I have never kept PDFs but I do know a little about keeping them and frogs in general, your incandescent is not going to do it, you/they need a florescent that will simulate daylight, as the heat from the incandescent will build up in a sealed tank,they are sold at most pet shops in most sizes,you will also need to ventilate the hood because of the heat that builds up in there, your ten gallon is kinda small and heat will build up very quickly, youll also have to find a way to get the air inside the tank circulated, helps stop mold and is great for your frogs as a sealed non ventilated tank is not going to work for frogs, cocco bedda beast stuff? If your talking coco fiber that has been crushed into a soil like consistancy yes, thats good stuff, but if you plan on adding real plants in the future you will have to add an organic fertilizer before adding the plants, sold at places like blackjungle.com, this is just the basics of keeping frogs alive and healthy, not to mention raising fruit flys to feed the PDF, which is a job in itself! Please do A LOT of research and have your tank set up BEFORE you buy your PDF, or youll end up with a dead PDF, Ill again stress the point of research! =) I know that I dont like to be the reason that anything dies, not to mention that these frogs are not cheap, and if the frogs do die, its almost always the fault of the keeper! So be sure to follow instructions about the set up of the habitat, and be sure that you buy a healthy PDF =) Good luck =)

Ok. . .that was sorta helpful I guess. . .I have been doing tons and tons of research, I know better to buy a frog before having it's habitat ready for him. So I need to replace the bulb, I will take a trip to the store as soon as possible to find one that will work. Any ideas how to 'circulate the air?' I don't really know what you meant by that. . .do live plants add anything to ventilation? I don't plan on using them any time soon though. Also is there a way to create more air holes (replacing the hood (it's a fish tank one) with a screen is a possibility), but then will I need a heat lamp? I also don't know where to find under tank heaters, as far as I know, my pet store doesn't carry them. If I put a small fan near an over tank heat lamp would that circulate the air properly? I also plan on misting the tank twice a day with water to keep humidity to around 80%. Thanks for the reply ^_^

This forum is targeted more at plants than at animals, so there are better places to ask than here. A fan will circulate it well enough, there have been posts on this forum before about converting computer cpu fans for this purpose, and one post by me about using a 120VAC fan from radio shack that doesn't need converting. In your case I would use a cpu fan because of how small your tank is. Getting rid of the glass hood in favor of screen would be a good idea, because glass will block out a lot of the UV your frogs will need from the bulb (I think PDF's need a UV lamp). Plants don't add ventilation. As for under tank heaters, most pet stores do carry them. They are thin sheets of sticky plastic with a heating element in them. You just adhere them to the bottom of the tank and plug them in, and they provide even heat for the whole tank.

-DH

Sorry if I sounded any other way but helpful =) but I guess I didnt supply the info you needed either? although I thought I covered most of your questions? anyways,although DH is correct about the heating pads remember that your frog will also want an area that is always a little cooler than the rest of the tank,and Im sorry that I dont know you and have to say this but....if you did research why dont you know that you need circulation in your set up? its like part of the most basic things in terrarium/viv care!? I also find it hard to beleive that you dont know about how important live plants, like bromiliads are to the reproduction and health of most PDF!? if you put a heat lamp on your tank and a fan to circulate air into the tank your going to end up with dead dry little frogs, your tank has to be partially sealed so that the humidified air stays in the tank, you can have the best humidifier on the market but if you dont have your tank at least 3/4 of the way sealed it will all escape into your room (unless you have a room thats at 80% to 90% humidity)DH is kinda right, this forum is more on the plant side, but, this forum is also full of people that can help with your PDF questions, but you have to listen when they give you advise, which it seems that you dont as I covered most of the bases in my first reply to you and you kinda "guessed" that I helped you =( again, please dont think Im tryin to rip you another one! =) Im not =) I just want to get you the info you need, thats why I am still here answering your question =) I remember this saying I heard once and will for the rest of my life, it goes,"How do you expect to taste my tea when your cup is already full?" be sure to ask all the question you need, but remember, the more you ask the less research I think you have done! =)

I don't really know how to reply to that. -_-

First off, thanks for the informative info. I can see that you are trying to help in every way you can, and I appreciate it. The reason I asked about the ventilation, is because I keep getting conflicting answers on different webpages. I will look into purchasing a frog book though, that should get me some more definate info. One site says that they need no ventilation at all and the humidity will escape into the air, and another source says they need tons. That's why I asked. Do you honestly think I would be asking these questions if I didn't want the best care for my frog? If I don't think I can take care of him properly, I will not buy a dart frog.

but you have to listen when they give you advise, which it seems that you dont as I covered most of the bases in my first reply to you and you kinda "guessed" that I helped you

And you sound like an arrogant know-it-all. I don't mean to be mean, but just because I am asking for your help, doesn't mean you have to treat me like I am five. Especially when half of the words in that first sentence were spelled incorrectly.

I added as much info as I could possibly give in my firt post in an effort to allow people to spot potential mistakes so they could fix them. Like fake plants. If you think I need live ones, then I will consider it. But I will have to read about how the drainage symstem works, because I only plan on using a rather large, but shallow bowl for the water, and not sure which kind of substrate to use then. But certain sites state that the frog's waste will be enough to fertilize the plants. Maybe you could clarify that for me. And what kinds of plants to use. I will start looking that up on the web as soon as I am done typing this.

