# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > General Discussion >  Getting some Benedicta

## bshmerlie

I getting a group of Benedicta the first week of August.  This will be my first expensive frogs so I want to make sure I do it right.  I will be either getting 3-4 babies I'm not sure which just yet but I'm hoping I can increase my odds of getting a pair if I go with four.  My tank options are a 20 gallon, a Medium Exo Terra, or a small Exo Terra.  Which one do you guys think would be best for a group of babies?  Anybody have them that could tell me about their behaviors?  I'm talking more about personality quirks.  Any certain preference on type of plants?  Yes, I will break away from Lowes for this one.  Are they considered reclusive, shy, semi bold, bold, or extremely bold? My vent babies are pretty shy and one is down right reclusive.  But I'm giving them time to grow up.  What about these guys as babies? What should I expect? I already have many cultures of springtails ready to seed the tank and I will order some Isopods.  Any particular ones you would recommend? Anyway, any info on these guys from anybody who's keeping them would be appreciated.  I've aquired a lot of frogs in the last few months and so far have had great luck with all of them.  Knock on wood.  I just want to make sure the trend continues.  I wasn't really expecting them until the fall when the weather cooled down but Chris Miller is flying out to So Cal and he is bringing them with him.  So that doesn't leave me a lot of time to set up a tank.  I will eventually only be keeping a pair or whatever works best for breeding.  I don't want any intimidation or frog fights going on. Can I keep all four as adults in one tank or would I be asking for trouble? I'm assuming I can keep four babies together is that a correct assumption?

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## guppygal

Girl, I am so jealous!  Benedicta are my dream frog - where are they coming from?  Check out YouTube - there are several videos regarding the little frogs and they appear to be outgoing and do well in groups.  IMO, I'd put 'em in the larger tank, but you'll need to do some additional research on them.

Sweet!!!


kristi

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## Amy

I had to look those up, what a sweet looking frog!!  My daughter said it looks like a superhero frog with a mask and a cape LOL

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## Joey

Oh wow these are the darts i would love but they do cost a fortune. Unfortunately i know nothing about them but i felt the need to let you know i am seething with jelousy.

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## Tony

You're getting them from one of the best thumbnail keepers out there, I would just ask him.

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## John Clare

This is a quickie because I'm at work.  These are beautiful frogs, but don't expect to see them.  They are the most or jointly the most shy _Ranitomeya_ out there.  More so than virtually any vent race.  I have been tempted many times myself, so I don't blame you.  Hard to beat that red.  I generally grow out youngsters in small temporary terraria because I can monitor them very easily and they are easier to find if necessary.

These frogs are basically _Ranitomeya fantastica_, so all of their care quirks apply to these guys.  You can keep juveniles together, but if it were me I would aim to finish with a 1.1 in their final terrarium.  Size is up to you, but bigger is always better.

A note on shyness/boldness: different species and even races have generally similar degrees of boldness, but it does vary from actual individual frog to individual frog.  So I hope I'm proven wrong when you have them for a while.  For what it's worth, virtually everyone says _R. flavovittata_ is very shy but I see mine all the time.  My Varadero _R. imitator_ are very shy - completely different to the general opinion.  This boldness or lack thereof seems to be somewhat a heritable trait in my experience with breeding various thumbs.

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## Kurt

Too rich for my blood. Did you hit the lottery or something?  :Big Grin: 

I don't usually say this, but when you get them, you HAVE to post pictures! _Ranitomeya benedicta_ is one of the most stunning dart frogs out there.

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## bshmerlie

> Too rich for my blood. Did you hit the lottery or something? 
> 
> I don't usually say this, but when you get them, you HAVE to post pictures! _Ranitomeya benedicta_ is one of the most stunning dart frogs out there.


LOL...no I didn't hit the Lottery.  I guess I'll just have to sell a comic book.  I was majorly into buying and selling rare key issues....so I have a pretty extensive collection to pick from when I need to get some frog money.  Frogs are a LOT cheaper than comic books....believe it or not.

