# Exo-Terra Dart Frog Terrarium.



## Khazixstann (Mar 20, 2021)

Dart Frog Terrarium - Frogs & Co


Advanced Amphibian Habitat Full Glass Terrarium Built-in drain Ideal for bioactive habitats Single door for maximum viewing pleasure With patented ventilation system Monsoon ready Self-closing inlets for wire/tubing High quality stainless steel mesh Raised bottom frame Locks to prevent escape...




frogsandco.com





I've found this tank that was made specifically for keeping dart frogs, however, I've noticed a major flaw with this tank, its much much too small, or am I wrong? I don't know if any type of dart frog could be kept in there. What do you think?


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

Hello, there was a long discussion on these tanks here 
New Exo Terra terrariums designed for dart frogs

As for size : 18x18x18 " and/or 18x18x24" tanks can be used for some/most species of dart frogs.


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Khazixstann said:


> Dart Frog Terrarium - Frogs & Co
> 
> 
> Advanced Amphibian Habitat Full Glass Terrarium Built-in drain Ideal for bioactive habitats Single door for maximum viewing pleasure With patented ventilation system Monsoon ready Self-closing inlets for wire/tubing High quality stainless steel mesh Raised bottom frame Locks to prevent escape...
> ...


It's a personal preference but many hobbyists consider the sizes offered to be acceptable for most species of dart frogs. Personally I don't want anything shorter than 36" and find most terrarium's made for the hobby to be too small to house frogs. But most people disagree with me.


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

JasonE said:


> It's a personal preference but many hobbyists consider the sizes offered to be acceptable for most species of dart frogs. Personally I don't want anything shorter than 36" and find most terrarium's made for the hobby to be too small to house frogs. But most people disagree with me.


I'd agree with you from an ideal point of view, but disagree with you from a practicality point of view. Always a trade off!


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

All of my non-Ranitomeya are in 36" long tanks


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Chris S said:


> I'd agree with you from an ideal point of view, but disagree with you from a practicality point of view. Always a trade off!


Yes. And I completely get it. My first go round I had a massive collection and kept frogs in everything from 20 gallon talls to 18x18x24 terrariums. Now that I'm doing it over, the huge tanks are just so much better from an enjoyment standpoint.


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

JasonE said:


> Now that I'm doing it over, the huge tanks are just so much better from an enjoyment standpoint.


I can't disagree with that.


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## Khazixstann (Mar 20, 2021)

My bad, for some reason i believed the tanks to be 12x12x12, and 12x12x18.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> It's a personal preference but many hobbyists consider the sizes offered to be acceptable for most species of dart frogs. Personally I don't want anything shorter than 36" and find most terrarium's made for the hobby to be too small to house frogs. But most people disagree with me.


I tend to agree with you. I did buy a couple of Altos because they're a very good design, but personally I'll only keep thumbnails in there. I dig my 36" x 18" x 36"s but even those are smaller than I'd like. My trade off will be fewer but larger tanks. I think I'll probably stop at between 9 and 10 vivaria, which honestly feels like a lot already.


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Fahad said:


> I tend to agree with you. I did buy a couple of Altos because they're a very good design, but personally I'll only keep thumbnails in there. I dig my 36" x 18" x 36"s but even those are smaller than I'd like. My trade off will be fewer but larger tanks. I think I'll probably stop at between 9 and 10 vivaria, which honestly feels like a lot already.


I've got 3 24x36 vivs planned. That's the end of the collection after that. Rio Colubre for one. No idea what's going in the other two.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> I've got 3 24x36 vivs planned. That's the end of the collection after that. Rio Colubre for one. No idea what's going in the other two.


Nice. Focus is a good thing. I only keep terribilis and leucomelas right now, with plans for imitator later in the year. The multiple tanks are due to locality types and duplicate breeders or holdbacks.

There are only another 2 possible species I’d keep, but if I don’t get them in the next couple of years I’ll stick only with what I have; I’m projecting ahead in terms of estimated lifespans of the frogs and what I may want to be doing in the next couple of decades. 

It sounds crazy to plan that far ahead but I don’t want a giant collection when I’m older preventing me from doing older me stuff. 

(Actually I don’t want a giant collection of species now, either.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Fahad said:


> Nice. Focus is a good thing. I only keep terribilis and leucomelas right now, with plans for imitator later in the year. The multiple tanks are due to locality types and duplicate breeders or holdbacks.
> 
> There are only another 2 possible species I’d keep, but if I don’t get them in the next couple of years I’ll stick only with what I have; I’m projecting ahead in terms of estimated lifespans of the frogs and what I may want to be doing in the next couple of decades.
> 
> ...


