Poison dart frog care

For all the exotic amphibian lovers, to poison dart frogs is just like a dream. These colorful, ambient frogs will be the center of attention whenever you put them in your aquarium or vivarium.  These frogs just not only display beautiful patterns and colors but they also do have some exciting behaviors, and they are beautifully dangerous as well. Therefore, to have these frogs as pets, you also have to be aware of the Poison dart frog care.

As compared to other amphibians which mostly are active during the night the poison dart frogs depict an opposite behaviour, they are diurnal that means what they will do all day will be right in front of your eyes.

As poison dart frogs are small or medium-sized frogs, you can easily mimic their natural wild setup in your terrarium by providing an aquatic, damp and humid environment. By placing waterfalls, and even some water sources inside it.

However, as they are poisonous frog species, people have a lot of concerns, myths, and misconceptions regarding these species as pets and their care.  Are they safe to have pets? Or do they should only be kept in zoos? So here we are to answer your questions.

Most of the people do not know about this that when poison dart frogs are kept in captivity, they are not poisonous. However, if you brought the frog directly from the wild, you have to be vigilant and extra cautious unless it loses all of its poison.

The poison that they produce is due to the wild insects they eat in their wild setup. Why they develop poison by eating such insects is totally unknown. However, the captive diet is not at all responsible for producing any kind of toxins.

Before placing the frog in a terrarium or an aquarium, you should make them habitual of the environment. You can use a knitting box with soft substrate and leaves in it. Why the sweater box? Because the sweater box has no ventilation system in it which maintains the humidity level. Do not worry the frogs will not get choked. They will get the required amount of air whenever you open up the lid.

Light and temperature for poison dart frog:

When it comes to maintaining the temperature of the poison dart frog, it is not very tricky and challenging. We know that you may be thinking that these frogs come from scorching, warm and humid climates but even in the wild these frogs tend to stay on the forest floor to avoid heat and where there is low lighting. 

When you put the frog in a terrarium, the ideal temperature for the frog will be seventy-two to eighty Fahrenheit. The temperature exposure for more than eighty-two Fahrenheit can be fatal for the frog. Moreover, monitor the tank’s temperature carefully. Because in the warmer climates the tank temperature will be even more due to the lighting. So keep that in mind.

Poison dart frogs do not need fancy lighting. They just need that much light so that they can see their food if you have a water tank of ten-gallon so a twenty-watt bulb will be enough for the frog.

Some people prefer to do fancy and bright lighting. However, the con is that more lighting means more heat which in turn increases the temperature and then you have to arrange the fans as well for cooling up the frog.

Poison dart frog Substrate:

When it comes to a poison dart frog, the ideal substrate for its terrarium is a non-organic damp substrate. The reason is that organic substrates rot out so quickly, leading to a very foul smell in the tank, and it also causes the fungus to grow fast.  

The worst substrate so far is the coconut husk, and the substrate degrades only in a few months. The best substrate for poison dart frogs in the aquarium gravel, it is similar to the river pebbles. 

This substrate just not only looks pretty but also does not rot. When you decorate it with plants, it provides a more natural habitat to the frogs. 

Poison dart frog egg care 

If you have opposite sexes of poison dart frogs in your terrarium, then you will expect eggs sooner or later. The eggs will develop, and some of them will mould up, and that is normal. The fun part is that in a frog’s egg, you can actually see the embryo developing into a tadpole. 

While caring for the poison dart frog eggs, it is best to take a petri dish and put in on a damp paper towel. Add enough distilled water in it and put the eggs in it so that the eggs just touch the water. In the end, you have to place a Ziploc container on it, and you can mark the species name on the top of the lid.

Poison dart frog tadpole care

While you see the embryo in the egg changing its shape, it is the tadpole. The tadpole, while developing, will first take the C-shape. When you observe that the tail of the tadpole is now becoming straight, then this is the time when the frog’s egg is hatched, and now you have to remove it from the petri dish. 

After removing the tadpole from the dish, it is ideal for placing them in tadpole cups with reverse osmosis water, and it is also a better practice to put a herbal leaf or some kind of moss vegetation in it like an almond leaf and java moss.  After one or two days, you have to fill the tadpole cup completely with the osmotic water. 

