# D. leucomelas-questions.



## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Hi! I have a few questions on the poison dart frog known as D. leucomelas

I have seen alot of information, but I'd like to know from someone who is keeping them or knows alot about them.

1. What should the humidity and temperuture be at?

2. Is it safe to feed them ants caught from backyard?
(assuming there are no pesticides)

3. Will one be happy in 10 gallon tank?

4. where can I buy riccia or java moss from?'

5. When feeding these guys, do you dump the food right in front of them?

6. If I use a water dish, how deep should it be?

Please post pictures of your d. leucomelas and dart frog tanks


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## adnama36 (Mar 8, 2007)

I have 2 sub-adult leucs in a 20H. Mine are great fun to watch, you'll love them!

1. I keep mine at temps in the mid-70's, and humidiy between 85-90%
2. I've never fed "wild caught" insects, so I'll let someone else tackle that one! I (and most people) feed primarily fruit flies, which are super easy to culture.
3. One might be ok in a 10, although mine like to climb so much, a 20 or more would be better!
4. I think Brian's Tropicals (a DB sponsor) has had both lately...check out the sponsors' pages or the classified section.
5. When I feed mine, they see me coming and go to where the flies are, no matter where I dump them! They are little pigs!
6. I just have a little pond in one corner of my tank, about 1/2" deep, although I've never actually seen them use it!

I don't have a great photo of my leuc tank, but I'll see if I can get one for you!


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for all the info.



I kind of want a frog that doesn't climb the glass excessively. I mean of course they will sometimes, but my green tree frog just climbs all over the glass and gets a bit boring. So if D. leucomelas like to climb, just not on the glass, then that will be fine =)


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## adnama36 (Mar 8, 2007)

I do find mine on the glass sometimes. I also find them on the background, on the driftwood, on/in the plants, on the ground...there's not much space in the viv that they don't make use of!


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

okay thanks for sharing =)

I guess I was thinking of nocturnal frogs and how boring they are when they sleep on the glass all day long.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I have a pair that are really neat. My known male is soooo bold that he will let me get within inches of him with my hand when fiddling around with the tank. 

Mine don't climb glass very much but they will once in a while. 

Somehow I got some ants in my tank. I'm pretty sure they hitched on a plant I ordered as I saw them on it after I put it in the viv and nowhere else. They attempted to eat them but spit them out.

They are diurnal so you'll see them hopping around and not just stationary all day. To me that's a huge plus with the pdf hobby.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

You're going to love these frogs. One would do fine in a ten gallon tank, but the real fun with leucs is when they are in groups or pairs. Any chance of building a 29g viv and doing a group of 3-4?
They were my first darts, and I still can't help but watch them whenever I walk by. I have 3 pairs, and at least one male (typically 2 or all 3) are calling back and forth at each other for several hours each day. A very nice call, kind of like a canary - check out the recording on mistking.com
One of the reasons I picked them was because they can handle warmer temperatures and lower humidity than many species, and actually estivate (enter an extended period of inactivity) in the wild when it gets too hot/dry. I was in Texas at the time, living in an apartment complex with unreliable AC, and the frogs lived through temps of up to 90F on occasion without issue.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Well.I have about $200-250 to spend on it at the moment. Hoping to get a deal on the tank.


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## Riley (Sep 20, 2008)

I've never had much interest in leucs but after reading this post I'm starting to change my mind. I got a 18x18 cube that might make a nice home for a trio! Thanks


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## adnama36 (Mar 8, 2007)

zBrinks said:


> A very nice call, kind of like a canary


I have 3 male canaries who live in the room across the hall from my leucs. The first couple of times my leuc called, I thought it was one of the canaries because the call sounded so much like the beginning of a canary song!


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

People who have never been in the house before ask where the birds are when the leucs kick it into high gear


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

zBrinks said:


> [...] One of the reasons I picked them was because they can handle warmer temperatures and lower humidity than many species, and actually estivate (enter an extended period of inactivity) in the wild when it gets too hot/dry. I was in Texas at the time, living in an apartment complex with unreliable AC, and the frogs lived through temps of up to 90F on occasion without issue.


That's very good to know... We live in Arizona and sometimes the house gets a little warm (83-84) during the summer, and it can get real dry around here. We just build the habitat this last Sunday and are able to maintain humidity of 80%+ in there easily by adjusting the plastic sheet on the top- I will just make sure to gear it for 85%. 

I had quite a few herps but not frog, this is a dream come true after several years of waiting! We should get the frogs in November so I am still documenting myself. The habitat should be well started by then.
The habitat: 18x18x18
New setup for dart frogs pictures from reptiles photos on webshots


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Any pics of that terrarium
?


