Leucomelas Care Sheet
This care sheet is downloadable for easy printing!  Click to download.



   

Leucomelas dart frogs are fairly bold, these frogs will stay out most of the day but seem to spook a little easier than Azureus. There are three commonly available “morphs” of this species; “standard”, “fine spotted”, and “banded”. The standard & fine spotted are about the same size, the banded morph tends to be a bit bigger. Adults have a very distinct (loud) call which can be heard in our caresheet/downloads section.

Housing:
Space: These frogs will climb if offered the space to do so. Groups of 3 can be kept in 20H Vertical & 29G vivariums – otherwise we suggest a bare minimum 10 gallons per frog.  These are a semi-arboreal species, so height is important!
Temperature: 70-78F with nighttime drops as low as 65F (Over 80F can cause stress and death)
Humidity: 80%+ (This usually requires frequent misting)
A live vivarium is a must for these frogs - Please do research before purchasing a dart frog!

Feeding:
As froglets Leucs will snack on D. Melanogaster flies – and will quickly become large enough for D. Hydei. Dusting the flies with supplements is 100% necessary for a frog to be healthy. We suggest using Repashy supplements for an excellent balance of vitamins & minerals. As for the quantity of flies, there has been lots of discussion on many different forums about this. Keep in mind a fat frog (while happy) doesn’t necessarily equal a healthy frog.  If an excess of flies are left over in the cage from the day before, consider feeding less (or even skipping a day).  Leucomelas will readily pick off springtails, as well - so consider seeding your vivarium with them!  Not only are they a snack for your frog, but they'll also keep the cage clean.

Water:
Frogs do not "drink" in the typical sense.  They absorb water through their skin, so misting is very important.  This species does not require a water area, water bowl, water fall, or any other water feature to thrive.  In fact, open pools of stagnant water can grow bacteria at an alarming rate, so we usually suggest against typical water bowls being added into dart frog vivariums.  Mist 2+ times per day to maintain 80%+ humidity.

Breeding:
These frogs are sexually mature at around 1 year of age. The male’s call is very loud, easily audible from outside the vivarium.  Leucomelas females deposit eggs in film canisters, on leaves of plants, and in coconut huts with petri dish bottoms.  The first couple clutches of eggs are prone to going bad until the 3’rd or 4’th try when the eggs start to develop properly. Eggs should be kept between 74-77F half-submerged in a standard methylene blue mix solution.  Don’t completely submerge the eggs.

Once the eggs hatch into tadpoles they can be moved into a tadpole development cup.  We suggest using R/O water, a pinch of moss, an almond leaf and a little splash of diluted methylene blue mix. Feeding should include half-a-pinch of spirulina powder or flakes twice per week, tad bites whenever they are eaten, Zoo Med tadpole food, and an occasional bloodworm.  We also suggest a tiny pinch of Repashy Superpig if you have some available directly into the water occasionally.  More than one bloodworm at a time will foul the water, so go easy.  The tadpole will snack on the build up on the moss mix & the leaf and should morph over the course of around 40 days.  Water changes are optional, however suggested if/when the water becomes dark.  If you do water changes be sure to use water at proper temperatures! 

When the tadpole pops it's front legs move it to a grow-out container that has an easily accessible land area as well as a water area.  Once the morphed froglet makes it’s first steps on land, leave alone for a day or so. It's common for froglets to not eat for a day or two until they fully absorb their tails. Melanogaster flies (dusted with Repashy Calcium Plus) & springtails are the food of choice at this age.  Once they are fully formed froglets, move them to froglet containers.  A 5.5G tank with sphagnum substrate and a simple hydroton drainage layer will work fine.  We seeded ours with springtails to keep things clean and help keep the frogs fed.  After a couple weeks the frogs can accept Hydei flies.  About 5 froglets per temporary 5.5G grow out terrarium is appropriate, but more space wouldn't hurt.  After 2 months, consider finding them more permanent homes.



If you have any questions at all we're always happy to help!  Email us at meikmail@gmail.com



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