Dart Frogs or Green Tree Fogs

[jgraz]

So I'm here in Virginia for vacation and of course my some has come across all sorts of lizards and frogs. Today he found and caught a green tree frog and it was promptly placed in a empty water bottle. I was to be his new pet before we talked him into letting it go since obviously it would die in a bottle.

In light of this me and my wife decided to explore getting him a frog tank. Does anyone here keep either of these types of frogs? Any tips, hints, and direction, would be great. Also any helpful links would be nice too. We are not looking to spend a ton but of course that's what I said about the reef also and that has broke me many times over. Thanks in advance.
John

 

[MadReefer]

John,
I would stay away from Dart frogs as they need small food and buying fruit flies in a pet store is expensive. My son had about 30 at one time and we created cultures for the fruit flies to breed in to keep cost down but was a hassle. I would go with a Whites Dumpy tree frog which get big and will eat large crickets. Plus almost any pet store sells them for about $30. Good luck.

Mark

 

[cmantis]

Buying fruit fly cultures is easy problem is when they escape look like little fleas running around. Solution is glass of wine/whiskey but maybe not best idea with a child.

 

[joe b]

we have green and gray tree frogs native to Nj. I've caught and kept a few... You can make a trap from pvc and they eat crickets, worms, flys, pretty much anything that moves. They will make alot of noise singing at night.

 

[ThatGuy]

The problem with all frogs is they obsorb stuff through there skin, so holding them on a constant basis is not really recommended. They are more of a "cool look at that in the tank" type of animal. Another problem with both types of frogs is neither are movers. Tree frog will most likely climb to a corner and sleep all day and be active at night, while a dart frog hardly ever moves(at the zoo staring at them waiting for them to move). Maybe you could talk him into a lizard or something he could handle. Leopard gecko's are fairly reasonably priced anymore and they can be(with work) a very tame animal. Just some suggestions.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Hopefully Bob (radiata) will comment….he is a frog-keeper and breeds his own foods….bugs and flys. I’m sure he can provide excellent advice.

 

[cmantis]

Ive done all this if u have specific questions.

 

[jgraz]

That everyone. Was away on vacation. Hoping to get out Monday for a bit of searching. Actually I was hoping my son would forget about this but he didn't. I guess I'll start my search at the hidden reef. And continue on dendro boards.

Cmantis, I looking for a small tank. Do you think a small pentagon would work?

 

[jgraz]

Well my cousin was nice enough to offer a small tank for my start. Exo terra mini 12x12x18

This stuff was in the tank but I'm pretty sure it's junk for this endeavor.

Paul, I think I'm gonna reach out to Radiata for some advice and direction. Thank for letting me know he is involved.

 

[MadReefer]

In October is the next reptile expo in Hamburg PA. You can find many frogs there. My son and I plan to go as we are thinking of getting a Chameleon.

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

You can also talk to Larry at the Elos store in Short Hills. He's into dart frogs and other reptiles as well.

 

[howze01]

If you are thinking Dart Frogs, I would look at Mantellas. Easier to keep from my experience. Another good choice if you want something different is Red-Eye Leaf Frogs. I had a pair a while back that was very hardy and even bred a few times. If you haven't kept frogs, I would stay away from Darts until you get more experienced. Green Tree Frogs and White's Tree Frogs are both great beginner frogs. The tank you have is kind of small for White's Tree Frogs though. I had a few that were huge. I kept them in pairs in 29g tanks. With the tank you have, I would probably recommend Green Trees to start. I have kept many different kinds of frogs so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[howze01]

In October is the next reptile expo in Hamburg PA. You can find many frogs there. My son and I plan to go as we are thinking of getting a Chameleon.

Have you guys ever tried Chameleons? I have kept, and bred....I think 5 different species. My favorite by far were the Veiled Chameleons. Panthers were a lot of fun too but for the nicer varieties, they can get pricey. Same thing, if I can offer any advice you may need, feel free to PM me.