# Simple 10gal w/ D.auratus



## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

My ten gallon housing a D. auratus. Camera sucks, sorry.

Couple weeks ago with ugly leaf litter











Today with new leaf litter and nice plant growth...I have a small plant in the back that grows mostly around the floor but is gaining lots of height in certain areas. New leafs sprout on all my plants very quickly and they are rooting like hell, can't wait until it grows into a full-out jungle ;-). Believe me, it looks much better in person.


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## Freeradical53 (Jan 25, 2008)

Nice easy set up..sometimes I think we overdo things a bit.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Nicely done. I bet he likes it in there.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

I think he does, he never even uses the coconut hut which is cool. I know it isn't much at all, but it's still exciting to see the plants grow and do whatever they please.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Two pics I snapped just a few minutes ago. He realized four flies (see in pic) were hanging out on a leaf above him, so he made a long hike to try and get them, only to realize he'd have to wait for them to fall before he could snatch them since it was too far.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

He's really beautiful. Nice pics.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Thank you!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Is that a costa rican?


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

I really don't know . Was just labeled in the store as D auratus and I'm new to all this!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah just don't breed it then  unless the store gives you reliable background info


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Haha I won't breed it...it looks like a Costa Rican after google image search...


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Oh hey you're in Queens, which store did you get it at?


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

I got it at Fauna in Manhattan . Every single thing in the store was top notch. I read a bunch of great reviews about it, and although the employee didn't know every single thing (like how old the frog was, he speculated a few months), he was very helpful and knowledgeable.

http://www.faunanyc.com/


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Just a little update, used my brothers Rebel. Plants are growing nicely, gonna have to trim the one on the left. On the right you can see a big yellow leaf, shame that it had to die for whatever reason, as the others around it are healthy. I really need to start cleaning the walls of the tank.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

He is a beautiful little frog. Seems comfy in his tank.


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## JrayJ (Mar 11, 2010)

Damn! Them plants grew fast in just a lil bit of time.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

I know, I'm pretty excited.


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## jlb (Oct 15, 2006)

Thanks for the updates! Keep them coming. Clean, neatly executed tank.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Hey guys, just an update. Nothing has changed really except that I removed the plant from the front left, and angled a floor plant out from the back so it could root along the open space where the other plant was. Pothos have grown lke crazy, philos in the back have made their way all the way to the back left.










This is the back left of the tank. See the philodendron? It was originally planted on the far right of the tank. It's incredible how far it'll root and grow. I love it.










This is just to give you an idea of density on the right side of the tank.










Didn't realize the dying leaf until after I uploaded the photo!

Nothing special, but my frog seems to love it. Sorry that she (found out it was female, if you hadn't read my other thread) isn't in the pic; she gets scared when I come right up to it (unless I'm feeding). Personally, I love it too. One thing though is I could use a little more wood because my frog seems to enjoy making her way up to the top of the pieces currently in there.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Nick, beautiful tank and frog.
Makes me kind of sad, many years ago I had Auratus- just couldn`t take the shyness compared to my Leucs. and Azuerus and I gave them away.
They are truely great frogs and I hope you enjoy him/her.

John


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Enlightened Rogue said:


> Nick, beautiful tank and frog.
> Makes me kind of sad, many years ago I had Auratus- just couldn`t take the shyness compared to my Leucs. and Azuerus and I gave them away.
> They are truely great frogs and I hope you enjoy him/her.
> 
> John


Thanks John, I appreciate that. While an auratus is the only dart I have ever owned, the shyness doesn't quite bother me. She is actually rather active, just gets all riled up when I come close to the tank, which is fine. I can observe her while she eats without a problem, and that is the most entertaining for me anyway. I am enjoying her, and am actually thinking of upgrading to a 20 gallon and adding a male in the summer. I'd do it now, but my funds are focused on a ten gallon planted aquarium .

Thanks again for the compliments.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Even my Leucs. and Azureus which I`ve had for almost 6 yrs. still freak out at times when they see me.
Yours looks like it didn`t mind having it`s picture taken!!
Awesome.

