Actually these are GREAT little animals and really not that hard to keep!
I started out with a pair of Surinam Cobalts (D. tinc) back in January of this year (2006). They were my first PDF's. Here's the vivarium I have them in, it's a 12"x12"x18" H Exo Terra:
Here's my female Cobalt hunting for FF's:
I now have (2) froglets of D. Leuc. that I just picked up last month at the Hamburg Reptile Show. They are eating well, too.
The key to keeping PDF's is:
Viv maintenance is VERY easy, too. The PDF's waste (poop) is very small in size and it acts as a fertilizer for the live plants in the viv. It's kind of a self sustaining eco system. I know guys who have had viv's well over 5 years and have NEVER done anything to them other than pruning of the live plants.
- Feeding them the right stuff
- Maintaining the proper temperature (usually no less than 65-degrees F at night time and not greater than 77-degrees F at the hotest part of the day).
- Maintaining the proper humidity, by daily misting (no less than 60% for the most part).
The main staple for PDF's in captivity is Fruit Flies (FF) or Springtails. I culture my own FF's with VERY little trouble.
Do NOT be afraid of trying to keep these little "Gems" of the jungle. If you're looking for real some "nuts and bolts" of keeping PDF's stop over at www.dendroboard.com There are some REAL nice folks over there that will educate you and help you along the way. If you stop by there look me up, "DartMan".
One last comment, I would HIGHLY recommend NOT doing any running water feature in your firts viv. They are high maintenance and a ROYAL pain in the booty. Contrary to some folk's thoughts out there, PDF's don't need running water or pools of water to survive.
All the Best!
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