Hello! I'm a dart frog breeder based in Sweden. I make in-depth tutorials on dart frog care and vivarium keeping that I hope you'll find useful if you're new to the hobby. I've kept dart frogs for the past five years and I currently keep seven different dart frog species as well as some other exotic animals.
To see more of my animal room, check out my Instagram: instagram.com/gecko_geek06/
If you ever want to use any photos or clips from my channel in your own works (i.e. not just a reupload), feel free to do so as long as you give me credit while doing so (and feel free to tag me in it so I get to see it).
6:42 I was thinking of adding that white vent screen into my fish tank on the front glass bottom top of false bottom. Then I’ll add only a small screen above this 👆 on the top
I want to have 3-4 Auratus in about a 40-48G tank but I want different morphs. I have no intention of breeding or selling eggs that end up being produced. I keep seeing things saying this is an issue but only as an integrity issue with selling eggs which I don’t intend on doing. So would it actually be an issue?
I use to have people steal my pens all the time. I’d ask for it back and they would act like they have no idea what I was talking about even with pen still in hand. I can understand his frustration but wait to sign till after the idiot who’s borrowing it does. I loved say yes you can use mine then asking for it back to finish the paper work. They would always give me this stupid look like I was trying to steal their stolen pen!
Very unlikely that you'll come across the same product (Semper Fruit Porridge) that I use, since it's only available in Scandinavia as far as I know, so you'll probably have to find a different recipe. However, the other tips and tricks that I showed are probably useful
So are there specific species that are fine to Co-hab with other dart species in like a large bioactive terrarium? Like will most of them do well with different types if they have a healthy amount of space?
@@Dubo-wabo I have a whole video dedicated to this topic. Generally, mixing species (or different locales of the same species) is never recommended to beginners, and a good rule of thumb is that if you have to ask about it, you probably shouldn’t attempt it, but in my video about mixing species, I get into the nuances more since there are cases where it can work
@@tjorben4563 I’ve once bought a hieroglyphica from bens jungle, but received a fenestralis instead. Keep an eye out on bens jungle though, they sometimes have it in stock and usually they sent the right plant
Nearly every single dart frog in the hobby is captive bred and has been for generations. In my country, Sweden, keeping any wild caught vertebrates as pets is completely illegal (I think we're only allowed to keep third generation captive breds and onwards or something like that). Given that dart frogs (at least all of the beginner friendly ones featured in this video) are very easy to breed in captivity, this has created a massive market of captive bred animals among hobbyists. This market completely outcompetes any smugglers or other frivolous actors on the scene, since there's absolutely no point in getting a wild caught Dendrobates tinctorius Azureus when there are literally thousands upon thousands of captive bred ones on the market in a healthier condition for a much cheaper price. Unless you're the first to introduce a new species to the hobby, or have a species that's very pricy and difficult to breed in large numbers (such as Oophagas), there's little to no monetary gain from selling wild caught frogs. The only case I immediately think of when wild caught frogs are sold in large quantities is Oophaga pumilio Blue Jeans imported and sold extremely cheaply in pet stores in the US (it's something I've heard a lot of people talk about, but I am by no means a trustworthy source when it comes to the US pet trade as I live across the pond), where most of them are sold to random people who don't know what they're doing. This is not something I support. Of course every frog has been taken into the hobby at some point, and that process obviously includes taking them from the wild. There are cases where this has been done ethically and unethically. It is very possible, in many cases, to collect animals without it taking a toll on the population as a whole, and there are of course plenty of legal imports. The hobby as a whole is very negative towards animals with a questionable or illegal background (there are certain morphs and species where this is the case) and generally takes a strong stance against them, even though there will unfortunately always be a black market for these species. Nowadays, many of the imported frogs (once again, the only ones that are really imported are Oophagas that are hard to breed, and they are usually bought by experienced people with the goal of breeding and further distributing them in the hobby) come from places like Tesoros de Colombia or Wikiri, which are breeding the animals themselves on-site in Colombia and Ecuador respectively, and they are certainly not threatening the wild populations (quite the opposite). Many of these frogs are also threatened by other things than collection for the pet trade. Take for example Ranitomeya fantastica True Nominal. Like many localities, its range of distribution is extremely small, and its habitat will likely be entirely destroyed in the near future, likely causing it to go extinct. In a case like that, I think it's better to have thousands of frogs in the hobby and zero in the wild than to have zero in the hobby and zero in the wild. Once again, the small number of frogs collected for the pet trade (which have then been continually bred in large numbers) is by no means responsible for the population possibly going extinct. For this specific locale, there are conservation efforts, but that's certainly not the case for all the hundreds of locales in the hobby. Unfortunately, animals bred by hobbyists could most likely never be used to replant a wild population due to the risk of spreading diseases, but having them in the hobby is certainly better than having them extinct and entirely gone from the planet.
