# Reticulatus: Breeding, Housing and General care



## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

I wanted to get a show of hands of exactly how many hobbyists have them. Also, I wanted to cover the in's and out's of every aspect of them.

1. Do you have them?
2. How many?
3. What is the size and dimensions of the enclosure?
4. What type of plants and decorations (wood) do you use?
5. Do you have much ventilation and is the humidity high? How often do you mist the viv?
6. Are they breeding?
7. What do you do to induce breeding?
8. Do you use film canisters? What angle? Where do they lay their eggs?
9. What behaviors are exhibited during breeding?
10. What behaviors are considered fighting? Do males fight or do females fight or both?
11. Do you keep them in pairs or in a group?
12. If you keep a group, how many and what sex ratio do you have?
13. What and how often do you feed and what is your supplement regiment?
14. As a whole, are retics female or male heavy?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

I have a group of six in a 20 gallon long with just leaf litter and 7 horizontally oriented film canisters. My tank has next to no ventilation with very high humidity and right now I am misting the tank very lightly, but at least twice a day. They are not breeding right now, but since I up'd the misting, there is a lot of interaction and calling going on. Today, for the first time, I saw what looked like one embracing the other for just a split second. Maybe two males? I feed them springtails, which have multiplied in the tank and are well established, but not overwhelming. Also, I feed them wingless melanogastor and reg. melano's (which are a bigger) 2-3x per day in *very small* quantities. I alternate dusting each feeding.


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## bluefrog (Dec 16, 2004)

Hi David, I'll answer the questions where I have relevant information.

1. Yes
2. 3 (2 adultus, 1 juvenile)
3. Medium Exo-Terra
4. 5 broms, 2 ferns, moss floor, ghost wood, 2 monkey pods, 2 film canisters
5. Next to no ventilation, humidity is high. I mist once-a-day for a minute. After misting, I run a fan on the viv for a minute for air exchange.
6. Got my first clutch of eggs last week - went bad. Found them in a brom.
7. I think the increase in humidity worked for me

13. Fruit flies and springtails - once a day. I supplement with calcium and vitamins every 3rd day.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Thanks Jeff. What kind of behavior did you notice before they dropped that clutch? Was there a lot of calling? Frogs chasing frogs? Touching?


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## bluefrog (Dec 16, 2004)

For a long time, I thought I had two females, but as soon as I put them in their new terrarium with the higher humidity, there was more interaction. I've never heard them call, but before I found the clutch, they were both up in a brom, and the larger (presumed female) frog was dancing around and touching the other. I've been watching them pretty close, but nothing since then.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

The calling sounds like a faint vent call. The only reason I don't have bromeliads and use film canisters instead is the obvious ease to remove the eggs.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

The film canisters I use are black and on the ground horizontally. Anyone else do something different?


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

> 1. Do you have them?


Yes


> 2. How many?


1.2


> 3. What is the size and dimensions of the enclosure?


Vert 10 gallon


> 4. What type of plants and decorations (wood) do you use?


Heavy leaf litter bottom; corkbark background; manzanita branch; 3 broms - I notice that they sleep in the broms, but spend the daylight hours in the leaf litter


> 5. Do you have much ventilation and is the humidity high? How often do you mist the viv?


FCA insert - vent open 1/2 way. Misting once a day - tank is generally near 100% humidity at the bottom


> 6. Are they breeding?


Received them last May - first clutch of eggs around Christmas; ~4-6 clutches since then - but no eggs have been viable yet


> 7. What do you do to induce breeding?


Nothing


> 8. Do you use film canisters? What angle? Where do they lay their eggs?


4 film canisters - after having them in different places in the tank - I have found that they prefer them close to the viv floor. All eggs have been laid in black film canisters - near horizontal, with a small amount of water in the canister. They eggs are laid near the waters edge in the canister.


> 9. What behaviors are exhibited during breeding?


They are typically loners - each has a favorite leaf to hide under, but I have noticed that before breeeding, they will group together (both females and the male) and hang out in the film canisters together. I have never heard calling, but the two females are significantly of a different body shape than the male


> 10. What behaviors are considered fighting? Do males fight or do females fight or both?


I have never noticed aggression between the frogs. I have heard that male/male aggression is more common.


> 11. Do you keep them in pairs or in a group?


See above


> 12. If you keep a group, how many and what sex ratio do you have?


See above


> 13. What and how often do you feed and what is your supplement regiment?


