Can you handle poison dart frogs

As stated above, a drainage layer is a must to prevent the substrate from stagnating and developing bad bacteria due to their high humidity demands.

The drainage layer should be topped with a screen protector to prevent substrate from mixing in. Utilizing both a dwarf species of isopod, such as dwarf whites, and a larger species, such as dairy cows or powder blues along with tropical springtails and BioShot works wonders breaking down waste, aerating the substrate, keeping mold in check and serving as a secondary food source for dart frogs.

Sphagnum moss should be used to help maintain humidity and an abundance of leaf litter should be provided for all dart frogs, as they often seek refuge under the leaves. Magnolia is the recommended leaf litter for dart frogs due to the large size serving as shelter and the longer time it takes to break down.

There is nothing like building your own slice of the jungle to keep in the comfort of your home. Plants and lots of cover are key to keeping dart frogs happy and healthy. Cork tubes and flats will be appreciated by the frogs and can double as mounting sites for epiphytic plants such as bromeliads and tillandsias.

Nut pods are always an excellent addition as well, as they break down very slowly, attract springtails by the hundreds, so having them in an enclosure makes it easier to get a visual of how well the springtail population is doing and serve as secondary water sources. Diet is often considered the most difficult aspect of keeping dart frogs. They must be fed live, tiny insects which can be difficult to source. Most keepers use flightless fruit flies and springtails as dietary staples.

It can be easy to learn how to culture fruit flies at home which ensures you always have food available and allows you to save money not having to buy pre-made cultures. Other feeder options include extra small black soldier fly larvae, bean beetles, fruit fly larvae, rice flour beetles and pinhead crickets for larger species.

Feeding schedule and amount depends on the age, species and amount of dart frogs being housed, but generally speaking, juveniles should be fed at least times a week and adults If you are not seeing any flies left, increase the amount and if there are just a few here and there, you are right on the money! Supplementation is paramount when keeping dart frogs. Just like with diet, variety is key with supplements as well. It can be beneficial to rotate supplements as many of them derive their nutrient content from different sources, thus get absorbed and utilized differently by the frogs.

Repashy Calcium Plus is a staple supplement in the hobby. Rep-Cal with D3, Herptivite and DendroCare are good options to add into your supplement rotation as well. Vitamin A is an important supplement for dart frogs, particularly when breeding, however, they can overdose on it, so I recommend supplementing with Repashy Vitamin A Plus and SuperPig once monthly for maintenance. Vitamin A should never be used more than once weekly.

All supplements will start to lose their efficacy once opened, so they will last longer if refrigerated, but should be replaced after 6 months to maintain potency.

In conclusion, if you are up to the challenge of maintaining a high humidity enclosure and a steady supply of fruit fly cultures, poison dart frogs can be an exquisite addition to your home or office. Their personalities can be quite entertaining, their beauty is second to none and their enclosure brings a piece of the rainforest inside. Shopping Cart. My Account. Welcome to The Bio Dude! Login Create Account. Reptile and Amphibian Caresheets with cited veterinary and herpetology sources.

How do I create a BioActive vivarium? The science behind the soils. Bio-activity with your pets - How does it work with mine? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Choose at least a 10 US gal 38 L tank for frogs. You need to provide a safe, relatively large space for these frogs to feel at home in.

A 10 US gal 38 L tank is a good size for frogs. For every additional frog, add 10 US gal 38 L to the tank size. This traps in the humidity that the frogs need to thrive. Some frogs do better living alone, while others prefer company. Add a substrate that holds moisture without ponding. To help trap humidity in the tank, start by adding a 2 in 5. Then, add a water-permeable substrate barrier cloth, followed by 2 in 5. Scatter some dried leaves over the top.

If water builds up in the pebbles, you can use a turkey baster to suck it up from the corners. The top layers of substrate above the pebbles will need to be replaced every months, or when you notice a foul odor or mold growth.

Install plants and hiding spots. Once you lay the substrate, it helps the frogs feel more at home if you add plants. The plants will grow into the moss or coconut fiber and help keep the terrarium humid. When choosing which plants to add, keep in mind they need to be rainforest native and able to handle high levels of humidity. Bromeliads and orchids are examples of plants that will thrive in this setting. You can add fake plants as well, but these won't help with maintaining the humidity.

