# Darts eating darts ?



## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Ever have or hear of adult darts eating other juvenile darts?

I'm a little worried because I just got two new Auratus' and I wanted to add them with my other two but the two I have are adults, and the ones I just received are a lot smaller, about the size of a large cricket. The two I have are a little over a quarter size and these ones are just under a dime? At first I didn't even think to be concerned but then I realized how small the ones I just got are? 

Any suggestions? Also if I can't house these four together any ideas on how to create a tank that'll work for these two small ones. Something inexpensive and temporary would be best. Thanks.


----------



## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Most darts have specialized mouths to eat small insects. I'd worry more about the larger ones outcompeting the smaller ones for food.


----------



## nitsuj (Jan 21, 2007)

but the adults will steel the food from and bully and possibly kill the smaller frogs, wont eat them though :wink: 
Here is a cheap way to set up a temp, or even basic longterm terrarium.

10 gallon tank..........$10 at garage sale or $15 new
packaged green moss...$5 at home depot, it will cover all the 10g floor
plant, maybe a brom...$5-$15, depends what kind of plant and from whom
2 co-co huts...............$6 from any petstore
In your case I would just use plecsi glass, easy to cut....$5 for a 3ft by 4ft sheet from HD
clamp for light bulb.....$5 from HD
floresent aquarium/plant growth light bulb....$5 from HD
bag of pea gravel....$3 from HD for a whole bag


So total it will cost you from $44-$59

Hope this helps,

Justin


----------



## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

You could also set them up in sweaterboxes...that would be even cheaper.


----------



## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

And instead of coco-huts, just get a cheap plastic pot (like a quart nursery pot) and cut it in half lengthwise. You get two cheap hides for the price of free (they throw those pots away at the nursery).


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

sometimes i think its possible that terribilis can eat thumbnail species of frogs.


----------



## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Rain_Frog said:


> sometimes i think its possible that terribilis can eat thumbnail species of frogs.


Where did you get that one from, Doug? Like how is a lazy-assed P. terribillis ever going to chase down a thumbnail species of any sort and be able to swallow it, if in fact it ever bothered to venture into the thumbnail's territory? Are your being funny or ironic and I'm not getting the joke? You've been around too long for me to think you are being totally serious.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Going against your sarcasm, I was actually being serious. Some folks have reported that terribilis have eaten full grown crickets. Crickets aren't the slowest animals; they jump as far as some dart frogs.

In the wild, this would never occur since frogs would retain their toxins.

Yes, the territorial displays of dart frogs may prevent a terribilis from thinking they're food....assuming they're adults. 

BUT, there's a possibility considering what terribilis can eat, and since frogs lose toxicity in captivity. That leads back to the moral of the story: DON'T MIX (or assume the risks which some are willing to take).

I have though, heard that Black Jungle has a mixed display of terribilis and tricolor.


----------



## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

It wasn't intended as sarcasm. I was truly wondering where this was going. On the other hand, the original question was about putting smaller auratus in with larger ones, and this was answered by others. The smaller newcomers may get intimidated or picked upon by their elders so they may not prosper, but are not prey items per se. 

I wonder if anyone has ever documented the actual devouring of a smaller dart by a larger one, whatever the dart species? I've never run across it. I did see a photo of a green anole apparently in the process of swallowing an imitator, once. Maybe they were only especially close, but somewhat kinky friends, because the imitator didn't seem too worried about the situation as he was sitting in the anole's mouth butt-first. Maybe he was merely depositing tads into the gullet of an anole as a part of a sacrificial ceremony to the anole god. In the meantime, we're certainly free to speculate on all of the possibilities, mostly because it's fun to do so.


----------



## Anoleo2 (Feb 1, 2006)

> I have though, heard that Black Jungle has a mixed display of terribilis and tricolor.


Last time I was down they didn't.... two seperate huge displays, very nice vivs...


