# My First Thumbs and 20g Vert



## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

This is my first post here so go easy on me. I am somewhat new to dart frogs and have been slowly putting this tanks together and getting prepared for my first pair of thumbs. I build the vert myself mostly with pieces I had left over from a reef tank project. I decided to go with a clay background after reading a lot of different threads on them and I must say I am very pleased with how it came out. I have used great stuff before for reef tanks and it is not my favorite thing to work with. The clay was extremely easy and fast. For the substrate I used ABG mix which I have had seeded with springs for over a month now (it is crawling with them). This time of year it was not fun trying to find plants to fill this tank. Just about all the sponsors were sold out of broms. I had a couple neos from my other tank and some moss and was able to find one random brom at lowes. As for the future inhabitants, a pair of Tarapoto Imitators, I will be picking them up this weekend at the Orlando Repticon from Ron at Alpha Pro Breeders. Now for a few pictures.....










I had more construction pics but cant seem to find them.

After being planted...









I had the day off of work today and decided to take a trip on down to Sarasota to visit Tropiflora. Let me just say they have an amazing selection of Bromeliads I could have gotten lost in their green houses all day long. It was very difficult to leave with money still in my wallet but luckily my fiancee was there to keep me under control... 










....wish it could have been a lot more but I guess I will have to wait for the next tank.

After adding the new plants...









Thats it for now, let me know what you guys think/ any suggestions are welcome.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Its looking good! You'll be pleased with Ron's frogs. You might want to consider dropping a piece of GhostWood in there for them to climb on.
Doug


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks Doug! I keep thinking I need something else in there for climbing, ghost wood could be it. I'll have to see if I can find a piece that will work. I was trying not to block too much light from getting to the bottom but ghost wood should be skinny enough.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

bossman47 said:


> Thanks Doug! I keep thinking I need something else in there for climbing, ghost wood could be it. I'll have to see if I can find a piece that will work. I was trying not to block too much light from getting to the bottom but ghost wood should be skinny enough.


Yeah, that's one of the reasons I love it so much. I'll pm you a link to a place with really nice prices on ghost wood. The medium size works well. You can't pick the actual piece but you can get 2 or 3 for what it costs from your local pet shop.
Doug


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## btcope (Jan 7, 2009)

i always stop and look at those broms at lowes / home depot then i get afraid that they'll overgrow the viv. The ones at my lowes are all gynormous. I was there last night.

looks really nice tho. be sure to post pics of the frogs when they come home!

-brett


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Go easy on you? Why? You did a great job. Nothing to be ashamed of. Keep it up.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

btcope said:


> i always stop and look at those broms at lowes / home depot then i get afraid that they'll overgrow the viv. The ones at my lowes are all gynormous. I was there last night.
> 
> looks really nice tho. be sure to post pics of the frogs when they come home!
> 
> -brett


yea I am not sure how big it will get but it was literally the only brom I could find after going to 5 different nursery's all around Tampa (spent an entire day). Then I found the tropiflora website and had to spend another half day going to visit them. I figure if it starts to get too big I will replace it. I will be picking the frogs up Saturday and will have pics up that night.

Andrew


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

The tank looks really good for a first attempt. Good luck with your frogs, Ron is a good guy with some great frogs. I got my imitators from him too.


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## Saviorself (Jun 29, 2010)

Tank looks great! Whats the green bushy plant?


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Saviorself said:


> Tank looks great! Whats the green bushy plant?


Thanks, it is Selaginella Krausiana 'Gold Tip'


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Just picked up my new frogs today!!! After a long day and journey home here they are....










Close up of the female...










and the male....










and a couple more


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

That's a couple of good looking frogs! Nice photography!
Doug


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks, pics are courtesy of our Christmas present (nikon d3100)


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Love the Tarapota. Great morph. Next time you go to Tropiflora, ask for pups. They are cheaper and tend to grow in better. You can get more that way.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks, good to know about the broms at tropiflora. If I am ever allowed to get another tank going I will try that.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Frogtofall said:


> Love the Tarapota. Great morph. Next time you go to Tropiflora, ask for pups. They are cheaper and tend to grow in better. You can get more that way.


I got some Neo. 'Mo Peppa' from then in pots that I just ripped out, cleaned the dirt off and mounted to the background. They're doing perfectly fine. They just didn't grow roots as fast as the pups I also got. Anyways, beautiful looking Tarapotas! They're very vibrant.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Mitch said:


> I got some Neo. 'Mo Peppa' from then in pots that I just ripped out, cleaned the dirt off and mounted to the background. They're doing perfectly fine. They just didn't grow roots as fast as the pups I also got. Anyways, beautiful look Tarapotas! They're very vibrant.


Pups are better bc they are younger so they have not fully acclimated to the environment. This makes them ideal for viv situations. Full grown plants do fine but tend to have shorter life spans and the ones that are grown hard tend not to acclimate to stagnant, low light viv conditions as readily as pups.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks for the info Antone, always something new to learn.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

While I was at work tonight my fiance heard the male calling. She saw both of them checking out one of the film canisters. Of course by the time I came home he had stopped.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Here is a quick video of the male calling from a brom at the top of the tank.


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

I came home from work today and this was waitning for me...



















not sure if they have been ferilized yet.


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## bkm (Sep 14, 2010)

very cool! good luck with them!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Took em long enough!


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## frogman824 (Aug 10, 2005)

Congrats on the eggs. They look to be molding over, but it's a start. How old are they?


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## btcope (Jan 7, 2009)

luuucccckkyyyyyy! that was fast! how long have they been in the viv?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Very nice! Good luck with them


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## madran2 (Mar 22, 2010)

very Nice!


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the comments guys! It felt like it took forever for them to finally start laying eggs. I have only had them for a little under two months. I am not sure if I should let them care for the tads in the beginning or just pull them and try my hand at it. (they will be my first)


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

This is why Imitators are the best! Not 48hrs after getting mine, the female dropped three on one of my broms. Goodluck!


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## Alpha Pro Breeders (Oct 13, 2008)

bossman47 said:


> Just picked up my new frogs today!!! After a long day and journey home here they are....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I missed this thread, those are some good looking frogs!!!
Congrats on the eggs too, I'm sure they'll have beautiful babies.
Ron
Alpha Pro Breeders


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## bossman47 (Jun 9, 2010)

Hey Ron, thanks! It looks like those eggs are not going to make it. Hopefully I will have some more in there soon. I would appreciate any advice you could give me on raising them. Do you normally pull the eggs or let the parents raise them?


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## Alpha Pro Breeders (Oct 13, 2008)

They'll figure it out and you'll have more than you know what to do with. I normally pull the eggs, if I want to slow them down i'll pull just before they start to break free.
Ron
Alpha Pro Breeders


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