mixing tree frogs...

[Green Ghost]

Hi Aquapants, was there any reason why you wanted to mix those 3 kinds of frogs? Is it just because they're readily available in your particular location?

The darts are way too small to be kept with the other two species and thier needs are different (food / temps and humidity). I'm pretty sure it won't work at all. You'll need to feed them out in the open and they will be initmidated / outcompeted by the other frogs. That's just one point.....

Another thing that happens that's not obvious at first to people who start keeping amphibians is the way different species act when put in a confined space together. The more timid species tends to react negatively.(in this case the tigerlegs) Meaning they may not be comfortable going to certain parts of the tank to look for food. They may just hide all the time, etc... You can see what I'm trying to get at. Knighty put it very well when he said: "goldens are bulky jumpy frogs and tiger legs are slender moving frogs"

In nature frogs are in the middle of the food chain. Meaning they prey on insects but are also in turn preyed on by other larger mammals and reptiles etc... Thier survival techniques are to freeze motionless or use camouflage to hide. They do that so as not to make potential prey aware of them so they can launch a suprise attack and also to hide from potential predators. I'm mentioning this because when you put them in a confined space like an aquarium with another species of frog, if they just move a little, and then they are noticed by another species of frog that turns to watch them, they will freeze because they will feel like they may be attacked and they will not eat/attack insects for fear of being eaten themselves. (I hope that makes sense)

You'll see this on your own when you have the frogs for awhile. Also - there is a settling in period for any frog. I've been keeping frogs for awhile and I just bought two WTFs (White's Tree Frog) and one would just not eat for two weeks! Finally I was able to get her to start taking crickets on her own. The point is frogs arrive stressed out to thier new home - in this case your viv - and need time to adjust. If there is another species there that can outcompete them for food or the requirements are not adequate for them then they may not even survive. They are prone to ailments at that time too and if they get some sickness it can be transmitted to the whole tank.

If I may, I'd suggest setting up your viv and getting one species and keeping it alone for a little while (ex: three months or so?) You'll get used to it's eating patterns and how to take care of it. Then if you want to try mixing another species with it, you'll be able to see for yourself if there's a change in your pet's eating patterns and if it's stressed. I'd suggest having another small tank ready so you can take out the newly added 2nd species if need be. You'll need to quarantine, first for at least three weeks, any new animal you'll be adding to an established tank. This is very important. You'll discover how valuable that advise is on your own when you're keeping frogs.

In order to mix species you really have to have a lot of experience and knowledge of each species. If you do, you'll know yourself if they can or can't be kept together.

Sorry for the long post but I think sometimes it's worth tanking time to explain things rather than just trying to dissuade.

[knighty]

Originally Posted by Green Ghost

"the best to go for are read frogs..." should be read "reed" as in reed frog hehehe

dont worry my spelling is not great at all......

apologise now for any mistakes, normally google for names and terms lol.......

[Green Ghost]

It's all good, bud. Couldn't resist teasin' ya.

[knighty]

there will be plenty more so feel free.

[Rainfrog]

Good Good post G. Ghost.


It is very tempting to want many things and have a flashy mixed species tank. The reality of this is it is not fair to the animals. We may enjoy it for a while, and be upset or frustrated when one of our curiosities disappear or wind up a limp pile in the middle of the tank. Then flush, gurgle gurgle, on to the next one.

I had a large fish tank. In it were wonderful exotic fish. A mix of sizes, some in small schools some on their own. One was a Blue Diamond Angel Fish I rescued from a 10 gallon tank (he was the 6 inches top to bottom and 5 front to back) that would rush to the glass when I got home and wiggle like a dog happy to see its master. I loved my fish but they got sick. Black worms took hold in the gravel and polluted the water giving all my fish Ick. Most of the fish in the tank were skin fish and the treatment for a tank that size was very expensive, too expensive for me at the time. I tried the easy cheap ways, nothing worked. I thought I had it beat and came home to find one of my Amazon catfish dead. Then the school of Barbs began to thin out. I came home the next day and was greeted as usual by my Angel but he was swimming sideways and covered in white spots. I had put allot to time and well over $1,000 dollars into my fish. I called my local fish store and gave them away. They all were saved and sold to new homes and now I have a 10 gallon tank with three paradise fish. It is simple and not flashy. None of these fish greet me when I come home. But they live well and disease free. And if they do get sick I can afford to treat them. It is not the grand design I had in mind but they are healthy and happy. And I can watch them swim. I miss my big tank and my exotic fish and it upsets me to have given them up but it was worse coming home to find them dying or dead. We are not trying to be bullies or tell people absolutes. For my part I would like to spare the keepers and the kept from painful and fatal mistakes and help pass on the lessons I learnt the hard way.