----------



## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Patty's off to the quotes thread again :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Once again, I doubt it occurs naturally because of toxin issues. 

But our frogs eat more than what we think they would. Didn't you say once your galacts ate fish fry? I read some posts before on another forum that somebody's tincs eat fish food floating in the water feature. 

I've gotten my tricolor to eat 1/4" crickets, and my tincs to eat 1/2" mealworms (except mealworms are skinny). 

Yes, its mere speculation and I have no proof that it has or will ever happen. But most people are not willing to take chances (and shouldn't) mixing an expensive member of the quing group with the phyllobates so we'll never know (and hopefully will never know its possible!).


----------



## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Thanks ya'll. I splurged and decided to start another project. I was in need of a quarantine tank so maybe this is a blessing. I'm now in the process of creating a ten gallon viv. Obviously a slow process because I want to have my four frogs mixed before I really beg renovating. I had the substrate mix, gravel for a filter layer, and some young plants. My cryptanthus' are all starting to pup so I figure I'll be able to grow them. Also I'm thinking of creating an orchidarium (sp). I've really been interested in them but the tank might be too small. Maybe just jewels?

Well I spent the $90 on the tank, temp controls, cork bark, some fish tank equipment, ect. It adds up quick once I get to the pet store. Any ideas on what to do with my new tank. As of now I've got some moss, one plant, a log, and substrate for the two smaller frogs. 

I've been curious about a paladarium but this might be too small a tank to even beg with. Maybe just be easy and have a small pond? Also what is the thoughts on a vert compared to regular tank. Seems for vivariums the vert is more beneficial? Keep in mind eventually I might be housing a Alanis Tinc in this tank. Thanks ya'll.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

verts aren't the best for tincs. An exoterra or 20 gallon is ideal for a pair.


----------



## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Rain_Frog said:


> But our frogs eat more than what we think they would. Didn't you say once your galacts ate fish fry? I read some posts before on another forum that somebody's tincs eat fish food floating in the water feature. .


Yes, it was my galacts that ate the fish fry (tiny platys) observed twice, as well as floating fish pellets, which they are still doing. 

If I had to put my money where my mouth is about the possibility of a dart actually eating a smaller one, I wouldn't go much higher than betting a fifth of Bombay Sapphire on it, and certainly wouldn't set up a testing program with my terribilis and imitators, because that wouldn't be the only potential problem involved with mixing them together. (Also, if I went as high as a rare. 30 year old single malt Scotch, someone, somewhere might make a staged photo-op out of the bet..) 

I can't document that my galacts ever ate fish fry, because the two times I observed this, I did not have a camera handy, and even if I had, it happened incredibly fast and was unexpected, and the only photos I have of them lapping up fish pellets are not clear enough to tell just what they are actually lapping up, except they are sitting on floating leaves in the river run next to a "rapids" lapping up whatever is floating over from the aquarium section, some of which are actually fruit flies and others are fish pellets. If it's moving, they will apparently eat it. 

So you win this round, Doug. Hoisted by my own "petard." Got a bit "feisty." (I really hate knowing I've probably thrown the last two sentences into the "wind.")


----------



## nitsuj (Jan 21, 2007)

HappyHippos1 said:


> Seems for vivariums the vert is more beneficial? Keep in mind eventually I might be housing a Alanis Tinc in this tank. Thanks ya'll.


a vert wont be good, for the money just buy a 20h


----------



## Phyllobates azureus (Aug 18, 2010)

Hmm. I have little doubt that some dendrobatids could, in theory, eat others. A large Ameerega would have no trouble with an Andiobates, for instance. Now, _would_ a large dart frog eat a small one? That's a hard question to answer. As has been pointed out before, dendrobatids are insectivorous by nature, so I don't think a larger dendrobatid would view a smaller one as food. So while bullying for territory or reproductive rights is a possibility in dart frogs, I do not think any of the species in the hobby will eat other members of their own species or other dendrobatid species.


----------