Ein interessantes Projekt ist "Tesorros de Columbia". Die züchten unter anderem Pfeilgiftfrösche um Nachzuchten von selten Arten billiger als Wildfänge zu machen. Zur bedrohungslage bei Pfeilgiftfröschen kann man keine generelle Aussage machen. manche Arten sind Kulturfolger und profitieren von Menschen, andere Arten haben nur sehr kleine Verbeitungsgebiete und besondere Anforderungen, bei den meisten Arten ist die datenlage unklar. Generell ist zur Zeit der Chytridpilz die größte Bedrohung für Amphibien, die einzige Lösung die es da aktuell gibt ist Tiere in Gefangenschaft zu züchten um sie anschließend entweder gegen den Pilz zu imunisieren oder die Lebensräume wieder herzustellen und die Frösche neu anzusiedeln.
@@Pewpro The waiting times have been shorter than ever during the second half of this summer, but it’s about to start getting a lot longer again now unfortunately :)
I wanted to add the advice for beginners not to start with froglets that are too young. Better to invest a little more money and get a proven pair, an adult group or stable subadults. Don't buy anything less than 6 months old as a rule of thumb. If you are buying froglets or subadult frogs, buy at least 4 to minimize your chance of ending up with zero females in the end. It can be surprisingly hard to get hold of a species, or locale, again in your area. And if you are starting out with an adult pair, you could even start with Oophaga pumilio as your first species. Adults especially of the bigger locales are super hardy and robust, probably more so than most Ranitomeya species. They are bold, long lived, have an awesome call, and take care of their young. You probably shouldn't start with Dendrobates or Phyllobates if you are actually specifically into Oophaga.
Phyllobates aurotaenia is the smallest in the genus with 15mm and also the third most poisonous after bicolor and terrabilis. Phyllobates lugubris size is up to 24mm almost the smallest but not quite. Like your videos a lot! 💪☝️
Aurotaenia get far bigger than 15 mm. Every source I can find (besides Wikipedia, which claims they are the smallest in the genus citing a 1976 source) says they are somewhere in the range of 26-35mm, and when I last saw an adult in person, I remember it being around the same size as my vittatus
Absolutely incredible video, the pace and layout with the level of detail was extremely insightful. Keeping personal and anecdotal experience separate was also extremely helpful.
For most beginners, I would recommend Dendrobates tinctorius as an ideal choice. They are bold, relatively hardy, and grow to an impressive size, plus they come in a range of beautiful locality-specific color morphs. Additionally, males of this species have a quieter call, which is a bonus. However, with proper research, any dart frog species can be suitable for beginners. Each species has its unique characteristics, much like people, making the world of dart frogs both diverse and fascinating.
@@ToxicTerrariums I totally see the argument for placing tincs or terribilis at the number one spot due to their extreme boldness. You simply can’t possibly be unhappy with them
Great content as always! I created my tank with the intention of housing a group of R. Variabilis/amazonica in the future, but recently I also fell in love with some of the D. Auratus morphs. Fortunately the tank still has to grow in for a couple of months so I have some time to decide on it. On a side note: the leucomelas tank looks absolutely stunning. I really love the vibe of it!
Fantastic video. Currently have 4 Epi Antonyi and a pair of Tinc Cobalts. But looking for my 3rd viv. Definitely a bigger taller viv and stepping into more relevant planting, but still in the planning stages. Probably thumbnails as want a nice group. Thinking of some of the oomphaga though for this one
My three Leucamelas get more bold as time goes on. I wouldn’t be without them now. Great video as always; your videos are the ones I watch several times.
@Tropical_Tutorials I've had to set back my first paldarium for frogs due to an unexpected major car motor malfunction (rids are better suited inside the engine block) so I've been watching a lot of these videos, yours and others, to determine a first frog. I'm leaning towards Epipedobates anthonyi or Dendrobates leucomelas. And yes, I had to look those names up because I am no where near remembering all these proper names.
