# Ranitomeya ventrimaculata



## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm happy to join this forum as I will be getting my first dendrobate next week from a Montreal breeder. I already have a bumble bee walking toad in a separate terrarium.

We will be adding a second R. ventrimaculata at the end of the month as I know they are excellent in pairs. 

We started a wingless fruit flies and sprintails culture for the frog, and will also feed some pinheads.

Any tips, stories you want to share, I'll be happy to read them!

Eric


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## HunterB (Apr 28, 2009)

I have found these to be absolutely lovely little frogs. When they get to calling, it's not too loud yet still quite enjoyable. I had mine in a trio in a 12x12x18 and they were always exploring the leaf litter and climbing around.


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## Baltimore Bryan (Sep 6, 2006)

One tip- make sure you get the same morph as the one you already have. Do you know the gender of the vent you already have? How big of a tank will the pair go in? Any pictures of it? 
Also- I would "seed" the vivarium with springtails and let them get established. My vents love springtails, so the more you have in the tank the better. 
I have the "Iquitos red-orange" vents, and I love them. They are so colorful and mine are even pretty bold. I keep the trio in a 15 gallon tank that is heavily planted and they are always out. Great frogs!
Welcome to DendroBoard!
Bryan


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Baltimore Bryan said:


> One tip- make sure you get the same morph as the one you already have. Do you know the gender of the vent you already have? How big of a tank will the pair go in? Any pictures of it?
> Also- I would "seed" the vivarium with springtails and let them get established. My vents love springtails, so the more you have in the tank the better.
> I have the "Iquitos red-orange" vents, and I love them. They are so colorful and mine are even pretty bold. I keep the trio in a 15 gallon tank that is heavily planted and they are always out. Great frogs!
> Welcome to DendroBoard!
> Bryan


Hi all, thanks for the replies. Bryan, I'll get a second one from the same breeder. He's leaving the country at the end of the month and will get the two at the same time.

For the springtails, seems like a great idea! The terrarium is almost done, I'll put some in as of this weekend. They will be in a 12x12x18. And I will post pics for sure once I get them. Quite excited actually!

And thanks for the welcome, guys!

Eric


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

clownonfire said:


> I'll get a second one from the same breeder. He's leaving the country at the end of the month and will get the two at the same time.
> Eric


Hey Eric, welcome aboard! Make sure you get lineage information from the breeder, too. You never know if you need to get a mate for them someday. There are many lines/morphs in the country and you can't mix them.
Doug


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Pumilo said:


> Hey Eric, welcome aboard! Make sure you get lineage information from the breeder, too. You never know if you need to get a mate for them someday. There are many lines/morphs in the country and you can't mix them.
> Doug


Doug, I'll do that. We just spoke about the second vent and I'll get both at the same time. I'll inquire about the info at the same time. And thank you, really happy to be here!


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

clownonfire said:


> Doug, I'll do that. We just spoke about the second vent and I'll get both at the same time. I'll inquire about the info at the same time. And thank you, really happy to be here!


Doug, I did inquire about the lineage. Mathieu acquired them from Understory Enterprises and they are not available on the market. They come from a location called Pongo de Cainarachi and they were for his Doctorate studies in Biology. You should see his place, it's a haven for dendrobates and other frogs.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Understory-Enterprises-Inc/374724196020


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Hmm, yet another new line of Vents. You're going to have to give us some pics!
Doug


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Pumilo said:


> Hmm, yet another new line of Vents. You're going to have to give us some pics!
> Doug


Pics: Saturday, January 29. Stay tuned.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

The vents will be arriving on Thursday. For the time being, here's their terrarium.

Tillandsia, moss, Malaysian wood, hydro balls, forest bark, coconut husk, cork, Repti Fogger on a timer (4*15 min/day) to control humidity, heat cable on one side under the terrarium, and a fake vine.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Eric and welcome! 

The Tillandsias won't work in a dart frog viv (as the tank needs to be constantly moist (which Tillandsias don't like...Also, these Tillandsias don't hold water and are to be hung upside down to keep them from rotting). You can buy some small bromeliads from a Home Depot or such and use the ones that will hold water in their leaves (as this is where the ventrimaculata will breed and keep their tads).

Good luck with them! Richard.



clownonfire said:


> The vents will be arriving on Thursday. For the time being, here's their terrarium.
> 
> Tillandsia, moss, Malaysian wood, hydro balls, forest bark, coconut husk, cork, Repti Fogger on a timer (4*15 min/day) to control humidity, heat cable on one side under the terrarium, and a fake vine.


