Poison Dart Frogs are members of the Dendrobatidae family. Poison Dart Frogs are among the brightest frogs in the world. They are often known as “jewels of the rainforest”. Within a single species their color patterns vary extensively from solid colors to vibrant with dark stripes, swirls, and spots or flecks. These patterns and swirls typically measure between ½ inch and 3 inches long. Sometime they are even brown to blend in with their environment.

ONE THING TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY: Owning a dart frog is much like owning a fish, watch but don’t touch. Dart frogs are not a pet you can get out and play with, they are a pet you have to admire their beauty, watch them in their beautiful aquarium you have set up for them. Dart frog are one of the most gorgeous pet you can own, however handling them can cause them quite a bit of stress. So much stress they may play dead or remain immobile for more than an hour or even over night. Their skin is very sensitive and you do not want to hurt them or cause them stress. They absorb moisture through their skin. Oils and toxins on your hands can cause them harm also.

ARE THE POISONOUS? Poison Dart Frogs are not poisonous. They have Alkaloid toxins in their skin to protect them against predators such as snakes and small mammals, as well as protecting them from fungus and bacteria that might cause disease. Captive dart frogs lose their ability to produce poison because the source of the toxin is only found in the wild.

FOOD AND WATER: Fruit flies will be normally the bulk of your Poison Dart Fogs diet. Variety is very important so you should also feed them pinhead crickets, and tiny wax worms. Even though they are a very small pet they have a very large appetites. Adults should be fed once a day and froglets need a constant source of food. You will need to have a small dish of clean water, this is essential for all dart frogs.

VITAMIN AND MINERALS: You will need to give your dart frog’s vitamin and mineral supplements. For young dart frogs you will need to dust their food with vitamin and mineral supplement’s daily. A calcium supplement is especially important for your froglets with a vitamin supplement three times a week for you froglet. For your adult dart frog we recommend dusting their food 3 to 4 times a week with vitamin and mineral supplements. You should also alternate a calcium supplement with a vitamin supplement twice a week for your adult dart frog. If your dart frog does not receive his needed vitamins, minerals, and calcium they will develop deficiencies quickly, which can lead to seizures or death.

AQUARIUM AND SETTING UP THE IN SIDE OF YOUR AQUARIUM: Most dart frogs are comfortable in a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium (tank). You will need to design their tank with their needs in mind. Your tank will need plants, a key to choosing plant varieties is you want plants that remain small so frequent replacement isn’t necessary. We recommend air plants or bromeliad plants for the plants in your tank. Plant life will also give your dart frog needed hiding areas. You will also need to having hiding niches such as –coconut huts-- , and driftwood for climbing area’s. For bedding or the bottom of your aquarium you will need to have gravel and moss which will help to keep your dart frog moist.

ENVIRONMENT: Dart frogs need an environment that is moist to keep their skin damp. The humidity level inside the tank should be 80 percent or higher. To help achieve this, spray water or mist daily. The temperature of your aquarium should be in the low to mid 70’s. Temperature extremes can be fatal to dart frogs. You will need fluorescent lighting for you dart frog. They will need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of complete darkness.

CAN YOU HAVE MORE THEN ONE DART FROG TOGETHER: Young dart frogs may be kept together in at least a 20 gallon tank, but once they mature you need to observe them carefully for signs of territoriality and aggression (such as wrestling). Dart frogs cohabiting in groups fare much better with ample hiding spaces. Dart frogs grow at varying rates and sometimes individuals can grow faster then their tank mates. If this happens the smaller dart frogs can become stressed by the larger dart frogs, sometimes to the point of death. When having more then one dart frog in a tank together you will need to give them ample food source, since their nutritional needs increase when having to compete for food.