# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Beginner Discussion >  Dart Frog Vivarium features

## Billy Oscar Burrows

Is running or still water needed for dart frogs in a 15gallon tank?

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## John Clare

Really, neither.  A water feature is usually more for the keeper than the frogs.  If you choose to use one, it's generally less trouble if you just have a still water feature.  Running water requires a pump.  That means running electricity into the terrarium and this can be more trouble than its worth, particularly if your pump fails and it's buried beneath a layer of substrate.

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nos187

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## Geo

I have no running water / pump setup in my mantella tank. It is heavily planted and they seem to get along well with the mistings I have been doing at the beginning and the end of the day. I keep their habitat quite moist with a false bottom. They aren't a heavy water related species like some toads. My oriental fire belly toads couldnt survive long in my opinion without the half land / half water setup I have for them.

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## Will

I decided to do a running water feature in my tank that I am currently build up, and yes it is a vanity feature and not needed.  However a feature that got my wife involved in the planning and building so I am ok with it. I have however run into the issue that John discussed in the past and had to tear the whole background apart to get to it.  This time I built my enclosure where a dead pump is a 5 minute fix. I went with an external pump/filter system.  water is filtered, and no electrical in the enclosure.  Beats the 2 week fix on an old build that the pump was inside.

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