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## nurse3766 (Apr 8, 2010)

hi

before u add frogs u need alot more plants. and leaf litter.
be sure yr humidity is 80% or better and the temp is 70-80 

remember when making a viv. its all about the frogs.
i know the way u have it u think u will see them but tbh u will see them more if they feel secure and for frogs that means plants and leaf litter to hide in.

good luck and welcome aboard!!


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Thank you both for your comments. Actually, I do find it's pretty, but I made it with the help of the breeders. It's been up and running since Sunday, with the humidifier which keeps the humidity at above 80%. We have sensors also to monitor.

As for the plants, and leaf litter, absolutely. I am picking up oak litter from the breeder at the same time as the vents, and there will be one or 2 Guzmania Bromeliads as of tomorrow. 

As for the tillandsia, we had good luck with them in another terrarium we have which have the same humidity. Our success has been by keeping their roots dry, giving them lots of aeration too, and a bit of light. If they do not make it, we'll make it a haven for bromeliads.

Thank you again for your comments. The frog/dart community has been really helpful and it has helped us a great deal so far.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Welcome! Looking forward to your pics


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## poison beauties (Mar 1, 2010)

Its looking good. Congrats on your new frogs,.

Michael


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

poison beauties said:


> Its looking good. Congrats on your new frogs,.
> 
> Michael


Michael, good to see you here. Michael was actually one of the hobbyists who was extremely helpful with his suggestions and tips on another forum.

Thanks again, Michael, and everyone else for the welcome.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

So we've got a male and a female Ranitomeya ventrimaculata "Pongo". 

Three pics of the male, Mickey (from Mickey and Mallory). Picture of Mallory should follow any days now...


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Beautiful! I think he's got a little something on his nose


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Nice! Very Metallic! 
Doug


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

we need a full tank shot now that it is a bit more planted.


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

and be careful with guzmania, the one i have in my avatar pic looks great there, but it is now grown waaaaaay to tall for my tank and is now crammed into the corner. If i plant another, i'm going to make sure i have at least 14-18 inches of growing height. I have the Jester by the way, it was fine until it went into bloom.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

He looks good, but it seems you need a lot more leaf litter and a good misting to keep the peat moss and other debris off of him.

Good luck with them, Richard.



clownonfire said:


> So we've got a male and a female Ranitomeya ventrimaculata "Pongo".
> 
> Three pics of the male, Mickey (from Mickey and Mallory). Picture of Mallory should follow any days now...


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## poison beauties (Mar 1, 2010)

Just keep in mind you need to plant that viv a lot thicker. You cant over plant a ranitomeya viv. You said one maybe two broms but that is still rather open for the average viv. Id suggest grabbing up cuttings of peperomia, ficus pumilia, philodendron, hoyas, dischidia, pilea, fittonia, and even a moss or two. My average viv for my thumb vivs was planted about like this if not more over grown.
http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/poisonbeauties/v001-1.jpg

Id also agree more leaf litter and make sure they are well set up with micro fauna. Keep that viv misted well. 


Michael


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Erikb3113 said:


> we need a full tank shot now that it is a bit more planted.


Here's a pic with the 2 new bromeliads.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Woodsman said:


> He looks good, but it seems you need a lot more leaf litter and a good misting to keep the peat moss and other debris off of him.
> 
> Good luck with them, Richard.


Done, Richard. Picked up bromeliads and leaf litter at the breeder at the same time as the vents. The terrarium is fully packed with plants, and the humidifier has been keeping the terrarium in the 85%+ constantly. 

Thanks!


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Erikb3113 said:


> and be careful with guzmania, the one i have in my avatar pic looks great there, but it is now grown waaaaaay to tall for my tank and is now crammed into the corner. If i plant another, i'm going to make sure i have at least 14-18 inches of growing height. I have the Jester by the way, it was fine until it went into bloom.


Thanks Eric. Noted. I actually took the bromeliads that was in the breeders terrarium in which the vents were living in. He will be leaving fro three months and I was lucky enough to take a great deal of his loot.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Good morning, Mickey and Mallory are up and about. Took a few pics while they were feeding. All of them are of Mickey, but the one in the oak litter is Mallory.


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

what color temp are your lights? they look very red. look for 6500k of what ever bulb you are using if u are not using one already. it may just be the pic


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Erikb3113 said:


> what color temp are your lights? they look very red. look for 6500k of what ever bulb you are using if u are not using one already. it may just be the pic


Hi Erik, yes, it's the pic, that is exactly the bulb I have.