I was referring to reticulata, which I should probably have clarified, but I didn’t want to make the video too long. Mainly because of their very small size (I think it’s the smallest Ranitomeya), but also because I find them to be very uneager to eat. I know many experienced keepers who have struggled a lot with them, experiencing random deaths, high mortality in froglets etc., and I have personally lost three adults prematurely (it’s the only species of which I’ve had a significant amount of deaths that weren’t age based, one was a stupid mistake on my part because it got stuck, but the others are mysterious). The other Ranitomeyas I keep are variabilis French Guiana (which, as I said, is among the easiest thumbnails) and sirensis Contamana (which is generally a hardy and easy thumbnail species, but there’s a significant risk that they’ll be very shy, especially for the first few years)
I started with 5 Banded Leucomelas, and they are a little more shy than I was hoping for, especially for the first year. I see them out and about a lot more now, probably ~50% of the time I look in on them, but rarely more than 2-3 at a time. Then I got a pair of Blue Sipaliwini Tinc's and they're much bolder. In retrospect, I should have started with them. I got the Leuc's because I wanted a good group frog, but I think it's better starting out to have a pair of frogs you always see, than a group of frogs that hide all the time. Variabilis Southern are next on my list, or maybe Varadero's.
I had the exact same story. I started with a pair of banded leucs and got some Azureus eight months later, but wished I would've gotten them in the opposite order. Now, the leucs have grown in numbers and they are really fun to look at, but the first months when they were my only frogs and always hid weren't too interesting
Personally My Dream Frogs are Ranitomeya Variabilis, Vanzonilii, Sirensis and Imitator (I like falcutive egg feeders, and group friendly frogs). I also wouldn’t mind Getting a Dendrobates Leucomelas Banded or blue foot Cerro Autana, or Auratus Capurgana, or Trunctus Blue. If they were quieter id be interested in Epipedobates and Phyllobates (the smaller species) but I’ve given up on that idea a long time ago since my whole family often sleeps during the day.
The call of vittatus (and probably the other smaller Phyllobates) is sounds similar, but is much quieter than that of Epipedobates and larger Phyllobates. It's very comparable to all the Ranitomeyas you mention (except variabilis which is almost quiet). I sleep less than a meter away from my anthonyi tank and I have no problem sleeping through them in the morning as you quickly get used to them (it's like if you live next to a train track, and stop noticing the train sound after a while). First night when the anthonyi were calling (nightly calls are rare, but they do happen when they get excited), I slept like a baby in the same room while my dad was woken up by them two closed doors away :)
What do you think is the best beginner dart frog? And to those of you who don't have dart frogs yet, which species are you leaning on starting with? Thank you to everyone who sent in photos of your frogs for this video! This video is so much more interesting when it showcases 51 different species/localities rather than just the 7 it would've been if it only featured frogs from my collection. A list of instagram accounts and names of the contributors is in the description.
I got a 55gal tank I wanna build into a frog set up. What would be the most I could keep in a tank that size? Also if multiple are raised together as tadpoles would they still be able to co-hab?
I wouldn't want to crowd too many species in there since it's not massive. Maybe I'd consider 2 species if I did only like 2-3 of each, and in that case, I'd probably go with two terrestrial species, such as a Phyllobates and an Epipedobates (since I'm assuming it's a wide tank which isn't very tall) since that's a fairly tried and tested combo, but if you're new to the hobby, I'd probably start with one species that you can keep in a group. If you keep a group of only a single group friendly species (leucs, auratus, Phyllobates, Epipedobates) in there, you could fit like 5-10 depending on the species (with Dendros or large Phyllos, I'd not do more than 5, but with anthonyi you could probably do 8-10), but there's no need to crowd it so you can start with fewer and expand by keeping some of their offspring later
@@annagrzebyta437 I’d say that’s too small. Maybe it’s acceptable for like a pair of Epipedobates, but you’ll be much happier with something bigger. I recommend at least a 45 cm cube or a 45x45x60 for most species (which provides much more floor space and a better opportunity to plant it well than a 50x30 due to the extra depth)
Great video. I wonder if putting the hypertufa immersed in a tank if acidic water for a length of time would effectively neutralise the alkalinity? All my shrimp tanks sit below 6ph so my water I remove at water change might be an effective method, in a tote tub?
@@gbeeshrimp Yes, submerging it in water (and changing the water out a few times) is a common method of neutralizing it, but my panels were a bit large for that
i been looking at different tree frogs to get recently and stayed away from these because i thought it would be dangerous for me, i didnt know it was from what they ate, im definitely considering getting one now
@@petravermeer9328 Should be fine, I use it occasionally. One of the most successful OG dart frog breeders in Sweden solely uses the product you mention
@@Toshio13337 Thanks! I’m most likely going to keep the same frogs here as I used to before I tore it down and rebuilt it, that being Phyllobates vittatus and Epipedobates anthonyi ‘Rio Daule’. They are currently living in temporary setups, so I’m looking forward to putting them back in something nicer looking