Terribilis are the frogs I miss the most that I won't be able to keep this time. I only have the energy to haul one of these 36x36" upstairs alone in one lifetime. But I planned on focusing on the frogs I wanted to keep before but didn't so not that big of a loss.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> Terribilis are the frogs I miss the most that I won't be able to keep this time. I only have the energy to haul one of these 36x36" upstairs alone in one lifetime. But I planned on focusing on the frogs I wanted to keep before but didn't so not that big of a loss.


I can see that. My first time around I had kept O. pumilio and what at the time was called D. azureus -- and although I love both species, they didn't make the cut this time. Partly because I've already experienced keeping them, but other factors come into play. I just wrestled a 36" x 18" x 36" Exo up on to a tall-ish stand by myself and don't recommend it. It's not the weight, it's the relative lack of structural integrity that makes it dangerous.


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Fahad said:


> I can see that. My first time around I had kept O. pumilio and what at the time was called D. azureus -- and although I love both species, they didn't make the cut this time. Partly because I've already experienced keeping them, but other factors come into play. I just wrestled a 36" x 18" x 36" Exo up on to a tall-ish stand by myself and don't recommend it. It's not the weight, it's the relative lack of structural integrity that makes it dangerous.


That's exactly what I worked with alone. I was never worried about the structural integrity that much, although I was extra careful when flipping it around to the do the background. It was the size of it for me. It was heavy getting upstairs. And then there's no good way to flip them alone. I ended up smashing my finger so bad the skin broke open. I hurt myself a lot during that build actually. A 24x36 is going to seem easy by comparison.


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## hansgruber7 (Mar 23, 2020)

fishingguy12345 said:


> All of my non-Ranitomeya are in 36" long tanks


Where do you get them? I have a hard time finding 36" long tanks. I agree that's much better for non-Ranitomeya.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

hansgruber7 said:


> Where do you get them? I have a hard time finding 36" long tanks. I agree that's much better for non-Ranitomeya.


I use Atasuki terrariums, not sure where you'd find them in the USA.


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

hansgruber7 said:


> Where do you get them? I have a hard time finding 36" long tanks. I agree that's much better for non-Ranitomeya.


Exo-terra makes 36" long terrariums in 18", 24", and 36" heights.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> That's exactly what I worked with alone. I was never worried about the structural integrity that much, although I was extra careful when flipping it around to the do the background. It was the size of it for me. It was heavy getting upstairs. And then there's no good way to flip them alone. I ended up smashing my finger so bad the skin broke open. I hurt myself a lot during that build actually. A 24x36 is going to seem easy by comparison.


I wouldn't want to wrestle that thing up a flight of stairs. Given there's no front on the rim, I worried about shearing force cracking the tank or the doors, but it turned out okay. I found lying it on its back easy -- I used the styrofoam packing that came with it to place under the top rim as it lay down, to keep it level and supported, and _very_ carefully opened the doors (taking care that there's no real top rim to support them well) and rested them on padded ottomans, taped 'em so I had a strong visual awareness of where they were at all times.


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Fahad said:


> I wouldn't want to wrestle that thing up a flight of stairs. Given there's no front on the rim, I worried about shearing force cracking the tank or the doors, but it turned out okay. I found lying it on its back easy -- I used the styrofoam packing that came with it to place under the top rim as it lay down, to keep it level and supported, and _very_ carefully opened the doors (taking care that there's no real top rim to support them well) and rested them on padded ottomans, taped 'em so I had a strong visual awareness of where they were at all times.


The doors were the most treacherous part for me. I propped them up with books and things.I was constantly afraid they were going to slip and come crashing down. It was a serious source of anxiety during this thing.

I like the taping idea. I was under the influence of the green a few times while working. That would have helped.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> The doors were the most treacherous part for me. I propped them up with books and things.I was constantly afraid they were going to slip and come crashing down. It was a serious source of anxiety during this thing.


Yeah, the most dangerous moment is when you unlatch them while it's on its back, and get them open without them slipping in the wrong direction. Sure, you can take the top off and place your hand beneath, but that's one door at a time with a flimsy, moving plastic top rim. 😬


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## JasonE (Feb 7, 2011)

Fahad said:


> Yeah, the most dangerous moment is when you unlatch them while it's on its back, and get them open without them slipping in the wrong direction. Sure, you can take the top off and place your hand beneath, but that's one door at a time with a flimsy, moving plastic top rim. 😬


It was a great experience though and I'm glad I did it. If I wasn't single, all my tanks would be 36x36.


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

JasonE said:


> [...]If I wasn't single, all my tanks would be 36x36.


Now there's a reason to get a spouse!


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