# Red Galactontus started breeding!



## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

My favorite frog has finally bred for me.

I have waited for over a year on this group of seven to breed. My first group of four is still not breeding. That group of non breeding red galacs I have had since Oct 2009.

Anyway, this newer group of seven that I acquired about a year ago is going great guns. This group is now two years old and with the last heavy rains we had here in Portland Oregon has sent them into a frenzy! Females pinning smaller males to the ground and males were calling like crazy! 

I did not expect any eggs, as my other group of four that is a year older and in the same room have done nothing, but occasionally call. BUT, yesterday I noticed a blob on a leaf and looked at it closer. Turned out to be a blob of 5 eggs. Laid out in the open, I would guess the day before. I then checked out the hut and found inside, three developed eggs that are getting to tadpole stage. I would guess them at a week old. So I know I have at least a pair out of the seven. 

I hope this breeding continues. My orange galacs next to them have been calling like crazy too, so I think this may have set them off. Temps have increased a couple of degrees this last week and I have started misting occasionally. 

Any tips? I have bred several other dart frogs, so have good experience. I am crazy thrilled that this happened with such a rare dart frog.

Marc


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## Tadbit (Jul 16, 2010)

Congrats! Please keep us posted on the progress, and don't forget the pics.

I love Red Galacs!


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Yay! Congratulations!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Congrats! The hobby could use a few more of those!


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## illinoisfrogs (Apr 16, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> Congrats! The hobby could use a few more of those!


agreed....those are cool frogs on the "wish list"


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## ErickG (Nov 28, 2004)

Congrats!

Mine have started, as well. The last clutch was 10 eggs. Luckily, i caught it before the other female(s) got to them. I have a small group of 4 in an 18" cube . Now I wonder how many more I would have gotten with the other clutches had I gotten to them sooner. On that note, 
I would suggest just keeping an eye on that. They're seasonal breeders, so definitely take advantage of this spurt!


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

Congrats! Let me know when you want me to come pick them up.


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

ErickG said:


> Congrats!
> 
> Mine have started, as well. The last clutch was 10 eggs. Luckily, i caught it before the other female(s) got to them. I have a small group of 4 in an 18" cube . Now I wonder how many more I would have gotten with the other clutches had I gotten to them sooner. On that note,
> I would suggest just keeping an eye on that. They're seasonal breeders, so definitely take advantage of this spurt!


Thanks for this information.

I finally took the original three tadpoles/eggs out of the parents tank. I could tell one male was taking good care of them. I have one that started hatching out, so thought it was time.

I just got another clutch laid of 6 eggs today. I left it in their tank and did not pull it. Maybe I should pull it out, but have seen no evidence of egg eating. The other eggs laid out in the open, were not touched, nor were the other three in the hut. For safety I guess I should pull them. 

Are galac females known for eating eggs?


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

Tony said:


> Congrats! Let me know when you want me to come pick them up.


I am just so glad this is happening. Not sure what the outcome will be as far as sls and such. I have read you are having great success with your tree frogs.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Congratulations. That is definately a large group of frogs you have. Glad to see that you are having success with a very beautiful type of frog.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

im in the same boat, this rain has brought my male to start calling for the first time ive heard. got me pretty excited, but i still doubt ill see eggs for a while. and yes females are known to eat eggs.


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## Thetrooper81 (Mar 21, 2011)

Hi guys! Glad to hear all the good news! 
Here in the "rainy" UK we are having an incredibly dry and hot spring, so no storms or rain basically! The quick spell of bad weather on Sunday made my male tinc call for a good hour but that was basically the end of the activity!! Sigh...can't believe I'm actually wishing for a real period of bad weather to get my (hopefully) pair of orange galacs going!!


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

My galacs just laid two more sets of eggs. I now know I have at least two males. I think I have a 2.5 group. I am still letting the fourth in line set of eggs, be cared for in the tank. My male for each group of eggs seem to be very attentive. I found out there was another set of eggs that was hidden, as I found a very large tad deposited in the water dish! So I'm up to 4 tads now, plus three more sets of eggs that are developing in the tank. 

I had added a second coco hut a couple of days ago and that ended up with two sets of eggs deposited in it. I added a third coco hut today and hope there will be even more eggs deposited in it too. 

My other group of four are calling more and I did see some wrestling going on now too! I'm misting two times a day and feeding every day now. Wish me luck.


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## Chris155hp (Mar 17, 2010)

Me too out me on that wish list


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi,

I've got a good breeding season going so far. I have 27 tadpoles hatched out. I hope they keep it up, but the last couple of times they laid, they are laying fewer eggs. Just 1 egg in one clutch and 3 in the other. So I guess they may be winding down after about a month and a half. The tadpoles are all big and healthy looking. Any advice on what to feed them? I am feeding tadpole bites and there is java moss to graze on too.


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

Marc said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've got a good breeding season going so far. I have 27 tadpoles hatched out. I hope they keep it up, but the last couple of times they laid, they are laying fewer eggs. Just 1 egg in one clutch and 3 in the other. So I guess they may be winding down after about a month and a half. The tadpoles are all big and healthy looking. Any advice on what to feed them? I am feeding tadpole bites and there is java moss to graze on too.


I've heard more than a few times that carotenoid supplementation in the tadpole stage can lead to better coloration (particularly reds) later in life.. I'm not quite sure how valid that is but I have a bag of Repashy Superpig for my adults so I feed it to the tads 2x/week or so, they take it readily (not as the staple of their diet of course.. just extra supp.). 

