# Thumbs & frogs in 2.5 and 30 gallon



## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

hey! this is my first post....well i want a 2.5 - 5gallon (2.5 more if possible.dont have alot of room) and have 30 gallon to use and i was wondering how many i can have in a 2.5 gallon-5 gallon (for thumbs- more into pumilio, reticulatus and imitator) and in a 30 (bigger frogs- like terriblis, blue, dyeing, green&black, bumble bee ect.).

Thanks


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

I wouldnt put pumillio in a 2.5 or 5 gallon tank. I'd go with vents imitators or retics might be ok too. I have 4 juvenile vents in a 2 gallon hex at the moment (though its not permanent). You could easily keep a pair or 3 vents in a 5 gallon. 

Most people follow a 1 frog per 5-10 gallons though It depends, on the frog and I'm sure you will get a myriad of answers.

-Tad


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

whats wrong with pumilio i heard they are small....also im more into the imitator and retics would i be able to keep a trio in there.....also what would you think i should put in the thirty...i may also consider thumbs for that but not sure (i really like small things)


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Dave,

Have you kept frogs before? Poison Dart Frogs specifically?

If not - all the species you mention are not really good starter frogs.

Of the ones you name - Vents would be your best bet.

And they would get stresseed out at 3 adult Vents in a 5g tank.

s


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

yeah those are goin to be my first but i always reasearch my stuff before i get anything...i have wanted these frogs for along time now and did my homework for the most part....how many and what thumbs would you recommend for a 30?


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

The 30 would be prime for a pair of Pumilio - once you got the experience.

In the meantime the 30 would work for a colony of thumbs. Vents or Imitators, possibly Fantasticus. Colony would be 5 or 6 frogs.

If you really want to start with small frogs (and I don't blame you - they've been my favorites for 10 years now) then I'd start with Vents.

s


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

would would be a minimum tank size for a pair of pumilio, retics or imitator?


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

for the pumilio, i wouldnt go smaller than a 10, probably a 15 high at the minumum actually. And for the imis and retics, you could do it in a 5, but i would say a 10 just for saftey and its easier to plant etc.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

10 gallon tanks normally cost the same or less than the 5's anyways (and really don't take up too much more space.


-Tad


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

wouldnt retics work in a 2.5-5 gallon...i heard that they are so small (how small are they exactly)....if so how many can i keep in there/...


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Again - not a good frog to start with.

Retics in particular are not the heartiest frog around.

I'd encourage you to start with Vents if you want to start small.

s


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

Dave,

Welcome to the board. So far you have received some pretty good advice so I will try to not be redundant. A few comments.

Pumilio, while smaller than tincs, auratus, leucs, etc. are significantly bigger as adults than thumbnails. We keep our pumilio pairs in 25, 29 and 37 gallon vivs. Second, while you could theoretically cram frogs into a very small space, I have found with time that larger vivs provide more options for plants and definitely allow the frogs more elbow room. The latter is important in minimizing aggression, even with species that can be kept in groups and seems to help at times with breeding. Finally, it is best to start off with a species that is robust in captivity such as auratus, leucs, etc. to get your feet wet in the hobby. You learn a lot with your first frogs and it is best to have a 'forgiving' species initially. We started with G&B auratus, added azureus, citronella and leucs before we moved into thumbs, starting with vents. I would definitely advise against retics as a first frog. Very expensive and somewhat delicate, particularly prior to being full grown. 

Good luck!

Bill


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

DAVE_15 said:


> wouldnt retics work in a 2.5-5 gallon...i heard that they are so small (how small are they exactly)....if so how many can i keep in there/...


I sarted with tincs, then some vents from Scott, and didn't get retics until I had plenty of experience with each. Even then, it is a bit of a shock to see them for the first time. Seeing such a tiny and beautiful animal in person is a mind-blowing experience, and it was very intimidating seeing how small they are. I thought the vents were small when I saw them, but with retics it's a whole new ballgame. Another thing is that unless you have prior experience with setting up fruit flies, springtails, and pinheads, you might want to go with a more forgiving frog. Also, I would keep them in something bigger than a 2.5 for the final tank. It's so much more interesting to see them doing their thing in a well planted, good sized tank. That way it really feels like you are looking in on a piece of the rainforest, and they act like that to. If you want to start with tumbs, start with vents. Scott's vents . 
Jordan


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

If you use a 2.5 or even 5 gallon for anything be very careful not to over light it, its very easy to heat a tank up that small....dont cook your frogs..they tend to not like it


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

well i really like imitator and retics (the most)....maybe i can reasearch more on these and then start with them.....can anyone give me any info on these frogs (like feeding,housing, breeding ect)

Thanks


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Dave - you've had *excellent* advice here - and you're still choosing to ignore it.

The two species you like are among the reasons I got into the hobby (plus fantasticus) - and I didn't try them till two years after I started keeping frogs.

Take everyone's advice - or just don't ask for it in the first place.

s


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Yes get some experience before dealing with thumbs...any thumbs in my opinion. If you've kept multiple reptile and amphibian species for years and years, you might get more of a blessing here...but if thats not the case do yourself and the frogs a favor and start with something easier (and cheaper) like an auratus, or atleast an easier thumbnail frog if none of us can convince you not to stay away from them for now. 

I've been keeping a couple species for over a year and multiple amphibians and reptiles for longer then that and im just about ready to start branching out into thumbs....Retics are one of my favorites too...but guess what im not starting with retics. I may start with pumillo...maybe, but only cause i have a fair amount of experience keeping various animals and have done tons of research over the last YEAR.


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Seriously. Just listen to these people who have been keeping darts for YEARS. It's not advisable at all to start with a retic. I saw my first retic and melted. If you're going for the most beautiful frog right now, try starting with azureus (if you've had prior herp experience). If not, try a leucomelas, tinctorius, or auratus. Once you've kept them for a while, then move on. I'm starting myself, only a couple months into the game. It's INCREDIBLY hard for me to wait for my emergence into thumbs, but I'm going to anyways. I'm learning and perfecting the "art" of culturing fruit flies, springtails, Rice Flour Beetles, and I'm going to be getting a culture of lesser wax worms soon. These frogs aren't the type of thing you look at and say, OOOHHH!! I WANT ONE!!! Buy it, and then get sick of dealing with daily water changes, culturing fruit flies, keeping humidity up, making sure it's eating... etc. Just listen to the advice. I did... and my frog's still alive, so they must know something.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2005)

well i did have some experience with leopard frogs and ball pythons


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

That's something. I would still recommend starting out with one of the species I mentioned, or maybe even azureus.


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## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

yes you should definitely start with azureus if you like them. I hate to bring up the debate again, but they are the same species as D. Tinctorius in my opinion. And, despite what everyone has been saying, i think you could start with vents or imitators, if you really want thumbs. But ya, i still agree, dont start with retics. My friend started with vents, i started with intermedius, and there all doing fine, so i think its fine if u start with imitators.


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