# Do dart frogs "play" in their water?



## flynmnky (Nov 13, 2012)

Ok, so the title says it all, but really, are the water features just for humidity or do they sit in them? Maybe a retarded question, but will determine how much of my tank is dedicated to water.... Thinking of a slow waterfall in a series of pools, but I dunno?


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## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

I've never seen or heard of a dart do anything but soak or lay eggs in water.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Dart frogs will use a water feature to uptake water. Males in particular will use it when "watering" a clutch of eggs to replace water they lose. However a water feature is not necessary and most people decide after building one it really isn't worth it and they never build another one again. Something always goes wrong with a water feature and it takes up valuable floor space. If you do build on keep it on the small side. The frogs would be better served with more floor space. I know of no dart frog that lays eggs in the water.


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## flynmnky (Nov 13, 2012)

Hey rusty thanks for the input. That's exactly what I was looking for.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I've always avoided even thinking about water features for just the reasons mentioned by Jon. However, "pools" are another story... I've found that my frogs absolutely love them and will use them quite often. Even my temp and grow-outs have an easily removed pool that consists of a large condiment cup.


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## frogs are cool (May 22, 2010)

WendySHall said:


> I've always avoided even thinking about water features for just the reasons mentioned by Jon. However, "pools" are another story... I've found that my frogs absolutely love them and will use them quite often. Even my temp and grow-outs have an easily removed pool that consists of a large condiment cup.


I agree, my frogs love their pools. i have a male cobalt that spends most of his time sitting in his while looking out the front of the tank.


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## flynmnky (Nov 13, 2012)

That's good to know. Have been thinking about a waterfall that is a series of shallow pools spilling into one another. How deep do they like their water??


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## Nath514 (Jul 8, 2012)

I made a water feature just like you are describing. The pools were very shallow not even and inch deep. You can kind of see the water fall in the photos in the threads below. The second thread is probably easier to see the waterfall in as the tank wasn't as grown in!

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/88674-nath514s-frog-tank-photo-thread.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/87168-first-tank-18x18x24-waterfall.html


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

While darts can probably swim to some extent, they aren't known to be great at it. So, I try to keep it around waist deep of the actual frog...just to be safe.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I keep most of mine shallow, like Wendy does. The leucs have a deeper one but I dropped a few rocks in it so they are never far from a point where they can keep their heads above water. They seem to like it in there. Sometimes they splash around, going from water to rock to water to rock.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Lol! That's too cute!

I've had mine jump in and out...in and out...in and out. I think I also read about someone's frogs continually diving off a leaf into their pool. So...yeah...I think they "play".


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## flynmnky (Nov 13, 2012)

This is gonna be fun!! I cant wait to watch them play. 
Sweet tank Nath.. Really like it. Thanks for the pictures it really helps to visualize...


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## cyck22 (Sep 8, 2011)

I actually caught one of my leucs hiding inside the outlet of the water feature! They arent always around the water, but the water brings the tank to life! I mean that in the sense that water makes life possible so to include it in a replicated ecosystem is the ultimate feat. Adding a water feature absolutly makes the build more challenging and requires careful space planing, but I'd say its worth it.


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## frog guy (Jan 8, 2013)

I have a little waterfall in my tank and my adult azureus practically lives in it.


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