# Dart frogs or bearded dragons??



## ianizaguirre (May 27, 2009)

i have a 40 gallon breeder which one should i get ? and if i get the frogs i am going to get a 70 gallon tank 

name whats great about each and bad so pros and cons


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

well being on a dart frog forum I'm guessing your answers will be biased towards dart frogs don't you think? Pro and Cons will all depend on people's personal opinion.
You should get what you want. You weight the pro's and con's for yourself.
They are 2 completely different animals in all ways possible so it's not a fair comparison.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Beardies are a pet lizard, darts are a lifestyle........lol


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

JoshH said:


> Beardies are a pet lizard, darts are a lifestyle........lol


 
Ain't that the truth!.....and I love it.


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## ianizaguirre (May 27, 2009)

more input welcomed...


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## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

man i have a ton of lizards and a few frogs and i see my reptile collection growing smaller and my frog collection getting bigger. i dont want to say that the frog hobby is easier because its not. but in its own way alot more fun. 
iv been keeping and breeding herps for about 10 yrs.. and only keeping frogs for a few months and i enjoy the creativity behinde the frog hobby and how its almost like never ending.. soo many different food sources soo many different types of frogs and plants.. soo many different set ups the possibilitys are endless. the frogs are fun but you need patients. for me the thrill is getting froglets raising them up and pairing them off. buying selling trading. and all the great ppl you meet along the way. bearded dragons are a great hands on pet and fun to breed but its very cut and dry. pet sand lights lol. the pdf hobby is just a very detailed hobby. i have 13 frogs i cramed into my small apartment and i have no intentions on stopping lol i still have 3 or 4 open vivs to go!!!! so no where here can decide this for you.. you have to still to what you enjoy.
-Derek


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I did have a beardie that would sit on my shoulder ALL DAY if I let it, that was cool. 
But get frogs frogs frogs frogs frogs frogs. Their set ups are so much more fun to create, and you never have to clean poop out of their cages... unlike a big lizard


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## Ziggi (Jan 23, 2009)

Well I agree with DC completely.
I too first started off with a rather large collection of reptiles and chellonians.
Since the discovery of frogs my reptile collection has grown smaller and smaller each day and I can't wait for my anuran collection to grow larger each day ( not only darts ).

I once had a bearded dragon, and while she was a great pet, like DC said it was very cut and dry. Sand/lights/pet. I got bored and sold her to a loving family.
I have no darts yet but I have several other frogs and I am not about to lose interest.

I also had a collection of crested gecko's that I was breeding and since then I've been selling off the babies and the breeding parents are up for sale, I plan on selling almost all of my reptiles and having just a frog room.
Only thing I'm keeping is my water dragon and red foot tortoise because they are both awesome.

I don't want to influence your decision in a bad way but if I were in your situation I'd go with darts. Bearded dragons get boring, need fresh veggies, have immense poops that stink...need I say more? lol.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

This checklist should cover the frog half of your conundrum. ALL the answers to these questions have been thoroughly addressed in this forum...multiple times. It's pretty easy to search....it will just take you some time.


*Checklist of things to consider before acquiring dart frogs. *

_I understand impulses. Darts are very cool frogs, but before you get your frogs, ask yourself a few very important questions: _


*Do I fully understand?*_ :_

1. Temperature and humidity requirements and there proper ranges? 
2. What it takes to feed these frogs and culture fruit flies with supplements? 
3. Quarantine container already set up? 
4. Mixing different species and sizes of frogs is best left to those who have much dart experience? 
5. A bigger vivarium is better and it is far from a rule that 5 gallons per frog is sufficient? 
6. How to construct and furnish the vivarium, including plants that are best for specific species? 
7. Collecting of fecals and testing of frogs? 
8. What frog species are best for beginners? 
9. Are there local medical professionals, not asking for help strictly from the internet, if things turn bad? 
10. How much light my plants, and my frogs, need? 
11. The correct water to use? 
12. Proper substrate and composition? 
13. What the difference is between wild caught frogs (WC) vs. a captive bred dart frog (CB)? 
14. Various misting techniques, equipment and frequency? 
15. Not touching darts?


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

How old are you?
What experience do you have with reptiles/amphibians?
Are you looking for a pet you can hold?


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## ianizaguirre (May 27, 2009)

i mean i understand the setup already for a frog i got all my questions answered on here already, i had a year and a half succesful expereince with keep a saltwater reef which was like in my guess a robbery of money but i loved it now i am selling/ sold most of the stuff and want to be creative again so i guess frogs is the answer but i just dont want to dish out to much money haha dont worry i am going with frogs , i am 17 by the way


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## MzFroggie (Mar 22, 2008)

Well I personally don't have beardies but I do have two Chameleons that are just as entertaining as my frogs..I say go with a community frog.But if you want lizards why don't you consider some Pygmy Chameleons the requirements are almost the same..


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Even the most basic vivarium with common (less expensive) dart frogs and various supplies will be in the neighborhood of $150.00.

just so you know.....


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

If you are trying to not spend a lot of money - get the beardie. They are awesome pets who seem to have serious personalities. 

If you want to be "creative" as you said... Dart frogs all the way. A beardie cage generally won't allow for that much creativity.


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## ianizaguirre (May 27, 2009)

moneys no issue it will just be slow build no biggie


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## dart_frog_junkie (Apr 9, 2009)

in a 40 gal. you can really only keep one bearded dragon. with my experience , i have found that they do much better in groups of two. I keep my dragons in a 75 gal. for 2. dragons are great pets, they have wonderful personalities. one way or another, they are both good choices


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## ianizaguirre (May 27, 2009)

i am going with frogs thanks guys


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

I say go with the lizards.... For you, not for me. I just don't want another person competing for frogs on my waiting lists! 

Seems like frogs will take more work, but in my opinion the frogs will be more rewarding too....


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## yumpster (May 22, 2009)

I am not biased either way since I have already have a beardie AND will be getting my frogs next week.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

MeiKVR6 said:


> If you are trying to not spend a lot of money - get the beardie. They are awesome pets who seem to have serious personalities.
> 
> If you want to be "creative" as you said... Dart frogs all the way. A beardie cage generally won't allow for that much creativity.


I have some agamids, and every single one has costs more in the long run than my darts. Beardies need uvb light, which can get pretty expensive. You need to replace the bulbs every 6 mo and they also need a strong basking bulb. Ceramic heaters or mercury flood bulbs are some of the better ones, and they can run anywhere from 25-60 depending on brand and model. 

Aside from lighting/heating they also eat a LOT. If you do not have other reptiles, buying crickets in small quantities can get really expensive, and if you buy in bulk for just one animal, it can get really smelly. Fruit flies are dirt cheap to culture, especially if you reuse the containers. 

I know you said money wasn't an issue, but its still good to be aware of expenses.

If you do decide on an agamid, I would really suggest taking a look at lawsons dragons. A 40 breeder is too small in my opinion for a lizard that could potentially grow 2 feet long. Lawsons dragons are a cousin of beardeds, but they only get about 8 inches. Their coloring is more concentrated, and they seem to like water more than beadies but besides that they are pretty much the same. They will thrive under the same conditions a bearded would, and you could put a pair in a 40 breeder very comfortably. They are also not too common so it would be something different than the typical bearded dragon. I have kept lawsons for a while now so if you have any questions feel free to ask.


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## zeus_rous (May 9, 2008)

I have both beardies and frogs so, i would say use the 40 for a bearded and get that 70 for the frogs. As for the comment on frrog enclosures being more fun to create I enjoy building both. Here are some of the beardie tanks I have made.


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