Care Guide
Dyeing Dart Frog
(Dendrobates tinctorius)

Housing

Minimum size enclosure: 45x45x45cm (up to 2 adult frogs)

Tincs do well in pairs and small groups. Bigger enclosures are always better as they will make use of all of the space you give them. A bioactive glass enclosure is a must, including a drainage layer (e.g clay balls), appropriate substrate (e.g ABG), live plants, clean up crew and leaf litter.

Food and Supplementation

The staple diet of dart frogs is flightless fruit flies, although alternative feeder insects are available such as pinhead crickets and pea aphids. Feed juvenile frogs every day and adults every other day. Newly morphed froglets start on springtails and small flies (Drosophila melanogaster). When they are large enough (at roughly 6 months old) they can move on to large fruit flies (Drosophila hydei).

Proper supplementation is essential for the wellbeing of your frogs. Repashy Calcium Plus should be used every feed. Repashy Vitamin A Plus should be used once per month for non-breeding frogs and twice per month for breeding frogs. Add the supplement powder to a cup, then tap some flies in and shake them gently to dust them.

Temperature and Humidity

Daytime temperature: 22°C-24°C

Night time temperature: 18°C

Humidity: 70%-90%

Appropriate daytime temperatures can usually be reached in the average household without any additional heating elements other than a strong LED light such as an Arcadia Jungle Dawn, although in some cases a heat mat attached to the side of the enclosure connected to a thermostat may be necessary. UVB light is not necessary for dart frogs but can be beneficial. Avoid heat lamps as prolonged exposure to temperatures over 30°C can be fatal. If you’re using a glass enclosure with a mesh lid (e.g an Exo Terra), it is best to cover 50%-80% of the lid to aid in keeping in humidity. Some mesh should be left uncovered to allow for enough ventilation to keep the humidity below 100%. If the humidity is too high for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to increased bacterial growth in the enclosure and poses the risk of skin infections to the frogs. Mist the enclosure 1-3 times daily using a hand mister or a misting system, depending on the size and amount of ventilation of the enclosure. Mist Kings are the best automatic misting systems available.

Cheap misting systems have a higher chance of malfunctioning which could cause harm to your frogs which is why I recommend Mist King above all else. Reverse osmosis water is best to use but tap water treated with Reptisafe is also an option. Avoid fog systems.

Appearance and Behaviour

Tincs are large and bold diurnal frogs. This means they will be active during the day, making them a wonderful animal to watch. They are mostly terrestrial but will climb any apparatus you give them. There are many available locales, most having a combination of blue and yellow patterns. Females are territorial so they are best kept in male-female pairs or male heavy groups. This isn’t always the case though, given enough space, females can get on with no issues. Tincs are generally sexable after 10 months of age. Males have larger heart-shaped front toe pads and have a quiet buzzing call. Females are usually larger and more rotund, with higher back arches. Froglets are sold as unsexed after 3 months of age so it is sometimes advisable to purchase a larger number than you intend on keeping, and splitting them into the desired gender ratio group when they are old enough to be sexed. Tincs can live for over 15 years.

Handling

Dart frogs are not handleable animals due to their permeable skin and small size. Being amphibians, they absorb water through their skin, therefore, if they come in contact with our hands, any harmful chemicals or oils on our skin would also be absorbed. Only handle dart frogs where necessary and wear powderless latex gloves. They are not poisonous in captivity as they don’t have access to the same diet they would in the wild which would allow them to produce toxins.

Important Info

Dart frogs should be kept to 1 species of frog and 1 locale per enclosure. This is to prevent hybrids and crosses being produced and distributed into the hobby. Also, some species are more aggressive than others which can result in some individuals being bullied by bigger and stronger frogs.