# Surprise in the Cristobal Viv



## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I had seen my Cristobals carrying tads a while back but never saw any tadpoles or never saw the female sitting in a leaf axial feeding, so I wasn't sure what was going on until I saw this little guy this evening. It's going to be tough getting to sleep I'm so excited. It's my first pumilio froglet. The viv is loaded with springtails, so I hope he gets through these first two weeks.


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## Kaity (Sep 18, 2010)

So CUTE! I cant wait to get my first babies...


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## randommind (Sep 14, 2010)

Way to go Jim!!!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Awesome, yeah just make sure you can see springtails in there all the time - try for multiple species also for diet variety


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

congrats!!


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Don't rely solely on the seeded viv.

Shake in springs every day.

Get some baby Spanish orange and dwarf white iso's - shake out these larvae too.

and finally.....wingless "runty" melas....dusted always, of course.

Congrats.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Thanks Chris, I'll do that. I have at least four types and I have a clay-based substrate.


ChrisK said:


> Awesome, yeah just make sure you can see springtails in there all the time - try for multiple species also for diet variety


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Congratulations Jim! Keep us updated with pics


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

That's sweet man! Good luck with him.


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## laylow (Apr 6, 2009)

That is an extremely exciting my friend. Make sure you keep us updated as the lil guy grows!! Congratulations. 

Shaw


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

He's not shy at all and we've been watching him eat springtails. I've taken Shawn's advice and just keep adding some every day. The female is eating like crazy and looks fat again, so I assume any other tads are morphing and she isn't feeding out any more. I'm hoping for another round of eggs. The male calls like there's no tomorrow.

Here's a couple of additional photos. The one on the left is with my iPhone, but without a flash it shows the red a bit better. The one on the right is with a proper camera, but the flash washes out the color somewhat:


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## PumilioTurkey (Feb 25, 2010)

Nice froglet!

Reminds me of my Cauchero froglet. I was watching my Pumilios and all of a sudden I see a little bronce/blue froglet lokking at me.


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## Tomdarr (Aug 25, 2010)

Now that is definitely a good surprise. Congrats.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

JimO said:


> ......we've been watching him eat springtails. I've taken _*Shawn's advice*_ and just keep adding some every day.


.................


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

OOPS my bad. That was Phil's great advice. Sorry about that Phil and thank you.


Philsuma said:


> .................


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Thanks <tear>.....

You should see all the microfauna I'm dumping into my Cauchero viv EVERYDAY.

Over a _dozen _16oz deli cups worth of "shakings"....Iso's and Springs into one viv.

Now granted, I have at least 6 froglets going and I suck at spring culturing but you get the idea.

You still wanna feed the viv with a nice amount of runty dusted flies. I try to feed my flies first and wait about 10 mins....then shake in the small stuff. This allows the adults to hit up the flies before they can gobble up all the springs before the froglets get them. The dusted flies are equally important though....gotta get the vits and calc in them asap.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Good stuff here. I put springtails in the first time and the female chowed down and probably ate most of them. After that I put ffs in until the adults ate their fill and then added springs. I saved some older ff cultures and will try some dusted runts today. Thanks again Shawn...uh....er... I mean, Phil. 


Philsuma said:


> Thanks <tear>.....
> 
> You should see all the microfauna I'm dumping into my Cauchero viv EVERYDAY.
> 
> ...


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I keep expecting to see a couple more because I know they carried off four tads. I never saw the first clutch of eggs and just after they'd laid two clutches of two each a day apart is when I saw the female transporting the first tad. So, the others are at least a week behind. As I said earlier, the female is getting plump again, so she must not be feeding any more tads. Worst-case is I have just this one (which is fine) and best case is that there are a few more morphing out in the broms.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Be prepared....when they get going and you have a lot of suitable broms....it would not suprise me to see you posting about finding 2-3 every few months or so.

All of a sudden you will see three new ones one day....crazy.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Well, Phil, you were right. Found two more in the past two days.

I'll try to get some decent close up shots.


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Could we get an FTS?


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

fleshfrombone said:


> Could we get an FTS?


Here's one I took when I first set it up. Since the photo, I added two more broms to the background on either side of the drip wall/waterfall and much of the clay background is covered with moss and liverwort. I'll get a current photo this week.

It's a 20H with a false bottom, clay substrate and ~2-3 inch leaf litter layer. The background is about half cork bark and half clay, based on surface area. The drip wall/water fall flows down a piece of cork bark and drips onto another upside down piece of cork bark that directs the water to a small pebble-lined pool at the lowest point (right front). The liverwort has really taken off on all the cork bark surfaces and looks fantastic.

