# What are the best species of dart frogs for beginner



## Moone (Oct 21, 2021)

Difficulty
Species
Terrarium Size
Tips
etc
Thanks!


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

There are caresheets , most of them are pretty outdated, located here:
Care Sheets

They should give you a good starting point on which species are good for beginners and whether they are good in groups or only in pairs.

One thing I wish I had done when I first started: get a bigger tank. It makes the experience so much more rewarding when the frogs have space to use and explore.


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## Eurydactylodes (Sep 7, 2021)

Honestly, I would go with whatever piques your interest. Obviously, dont go with something overly uncommon, difficult, expensive or endangered.(most Oophaga sp, most Ranitomeya sp, most Ameerga sp.) That would be irresponsible. However, when choosing animals to add to your life, I think the most important factor should be whether you are interested in keeping them. I will say, common beginner species like tincs and leucs can be extremely rewarding and interesting, and I would recommend them for most beginners. If you have experience in herpetoculture and are just adding dendrobatids to your repertoire, common beginner concerns may not apply to you. I will say a few things-I say this to every beginner. First, start with the largest enclosure you can afford. We have a responsibility to give our captive animals as close to a natural life as is possible. Optimize the entire enclosure for their needs. This usually means covering the entire floor with a thick layer of leaf litter, and providing branches protruding and filling up as much vertical space as possible. This also usually means opting out of including a water feature. Finally, and most importantly, NEVER mix multiple types of dart frogs. This means species and localities. Take, for example, Dendrobates tinctorius. They are my go to recommendation as a beginner dart frog. There are countless localities available. These are often referred to as “morphs”. In the reptile industry, “morph” usually refers to a man-made mutation that is propagated purely in captive populations. However, in dart frogs, the term ”morph” refers to genetically distinct morphotypes from different isolated populations. They are not selectively bred traits. They are natural phenotypic variations that occur in populations of widespread species. Do not house different localities together for a few reasons; pathogen transfer can be an issue, care requirements can diffeer, and most importantly, they can breed and produce hybrid offspring. This is harmful because many of these species are threatened in the wild, and captivity is their last resort. We would lose the beauty of distinct dendrobatid localities if we were to release hybrid offspring into the trade-and if you produce hybrid offspring, it is almost certain that they will end up in somebody else’s hands at some point, and will continue to be propagated as pure localities. 
-Oscar


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## Moone (Oct 21, 2021)

Hmm Ok


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Auratus are great beginner frogs. Actually just great frogs period. They're great in groups. They come in a variety of colors and patterns. Very hardy and can tolerate warmer temps than some other darts.

Go as big as you can afford to go for enclosure. If you can afford a 36x36" get it. You want a tank at least 18" high. 24" is better. The exo terra 36x18x18 isn't that much. And I see them for sale pretty often on facebook market and other local sales sites. So you may be able to find one even cheaper.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

I think it's better to thoroughly research the frog you like the most and make a decision whether or not you should keep it. There are quite a few people that started with pumilio and Ranitomeya and were successful. People often recommend auratus but some people complain of them being shy. Shy frogs are going to be harder to monitor to make sure they stay healthy if they disappear for weeks at a time and can cause you to lose interest.

One thing for sure is to always have an exotic veterinarian lined up, regardless if you choose something cheaper or more expensive. Things may seem fine but when problems arise frogs can die quickly.

Another thing is that most beginners think they always need is a pair. Shipping is expensive, but there are so many people breeding tincs that you have to ask yourself, do you really want to deal with potentially separating animals when they become mature due to fighting / aggression? If you're just starting out, a single tinc is just as outgoing and entertaining as a pair with fewer aggression issues and you can get by with a smaller enclosure. That is how I started. Plus, you might be able to buy a single animal from someone locally instead of dealing with shipping that you could pair up later since a lot of people sell surplus sexed tincs once they become mature and can no longer keep them together. 

Another thing to keep in mind, make sure you think about the design of the vivarium after you decide on which frog you want. There are a lot of people who make the enclosure first, often with deep water features, all moss with no leaf litter, etc that are inappropriate for dart frogs then discover they have to redo the tank. Some frogs climb more and others prefer to stay in the leaf litter. I've kept tincs temporarily in large rubbermaid bins with not much more than coco peat, pothos and leaf litter and they were fine, and much better off then a tank with deep water and no leaf litter. So, make sure you have a nice quarantine container that is relatively simple to watch your frog for any sign of pathogens.


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## Moone (Oct 21, 2021)

wow thats alot of info from yall Thanks!


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## Bannef (10 mo ago)

Did you have a good experience with a single frog? That was my original idea, but I saw comments elsewhere on this board that a single frog was much shyer than multiples. It's possible they weren't discussing tincs though, I can't remember now.

(I am very, very far from buying anything for an enclosure, never mind a frog, but I can't stop thinking about it.)


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## hansgruber7 (Mar 23, 2020)

Azureus or Leucs are the standard beginner frogs and what I would recommend to start with.


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## davecalk (Dec 17, 2008)

hansgruber7 said:


> Azureus or Leucs are the standard beginner frogs and what I would recommend to start with.


This is true for lots of reasons. They are beautiful, bold, and easy to care for. 

I was in my Azureus tank today taking pictures. I was 2 - 3 inches away and it didn't faze them a bit. They looked around, said hi and went on with their business. They are inquisitive. They watch me as much as I watch them. Great frogs whether you are a beginner or an old hand.


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