Josh's Frogs Complete Dart Frog Kits contain everything you'll need to set up a gorgeous dart frog habitat! Complete Dart Frog Kits are perfect for housing dart frogs their entire life! We offer 4 differently sized kits to meet the needs of your animals: 12x12x18, 18x18x18, 18x18x24, and 24x18x18.

When Josh's Frogs was founded in 2004, we set out to be a "one stop shop" for all things dart frog. These complete kits are the result of that philosophy, and our way of ensuring that customers were provided with what they needed to successfully keep dart frogs.

Dart Frog Vivarium Set Up - Start to Finish

Josh's Frogs Dart Frog Vivarium Plant Kits

What does a Dart Frog Complete Kit include?

Hydroton (also known as LECA, for 'light expanded clay aggregate') is a great choice for the false bottom or drainage layer in a vivarium. LECA is a natural product, made from heated clay. It retains moisture, provides lots of surface area for bacteria and plant roots to grow, and wicks water, which will help maintain humidity in a vivarium.

Substrate Barrier: Simply put, the substrate barrier included in the kit is placed between the Josh's Frogs False Bottom and substrate layers in the vivarium to prevent the substrate from pushing down into the drainage layer. This keeps the substrate drier, improving growing conditions in the vivarium, as well as extending the life of the substrate. The substrate barrier can be cut or folded to fit in your specific enclosure.

Josh's Frogs Dart Frog BioBedding Bioactive Substrate: This is the perfect blend for growing tropical plants both in the home and in bioactive vivariums! Our mix is a more eco-friendly modification on the original ABG Mix developed by Atlanta Botanical Gardens—it doesn't contain tree fern! Each bag is a precise mixture of charcoal, milled sphagnum moss, fir bark, minerals and trace elements. The mixture creates the perfect balance between retaining moisture and proper drainage; it can last for several years if used properly.

Sphagnum Moss: Sphagnum moss lasts a long time in the vivarium, and has natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It is placed between the substrate and leaf litter layers in a vivarium to prevent the substrate from adhering to the frogs, and to increase the suitable environment for microfauna. The Long Fiber Sphagnum moss comes in an compressed brick, and will need to be expanded in water previous to use.

Leaf Litter: Leaf litter is an integral part of a naturalistic vivaria. It slowly breaks down, providing both organic food for the microfauna and plants in the tank. Leaf litter also provides hiding places and visual barriers for the larger inhabitants of the vivarium. It is the final layer in the vivarium. Leaf litter may consist of Live Oak, Sea Grape, Magnolia, or a combination of the three.

Springtails & Isopods: These tank insects are an excellent part of any bioactive setup. They are tiny and live down in the substrate, eating all of the decomposing material they can fine. Microfauna will help keep you tank clean, meaning lower maintenance for you.

Manzanita Wood: Josh's Frogs vivarium wood is perfectly suited for use in humid vivaria. It will initially mold, but this mold will disappear within a couple weeks, and is not harmful to the vivarium inhabitants. Place the wood in the vivarium in a way that allows you to plant around/on it, provides additional usable space for the future vivarium inhabitants, and is visually appealing.

Exo Terra Glass Terrarium: Exo Terra Glass Terrariums make great vivariums with very little modification. The glass terrarium allows for easy viewing, and dual front doors make vivarium access and maintenance a breeze. The ventilation strip below the doors aides in keeping the glass free of condensation. Josh's Frogs recommends that you wipe out the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium before use.

Exo Terra Compact Top: The Exo Terra Compact Top contains a reflector, in order to reflect as much light as possible right where you need it - right back in the vivarium! The Exo Terra Compact Top simply sits on top of the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium, after the bulb(s) are installed. Josh's Frogs recommends running the lights 12 hours on/12 hours off for poison dart frogs.

LED Bulbs: Josh's Frogs provides quality bulbs in our Complete Dart Frog Kits. These bulbs are the correct spectrum for optimal viewing, as well as great plant growth. The bulbs are energy efficient, have a low heat output, and a long usable life. Install the bulb(s) in the Exo Terra Compact Top.

Glass Top: Glass tops are recommended for dart frog vivaria, in order to hold in much needed humidity, and to reduce ventilation, while allowing as much light as possible into the vivarium. We recommend siliconing the glass top in place on the top plastic rim of the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium.

Tropical Vivarium Plant Kit: The Josh's Frogs Dart Frog Plant Kit comes with a wide variety of tropical plants perfectly suited for growing in a poison dart frog vivarium. These live vivarium plants are grown without harmful chemicals, and may consist of bromeliads, ferns, pilea, peperomia, selaginella, and others.

Temperature & Humidity Gauge: Combometers will allow you to stay on top of the temperature and humidity level in your tree frog's enclosure. Place the probe inside the tank, about halfway up, in a place where it will not be misted directly.

Josh's Frogs Spray Bottle: Depending on the humidity needs of your pet frog, you'll want to mist 1-3 times a day. Make sure to use distilled or r/o water.

Josh's Frogs Dechlorinator: Josh's Frogs Dechlorinator makes tap water safe for your reptiles, amphibians, fish and other pets. To remove harmful chlorine and chloramine mix 2 drops of dechlorinator per gallon of tap water. Josh's Frogs recommends changing less than 25% of water volume on aquatic amphibians or fish.

Which Complete Dart Frog Kit is right for me?

We've designed 4 different Complete Dart Frog Kits, each aimed at different species/group sizes of animals.

Our 12x12x18 Complete Dart Frog Kit is perfect for 1-2 Thumbnail Dart Frogs, but is too small for other species.

Our 18x18x18 Complete Dart Frog Kit is a great size to start out with, and can easily house 2-3 of the more commonly kept species of dart frogs, such as Dendrobates leucomelas, D. auratus, or D. tinctorius. Same with the 18x18x24 Complete Dart Frog Kit - it's just taller!

The 24x18x18 Complete Dart Frog Kit is best suited for Phyllobates species, or groups of frogs.

All frogs will appreciate more space—it's hard to give a frog too much room!