# southern variabilis



## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

i came to the conclusion i have 1.2. today i found 6 eggs which none are good. even though none are good, im still pretty excited. any good advice on removing tads from film canisters withought damaging them?


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Congrats on the eggs! By far by favorite Ranitomeya.

Take a film canister and cut it into thirds, then put each piece in it's own film can. This way, when they lay eggs in the film canister, you simply remove the cut up piece and replace!


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

that sounds awesome... im trying to visualize this. when i cut it up, do i cut the back piece too? do i insert the back piece in first? any pics? thank you for responding


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Yep The back too. It's basically like fitting a film canister inside another film canister but it's only about 1/3 of it. 

Also, for southerns, they seem to lay best in film canisters that are at the mid level of the tank, tilted at a 45 degree angle, and about half filled with water.


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

mine laid in a black versus the white. the location they used was about 3/4 to the top. i know i have one male because he eas calling like crazy and the other two followed him. so im guessing 1.2. so basically when i seperate the canister in thirds i place one in each canister? they pretty much lay on the bottom thus when the eggs are layed they're laied on that piece? you wouldnt happen to have a pic? thanks for your help



thedude said:


> Yep The back too. It's basically like fitting a film canister inside another film canister but it's only about 1/3 of it.
> 
> Also, for southerns, they seem to lay best in film canisters that are at the mid level of the tank, tilted at a 45 degree angle, and about half filled with water.


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Ya I've never had luck with white canisters. Yes one piece in each canister, and they always lay on the bottom. Sorry I don't have a picture.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

I use a black film cans with a white insert(the 1/3 trick described above). I like using the white parts as inserts for non-imitator species because the dark eggs show up better. I've had tons of success with my southern's this way.

When the eggs are ready to be pulled, I like to let them develop a little in the viv, I place them in a 4oz deli cup with a bit of tad tea in the bottom, trying to maintain the same angle as in the viv.

Once the tads start hatching, I gently wash them out into individual 16 oz deli cups where they grow out. I find if you let the eggs go long enough in the viv, you'll likely find dad transporting. My male southern likes nothing more than to flaunt a tad as a reminder of an egg clutch I've missed or forgotten to pull in time. In fact he has 2 on his back right now.


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

ZookeeperDoug said:


> I use a black film cans with a white insert(the 1/3 trick described above). I like using the white parts as inserts for non-imitator species because the dark eggs show up better. I've had tons of success with my southern's this way.


Finally, a use for all these damn white film cans I couldn't use before  Not sure why I never thought about using them as inserts.


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## FrogBoyMike (Aug 25, 2012)

The inserts are a great idea! this would also work on amazonicus correct?


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

FrogBoyMike said:


> The inserts are a great idea! this would also work on amazonicus correct?


Yep they work on every species that lays in film canisters...


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

great advice, going to take a part some clear ones.


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

it figures, now that i have some extra canisters that have been cut up into 3rds. they haven't laid since lol


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## heckler (Dec 28, 2011)

Just curious, but are the white canisters a smaller diameter than the black canisters or do you have to do a little work to make them into an insert?


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

they seemed the same size to me, and no extra work. they slid right in.


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