When the front legs of the tadpole sprout out, we remove the vegetation and put a new batch of reverse osmosis water in it. After this process, you have to place the tadpole cup in the wire on a Wire shelf. It provides the frogs with the opportunity to climb out. 

If you see the froglet out of the water, then place it in a froglet tub. It is better to put froglets in the tub in the form of pairs.  In the tub, you have to provide a diverse range of vegetation for the froglets and food like springtails, terrarium plants, and sphagnum moss.

Strawberry poison dart frog care

Strawberry poison frogs have orange bright bodies with blue coloured legs having black spots. If you want to have a strawberry poison dart frog as a pet, then you need an enclosure of 40*30*35 centimetres, which is minimum for a pair. 

The environment of vivarium:

Strawberry poison dart frogs live best in a humid vivarium containing live plants in it. Non-organic, bioactive substrates are best. Plants like bromeliads, ficus, and climbers are best. 

The plants not only serve as the source of water, but the frogs also love to hide and seek, and the plant’s leaves are best for the purpose. 

The substrate in the vivarium should also be topped with a moss sheet. This process provides the vivarium with more natural habitat and look. 

Poison dart frog Spray:

In a day it is best to spray the frog almost four times. The best water for this purpose is “RO (Reverse osmosis)”. But remember that reverse osmosis is safe when it contains enough mineral salts. 

Poison dart frog Temperature:

The ideal temperature for these frogs is between 23-24 C. It is not advisable to allow the temperature to drop below 19 C and should not be above 26 C. These frog species are sensitive to broad daylight and high temperatures. 

Poison dart frog Humidity:

The strawberry poison dart frogs love humidity, and therefore the humidity levels in their vivarium should always be eight percent. This humidity level can be achieved by spraying the frog almost four times a day for at least twenty seconds. 

Caladium poison dart frog care 

While most of the frogs find shade, poison dart frogs work best in the day or partial sunlight. However, caladium plants are best for this purpose. Therefore, this plant can be used in closed containers and gardens with partial light. 

In a medium-sized vivarium, you can use caladium and several other shades loving plants to magnify the beauty of the vivarium or terrarium. 

Bumblebee poison dart frog care

These frogs are one of the most brilliantly coloured poison dart frog species. Bumblebee frogs look most beautiful in a tropically decorated vivarium. 

To keep this frog cheerful in captivity, you have to understand its habitat, behaviour and other things in the wild.  Bumblebee poison dart frogs are best when kept in groups. You can save a mass of frogs in a tank containing high vegetation of ten gallons. 

As compared to the other dart frogs, the bumblebee dart frogs not only stay on the floor only but they also climb or jump a lot; therefore, it is better to build a vivarium vertically. 

Spread the substrate in the vivarium to keep it natural and soft. Like all other dart frogs, they also need a lot of humidity which can be sprayed on them four times a day. 

The best liquid for spraying on the frogs is reverse osmosis. During the day the humidity level should be sixty percent while in the night the humidity level should be ninety percent. 

Golden poison dart frog care

Golden poison frogs are the largest dart frogs when compared to all other dart frogs. Therefore according to their immense size and abrupt activity, you will require a giant terrarium. You can have a twenty-gallon tank for a pair, but you should always go bigger for this species. 

All dart frogs climb to some extent, but the golden poison dart frogs mainly live on the ground. Therefore what matters the most is the substrate of the terrarium than the height or volume of the terrarium. 

Natural terrariums are the best for the dart frogs. Spread a drainage sheet in the terrarium of two inches. The substrate should be soft and light and non-organic, for example, Featherlite. 

The excess water will travel through the drainage sheet and will be collected altogether.  This also helps you to get rid of the excess water. 

Above the drainage, sheet place your actual substrate. The orchid bedding is the best. It is light and free of artificial derivatives. 

Poison dart frog Temperature:

The golden poison dart frogs work best in not so high temperatures. A temperature range of sixty-five to seventy Fahrenheit is okay. At night you can drop the temperature to sixty Fahrenheit. Remember that the temperature should not reach eighty Fahrenheit. This can prove fatal for the frogs. 

Poison dart frog Lighting:

The golden poison frog species do not need lighting. The lighting you will need will be for the plants placed in the terrarium. 

Frogs are capable of fulfilling their Vitamin D3 requirements from the food rather than the Sunlight. Fluorescent bulbs of 6500- 6700 K is okay for the terrarium.