high humidity frogs

[Herpguy2004]

im currently constructing a really nice 30g natural viv. i wanna look for dartfrogs, redeyes, things like that that are fairly small, really buitifull and so forth. i was wondering if there is someone i can goto in BC. and if u have any other suggestion of frogs let me know:) these will be the first frogs i have.

[Double J]

Congratualtions on deciding to put together a vivarium! Nothing beats a small piece of the rainforest in your home.

I hope that you are not planning on keeping these two types of frogs together, as a single species setup will be far more successful.

Though red-eyes and dart frogs share the the same geographhic areas in many cases, they occupy incredibly different microclimates. Dart frogs generally inhabit the forest floor and the understory, living their lives amongst the leaf litter. umidity is ncredibly high, and temperatures are generally in the hgh 70's. Here is where the problem arises; Red-eyes live far higher up in the trees. This means that they are subject to higher temperatures and far lower humidity. How does this tie in? Well, For red-eyes to remain healthy, they MUST be allowed to dry out periodically. They cannot tolerate ultra-high humidity all the time, as after a rain storm in the rainforest, it gets incredibly warm and much dryer in the treetops when the sun pops out. This then, would cause some major problems for the dart frogs, as you should never let the humidity in the vivarium go below 80%. To house these two species together then, a 30 gallon tank would be far from appropriate to create both of these microclimates. Instead, your minimum tank size would have to be at least 6 feet high, and this would still be a juggling act.
If you would like a successful vivarium, I would stick to either dart frogs OR red-eyes. Though I have both, I think you would enjoy a bold species of dart frog far more, as they are far more active, and you will have a much better chance of breeding them.. which I beleive is an incredibly enjoyable aspect of thie hobby.
Now, should you chose dart frogs, I would stick to a single spcies here as well. Inter-species aggresson can be a big problem in mixed dart frog tanks. Also in a mixed seting, you run the risk of hybridization... which should not occur under ANY circumstances.

If you are interested in dart frogs..... I highly recommend purchasing them from Mark Pepper at Understory Enterprises. He has the largest collection in the country, and produces the best frogs. His website is below:

www.understoryenterprises.com

Though he is located in Ontario, shipping to BC is generally not a problem, even in cold weather.

Good luck, and feel free to ask as many questions as you like.

Double J

[Herpguy2004]

dont worry man i wasnt intrested in putting them together i know its not a good idea to mix sp. i was just wondering whtat the difference in care is. i think im gonna go with dart frogs though... there are so many morphs to choose from:) i really like the blue spotted ones but seems theres a wait list

[Double J]

Here are a few good websites:

www.doylesdartden.com
www.poison-frogs.com
www.tropical-experience.nl
www.frogworld.nl
www.dendroboard.com
www.pumilio.com


Doyle's dart den should give you a good base for care. Check out the frogworld website for some incredible vivariums.

Happy surfing.

Double J

[Herpguy2004]

thanks dude! but i have a prety good idea how im going to set it up. i just have one question. is expansion foam any good when submerged? or will i need to seal it off completly with silicone. i think i may order some darts from understory in the spring when i have it fully completed. i wish i could get a decent colony but there pretty expensive. maybe some will show up at a show this spring