# My 20 gal build for Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"



## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

Hi guys, I'm in the process of a build and need some ideas. I just finished autoclaving the wood so I think I'm going to stick it in the oven for a bit to dry it out so that I can foam it in today.

Here is what I have so far. The front left corner is going to be a pond that the water is sourced from the false bottom (in other words, the water level will be the same across the entire bottom). I plan on doing frequent water changes to keep it fresh.

What I'm having trouble deciding is how I'm going to do the transition from the pond to land over the filter foam. I don't want to use spray foam because I need the water to flow freely. The only thing I can think of is to build a sort of ramp using stones. Any ideas?


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## Slengteng (Sep 16, 2014)

Nice! This is a really good idea! I will may copy this!


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Looks like a good start, I will be following 

Kudos on the autoclaving, too! Just about the best way to sterilize without harsh chemicals and not many do it. 

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I got a little further. I'm hoping to get the background finished this weekend.

I think for the pond-to-land transition, I'm going to glue some pebbles together using silicone. Once that dries, I'll use some river sand (i.e. small pebbles) to fill in the gaps and use it as the substrate for the bottom of the pond.


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I didn't like the background so I ripped it out. Decided to go without a background. Just finished it and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Here's the pond


Jewel orchid and epiphyte








From the right side


Full tank shot


All I need to do is get the glass cut for the top. I seeded it with isopods & springtails already. I figured they won't go anywhere so they'll be fine without a top for a few days  I'm picking up the Varaderos on Friday and the tank can get established while they're in QT.


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## chamsRawesome (May 14, 2014)

It looks pretty nice, but Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero" would do better in a 20 gallon vert though.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

chamsRawesome said:


> It looks pretty nice, but Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero" would do better in a 20 gallon vert though.


I don't really agree with that. I have seen many 20Hs work very well horizontally for imitators. I think I might actually prefer them over a converted 20H as there is more foraging area at the bottom of the tank and less wasted space overall if built to maximize usable space. Converted tanks are great, but they are not always better. I use both styles and I believe they both have their pros and cons.

John


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Your tank is looking good, but I think it would be a good idea to use more of the tank's height to your advantage. Try to add more bromeliads as well as branches. If you can't add much more climbing space for some reason, add a larger foliage plant. Pilea 'aluminum' is a favorite of mine for ranitomeya as the plant is nice and bushy, but stays a manageable size and the frogs will definitely climb all over it. Its important to remember, these frogs are relatively arboreal and usually don't spend much time at the bottom of the tank, instead they will be climbing through the tank's foliage. Your current design is more based toward a terrestrial frogs (notice the unused vertical space) and would limit a imitator to a terrestrial life. 

The tank is looking really good, but with a few adjustments I think it could work even better! Good luck 

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I was afraid of doing too much that would just lead to the tank looking overgrown in a few months. Can you recommend some smaller brom species that will work in there? I do also have a Neoregelia ampullacea that I can try to fit in there.


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

Ok I added the N. ampullacea in front of the logs



I also moved the frosty fern over so I can fit another bromeliad in there. I'm thinking N. 'Chiquita Linda'.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

'Fireball' and 'mo peppa please' are two very good options. 'Chiquita linda' is another small one that is popular for viv use and I use often. 

I wouldn't be worried about over planting, its better to overplant than under plant in my opinion 

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I added 'Chiquita Linda' and another orchid. Hopefully the plants will start to grow in a bit.

Man, you guys weren't kidding. These frogs are all over every square inch of the tank! They have such awesome personalities and they're so much fun. Of course, I had to take a bunch of pics.

Guarding the perimeter from fruit fly escapees


If you look closely you'll see that there are actually 2 frogs on the log. One of them is peeking into the hole in the cork tube.


Playing in the pond


The 2 on the back wall were chasing each other


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

Awesome. I love my varadero's. Only had them for about 2 months and they run around like yours. Love it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Awesome! How many did you add? They look great, but watch out for any excessive aggression. Male/male and female/female aggression can be a problem in some cases, but I have kept a few groups of imis without any issues. Caution it a good thing to use for any animal, though 

What orchid did you add? I would love to see a pic of it in there 

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I got a group of 5 of em. They have been together since they came OOW in 6/2013 so I should be ok but I'll keep my eye out for it.

I already had a Jewel orchid in there but I added a Leptotes bicolor. Hopefully, I oriented it properly...


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

What do you say John, think I'm going to have issues with them hiding eggs on me?


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes my imitators are very good at hiding eggs, but others just lay wherever. Have you found eggs?

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

No, not yet. They were calling before I got them but I haven't heard them start calling in their new home. Just started worrying a little bit about them sneaking eggs by me.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Ok, gotcha. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Generally, if there are eggs in there that they hid from you (and they are good), then they will raise them without any effort from you. Of course, it is fun to rear them yourself, but they will be in good hands if you miss a clutch 

My imitators also will be very vocal on some days, but silent on others. Sometimes this could be due to weather, but it doesn't seem to be the only factor. 

John


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

FroggyKnight said:


> Ok, gotcha. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Generally, if there are eggs in there that they hid from you (and they are good), then they will raise them without any effort from you. Of course, it is fun to rear them yourself, but they will be in good hands if you miss a clutch
> 
> My imitators also will be very vocal on some days, but silent on others. Sometimes this could be due to weather, but it doesn't seem to be the only factor.
> 
> John


My biggest concern is just that I'm going to school on top of working full time so I'm just afraid of not being able to properly care for the froglets right now. Didn't realize they were already mature and thought I had some time to prepare heh.

Yeah I read somewhere that changes in barometric pressure can influence dart frog behavior which is obviously affected by weather, so that could be the case with yours.


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## notEZbeingGREEN (Sep 17, 2012)

zimmerj said:


> No, not yet. They were calling before I got them but I haven't heard them start calling in their new home. Just started worrying a little bit about them sneaking eggs by me.


Hey Josh,
How old are your veraderos? Mine started breeding at about 7/8 months old.

You may want to put some film canisters in there with them...I know you have a few broms in there, but the more places you have for them to deposit tads, the better. 

They will want to put each tad in its own "pool" and likely won't use the pond(mine never did). Mine use black and/or white canisters placed at a 45 degree angle, about half filled with water.

I love my veraderos...one of the boldest frogs I keep!

I still think they would love more "stuff" to climb on than you have in there,too...


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I think you're right cuz they spend a lot of time climbing all over the glass. Just not sure where I can fit anything else... Maybe I'll just have to invite you over to help me brainstorm! I did put one film canister in there but I was thinking of adding another. Their OOW date was 6/2013 so they're almost a year and a half old.


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

Maybe I should put a vining plant or 2 in there? That would be easier than fitting more broms


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I would add some branches, using the negative space of your viv. I liked the background that you did (or rather, I do not like vivs with no background, but this is my personal preference). Indeed Varaderos climb a lot, they are very bold, and beautiful. What can I say? Great deal, congrats!


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I added a few more plants. You can see 2 of them here around the pond:



And one of my broms is beginning to bloom


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