About heating pads, I will look for those as well. I know you are suppose to fit it so that it will cover 2/3 of the tank. Otherwise, the frog I am getting, (D. Auratus) likes temperatures of the high 70's to low 80's, which my room is heated to, so no additional heating may be necessary. Before I get the frog obviously I will stabilize his habitat so that he is comfortable.

Thanks for the help, Jess

Trust me, Im not a know it all!LOL! anyone that has been on this site can tell you that, I mentioned that I never kept PDFs, thats because I was having so much trouble keeping regular green tree frogs alive that I wouldnt/couldnt try PDFs until I was positivly sure that I could care for them and give them the proper set up that they need and deserve, sorry if I came off as "an arrogant know-it-all" Im really a nice guy, just dont want people to make the mistakes I made with the little guys, thats all, and by the way....check your spelling, its just as bad as mine!LOL! Its to much trouble and time to go back and correct the spelling of every word, I figure as long as you and I know how the words SUPPOSED to be spelled we'll be OK! LOL!

Well I appreciate the help. I'm listening, and adjusting my plans to reflect your posts. This is my plan as of right now:

Ten gallon long tank (I wish it were a tall, but it's the only I have) with compact florescent lighting. I plan to use wood chip substrate that every 2-4 weeks will be completely replaced. (Do you think that's good, or should I strive for every week? I am just going by what the caresheet said) I really like the idea of live plants, but from what I have read, the frog will climb on fake plants just as much as he would on real ones, and they would be easier to maintain. I also will provide a large water bowl that's filled to about an inch deep. In a week I am going to start buying everything like the driftwood and the corkwood and the decorations and substrate and start getting it set up to the right humidity/temperature and all that stuff ^_^ And I will mist once or twice daily with de-chlorinated water to keep humidity up. I also think I am going to try for a half screen half glass top to allow for circulation, without allowing the humidity to escape from his habitat.

Thanks for the entertaining/informative replies.

Be sure to check out the pics in the gallery and at, http://wildsky.net/vivarium/evivariu.htm, there you will find fantastic pics of terrariums from around the world! My terrariums are there under the name A.Roasio, please let me know what you think =)

Ooh I really like yours! Especially the first picture, everything is so green lol. It doesn't look like you used a false bottom though, only gravel and water, am I right? How does the drainage work? I am kinda hoping to just set up a dart frog habitat without all that, just use a shallow bowl of water and some substrate and replace it if possible. . .keep up the good work though ^_^

Thanks =) I have no drainage, just a pump behind a false wall on the right side of the tank, it pumps water up through a hose thats also hidden behind the wall, the hose goes about 3/4 of the way up to a piece of cypress driftwood thats imbeded into the rear wall, there it trickles down like a water fall on the driftwood, then it trickles off the driftwood into the bottom of the tank, there it passes through a hidden grate of PVC eggcrate and fiberglass screen and back to the pump, where it all starts all over again, it also has a trickle wall on the left rear of the tank that you can just make out in the pics, thats how the water stays clean, a type of something or other grows on the surface and gobbles up all the liquid waste, in time I noticed that any solid waste is quickly dissolved in the water, so I just do partial water changes from time to time, and your right, no false bottom in this one, Ive got two Green tree frogs a Bird Voiced frog, a Bahama Anole, and three Gambusia fish, all doing great except lately for the anole? Ive had him for about two years now and I noticed that no matter how well he eats and drinks he seems to be getting thinner? I do see him drink (RO water) and he gets gut loaded crickets, earth worms, and meal worms, I also dust the crickets once a week? he moves around and doesnt show any sign of disease? maybe hes just old?? any ways, thanks much for the comments and Im glad you enjoyed the set ups =)

Well I have some experience in lizards. . .I kept a bearded dragon for five years when I was younger, but he never seemed to get sick a day in his life, so I can't help there. I would try dusting the bugs with the calcium more like two-three times a week and see if that helps? I am sorry about your anole, and I wish I could help more :(

I keep PDFs. Dendroboard is the best source I have found for info. Go there and read every beginner sticky to get information on how to keep these frogs. You don't change out the substrate. You must use live plants. There is info on how to culture fruit flies for them, and everything else you need to know. There is too much info for me to sit and type it all out, so just go there and read, read, read everything you can about them. The frog you have chosen is a good beginner frog. Here are some of my pics of my frogs and terrariums.
This is an old pic of my terrarium. It looks a lot different now, but just to give you an idea:

Hey back2eight, wondering if you wouldnt mind posting pics of your set up as it looks today! Im in the middle of redoing my set up and will post pics when its done =)Cant wait!

I don't have any current pics, right this minute it looks kind of bad because I just trimmed it way back. It had gotten very over grown. I'll see about getting some new pics soon, but let me give it some time to grow back in first.

will do! =)

hey guys i also have a question about poison dart frogs i bought a nice terrarium from reptile depot awhile back and have only been doing partial water changes. today i did a full water change and when i refilled my terrarium i noticed very small worms in the water they look like lint from a cotton shirt about an 1/8 of an inch and very thin are they parasitic worms or larve from the fruit flies? also the bedding and rear wall are foam. i have many live plants. so what i want to know is if they are dangerous to my frogs and how do i get rid of these nasty little worms?