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## bshmerlie

> This is a quickie because I'm at work. These are beautiful frogs, but don't expect to see them. They are the most or jointly the most shy _Ranitomeya_ out there. More so than virtually any vent race. I have been tempted many times myself, so I don't blame you. Hard to beat that red. I generally grow out youngsters in small temporary terraria because I can monitor them very easily and they are easier to find if necessary.
> 
> These frogs are basically _Ranitomeya fantastica_, so all of their care quirks apply to these guys. You can keep juveniles together, but if it were me I would aim to finish with a 1.1 in their final terrarium. Size is up to you, but bigger is always better.
> 
> A note on shyness/boldness: different species and even races have generally similar degrees of boldness, but it does vary from actual individual frog to individual frog. So I hope I'm proven wrong when you have them for a while. For what it's worth, virtually everyone says _R. flavovittata_ is very shy but I see mine all the time. My Varadero _R. imitator_ are very shy - completely different to the general opinion. This boldness or lack thereof seems to be somewhat a heritable trait in my experience with breeding various thumbs.


I think all frogs have slightly different personalities so hopefully they will be a little bolder then their reputation. With four maybe I'll find one or two that might be a little bolder than the others.  Who knows we'll see. Now if I did four would you suggest I keep them all separated for awhile or would 2 per tank be ok.  Because I'm at work all day I don't want to worry about intimidation or anything that I may not notice because I'm not there.  If tank size, space, or quanity was not an issue how would you set them up for the best chance of sucess?  Four tens, two 20s, or one huge tank. Or 190 oz containers. :Big Grin:  My ultimate goal was just to keep a pair so I guess I'll set up the Medium Exo Terra as the final tank. Seems a little big for such tiny frogs but if that will make them the most comfortable then thats what I'll go with. I just don't want them having trouble finding food in a large tank.  The question is what is the best way to keep them as babies until they grow up and I can sex them?

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## Michael

> LOL...no I didn't hit the Lottery. I guess I'll just have to sell a comic book. I was majorly into buying and selling rare key issues....so I have a pretty extensive collection to pick from when I need to get some frog money. Frogs are a LOT cheaper than comic books....believe it or not.


 
You get more interesting everyday!  Thats the last thing I would of ever thought you might collect!!

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## bshmerlie

> You get more interesting everyday!  Thats the last thing I would of ever thought you might collect!!


Why...because I'm a woman? Come on...you're a 52 year old man who collects little blue frogs. :Big Grin:  lol....rotfl

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## guppygal

A thought occurred to me (yeah, it hurt) - I know my older tincs recognize me and will take termites from my fingers.  I'm thinking that since you're getting froglets, maybe after they've settled in and started eating, you might want to start trying to stay visible to them so that they become accustomed to you.  Sooner or later, they'll associate you with food - yum!

Jest a thot -

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## Michael

> Why...because I'm a woman? Come on...you're a 52 year old man who collects little blue frogs. lol....rotfl


 
lol...I also build scale plastic models, garden, collected stamps and coins at one time and play on-line games.  And that is just my day job!!

And yes little blue frogs are my favorite color!   :Big Grin:

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## bshmerlie

> lol...I also build scale plastic models, garden, collected stamps and coins at one time and play on-line games.  And that is just my day job!!
> 
> And yes little blue frogs are my favorite color!


See you're an on-line gamer.  I would've never guessed.  We're all kids at heart.  You're  only as old as your mind. Never become an old fart like your parents.   :Big Grin: . Enjoy life while you can.

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## Michael

On-line gaming...lets see.  Started way back with a game on Genie called Air warrior.  I have played Asheron's Call, WWII On-line, WOW from the day the beta was released, A bit of EVE, Planet-side and some others.  Right now I'm taking a break from gaming but I still have my WOW and WWII On-line accounts.

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