# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Gallery for Dart Frogs >  Completed enclosures ( 24 hours old)

## Lynn

Photos of my three completed enclosures:

This is for my group of five Dendrobates leucomelas


For a pair of Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero" ( breeder John Clare) 


For a trio of ( green/black) Dendrobates auratus


Lynn  :Butterfly:

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## Pluke

They look good lynn, how big is that Ranitomeya enclosure?

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## Lynn

> They look good lynn, how big is that Ranitomeya enclosure?


Thanks Pluke.
It is the smallest enclosure. They are so tiny........ I could not bear to put them in anything too large.
Exo 12H x 18Wx18D  I terraced the 'landscape' w/ the wood and the planters etc so 
that it goes up-hill ( sort of)  front to back.

The leucs have an exo 24Hx36wx18D
The  auratus - 24H X18Wx18D

I still have a few things to do. They need more spring tails and the leaf litter. 
I purchased " moss spores' . That should be interesting?
I'm using the leaf litter in the quarantine tanks and boiling between cleanings. 
I have lots of photos. If I get a chance today I will add them to the albums. 

Lynn

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## Will

Love the enclosures, they turned out great.  The plants look good, I like your selections.  I can't wait to see how it looks when it starts to grow in a little.

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## Lynn

> Love the enclosures, they turned out great.  The plants look good, I like your selections.  I can't wait to see how it looks when it starts to grow in a little.


Thanks Will,
I'm looking forward to a lot of "growing in". It's a bit bare! I wonder what it will look like, say, in March?
I'm waiting about another month before the transfers from 3 quarantine tanks.
I'm still seeding( isopode and spring tail cultures are doing well)  and waiting for the moss ! If it takes at all   :Frown:  No lights for a week did not help
Lynn  :Butterfly:

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## Heather

They look great Lynn  :Smile: . Lots of hard work. You really put them together quick. I'm impressed  :Smile: .

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## pinkfeet

nice job lynn, i cant wait to start planting mine. =O) :Big Applause:

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## bill

awesome Lynn!! i love the selaginella in the imitator tank. and the wood in the auratus tank is very cool as well. i love the look of mopani  :Smile:

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## bill

oh, and please, keep me updated on the moss spores. i've thought about that option, but my mental jury is still out on that one.

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## Lynn

> oh, and please, keep me updated on the moss spores. i've thought about that option, but my mental jury is still out on that one.


Hi Bill,
I have a few tiny little spots with moss spiking up. The problem is...they are still so tiny. 
I did the best I could with this photo. It is exciting to watch this pop up. 
It has been down for about 3 weeks. You would love this !!!



There are 4 little single moss spikes in a row in the upper portion of the pic.
--then 2 more ...center left/bottom.
Then , see those 2 little ( clover looking)  'volunteers' that poped up. 
It is popping up around a little patch of tropical moss.

I saved a package/moss and have it growing 'experimentally' in a separate 5 gallon tank. 
I planted it last week end, so it will be another 2 weeks or so before I see any growth. 
I am determined to have nice moss !!!!!!!!!

Lynn

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## Lynn

> Photos of my three completed enclosures:
> 
> This is for my group of five Dendrobates leucomelas
> 
> 
> For a pair of Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero" ( breeder John Clare) 
> 
> 
> For a trio of ( green/black) Dendrobates auratus
> ...


Enclosure(s)  - up-date
11/23/2012






Dendrobates leucomelas



Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"



Dendrobates auratus

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## Heather

Beautiful!!!  :Smile: 

How about some pictures with your babies enjoying their new homes?  :Smile: 

Ooh, I have a 'stinky' tip for you. It's my secret though, but I'm happy to share it with you  :Big Grin: . Brb, I have to look up the exact recipe  :Wink: .

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## Heather

I have been experimenting with this. I have been watering my patch with the buttermilk mixture and its growing like crazy  :Smile: .

Though with this method, I think it would be best to get it started in another area and then move the patch to the vivarium, due to the acidity of the mixture.

Toss aside some moss spores and give it a try. My next goal is to spread it over fabric tulle and see if I can create a rug of moss  :Wink: .

Here is the 'secret' (not really  :Wink: ), ha ha...recipe:



THINGS YOU'LL NEED:

 Moss
 1 cup buttermilk
 1/2 tsp. sugar
 1 cup water
 Blender
 Paint brush
 Spray bottle

DIRECTIONS:

 STEP #1:
Peel a piece of existing moss the size of your hand off the ground. Brush as much dirt as possible off the back of the moss with your fingers, or rinse clean.

 STEP #2:
Place the moss in a blender with 1 cup of buttermilk, 1/2 tsp. of white sugar, and 1 cup of water. Pulse the mixture until it resembles creamy soup.

 STEP #3:
Pour the mixture evenly over the area where moss is desired. If growing moss on statuary or other hard surfaces with vertical faces use a clean paint brush to paint the mixture on. It will attach and grow best on a roughened surface. 

 STEP #4:
Spray the mixture daily with a spray bottle of water or a garden hose set to mist until a carpet of moss has established.

STEP #5:
Watch it grow  :Smile: .

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## Heather

The mixture smells for about a week. I am presuming that is about the time the decaying buttermilk 'scent' takes to be uptaken completely by the spores. Just a guess though.

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## Heather

Lynn, please feel free to move or delete these after reading, as to not overtake your post  :Smile: .

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## Brian

Great work Lynn!  I can't wait to see them grown in.

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## Lynn

Filling in a just bit ?

D. auratus ( green /black)


Ranitomeya imitator "Varadero"


D. leucomelas

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## Lynn

> I have been experimenting with this. I have been watering my patch with the buttermilk mixture and its growing like crazy .
> 
> Though with this method, I think it would be best to get it started in another area and then move the patch to the vivarium, due to the acidity of the mixture.
> 
> Toss aside some moss spores and give it a try. My next goal is to spread it over fabric tulle and see if I can create a rug of moss .
> 
> Here is the 'secret' (not really ), ha ha...recipe:
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Heath,
I remember seeing this recipe. I would have to grow it outside their tanks. 
I wonder what will happen when moved; as it has to be grown it in a separate tank now.
I don't think my darts would like to wallow around on buttermilk !!! :Big Grin: 
I'll put some on pre-cut pieces of substrate screening  - and see what happens.
I love science experiments.

I don't have any moss spores left. I have the left over growing in a little 5 gallon tank on top of ABG ( nothing yet -its only been about a week)  I have some mound moss I could use for this?  What do you think?

There is a pic her I posted of the moss spores growing. It is really cool to watch it come in.  I purchased (3) .
I divided 2 of them in the dart enclosures about a month ago.  And the 3rd I have in the five gallon. 

Amazon.com: Kyoto Moss Spores: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Gotta - love it!

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## Heather

You're welcome  :Smile: .

Yes, it's pretty stinky (pinching nose!), haha! I think it'd work. I'll make a batch this week and post a thread. I figure I can cut the mesh into pieces after it roots  :Smile: .

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