Poison Arrow Dart Frogs

Decorating the Tank

When you are ready to begin setting up your display tank, there is a great opportunity to be creative; however, it is very important to keep the safety and special needs of your frogs in mind. Nothing with sharp or jagged edges should be placed in the tank. The frogs have delicate skin which can easily be punctured or ripped. This includes any rocks or plants with sharp toothed edges. It is also important to ensure that the tank you are using does not have any cracks or sharp edges that may injure the frog.

Dried sphagnum moss, which can be purchased at home improvement or gardening stores, works very well in the frog's aquarium. Not only does the moss provide a more natural appearance, but it is superior at holding in moisture in the tank and soaking up waste materials. The moss should be changed regularly to maintain sanitary conditions, but can be rinsed thoroughly and reused between changings.

It is also important to keep the frog's size in mind. What may be suitable for one may not be suitable for another. For example, at the college we set up a habitat that used thick bark pieces to cover one of the walls to give the exhibit a more natural look. This worked well for the D. Auratus; however we discovered that it was inappropriate for our smaller E. Tricolor and D. Pumilio frogs. They were able to enter small crevices in the bark and get behind the display. To correct the problem, we replaced the bark with sphagnum moss woven through a plastic mesh which seems to work well.

As mentioned above, the tank should be equipped with plants. There are many types of plants to choose from depending on the size of the habitat and individual preferance. Make sure that the chosen plants do not have sharp or jagged edges. Plants will make the habitat more natural for the animal and give them something to hide in or climb on, if they find the need to do so. We have used ivy-type plants, bromeliad plants, and a variety of broad leafed plants - all with good results.

By making small changes in the habitat, you may be better able to better provide for the needs of your frog. At the school, a D. leucomelas would constantly hide behind the plants in his tank, or in the honeymoon hut (described further below, under breeding). As a result, he was very difficult to find and seldom seen. Several more broad-leafed plants were added to his display and the frog appeared to be more secure in his environment. After the plants were added, he was often seen feeding, and moving about the tank, under the plants, but in the open where he could be viewed easily.

Perhaps most importantly, sanitation must be maintain in the frog's tank. Anything used in the tank or during feedings must be kept very clean to prevent the intoduction of mold or bacteria.