Join the Frog.care DiscordWater Features #
TL;DR #
Don’t include a water feature unless you know exactly what you’re doing, which probably means you don’t need this information.
Water features are complicated, prone to problems and take away from much needed surface area in an already constrained space and are generally more complicated and risky than the aesthetics make them worth. Most dart frog keepers do not include more than a small, shallow dish of water for their frogs to soak in (sometimes with a calcium clay mixture).
Problem 1: Frogs can drown #
Frog aggression can occur in any species, not just D. tinctorius females. When wrestling, frogs that otherwise do swim reasonably well, may drown if the water is more than half their height. Outside of aggression, if frogs are sick or otherwise weak, they are also at greater risk of drowning.
See: Aggression
Problem 2: Water must be kept clean #
Water in a vivarium is prone to being stagnant, which means dead flies, frog poop and whatever else can make the water dangerous for your frogs. The water must be kept clean at all times either via a well maintained filter system or by replacing the water frequently. Aquatic plants can also assist in filtering. Water in the water feature needs to be kept separate from the drainage layer to make sure it stays free of excess tanins, bacteria and whatever else has collected in the drainage layer. Water features are high maintenance and pumps will fail from time to time, so the feature must be designed to be serviced easily.
Ameerega #
The one exception is Ameerega that live near streams in the wild and are frequently seen soaking in the water. There is some anecdotal evidence that they breed more readily in the presence of running water in captivity, either a stream or a small waterfall. Many keepers have bred them very successfully without one, so a stream is not strictly necessary. This is an area where there is only anecdotal evidence and no real studies. The water should still be shallow for Ameerega, to reduce drowning risk.