John


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## Kantix (Nov 5, 2010)

He looks very healthy, nice set up.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Kantix said:


> He looks very healthy, nice set up.


Thanks! 

10char


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## frogmanroth (May 23, 2006)

ChrisK said:


> Is that a costa rican?


I was wondering the same thing? What kind is it?


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## HeatherW (Oct 25, 2010)

I just got 4 g/b auratus and they seem fairly bold, aside from one who likes to hide all day, but do seem to have periods of increased and lesser activity. They all come out once the lights come on and stay out for most of the day but as soon as it hits about 7 or 8pm they are no where to be found.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

HeatherW said:


> I just got 4 g/b auratus and they seem fairly bold, aside from one who likes to hide all day, but do seem to have periods of increased and lesser activity. They all come out once the lights come on and stay out for most of the day but as soon as it hits about 7 or 8pm they are no where to be found.


Same with mine! I feed her around 5PM everyday (except Tuesday), and I notice that she is actively hunting flies until about 7:30, and then will stay hidden until the next morning. My lights go off ~9:30PM and then click back on at ~1:30PM, so it is pretty cool behavior. It's almost as if she's preparing for the light to go off.

Good luck with your auratus'!

As for my exact morph, I really don't know. The employee did not know either (owner wasn't around the day I was there). I'd love for someone on here to give me an ID.


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## HeatherW (Oct 25, 2010)

If you have not already check out the link I posted. Just something I ran across doing my research.

Dendrobates auratus Morphguide


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Okay, I was getting tired of the way my tank looked, so I did a little rescape today. I placed a rock in that I no longer had room for in my planted aquarium, and removed a lot of the pothos. I want the philodendron to be dominant; I'm trying to phase out the pothos, because for some reason I just don't like the way it looks anymore and it also keeps dying. I rooted up a "viney" plant (no idea of the name) and placed it on top of the new rock so that it can start to attach itself. Please excuse the dirtiness of the side and back walls, I never really bother to clean it. I was also going to remove the coco-hut from the back right, but my frog has been using it a lot lately to sleep in at night. 

I know my viv isn't as spectacular as other people on here, but I tend to like to keep it simple.


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## dtfleming (Dec 27, 2010)

Your viv looks great


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## got2envy (Jan 7, 2011)

Makes me want to set up a simple Viv...looks awesome!

very happy little girl in there


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Thank you.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Hey guys, how's everyone doing? Just took a couple shots...

Here's my auratus creeping for flies. I couldn't get too close because she hops off right when I open the lid. Didn't want to mist the dirt off her since she was in the middle of searching for food.










Not too good but I thought it was funny that the flies were having a little meeting.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Hehe nice shots. I really think she is one of the most beautiful auratus I've seen.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Wow, that really means a lot. Thanks!


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## Arpeggio (Jan 15, 2011)

I love how dense it is! She's a beauty =]


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Glad you like the density; the philodenrons are really taking over in the middle of the tank. I took two more pics since a tiny bit more has grown in since last time. One of these days I'll get around to cleaning the side and back walls, sorry about that. Don't confuse those brown leaves for dying ones, they are newly growing. While it may not be as intense as other vivs on this forum, one thing I tried to achieve was more of a "jungle-floor" type look...lots of cover at a low height, then an open area in the front which I like to call the "drop-off" zone for flies. That way, my frog always knows where food will be delivered when she's most hungry. When a plant is growing too tall, I trim it and plant it in a less dense area of the tank. The pothos is pretty much phasing its way out of the tank, as the I lose a stem/leaf once every month it seems. I don't mind one plant being dominant, though. 

One question: Should you ever replace the soil? I know the bag says to replace every 6 months, but what are you to do with all of your roots, rip them up? A lot of the soil has been displaced as the roots overtook the entire vivarium, so I am going to have to add some more in certain areas to cover the roots.


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## aliciaface (Jul 11, 2010)

Love the setup man! 

tip on cleaning glass - lemon juice! found that very useful bit from one of the members on here, works like a charm, even on heavily waterstained areas.

i have 2 auratus as well, and one is much more bold than the other, not sure why, but the smaller of the two is always hanging out in plain view during the day.

do you have more leaf litter you could add in? mine hate being dirty so i always make sure to really cover everything in a layer or two of crunched up magnolia

best of luck and im sure youll get hooked!