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## Freeradical53 (Jan 25, 2008)

Great Frogs!! If the humidity is up, the frogs should be fine.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Freeradical53 said:


> Great Frogs!! If the humidity is up, the frogs should be fine.


Thank you Freeradical! It's been closer to the 90% humid (dropping occasionally around 85%). Thanks for the welcome.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Here are two new pics taken this morning. These will be the last ones posted here. I will start a thread under another thread tomorrow. Thank you for the warm welcome, and all the suggestions and tips.

The first pic is Mickey, and the second one, Mallory.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

I've contacted Understory Enterprises, and here is what they had to say about these "Pongo" vents:

Those are the same frogs as the "Rodyll" vents that have been on the market for a few years now. Math (the breeder), got them from us before we sold any publicly, to use in some of his research.

So there you go!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

clownonfire said:


> I've contacted Understory Enterprises, and here is what they had to say about these "Pongo" vents:
> 
> Those are the same frogs as the "Rodyll" vents that have been on the market for a few years now. Math (the breeder), got them from us before we sold any publicly, to use in some of his research.
> 
> So there you go!


That's good to know. From here on out, you should probably go ahead and refer to them as Rodyll vents to prevent any future confusion in the hobby.
Doug


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Pumilo said:


> That's good to know. From here on out, you should probably go ahead and refer to them as Rodyll vents to prevent any future confusion in the hobby.
> Doug


Absolutely.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Well.... Here's something for you... Our male vent started calling today....

So will make a few adjustments to the tank to make sure little recipients with water in them are available to the pair...!


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## DJboston (Oct 25, 2008)

A humidifier should not be used to keep the humidity high. It's usually a feature a lot of new frog keepers think they need or use as a cool gadget...

With a piece of glass covering the screen, the humidity will be over eighty percent in a daily misted and planted tank. 

If I were you I wouldn't rely on a fogger to keep the humidity high. Air humidity is different than keeping it wet all the time so just beware of that. 

What happens if the fogger dies when you're gone and you have a screen top on there? Basically all the humid air goes right out the top and things dry out very fast. I've never used a fogger and the humidity in my tanks is very high and would stay high even if I didn't mist for a week.

Just some advice..welcome to the hobby!


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

DJboston said:


> A humidifier should not be used to keep the humidity high. It's usually a feature a lot of new frog keepers think they need or use as a cool gadget...
> 
> With a piece of glass covering the screen, the humidity will be over eighty percent in a daily misted and planted tank.
> 
> ...


That is good advice. Thank you.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

Our male vent was calling actively this morning. Shoving my camera outside the courtship might not have been the best idea (I would probably suffer from performance anxiety myself in a similar situation).

But anyway, here are the pair nonetheless, seconds after the calling.


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## clownonfire (Jan 18, 2011)

DJboston said:


> A humidifier should not be used to keep the humidity high. It's usually a feature a lot of new frog keepers think they need or use as a cool gadget...
> 
> With a piece of glass covering the screen, the humidity will be over eighty percent in a daily misted and planted tank.
> 
> ...


After more reflection, I thought I'd add more to the "thanks, great advice). I am new to darts, but not to the hobby. It is dendroboard, so I don't put pictures of my Leptopelis vermiculatus or my Melanophryniscus stelzneri, amongst others. We have 5 great terrariums home. It's the first time we have vents, and an appropriate terrarium/viv. 

We use a similar fogger in our Leptopelis vermiculatus and we mist, we find it's a perfect combination. If we go on a long vacation, we have frog sitters... Yes, we do, and are equipped if anything happens.

In our vents viv, we also have hydro balls, and we created a very functional eco-system that releases humidity. And we've managed, easily, to keep the humidity around 80% to 95% sometimes at night. And we give it one good mist per day, which helps to keep it wet.

There was a thread on Frog forum (http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-terrarium-enclosure-discussion/6307-terrarium-builds.html), about how sometimes senior members communicate advise... I mean, the intentions are often positive, but the tone can sometimes lack in finesse. I have a friend who's an expert in the field, associated to Understory Enterprises, who recently decided to not partake on forums anyome (as he stated on canadart.org) because of that "everyone is an expert" and this sort of slightly over the top argumentative nature of some hobbyists. 

Don't get me wrong, I welcome all comments and suggestions. If you're not certain about one's level of expertise, ask. But keep them coming! I know they are meant to keep frogs happiest-very healthy, which is the goal, after all.

A Friday morning rant.

Eric


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