Main diet is melanogaster - tank seeded with springtails. Fed every 2-3 days; dusting at every feeding with paprika/calcium/vitamins. Dusting mixture prepared once a week - so vitamins and calcium heaviest at beginnning of week, less at end


> 14. As a whole, are retics female or male heavy?


Not sure


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Great stuff rozdaboff...do you see them that often and are they bold in your 10 gallon vert becasue there isn't much ground space for 3 retics.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Yes - I always see at least one. They have a significant amount of leaf litter, so they can easily jump away. 

When I got them, I expected them to use more of the vertical space. I had them in seperate quarantine tanks for 6 weeks, and then I put them together to observe interactions to get an idea of sexes. After observing them, I was planning on moving them to a 15g High (which I still may do) - but they have been doing so well in the 10 - I have left them for now. If I don't get any breeding success, I will move them to a larger tank.

They do make use of the vertical space regularly. They like to perch atop the manzanita branch in some java moss.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

This morning I noticed one of the group in one of the black film cansiters - and I just went to look now, and all three are in it. I noticed one of the females was looking very plump yesterday - so maybe I'll have a clutch by tomorrow (and some better luck this time).


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

I wouldn't change anything! It sounds like the vert 10 is doing good for them.


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

sardaukar?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

El_Rana?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Enavas?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Dave (ED's_Fly_Meat_Inc)?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

TimStout?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Jordan B?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

rmelancon?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

*GREASER*?


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Bgreen?


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2006)

> 1. Do you have them?


yes 



> 2. How many?


four of them



> 3. What is the size and dimensions of the enclosure?


Exo Terra 12x12x16



> 4. What type of plants and decorations (wood) do you use?


broms, Ficus pumia and java moss on the xaxim



> 5. Do you have much ventilation and is the humidity high? How often do you mist the viv?


i mist twice a day 20 seconds, open top for high ventilation, high humidity.



> 6. Are they breeding?


yes, got them in december and they just laid twice.



> 7. What do you do to induce breeding?


i won't tell, it's my secret  :lol



> 8. Do you use film canisters? What angle? Where do they lay their eggs?


horizontal film canister. no water in it.



> 9. What behaviors are exhibited during breeding?


callings and lots of gathering, the four of them, around the vivarium.
like on the picture i posted in Elmo's post.



> 10. What behaviors are considered fighting? Do males fight or do females fight or both?


i have one female dominate the other one. the males fighted a little bit right before the first cluctch was laid but it is now over.



> 11. Do you keep them in pairs or in a group?


group! i was thinking of two pairs but i am just too afraid to do something "wrong" ... it's all right the way it is and i won't change things.



> 12. If you keep a group, how many and what sex ratio do you have?


i have a 2.2.0 sex ratio


> 13. What and how often do you feed and what is your supplement regiment?





> 14. As a whole, are retics female or male heavy?


my dominant female is quite big


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Interesting stuff...another one with a small footprint considering 4 frogs.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

sardaukar said:


> > [quote:19c9p2pa]14. As a whole, are retics female or male heavy?
> 
> 
> my dominant female is quite big


[/quote:19c9p2pa]

She certainly is!
I think what he meant to ask is if there is a tendancy to get more males to females ratio (from unsexed froglets) or vice versa.


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## imitator83 (Jan 5, 2006)

David,
I also have a pair of retics. I originally started working on a regular 10 gallon tank to house my retics in, but I was given a 10 gal. vert with the second retic. I was told these guys like a horizontal setup, but they climb up and down the tank all day long and frequently sleep in the middle and upper levels of the tank. Tropical moss and leaf litter are on the ground. There are two pieces of driftwood siliconed to the side of the tank opposite each other and staggered to create 3 levels to climb on. There is a well established bromeliad on the top level, and the root system goes all the way to the ground, creating more hiding areas. i also have a variety of thick vegetation on the ground, of which i am not sure of the name, but they provide even more cover and access the the second and third levels of the tank. There is a screen area on the top of the vert front panel, but there is a piece of plexiglass over it to help the humidity. I am still trying to design a good ventilation system for this species and tank. Despite this, I have heard the male call (only once), and the female is noticably round. I have found one bad egg in a film cannister on the ground, and this pair hangs out together all the time. I am hoping for some more eggs in the near future. There are 2 black film cannisters in opposite sides of the tank on the ground. I am not planning on getting any more of these frogs just due to their price, and even if I did, I would probably just keep them in pairs. Just my preference, though. As for the rest of the questions, i am relatively inexperienced on the matters of fighting, sex ratio, etc. I can tell you that I feed them springtails, which they love and hunt for for hours, and I also put dusted wingless melanogastor in the tank once every 2 days. If there is any other info I can help you with, please feel free to ask,
Scott


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## JWerner (Feb 17, 2004)

Watch the boys. Retic males can be very aggressive towards each other.