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I think as long as your soil is draining into the drainage layer (and you syphon off the excess from the drainage), I wouldn't worry about it. At least until it looks broken down and yucky. I give my tanks a sniff test to see how they're doing. Mostly they just smell like wet plants.

You know, a nice thick leaf litter would look nice in there 

eta: Oops sorry, didn't see that aliciaface had already mentioned the leaf litter. Not meaning to badger you. Really not meaning to Honey Badger you!


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Ha, I used to have a nice layer of leaves but they all broke down. Some still remain, but I haven't gotten around to collecting new leaves yet (since I live in NYC). Personally, I like the look of substrate without leaves, but I am aware of the litter benefit to frogs.

EDIT: If you look closely in my avatar, or in earlier pics to this thread, you'll see she's on leaf litter! Lol


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

frogface said:


> I think as long as your soil is draining into the drainage layer (and you syphon off the excess from the drainage), I wouldn't worry about it. At least until it looks broken down and yucky. I give my tanks a sniff test to see how they're doing. Mostly they just smell like wet plants.
> 
> You know, a nice thick leaf litter would look nice in there
> 
> eta: Oops sorry, didn't see that aliciaface had already mentioned the leaf litter. Not meaning to badger you. Really not meaning to Honey Badger you!


Lol don't worry about it! Thanks for the soil advice!


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## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

dont be worried if after about a month or two you start seeing less activity as she gets settled in, by the way she is a BEAUTY, an nice tone of green and a WONDERFUL pattern


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Dendroguy said:


> dont be worried if after about a month or two you start seeing less activity as she gets settled in, by the way she is a BEAUTY, an nice tone of green and a WONDERFUL pattern


I can't wait to tell my girlfriend of all the praise the frog is getting; she got me her for my birthday. Best gift, ever.


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

have you thought about a background? clay would look really nice in there and i bet the philodendron would root and climb all over it. looks great btw, nice and simple


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

In the past I have, but it has slipped away from me. Lately, all of my time is going into my planted aquarium. I had been out of the fish hobby for over a year (and was deeply in love with it), so I feel like an alcoholic who sobered up and had his first drink again now that I finally have an aquarium up and running. When summer comes around and I am working, I am going to most likely buy a 20 gallon to put the auratus in and really do something different.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Holy Cow your pilea that you removed was rooting like crazy and grew like a weed. I've got the exact same one, but instead of rooting it flowered right away. What are the conditions in the tank (heat, humidity, lighting and for how long, etc).

Your tank grew out so quickly I'm surprised. Everything must be really happy in there.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

PeanutbuttER said:


> Holy Cow your pilea that you removed was rooting like crazy and grew like a weed. I've got the exact same one, but instead of rooting it flowered right away. What are the conditions in the tank (heat, humidity, lighting and for how long, etc).
> 
> Your tank grew out so quickly I'm surprised. Everything must be really happy in there.


Ah, so that's what that plant was called? I HATED it, it looked like a monster plant with all of the roots growing out of it. Conditions are 68-75*F, 75-90% humidity, 8.5 hr lighting schedule with a standard 6700K (I believe) 15W flur. bulb.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Marconis said:


> Ah, so that's what that plant was called? I HATED it, it looked like a monster plant with all of the roots growing out of it. Conditions are 68-75*F, 75-90% humidity, 8.5 hr lighting schedule with a standard 6700K (I believe) 15W flur. bulb.


I can see why, all rooty and nasty like that. I wonder why it did that though since I have nearly identical conditions. Only difference is more watts and a longer day cycle.

I actually love mine though. The way it's growing makes it easy to jump on and around, the leaves are sturdy enough to handle a frog's weight easily, and the texture of the leaves is unique. When the frogs are on it it reminds me of cats on one of those "kitty towers". It flowered within a couple weeks of being put into my viv which is a plus.

Here's a pic of the flowers. Little pink/pearly things.


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## Marconis (Jul 11, 2010)

Wow, that's really nice! I wish mine had looked like that!


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