# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Beginner Discussion >  Help starting tank

## d1rocchino

Hello i am new to this site but i need some help.  I have a exo terra 12"x12"x18" terrarium and i have some question. First, i need some help on plants, i am putting a pond in and i placed planting pots on the walls so i need some plants to fill them in but i dont know which would be the best.  Second how many and what kind of poison dart frogs could i put in that tank? I want to breed them so i was thinking three dendrobate imitators for a better chance of getting both females and males. 
Thanks a bunch

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## clownonfire

Hi! Well, you are on the right track! As you will have more of a vertical tank, thumbnail frogs seem like the obvious choice as they are arboreal. Unless you want to really get fancy with a few mantellas...  :Wink: 

Imitators are great. R. ventrimaculatus also (I'm biased as I own a breeding pair - I've only had them for 3 months and they have already produced a few egg clutches).

Plants: If you want to breed, you will need a few bromeliads. Thumbnails will even raise tads in them. You may want to plant a few ficus like pumilia which will spread well. Philodendron is another great one. 

I suggest you get your viv ready a few weeks before getting your frogs. You will want to maintain the humidity high. I like to keep mine 85+ (more than often it will be 90+). It might take a little while to master so practicing while you are still waiting for your frogs makes the process easy.

If you are building for darts, once planted, and before introducing your frogs, you should seed springtails, which will help clean your viv, but will also serve as food for your frogs.

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## Don

I have to ditto Eric's post.

As for plants, here are a few I used in my dart's viv: Lemon Button Fern, Bromeliad, Ficus, Creeping Fig, and Cryptanthus.

 Post pics when you can, everyone would love to see how it turns out.

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## d1rocchino

i was reading somewhere that bromeliads are not good for breeding b.c. the frogs lay the eggs on the leaves then they slide into the collection of water in the middle.  Lets say i do go with a nice bromeliad how would i get the eggs out of the plant? or should i set up a petri dish somewhere in my tank?

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## clownonfire

> i was reading somewhere that bromeliads are not good for breeding b.c. the frogs lay the eggs on the leaves then they slide into the collection of water in the middle.  Lets say i do go with a nice bromeliad how would i get the eggs out of the plant? or should i set up a petri dish somewhere in my tank?


Broms are great for tads.

Speaking of raising thumbnail tads, have you read our article: http://www.frogforum.net/care-articl...nitomeya.html?

Eric

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## d1rocchino

Yes i read that and it helped alot, thanks a bunch i have one last question what do you use to heat your tank? I was going to put a medium heat pad on the outside of my tank but if you could give me a suggestion that would be great.

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## clownonfire

I used heat pads in my first viv, but stopped using them. Dart frogs will be happy at room temperature, as long as it's well monitored. If you live in a cold city like mine (Montreal), it will take a bit of tweaking comes Winter!

Eric

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## d1rocchino

Got ya well i live in Pennsylvania and we have hot summers and really cold winters but would a heater be ok because i know my room doesnt hit 85+ degrees at anytime

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## clownonfire

> Got ya well i live in Pennsylvania and we have hot summers and really cold winters but would a heater be ok because i know my room doesnt hit 85+ degrees at anytime


Oh, no.... When I said 85+, it was for the humidity level. Your frogs will be ok at 75. If you want to use a heater, go ahead, just make sure it doesn't become too hot.

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## d1rocchino

Yea ill probally just set it on a timer but thanks alot for all your help ill post up pics as soon as its all done well before the frogs.  I have just got done building my waterfall and background with that foam stuff but i still need to silicone it and put the substrate on.  I just wanna say this forum is honestly the best and most helpful forum i have ever been apart of.  Every other forum if you ask a question they just yell at you and tell you to research but you guys are great!!!!
Thanks a bunch man
Jordan

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## d1rocchino

I recently got my zoo med reptifogger in the mail and i was wondering if the zoo med hygrotherm is worth buying and what exactly it does?

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## clownonfire

> Yea ill probally just set it on a timer but thanks alot for all your help ill post up pics as soon as its all done well before the frogs.  I have just got done building my waterfall and background with that foam stuff but i still need to silicone it and put the substrate on.  I just wanna say this forum is honestly the best and most helpful forum i have ever been apart of.  Every other forum if you ask a question they just yell at you and tell you to research but you guys are great!!!!
> Thanks a bunch man
> Jordan


Jordan, I apologize for the delay in answering. It's really great to hear feedback like yours. It is a great bunch of folks here, and I couldn't agree more.

I use a ReptiFogger only in the R. ventrimaculatus' enclosure. It's great to help maintaining humidity, and when you go on vacation. But make sure you keep on misting at least twice a day with dechlorinated water. Foggers won't actually do all the job needed for darts. 

As for the _ Hygrotherm_, I use the Exo Terra. basically, it's a meter that will take both humidity and temperature levels. I still prefer to use separate meters as I think they give better readings. And digital readers for me are the way to go.

Eric

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## d1rocchino

Now will this actually allow you to change the temperature and humidity or just read it?

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## clownonfire

It will just read the levels. I don't use temp/humidity controllers. For the humidity, you want it high. So it's not an issue. With the temperature, well, that's another issue, but as we said, most darts will be happy at room temperature.

I have my ReptiFogger on a timer. 6 times a day, 15 minutes each time.

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## d1rocchino

ok thanks a bunch do you fog it at all at night is it all in day time?

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## clownonfire

I have it running all day, so each 4 hours, day and night. 15 minutes intervals.  :Smile:

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## d1rocchino

So i just ordered all of my plants today. I got some java moss, CRY-SHN Cryptanthus - "Sunshine",                         F-NESW Fern - Nephrolepis exaltata 'Suzi Wong', TP-PGL Philodendron gloriosum,                         TP-PMN Ficus pumila var. minima, PT-2977 Dart Frog Bromelia - Neoregelia tarapotoensis / Small, B-VCN Bromeliad - Vriesea 'Christiane'.
I still need some vines and such but for the most part its coming together.  Ill get some pictures up as soon as i can.

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## d1rocchino

i got pictures up in my album for how far i am i got the plants in but i cant seem to keep my tank wet any suggestions besides getting the watering systems?
Also i put my plants in and i sparyed and sprayed and sprayed until the soil was moist, but i have a full spectrum daylight lamp its 15 watts and i left it on for about 4 hours after and the leaves are already looking burnt what should i do?

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## Grrrit

you should only need a simple 2.0 bulb. it shouldnt put off enough heat to burn anything.

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