# 10 Gallon Vertical



## t-o-l-o (Oct 21, 2008)

Hi everyone, 

I have been keeping Dart Frogs for well over a year now and was wondering what you all would suggest for a 10 gallon vertical tank for the office?

Would a pair of D. auratus “Blue and Bronze” fit well?

Im also thinking about venturing into the thumbnail area, what are some good starters?

Any suggestions would be great!


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## Nate (Jan 5, 2009)

Get vent's for a beginner dart frog. They are really easy to breed from what I hear.

And... absolutely do not put 2 auratus in a 10g! Especially a 10g vertical, they are terrestrial, not arboreal! Even a 20g vert wouldn't be adequate in my opinion because their isn't enough floor space for them and they wouldn't use the upper area of the tank.


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## t-o-l-o (Oct 21, 2008)

Ok thanks! but are their any frogs other then thumbnails that can fit in a 10 gal vert?


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## vrmarkii (May 20, 2009)

I'm in a similar situation. I just set up a 12x12x18 Exo-Terra. Everything I've read leads me to believe the only thing that will be happy long term in a 10g vert is going to be thumbs. Possibly a single arboreal frog but I don't know enough to recommend one. I haven't even got my first frogs yet so take that into consideration. I'd guess a pair of vent's or imitators would be the way to go.

lol. Sorry didnt see your last post.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

Peace said:


> Get vent's for a beginner dart frog. They are really easy to breed from what I hear.
> 
> And... absolutely do not put 2 auratus in a 10g! Especially a 10g vertical, they are terrestrial, not arboreal! Even a 20g vert wouldn't be adequate in my opinion because their isn't enough floor space for them and they wouldn't use the upper area of the tank.


A pair of auratus would be fine in a 20 high, I prefer those over 20 longs because there is not enough height in a 20 long to landscape imo. With verts, if you have a landscape gradient, even "terrestrial" frogs will utilize the vertical space.


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

Honestly, I've kept and bred Hawaiian auratus and leucs (not in the same enclosure) in a 10 gallon vert analog. The key really is building in enough lateral surface area and hiding places (especially for the auratus). I mean if you think about it a 10 gallon vertical tank is less that two feet high and finding a frog 20 inches up a tree doesn't make it arboreal.

All that being said, 120 sq inches on the bottom by itself is not enough for a pair of auratus or leucomelas. So really take some time to work on the design.

*Sound of electric can opener*
*Worms spill on the counter*

Best,
Chris


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## t-o-l-o (Oct 21, 2008)

If i increased the tank to a 20 gallon vertical would a pair of D. auratus then be able to fit? or is this still to little room?


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

t-o-l-o said:


> If i increased the tank to a 20 gallon vertical would a pair of D. auratus then be able to fit? or is this still to little room?


Yes, I think with a proper design, which maximizes horizontal surface area, the auratus will be fine in a 20H vertical tank.


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## t-o-l-o (Oct 21, 2008)

All right i think i know what im going to do now. thanks everyone! 

One more question, is LECA (like this eBay LECA) really that much lighter and worth the extra cost when compared to regular gravel and stones?


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

For a 10 gallon vert, LECA is going to be lighter, but using gravel and such isn't going to make it that heavy. Another alternative is to use egg crate light diffuser and pvc spacers to create a false bottom.


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## t-o-l-o (Oct 21, 2008)

Ok last question (i hope). 

How easy is it to mount plants to tree fern panels? Do these make good backgrounds? In terms of longevity and ability for plants to grown in/on especially mosses?


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