the frogs is a thick layer of leaf litter.


----------



## Florek (Oct 5, 2021)

The size is 45x45x60 cm or 18x18x24 inch.
I really like the look of moss on the ground and was planning on covering 1/3 with it but if it would be better for the dart frogs or tank I could pass on that idea and just let the moss grow on the background.

Should I put the leaf litter right on top of the substrate ( I have an ABG Mix ) or should I put some sphagnum moss between the leaf litter and the substrate?


----------



## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

Florek said:


> The size is 45x45x60 cm or 18x18x24 inch.
> I really like the look of moss on the ground and was planning on covering 1/3 with it but if it would be better for the dart frogs or tank I could pass on that idea and just let the moss grow on the background.
> 
> Should I put the leaf litter right on top of the substrate ( I have an ABG Mix ) or should I put some sphagnum moss between the leaf litter and the substrate?


[/QUOTE]
Leaf litter directly on top of the substrate .


----------



## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

You've planted a nice looking first viv. Like many of us, you've also started with the plants you could most easily find and those, like the colorful Bromeliads, that caught your eye. I've got good news and bad news:

Bad news: Several of these plants are going to be a problem. The blooming yellow and red Guzmania sp are monocarpic which means they die after flowering. They will produce pups, but the mother plant will decline fairly quickly - especially in a wet/warm viv. Your other Broms are less mature and so they will last longer. The 2 smaller ones are are better for wet vivs and they also pup more freely (so the mother plant dying is less conspicuous).

The "Boston" fern is going to be a hassle. It will quickly outgrow the viv and as it does it will send runners all over the tank. These plants have tough, thready roots that make it a real pain to extract when you do grow tired of it (and you will).

Good news: The Biophytum is a great viv plant and will likely reproduce for you - and the other plants in your substrate should be better behaved. The brom down in your substrate is a more viv-friendly choice than the Guzmania and should grow well in your viv but you'll want to get it mounted and out of the substrate asap.

The Monstera sp has a wonderful, tropical look with all those fenestrations - but it is also a little oversized for your viv and will need regular trimming to keep it from overtopping the other plants.

I think you could benefit from a trailing vine like a Peperomia or Trichosalpinx. And, for frogs, _much _more leaf litter.


----------



## CharlieN (Mar 5, 2019)

Leaf litter directly on top of the substrate .
[/QUOTE]
I second the leaf litter comment and agree with letting the moss grow on the back ground. I have it growing in areas off the ground throughout mine and i like the way it looks.


----------

