# i had a question about using cinnamon with a dart frog vivarium.



## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

im having trouble trying to cycle a bioactive dart frog tank in texas during the winter. white fuzzy mold has started to grow i have read this isnt bad for plants but dont know the effects on dart frogs. ive done research on how to get rid of it using cinnamon. is this safe for dart frogs? i aslo have orange isopods and temperate springtails. we ordered some white drawf isopods and tropical springtails to try and see if thats better results on keeping the mold down. the humidity is above 90 and temp is 70 to 74 with the uv and hologen light on. this drops overnight in the dark to around 66 degrees F and 90 humidity.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

That's a lot to unpack here. 

Firstly: some mold is unlikely to hurt the frogs. It's a natural part of the tank environment 




chefdaddy227 said:


> the uv and hologen light on


Dart frogs do not need UVB in captivity. 

What do you mean by halogen light? Do you mean a heat lamp? 

You don't need to (or really want to) aim for 90% humidity in the tank. That's wetter than is good for the frogs' long-term health. 60-80% is what we recommend people target, but using a hygrometer to measure humidity isn't all that worthwhile as they are notoriously inaccurate.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

fishingguy12345 said:


> That's a lot to unpack here.
> 
> Firstly: some mold is unlikely to hurt the frogs. It's a natural part of the tank environment
> 
> ...


 i use the UVB light for the plants because its in a corner of my room and i dont have a heat lamp to keep the tank warm when its cold. ive been using a halogen bulb thats 25 watts and daytime white. it keeps the viv at 74 degrees on the spot. and yeah above 90 is too high for humidity. i just started cycling this viv about three days ago. im adjusting out mister and seeing when to set the timer for a 16x16 x 20 inch viv with a glass lid. so far over night it gets down to 66 with no lights or bulb on. during the day i turn the lights on for the plants and to warm up the tank. i can take pictures and post if needed. im still new to this and havent gotten my frogs yet.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Plants don't need UVB either. It will likely cause issues for the frogs and is best removed and replaced with either a florescent or (better) dimmable LED fixture.

A low temp of 66F is fine for darts.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

pics


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

its a very low 10 watt UV bulb for fish tanks that has day blue and day white it is dimmable. i read uv can be blinding to frogs but you can give it to them in small amounts and to keep tempt from 70 to 75 is comfortable. my room gets very little light so that why i use the bulb during the day. my tank is mostly shaded from the UV light and i only use it for the plants i dont plan on using it alot when i get the dart frogs. but i am looking for advice so i do appreciate the troubleshooting.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Plants don't need UVB either.  It will likely cause issues for the frogs and is best removed and replaced with either a florescent or (better) dimmable LED fixture.
> 
> A low temp of 66F is fine for darts.


not sure if it is uva or uvb actually. i thought it was both


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I sure wouldn't put powdered cinnamon in with frogs. It is strong stuff.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

hydrophyte said:


> I sure wouldn't put powdered cinnamon in with frogs. It is strong stuff.


yeah i figured i just know its used in soil for plants to keep mold and fungi in control and couldnt find any info on it.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

hydrophyte said:


> I sure wouldn't put powdered cinnamon in with frogs. It is strong stuff.


i just kinda just figured since they both come from the same place.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

chefdaddy227 said:


> i just kinda just figured since they both come from the same place.


Cinnamon and frogs? Cinnamon and ???


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## Dendrobation (Jan 2, 2022)

Plants get no real benefit from using UV lights, so you're likely to create a problem where there wasn't one to begin with. Using a bulb for heat is also something I would strongly advise against, as bulbs meant for heating are likely to put out waaaay too much heat for frogs. Those bulbs are usually meant to get into the 90's and up, and that will kill them quick. The best way, by far, to keep the tank at the right temperature is by keeping the room they're in at the right temp. Upper 60s to 70s, as long as you're comfortable, they should be satisfied. The only thing I've ever used in winter is a oil radiator heater to heat the room itself.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

fishingguy12345 said:


> Cinnamon and frogs? Cinnamon and ???


yes cinnamon and dart frogs come from the same place. Brazilian rain forests. im not too certain but im almost postive that cinnamon trees are native to northern brazil where blue treefrogs are found in the wild.


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## Dendrobation (Jan 2, 2022)

chefdaddy227 said:


> yes cinnamon and dart frogs come from the same place. Brazilian rain forests. im not too certain but im almost postive that cinnamon trees are native to northern brazil where blue treefrogs are found in the wild.


Cinnamon is a product of several species of tree, all native to the Asian continent.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

Dendrobation said:


> Cinnamon is a product of several species of tree, all native to the Asian continent.


oh nice. i thought they were native to brazil but i guess brazil got them imported back in the silk road days.


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## Lovelyk (Feb 7, 2021)

chefdaddy227 said:


> oh nice. i thought they were native to brazil but i guess brazil got them imported back in the silk road days.


Not the Silk Road, that predates Brazilian colonization and was a separate land-based trade route. I think even still, the vast majority of cinnamon still comes from Asia, even if some may be cultivated in South America.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

fishingguy12345 said:


> Cinnamon and frogs? Cinnamon and ???


You know, from a shaker dispenser.


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## chefdaddy227 (Nov 7, 2021)

Dendrobation said:


> Plants get no real benefit from using UV lights, so you're likely to create a problem where there wasn't one to begin with. Using a bulb for heat is also something I would strongly advise against, as bulbs meant for heating are likely to put out waaaay too much heat for frogs. Those bulbs are usually meant to get into the 90's and up, and that will kill them quick. The best way, by far, to keep the tank at the right temperature is by keeping the room they're in at the right temp. Upper 60s to 70s, as long as you're comfortable, they should be satisfied. The only thing I've ever used in winter is a oil radiator heater to heat the room itself.


exactly but in my room i figure if my toes are cold they are gonna be cold. the heat lamp is suspended well above the tank and only puts off around 76 heat in the tank at most. i've monitored and adjusted the lamps height accordingly its 20 inch tall viv. and we have a space heater no one uses at my moms i just needa go get it. like the tank is fine im guessing. im not using a UV bulb. its a 50/50 blu and white light 10 watt bulb that's dimmable this puts out no heat at all. and the halogen bulb is gonna be taken down soon but even when its on it doesnt get above 75 ive seen it hit 76 during the day when i didn't need it on. ive only been using for heat when it does drop below 60 low 50s


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