[Selllena]

Yes, it's true that we are fully responsible for our pets and must learn well about what they need before making mistakes. But, I would not also say so absolutely that we cannot mix frogs. We just need to do that a clever way. Never mix animals of different sizes, from different habitat zones, species that can be poisonous....for example. There are also frogs, as Agalychnis Callidryas for example, that are very fragile and cannot stand any concurrency. But there are also species that are not difficult and easy to adapt. We also need to think about the fact that the space in our terrariums is much more little compared with the territory that frogs would have in nature and that some of the frogs are more territorial than the others. And, that sometimes we even cannot keep 2 males of the same species in one tank. But again, all this depend individually. Before mixing frogs, we need to study about all those and after - make a decision about possibility to keep them together. The best rule is - to keep together species that do not communicate a lot, for example - tree frogs and ground frogs….day frogs and night frogs….
Me, specially, I dream about mixing Bombina orientalis(I already have 4) with Hyla arborea(that I hope to find).
I will try to explain my choice and the way we must think
1-they require the same conditions of temperature and humidity;
2-they both are the same size (so they will not hunt each other and it will not be difficult to feed them – the size of food is the same);
3-they live on different floors, so they will communicate rarely (Bombinas spend all their time in water or near it, Hylas – are tree frogs;
4-Bombinas are active during the day, Hylas – during the night.
5-They do not look like each other so they will never try to breed together 
One negative point – bombinas are poisonous if they are caught from nature, but they do not produce poison if they are bred in captivity and if they are not stressed. So, to avoid problems, we must change water more often and do not overpopulate the tank.

Another example: I try to keep together Litoria caerulea, Leptopelis flavomaculatus and Rhacophorus leucomystax. What I have seen. Adult Leptopelises are big enough; they have got a very big head and look like almost the same size than males of Litoria. But, I’m a little worried for the male of Racoforus because one of them stays little and I’m afraid that a female of a Litoria can eat him one day. For now they all live together since New Year. All of them support well. But, I would better keep Litoria caerulea with Polypedates dennysii that is bigger or with Litoria infrafrenata or with some of the toads the same size. I want very much to try to make a BIG terrarium with different species of Leptopelises(I adore these frogs) but need to see if they will not try to crossbreed. The same about different Litorias.


What I want to conclude, that we need to study, and then we need to try, and then we need to watch and react fast if something goes wrong .

PS: I’m happy to speak with people who share my passion!!!!Good that I have learnt English. Sorry for mistakes. I’m Ukrainian.
I put photoes of my terrarium and frogs. Want to say that it's better to have bigger terrarium for 6 frogs that I have:2litorias, 2racoforuses,2leptopelises

[Selllena]

And some more
One of the mistakes to avoid - to have enough frogs of the same species to avoid them to try too crossbreed with others . Of course, my couldn't - they have absolutely different way to lay eggs. Leptopelises lay eggs in water, Racoforuses build nests...I'm waiting for a female of Racoforuses for my 2 males to make them happy and to release poor females of leptopelises .

[knighty]

some good points but personally i dont think any mixing should be done..... no 2 frogs are exactly the same thats what makes them such a remarkable species... all frogs have adapted to different ways of life and no matter how small the difference there still is one....

not digging at you just giving my imput

[aquapants]

Thanks for all your input. We have decided to just stick with one type for now. We didnt have any intentions of immediately mixing them, just wanted to know what peoples thoughts were.
You guys are awesome, thanks!

[Rainfrog]

Very good points Selll. You seem to have done alot of research. I personaly agree with knighty but, having said that it is something that CAN be done there is alot of opinion on whether it SHOULD be done. My message is if you have to ask CAN I you probably SHOULD not. You dont have the experience or knowledge to do it properly and most likely it will end in heartache. If you have taken the very extensive time required to find out what you CAN then you will be ablr to factor in all the parameters and tackle whether you SHOULD. Mixing is simply not something that Should be done by beginers. I have been around the hobby for some time and dont consider myself experienced enough to mix species.