PDF smell?

[SamuraiSid]

I've thinking about broadening my collection wit some PDF's. My brother in law used to have green tree frogs, and said they stunk terribly. From what my research has turned up, it would seem that it is a common problem, but Im wondering if maybe husbandry and maintenance play a role in it. My question is, assuming I wanted... lets say 4 PDF's in a 20 gallon palundarium, how often would I need to change the water, or is there some maintenance step Ive been missing, to ensure no smell?

I havnt done a ton of research yet, only a little. But the wife says no chance of getting them because her brother said they smell, so I want to knock this, hopefully myth, off the table before I continue on.

And since Ive got your attention, what does a PDF feeding schedule look like? Please be as broad and vague if needed, im just looking for basic guidelines to ensure feeding and maintenance fit my schedule.

Thanks.

 

[pouchedrat]

4 PDF's will probably need bigger than a 20 gallon as adults... depending on species, many get territorial. Even "social" ones. I'm planning on three or four in a 40 gallon breeder tank turned paludarium and even then I may have to watch them carefully and pair them off as adults once I figure out their sexes... There shouldn't really be much of a smell at all if you set up the paludarium naturally and properly.... The only time I've had serious odor was if I didn't let everything cure properly (something that takes weeks or months) but that was with false rocks and such. I know some say 5 gallons per frog, but as adults I think 10 gallons per adult is better...

 

[Entomancer]

I've thinking about broadening my collection wit some PDF's. My brother in law used to have green tree frogs, and said they stunk terribly. From what my research has turned up, it would seem that it is a common problem, but Im wondering if maybe husbandry and maintenance play a role in it. My question is, assuming I wanted... lets say 4 PDF's in a 20 gallon palundarium, how often would I need to change the water, or is there some maintenance step Ive been missing, to ensure no smell? Thanks.

Your tank shouldn't smell if set up properly and not overcrowded. A smelly tank means that organic waste is building up and decomposing, which is where the smell is coming from. So yes, the smell that you heard of was likely due to poor husbandry.

The best setup for most amphibians is a false-bottom tank. This setup design has a drainage layer that allows water to drain away from the soil, which allows plants to grow and keep the soil from rotting; live plants are also really important, unless you feel like cleaning the tank several times a week. They assist in the removal of nitrogenous wastes, because they need them to grow.

Your brother in law probably didn't have the ecosystem set up properly, so organic wastes were stalling without being broken down by the right bacteria, and so when something did start breaking them down, they smelled bad.

 

[pouchedrat]

dendroboard has some various tips on building tanks for dart frogs.

 

[SamuraiSid]

Thanks for all the replies.

@LordRaiden: No insult to my BIL, but Im sure he was following whatever the lps told him, and never did any of his own research.

@puchedrat: You reminded me Im a member over there (for viv construction research), LOL. Thanks for that

 

[Thistles]

None of my dart frog tanks smell unpleasant. They smell like dirt! It's a fresh, natural smell much like a garden. Be sure to set the vivarium up to last with proper drainage and don't do a rush job with your planning. Also seed the tanks with springtails and isopods. I would assume the stinky tree frogs were either in a poorly designed naturalistic tank that ended up rotting, or else a more barren tank that wasn't cleaned frequently enough. If you incorporate a water feature or actually do go all the way to paludarium, I would suggest using activated carbon to minimize any odor from the water. Be careful with the water though, as darts are very poor swimmers and could drown.

The size of the tank and the number of frogs it holds greatly depends on the species. With many of the thumbnails the males are territorial. The females tend to be the bullies with the tincs, at least in my experience. That's very general though! Just be careful and pay close attention to the froggy interactions and their weight. Make sure you don't have a frog that is being bullied away from food. I have 2 PDF tanks that are 20 gallons, but neither has ever had more than 3 frogs in it at a time. I have 3 leucs in one and a pair of azureus in the other. The azureus tank had 3 unsexed froglets to start, but as they grew the girls got nasty and I had to take one out. The leucs have been together since they were froglets as well, but they all get along well. They're fat and peaceful and have a lot of places to hide from each other. My other tanks are much larger and have no more than 1 frog per 10 gallons. That ratio isn't deliberate, but it just happened as I tried to avoid crowding my frogs!