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## Bob S (Mar 5, 2008)

I have a group of four leucs and could not ask for more. Its been a year now and boy have they grown up. I love to hear them calling I can hear them down the hall. Just the other day I can home to her first clutch of eggs. I keep them in a 18x18x24 modified exo.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Congrats on the eggs


any pics of your leucs terrariums?


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

Not sure who you are asking Sitting Duck (for some reason we can't see what msg we reply to) but here is mine:


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> Congrats on the eggs
> 
> 
> any pics of your leucs terrariums?


Here's mine. 2 leucs in a 44 gallon pentagon corner tank.


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

Jim, that is a one of the nicest looking tanks I have seen. I love all the different levels.
Candy


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

divingne1 said:


> Jim, that is a one of the nicest looking tanks I have seen. I love all the different levels.
> Candy


Why thank you! I've worked really hard on it. I can't wait for it to fully grow in. I also finished installing my mistking kit today


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Nice tanks! Both of you =)

Do you guys use water dishes?

Also, what size is the first terrarium (forgot name )?


edit- do either of you hand miss?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> Nice tanks! Both of you =)
> 
> Do you guys use water dishes?
> 
> ...


Gargoyle's looks like an exo terra 18" cube.

I do not have a water bowl and never used one with my dart frogs. However I traded my leucs and azureus for a group of E anthony SI's. I received a couple "pods" from a fellow board member and I'm going to put those in since si's are very prolific. That way if/when I get eggs and I miss them the father has a spot to put the tads.

I used to mist daily by hand (not much as the tank is very sealed), but have since installed a cooling fan and some more ventilation so I went with a mistking kit.


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> Nice tanks! Both of you =)
> Do you guys use water dishes?
> Also, what size is the first terrarium (forgot name )?
> edit- do either of you hand miss?


I do not use a water dish at the moment, but I don't have frogs yet either. I am still considering it. Again, I think my husband put too much cr... in there, I like simple.

We will pull the habitat apart this weekend to adjust the water pump and remove some of the pebbles that constitute the bottom layer. I would like to try for better water circulation, I am concerned about standing water. Should I be concerned? I think some of you do no use water pumps, right? We do not have a false bottom. 

And I do hand mist in the morning and at night, for the benefits of my plants... they have not really taken in yet and i don't want them to dry out


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

So with dart frogs its either water dish, or pond/waterfall right?

Meaning there not anything like anoles (which will lick water off of leaves)


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

No, you don't need ANY standing water. As long as you mist them and the humidity is in spec they'll be fine.

They don't actually "drink" water like reptiles. They absorb it through their skin.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

I'm gone from 6-7hours every day about 7:30-2:30 so i'm hoping the humidity won't drop to much while I'm gone any ideas on how to keep humidity up?


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> I'm gone from 6-7hours every day about 7:30-2:30 so i'm hoping the humidity won't drop to much while I'm gone any ideas on how to keep humidity up?


I keep the top screen 95% covered by a plastic film to keep the humidity in, I know some use glass to do the same thing.

Did you install a humidity gauge yet?


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

no not yet, Wouldn't my light melt the plastic film?


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> no not yet, Wouldn't my light melt the plastic film?


A humidity gauge is a must. I use a digital one with a probe for the temp and a probe for the humidity.

I am using sheet protectors cut to the size of the screen and they do not melt or bow under the light.

What kind of light are you using?


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Honestly, A regular "house" lamp. The temps where I am stay 75-84 during the day(without lights) and drop to 68-72 at night.


And yes I know its a must. Sorry if I confused anyone I don't have the frogs *yet* but once i get the cage fully set up (that includes a humidity & temperature gauge) I will start searching for the frogs.


So just to be sure, I do NOT need standing water at all, If I mist and the humidity stays somewhere from 75-100s it'll be fine since they absorb water through their skin?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Yes, that is correct


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## gargoyle08 (Sep 30, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> Honestly, A regular "house" lamp.
> 
> And yes I know its a must. Sorry if I confused anyone I don't have the frogs *yet* but once i get the cage fully set up (that includes a humidity & temperature gauge) I will start searching for the frogs.


I currently use a T8 16" (I think) fluorescent light... still shopping for that 65000 T5, can't seem to find it locally. Where do you guys get yours from?

So is your light a bulb, a tube, a corkscrew?

I don't have my frogs yet, but I do have the water in there because I am trying to adjust for temps and light. I want to make sure the plants are ok before I put frogs in there. It's fine, I am still documenting myself.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Corkscrew.


I just bought a brom and a few other plants from home depot. 

Once it gets to the winter season I'll need a stronger light because it does get into the 50s (sometimes mid 40s) here.


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