Jon


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

I think the key to keeping these guys in smaller enclosures is the amount of leaf litter, climbing tiers and other plants to include bromeliads.


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## rjmarchisi (Feb 16, 2004)

1. 2 
2. 1.1
3. Exoterra 12x12x18 
4. Broms, Orchids, Leaf Litter 
5. Alot of ventilation ( saran wrap partially on top, mist in morning before feeding ) 
6. Yes
7. Nothing
8. Film canisters in leaf litter, with some water.
They also lay on a brom leaf
9. Calling
10. Not applicable 
11. Pair 
12. Not applicable 
13. Every other or third day, supplement once a week.
14. Not applicable 

Rob


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## Darren Meyer (May 22, 2004)

I currently keep just a pair in a 18 tall . I used to keep a group but they were extreamly aggressive twards eachother and had a few deaths as a result . Males grapling males, girls going WWF on eachother . 
Yes they are breeding on a regular basis .
Eggs are layed in black film containers placed flat on the ground . Have also but not often, found eggs on pothos leaves that were overlapping . 
Tank is planted w/ pothos and a bit of leaf litter . 
Misting is done about once a day or a few times a week . I don't have my misting system on a timer as it dose not rain at the same time everyday in the jungle so I don't do it w/ my collection . This seems to be an importiant factor in inducing breeding in many species that I currenty work with . 
Humidity is kept @ 70-100 % the ventelation is via 2 3/4 in holes covered w/ stainless steel mesh covering the holes . 
Breeding behavior is typical , male calls from film container female either shows interest or not . 
Eggs are found on the average every 10 days for the last year .
Happy frogging , 
Darren Meyer


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## verbal (Sep 8, 2004)

This stuff is great. Maybe it should become the retic care sheet!

Ryan


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

1. Do you have them? 
Yes

2. How many? 
Two, I am 90% sure they are a pair.

3. What is the size and dimensions of the enclosure? 
It's a standard, black sided FCA cube (updated pics will follow).

4. What type of plants and decorations (wood) do you use? 
Some tall, flat leafed ones, tillandsia, a bunch of broms, ghostwood, lots of leaflitter with places to scoot under.

5. Do you have much ventilation and is the humidity high? How often do you mist the viv? 
I'm pretty sure the humidity is 90-100%. I keep the top vent closed, and the viv gets misted 3-5 times a week.

6. Are they breeding?
Not yet, although I think I have seen calling and body shape says male/female. If they have laid eggs I haven't found them, but the female looks pretty gravid usually.

8. Do you use film canisters? What angle? Where do they lay their eggs?
I use black and white film canisters, mainly horizontally on the ground. I'm curious whether they prefer to lay in the black ones or the white ones.

10. What behaviors are considered fighting? Do males fight or do females fight or both? 
I haven't seen fighting, although as of now I don't see them spending tons of time together.

11. Do you keep them in pairs or in a group?
I was planning on a group but lost a couple of young ones, so as of now I am down to a probable pair.

13. What and how often do you feed and what is your supplement regiment? 
The tank is seeded with springtails, and they get melanogaster dusted with repcal/dendrocare (occasionally herptivite). I dust nearly every feeding. I usually feed them 2-4 times a week, but how often and how much I feed can depend on the food density in the tank, how the frogs look, etc. 

Nice topic David, I'll try to get some updated pics of the tank up. Any more questions?

Jordan


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## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

I'll answer a couple of the questions quickly. Will try to post more when I have some time.

Both males and females are generally agressive toward same sex. If you are doing a group I suggest raising the animals together as opposed to trying to introduce adults. 4 in a 10 gallon works. Eggs are laid in film canisters or petris dishes. I have found that filling either with some water can induce them to lay (ie - going from dry to wet). Misting is certainly not a necessity, mine are misted never and the tops are sheer (ie - type of screen mesh). I have some in less ventilated tanks that get misted and have had no breeding. I'm sure this varies. As with all darts there are no rules.

