Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Dart Frogs

Oakivy

New member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
Pennsylvania USA
Hi
I'm new to the site and I have a sexed pair of dyeing dart frogs. I've had them for about a year and find that I really really enjoy them more & more. They've never laid eggs and seem "happy" together so maybe one day...
I've read up on dart frogs & know to provide mating spots and they have several, I also know that I could add another male & that would probably do the trick. But I worry with feeding them all. I struggle the most with keeping my fruit flies generating - they always dry out on me! I spritz them w/distilled water & it doesn't seem to help. Does anyone have any suggestions for what temperature or conditions that will help keep my fly cultures from drying out?
I've also fed them phoenix worms but shipping is soooooooooo costly I try to stick with flies. Any other food suggestions?
I've attached a couple of photos (hopefully I did it right). I don't like my tank background & plan to change the background and side walls to the cocobark sheets soon.
See ya~
OakIvy
 

Attachments

  • IM000154a.jpg
    IM000154a.jpg
    148.8 KB · Views: 584

Jennewt

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
12,451
Reaction score
146
Location
USA
I use commercial fruit fly medium. I live in a dry climate, so I mix it a little wetter than the instructions say. The cultures do dry out eventually, but I do OK if I start a new one every 1-2 weeks.

I'd encourage you to vary their diet, so you might want to continue getting the phoenix worms once in a while. Also, pinhead crickets are good. In my experience, juvenile newts grow much faster on pinheads than on fruit flies, so I suspect they are better nutrition in some way. You do occasionally dust the FF, right?
 

Oakivy

New member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
Pennsylvania USA
I always dust my fruit flies with a Calcium/Phosphorus mix. I would like to diversify thier diet more but I live in a fairly rural area & I have to special order through a pet store & have ordered pinhead crickets online & have never gotten a good result. They always arrived (from whatever source) in a 75% dead condition & the smell is gross! The need to plan ahead for food & the cost of feeding my frogs has been the most challenging part of keeping my vivarium.
 

Greatwtehunter

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
2,297
Reaction score
73
Location
Roanoke, VA
I am not sure what kind of lid you use on your fruit fly cultures but you can also use tape and cover some of the holes to prevent them from drying out as fast. You'll probably need to play around with how much is covered before you get it just right.
 

criminalhate

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Location
Detroit, Mi
Any other food suggestions?


Large gray/silver springtail cultures are in the for sale forum.

I know mine enjoyed them when I was keeping them (unfortunately the keeping cultures became to labor intensive when I got my new job so I had to get rid of them). The culture takes a little longer then fruitflys to produce and the ones I kept were a little smaller then a fresh batch of ff's but it was one more option.

Extra small (had to grow them myself) meal worms was something else I would feed them as a treat.

Some darts will eat baby isopods but not all of them will and I never raelly liked the idea of feeding them to the darts.
 

Greatwtehunter

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
2,297
Reaction score
73
Location
Roanoke, VA
Rice Flour Bettles are another option and the frogs seem to take to them quite well. Josh's Frogs is where I get mine from and has been the only place I have seen them for sale. I can't believe I forgot to mention those.:rolleyes:
 

Oakivy

New member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
Pennsylvania USA
I've ordered from Josh before so I'll try the rice flour bettles - possibly the springtails too.
I appreciate the suggestions everyone - thanks!
 

MarcNem

New member
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Try buying a large cooler and placing a thermostat with a light bulb or some other heat source in the clooler with your flies. That may help with them drying out and keep them at a constant temperature. Also, have you tried bean beetles? Check out this link.
Bean Beetle Cultures For Sale

Marc
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top