Mantella thread from Photo gallery

[alan]

Andrew Tillson-Willis (Pollywog) wrote:
"I plan to move them to a bark substrate with more open space and less plants in the spring when I am ready to breed them.
I will move all 10 Golden into one 24"x18"x18" viv and all 10 Green into another 24"x18"x18" viv, it may seem to be over crowding them as they are supposed to be territorial, but it will hopefully get them to interact more and encourage them to breed.
I might then split a few off into pairs and house them separately in a variety of different setups just to experiment."

I'm not sure about the overcrowding thing. The most crowded vivs I have ever seen are Richard Berridge's, but he's the most successful breeder I have ever heard of. I currently have 10 auriantiaca in a 60x30x30cm tank and I can't see any signs of overcrowding. OTOH, I do worry about this, and none are calling at present, but that could be the time of year?

 

[pollywog]

I have discussed the idea of over crowding them with Richard, he said that he has tried housing just a few in a tank and that they do make territories but when you put a lot into a single tank they interact and breed much more readily especially if the tank is fairly open and they can all see each other. I may try moving the other 5 into the same 60x30x30 tank as pictured in the gallery section.

 

[alan]

The same crowding vs. aggression/territory theory apples to African cichlids.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/why_african_cichlids.php
http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/cichlidrecipe/crp8.htm

I working on a similar theory with Mantellas!

 

[alan]

Err, applies that is, not apples!

 

[pollywog]

Well if it works for Richard then it must be worth a shot! I will try moving them this weekend, I was going to have to clean the one tank out anyway so may as well go ahead and give it a go.
I will try it with the aurantiaca first and then if all is well I will move the viridis in together.
Anyway here are a few more pics of aurantiaca. I shall try and get some pics of my viridis if they will come close enough to the glass.

 

[yago]

Beautiful animals.
I just got 20 juveniles of mantella expectata from a german breeder.
Mantellas are fascinating animals.
Do you provide a temperature change from day to night?
Greetings
Yago

 

[pollywog]

Hi Yago,
I keep mine at room temperature and they get the natural temperature drop of the room at night, I think to be honest that they could do with being a bit cooler so will move them to a different part of the house soon.
Do you have any pics of your expectata?

 

[alan]

Yago,

i would say that seasonal temperature changes (winter cooling) are more important than daily changes.

 

[edward]

Hi Yago,
While I have not worked with expecta I have kept aurantiaca as cold as 45 F ( 7.2 C) with no ill effects and even had a couple of reproductions.
I have kept viridis about 76-80 C (24- 26.6 C) with a number of successful reproductions.

Ed

 

[duncan]

Hi All,
Here's a pic of one of the M. expectata I had a while back. Despite the males calling and the female filling up, I could never get them to breed and so I moved them to someone who will hopefully have more luck. Great frogs though!
Duncan

 

[pollywog]

Hi Duncan, thats a nice looking expectata, I am hoping to get some juveniles soon.
Alan, I moved my aurantiaca into the one tank last weekend and all seems to be going well so I have moved all my viridis in together this morning.

 

[alan]

I'm planning on moving my aurantiaca and viridis during the next month so they will be a bit cooler over the winter (the viridis slightly warmer than the aurantiaca), then sitting back and waiting until Spring!