Mixing Dart Frogs

[kron4me]

I am constructing my first vivarium, I have fell in love with dart frogs. My problem is there are so many beautiful choices, can I mix the different ones? Say a British Guyana leucomelas, a lamasi, Panguana Morph, and an azureus? I have a 30 gallon long viv and I want them all lol. I want them to be happy and healthy so I need some feedback. There are too many conflicting opinions on the internet, so any help would be appreciated.

[Dmac]

if u wana mix ur guna need a bigger cage

[Rainfrog]

If you go to Poison Dart Frogs Poison Arrow Frogs Dart Frogs & Poison Arrow Dart Frogs Terrarium Animals from Saurian Enterprises, Inc. you can look at info on the different types of darts on the site and it will give you pretty good info. Has suggestions on tank size and what frogs should be kept in groups or alone.

[brettlt]

The most common advice is that mixing is not advised. There are just too many potential problems to take the chance.
Now, with that said, some experienced frog keepers do mix a few of their tanks, but they tend to be very large tanks, on the order of 100+ gallons, and they have usually kept the individual species seperately for a time.
By keeping them seperately they observed their behaviors, feeding patterns, etc.
I have seen more stories where there are problems, than successful stories, so it would seem to indicate that it is best to not mix them.

[rudd03]

Species can be mixed but you really have to do the research. I'm not experianced with frogs but am with other herps. Try to fing someone who has mixed with success and follow thier lead. Good Luck

[kristy55303]

i am one to admit i am against mixing species. it stresses them out, azureus can be very aggressive. some zoos do but their vivs are huge and that is a whole different story. some darts even like different heat temps such as mint terribillis...they like it on the cooler side...just an example. also i wouldnt mix anything capable of interbreeding with a different morph....as this will ruin our conservation efforts on the beautiful animals.
kristy

[Jumpshot724]

Most dart species don't tolerate members of their own species if there isn't enough room, let alone other species. If you wanted to mix 1 pair of 2 different species i would suggest at LEASt a 40+ gallon tank, and even that's probably too small to prevent territory disputes

[froggsong]

Originally Posted by brettlt

The most common advice is that mixing is not advised. There are just too many potential problems to take the chance.
Now, with that said, some experienced frog keepers do mix a few of their tanks, but they tend to be very large tanks, on the order of 100+ gallons, and they have usually kept the individual species seperately for a time.
By keeping them seperately they observed their behaviors, feeding patterns, etc.
I have seen more stories where there are problems, than successful stories, so it would seem to indicate that it is best to not mix them.

I know, I know, old post. That said, IMO the reason you hear more stories from people that have had mixing go wrong than from people that have had it go very well, is the reception you receive simply upon mention that you keep a mixed tank. I keep a mixed tank with frogs and toads (all of the ones listed in my signature plus two extra squirrel frogs until recently). At one point, there was also an anole in there with them, and he lived to a ripe old age. I am sometimes reluctant to say anything about mixing because of the way people react to it, sometimes acting like I am terrible and harming my pets. Who wants to have to deal with responses like that? I think that is why you don't hear as much about mixing successes as you do about mixing problems.

Of course, it may be different with darts than with the types I keep, but I wasn't even only mixing frogs, or even amphibians, but amphibians and reptiles.