Robb


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## George B (Apr 2, 2005)

*retic*

Do you have them?

yes 

2. How many? 

1.1 and 1.2

3. What is the size and dimensions of the enclosure? 

20 gallons

4. What type of plants and decorations (wood) do you use? 

leaf litter and philodendrons

5. Do you have much ventilation and is the humidity high? How often do you mist the viv? 

once every 3 or so days

6. Are they breeding? 

my pair is breeding but the tads are touch and prone to fungus. They are still young. The trio just started breeding but not as consistantly due to some fighting. 

7. What do you do to induce breeding? 

nothing special

8. Do you use film canisters? What angle? Where do they lay their eggs? 

lay in leaf litter

9. What behaviors are exhibited during breeding? 

follow each other around

10. What behaviors are considered fighting? Do males fight or do females fight or both? 

I had to keep rearranging my females till I found two that sort of get along. when the fight the climb on each others back and wrestle, some chasing

11. Do you keep them in pairs or in a group? 

i really think pairs help them to focus on breeding and caring for tads with out getting distracted with fighting. I plan on breaking up my trio once I figure out which pair is laying the eggs

12. If you keep a group, how many and what sex ratio do you have? 

13. What and how often do you feed and what is your supplement 
regiment? 

alternate supplement every day.

14. As a whole, are retics female or male heavy?

slightly female heavy


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## El_Rana (May 29, 2004)

dmartin72 said:


> I wanted to get a show of hands of exactly how many hobbyists have them. Also, I wanted to cover the in's and out's of every aspect of them.
> 
> 1. Do you have them?
> 2. How many?
> ...


1Yes
2 5 frogs
3 10g.
4 assorted tropical plants
5 90% humidity mist one time per day I don't have good ventilation 
6 not always
7 nothing really!
8 yes, horizontal they lay their eggs in the canisters sometimes on leaves.
9 after misting 1.1 spend more time together female follows male
10 not sure. I think pairs lookout for eachother!
11 pair & trio
12 1.1.1
13 flys (melanogaster) springtails every other day supplemented with calcium & herptivite
14 for me it's hard to say as they are difficult to sex but I would say 50/50...?


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Thinking that myself... If anyone wants to combine it all and give credit where credit is due... Please PM it to me and I can get it added.



verbal said:


> This stuff is great. Maybe it should become the retic care sheet!
> 
> Ryan


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## josh raysin (Nov 28, 2005)

are retics egg feeders or can they be raised outside the viv like tincs?didnt see this asked or answered yet. also those of you that are breeding them, do you let them raise their own young or do you remove the eggs/tads (if applicable) thanks josh


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

They are non-obligatory egg feeders, I know a few people who let their retics egg feed tadpoles.


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## LMUdartfrogger (Oct 19, 2004)

I have a probable pair in an ExoTerra 12x12x18. 

I've heard the male calling and the female looking interested, but no eggs.

I mist everyday and cover the vents, but the humidity is lower than it should be 70-90%, so that may be the reason for no eggs.

I feed every other day springtails and sm. wingless ff, although they seem to only eat the springtails and an occasional fruit fly. Does anyone else have retics that are picky eaters? My fruit flies have to be wingless and stunted, or they just ignore them!


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## neilr (Oct 9, 2004)

I would like to add that retics are somewhat hardy once they reach a decent size. One reason why I would call them a frog for the advanced frogger is when small, for me at least, they would only eat springtails or food of similar size. They would try to eat ffs but not successfully. I lost a retic, I think, because I could not keep my springtail production up w/ their appetite.

Neil


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Moved this back and we will reference it for a care sheet in the near future.


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## jmcc000 (Apr 7, 2005)

Dont have any but this is a great post!! This is much better that the bickering in the lobby 
Maybe there should be a Pumilio post like this one.


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

neilr said:


> I would like to add that retics are somewhat hardy once they reach a decent size. One reason why I would call them a frog for the advanced frogger is when small, for me at least, they would only eat springtails or food of similar size. They would try to eat ffs but not successfully. I lost a retic, I think, because I could not keep my springtail production up w/ their appetite.
> 
> Neil


Neil,

I had a similar situation with retics where they were very reluctant to eat flightless FFs but loved springtails. So I was feeding them heavily with springs but became concerned as to whether they were receiving adequate supplementation. So I tried experimenting with golden delicious FFs (smaller than wingless) and found those to be acceptable to them and over time acclimated them to eating wingless as well. For all I know, they would take regular FFs at this point but given that I have plenty of the wingless and golden on hand for froglets, it's not a problem.

Bill


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