Tadpole bites are a good start, I usually just feed whatever I have on hand for my fish (NLS pellets/flakes, crushed Omega One shrimp pellets, DBSE, enriched brine, etc)... they eat it all and they come out healthy. 

Cliffnotes- Galact tads need high protein diets & variety never hurts.


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

^^<------wishlist


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

Glad to hear that they are doing so well for you.


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

Just got two more sets of eggs, of five eggs each. Guess they are not done breeding yet. Great!


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

Three are now pushing out front legs. NO spindly! Lucky me on my first three. The color is still dark, but I can see the biggest one is starting to get red on it's back. I just love to watch any dart tadpole turning into froglet (with tail) color up as is gets it's front legs.


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

I thought I would show a few tadpole development shots. The last one in the spoon came from the tadpoles in 2nd picture of tadpoles. He was from an earlier laying about a week before and had hatched out already. You can see him as a black blog to the right side of the pictures. I have had no problem with egg eating so far. It seems the eggs develop better when left in the tank with their parents. I generally only take the tadpoles out when they are ready to hatch, or the pair have laid a second batch of eggs on the same egg laying site.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Marc said:


> Three are now pushing out front legs. NO spindly! Lucky me on my first three. The color is still dark, but I can see the biggest one is starting to get red on it's back. I just love to watch any dart tadpole turning into froglet (with tail) color up as is gets it's front legs.


Big congrats to you!


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## stu&shaz (Nov 19, 2009)

congrats also,especially on perservering with them after your first batch did not go so well,keep posting we have always loved these. There are very few here in the uk,how shy do you find yours and what temperatures do you keep them at? could we have have a fts and some pics of the adults please
thanks
well done 
Stu


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

stu&shaz said:


> congrats also,especially on perservering with them after your first batch did not go so well,keep posting we have always loved these. There are very few here in the uk,how shy do you find yours and what temperatures do you keep them at? could we have have a fts and some pics of the adults please
> thanks
> well done
> Stu


Stu,

Sorry about the delay. My temps are 78-80 for breeding. Mine are always out and begging for food. They are not shy. The tank is not heavily planted,but does have very broad leaved plants in it. I hand mist (if I remember) around 4pm which is the hottest part of the day. I will try to get pictures of my tank up. 

They are still breeding and I have three froglets on land. The froglets grow really fast too. I have had some froglets with spindly. I know spindly is a issue with red galacts and was warned about this from other breeders. That is, the first years babies from new pairs/groups will have this issue.

Marc


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

I have a 1.4.0 group. Noticed egg eating for the first time this breeding season. I too had the same problem with the eggs going bad if I pulled them before the tads were ready. To solve the problem I put them in a GLAD storage container and spray with methylene blue. I then put the GLAD container in a shoe box. I put them in the back corner of a closet and leave em alone till the tads are ready.


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

With the fall/winter rains my other group of four have FINALLY started breeding. This group is over 2 years old. I thought they were a lost cause. 

I found a clutch of 5 bad eggs in a film canistor and a clutch of 1 (bad egg) in the coco hut this am. Both had been there for about a week I would guess. After discovering these new infertile eggs, I decided to mist and feed heavily. That seemed to do the trick. They have been wrestling and pinning each other down all afternoon. I will look for eggs tomorrow, as this fighting always proceeds egg laying. 

My first group that started breeding is still giving me eggs here and there. Maybe this group of four will now pick up the slack going into winter.


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

Update...

Here are some current pictures of my two month old babies:

These red galacts are putting on size now. These guys in the pictures are around 2 months old. Note that these red galacts do not turn fully red, until they are at the 3-4 month mark. Until that point they are a orange y color. (Third fuzzy picture is the true color they are at right now at 2 months of age). 

My older 4+ months old ones are now as red as their parents. I do not color feed.

I love the different markings of colors on each individual frog. Some have almost solid red/orange color back legs, or just the "knees" marked, or even no leg markings at all. The male parent of these, actually has a molted red pattern mixed with black on his back. Not the solid red splashy markings you see on a lot of red galacts. I see a few of his offspring are marked like him too. So looks like some very handsome offspring from my group that bred in 2011.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Nice work Marc, and they are very handsome indeed. It seems there a few successful galactonotus breeders in the northwest. I have wondered if your rainy weather has a positive impact.

Thanks for the updates
Sally


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## Marc (Feb 3, 2008)

srrrio said:


> Nice work Marc, and they are very handsome indeed. It seems there a few successful galactonotus breeders in the northwest. I have wondered if your rainy weather has a positive impact.
> 
> Thanks for the updates
> Sally


I really can't figure out rhyme or reason with these as far as breeding. I have had them breed during rainy periods, and then also during cold dry periods. They start breeding and then stop on a dime. Really one of the most puzzling dart frogs as far as breeding. 

I have one group of four that started breeding after 3 years with no fertile eggs at all and then stop laying after 6 or 7 attempts. This other group started breeding and then after producing fertile eggs, stopped breeding also. In fact they stopped breeding during the wettest part of the year. 

These are not a easy galact to get to breed, like the yellow and black galact or the orange and black galact. More comparable to the solid orange galact as far as difficulty in getting to breed.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Marc said:


> I really can't figure out rhyme or reason with these as far as breeding. I have had them breed during rainy periods, and then also during cold dry periods. They start breeding and then stop on a dime. Really one of the most puzzling dart frogs as far as breeding.


 I really have found the puzzling part with my orange 95% as well , they have been my most frustrating group of frogs 4 +years and counting . I hope as you suggest the juvi group of yellows I have will be easier, time will tell. Obviously I am not ready for reds!

Sally


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