Provide hiding spots where the frogs can go at night or when they want to be reclusive. Obtain a UV light to set on top of the tank, not a heat lamp. The UV light is beneficial for the growth of both the plants and the frogs. It also allows you to spot any buildup of mold easier, along with more lighting for you to view your beautiful new terrarium and frogs!

Add a hygrometer to track humidity, and a water bowl if needed to increase humidity. Poison dart frogs are very sensitive to the humidity level. Install a hygrometer which measures relative humidity so that you can keep a close eye on the moisture content inside the enclosure. For an additional humidity boost, add a low-sided bowl to the terrarium and fill it with 0. Track the temperature with a thermometer, and use a heating pad if necessary. As with humidity, poison dart frogs are quite sensitive to air temperature.

Mist the terrarium daily with dechlorinated water. Spraying the tank regularly increases the humidity and recreates a rainforest habitat for the frogs. Use distilled water or add dechlorinating drops to tap water—frogs in general are sensitive to chlorine. Fill an empty spray bottle with the water and mist the whole tank thoroughly, times per day or more depending on what is needed to maintain the humidity level. Release springtails or isopods into the substrate soil, if desired. Springtails are classified as hexapods and isopods are classified as crustaceans.

These tiny critters will help clean bacteria and stool out of the soil, keeping it cleaner for longer. Most of the time they will form a culture that is, reproduce on their own but the frogs will also eat them as snacks.

This is an optional step. The frogs will get their main source of nutrition from the feedings of live insects you need to provide.

You can get live springtails and isopods delivered to you from a feeder insect retailer, or you may find them at an exotic pet retailer. Clean the enclosure every months, or when needed. For this reason, always treat your tap water with a water conditioner like reptisafe or similar water dechlorination agent.

Spring water or RO reverse osmosis is great as well. Remember this when filling foggers and misting systems with water. Any water that comes into contact with your frogs needs to be clean, dechlorinated water. The use of plants and branches are recommended as they provide hiding places for your poison-dart frogs. Generally, the more hiding places you have the more comfortable your frogs feel.

Tropical plants that do well in high humidity are your best options for this type of setup. Also, the size of your dart frog matters.

The bigger and heavier they are, the more easily they will crush your plants. As for branches, you can use a variety of woods found in your local pet store. I created a post on popular terraria wood to help you get started.

Due to their small size, dart frogs are limited to what they can eat. You need to provide them with a decent number of small feeder insects. The most economical choice is fruit flies. Pinhead crickets are another great option. They should be fed a nutritional diet 24 — 48 hours before giving them to your frogs. Springtails and Isopods serve as a food source as well. They break down decaying plant matter, droppings, etc. They tunnel through the substrate creating air pockets which in-turn helps your plants grow healthy.

The main purpose is to provide your pet frogs with enough food to keep them healthy while not overfeeding them. A good starting point is to feed an adult dart frog 75 — fruit flies every other day or 3 times per week. Again, this is a starting point. I recommend trying this and monitor how many flies go uneaten. If a lot of flies go uneaten, decrease the amount you give them the next feeding. If your frogs quickly eat all the flies every time you feed them, consider increasing the number of flies at the next meal.

Simply use this method to determine the right amount of food to give your frogs. Juvenile poison dart frogs will eat around 40 — 50 fruit flies every other day. You can feed them daily 20 — 25 per day if you prefer. In the wild, amphibians consume a large variety of insects to meet their nutritional needs. Handling dart frogs is generally frowned upon.

It created unwanted stress for your treasured little pets. Spot cleaning their habitat is fine and even occasionally moving your frog into a small container is okay. After all, you may need to deep clean their enclosure once in a while and the best way to do this is by placing your frogs in a separate container while you clean their tank. Join our Newsletter! We take your privacy seriously!

No spam, we promise. See our Privacy Policy. Its actually a blue Dendrobates auratus, which are typically green. A thermostat is a device that helps control the temperature. It works by turning a heating element on or off depending on the temperature!

A thermometer simply reads the temperature and outputs it on a display! Whether or not you need a thermostat depends on your situation and if you need a heating element to turn on at a certain temperature and shut off at a certain temperature! I hope this helps.