I found three more eggs this morning, but they don't look too good.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Wow....that's it? Only 3-4 broms? and you are getting 2-3 froglets? You are lucky that the frogs like the couple that you put in there - sometimes they don't and refuse to breed.

I use 2-3 broms per frog. My 1.2 pumilio vivs have at least 10-15 full size broms with most of them pupping and the viv sizes are all 20 - 33 gallon size.

Good stuff though !


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

Philsuma said:


> Wow....that's it? Only 3-4 broms? and you are getting 2-3 froglets? You are lucky that the frogs like the couple that you put in there - sometimes they don't and refuse to breed.
> 
> I use 2-3 broms per frog. My 1.2 pumilio vivs have at least 10-15 full size broms with most of them pupping and the viv sizes are all 20 - 33 gallon size.
> 
> Good stuff though !


I get 8 or so froglets per clutch with five small broms in a 15" cube.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

stemcellular said:


> I get 8 or so froglets per clutch with five small broms in a 15" cube.


absolutely possible, it seems.

Rich F doesn't even use broms and gets great production.

Definately an interesting species, pumilio.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

now my escudo, that's another story....


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Actually, it's hard to see from that view, but I have 8 broms in there. I'm not a very good photographer and need to learn how to get a decent full tank shot.


Philsuma said:


> Wow....that's it? Only 3-4 broms? and you are getting 2-3 froglets? You are lucky that the frogs like the couple that you put in there - sometimes they don't and refuse to breed.
> 
> I use 2-3 broms per frog. My 1.2 pumilio vivs have at least 10-15 full size broms with most of them pupping and the viv sizes are all 20 - 33 gallon size.
> 
> Good stuff though !


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Things are coming together for me this week. I finally got developing clutches from both my variabilis and intermedius groups. The intermedius male was calling like a madman for four months. Then he gets quiet for a month and I find a clutch of eggs. Crazy.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

And then there were four!!!

This little guy popped up today - number 4. I just can't get over it. This is so cool.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Awesome !

Make sure you have plenty of LL.....layers of it.

Feed everyday.....feed feed feed. Shake out springs like there's no tomorrow.

I would caution against trying to pull them out of the parential viv early. I've always had a 50/50 or less survival rate when pulled before they are sub adults - 3-4 months.

It's carzy when they are good like that....I have at least 5 froglets in my Cauchero viv right now.

Tinc egg masses under a coco hut are fun to discover, but seeing a couple brand new tiny pumilio magical appear really do it for me.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Another beautiful froglet, grats!


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## yours (Nov 11, 2007)

Heck yeah Jim!!! Congratulations---keep that couple happpyyyy ))))

You're excited, they're excited, we're all excited! And just in time for the holidays, huh??

Rock on m'man  Very very sweet deal...keep the good news coming!

==========================

Phil, you mentioned Rich not using broms.......what does he use again? Just the film cannisters? Or is it a special "FRYE" concoction, to go with his biiiiiiiggggggg asssssss tanks?? 



Alex


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Thanks for all the guidance Phil. I've been really loading them up with springs and I remember reading the thread about when to pull the froglets and decided that leaving them for several months was the better route. When the adults start feeding it seems to stimulate them to come out and start foraging. I'll add more leaf litter. Thanks.

You're right, there is nothing like seeing a mini-me just show up one day, especially after waiting months and never seeing any tads in the brom axials.


Philsuma said:


> Awesome !
> 
> Make sure you have plenty of LL.....layers of it.
> 
> ...


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

JimO said:


> When the adults start feeding it seems to stimulate them to come out and start foraging.


You're quite welcome Jim. I dunno if we got a chance to talk pumilio that much in Daytona last August....

yeah....I really believe there is some sort of feeding benefit to leaving the froglets in with the adults. The hard part is all the extra feeding as the adults gobble everything up.

Alex....Rich uses film cans....lots of them.

I find that given the choice between cans and broms....pumilio will go for the broms first.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Okay, this is getting insane. Here is #5 after he ducked under water in his brom. That brom is front and center and I swear I looked in it a 50 times and never saw a tadpole. 









I confirmed in was #5 because I saw the other four feeding. I couldn't get 'em all in the frame, but here are two.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

Nice, I wouldn't be surprised if you found a few more from this clutch, and then about 7-8 more from a subsequent clutch. Good luck!


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