if you could choose, which would you?

[swanwillow]

I have a choice to make. I've got a 75 gallon aquarium, all set up for a saltwater tank. Been planning it out for a few months.

BUT, I also have a love for dart frogs. (no, once removed from the wild they are not poisonous) I can do a few mods to my large tank, and make a PDF terrarium with orchids..

Or, do what I've BEEN doing and set up a saltwater tank.

I also have 2 20 gallon tanks, and a 35 gallon hex, so I can do vise-versa.. but a saltwater tank is much more $$ than a PDF tank would be...

So, if you had to pick between the two, and money was kinda an object (limit of 1200 US dollars) which would you do and why?

[Abyssinian1]

Not that I'm into fish or frogs, but I guess, if it came down to a decision and I liked both animals equally, which option would cost less in time and maintenance? If the dart frog option costs less in time and equipment maintenance, then that's what I'd do.

Also, since I'm not up on my tropical frog species... why would they become non-poisonous once out of the wild or bred domestically? Difference in diet?

[Chief's Mom]

Personally, I'd sell the fish stuff, take the money plus what you were spending to complete it and buy a new bird! But that's just me! I'm not a big fan of frogs, my husband is deathly afraid of almost any type of reptile and try as I might, I can't even keep common goldfish alive for very long. So that's my opinion. Sorry I'm not very helpful

[Courtzrocks]

The frogs, go the frogs. As you said the saltwater set up is expensive and saltwater fish are known to just drop dead without warning, and i dont mean just one I mean all of them dead at once and the fish arent that cheap either. My mum works at petwise and they have a massive fish section with really crazy experiences (massive fish fanatics) people that tell you everything. If you can afford the saltwater option thats good but I would go the frogs, frogs are cuter anyway lol.

[greencinacheeks]

i have bred fish for almost a decade now. and i would most certainly go with saltwater aquuarium. 1200 is enough. tell us what you decide.

~N

[Courtzrocks]

Yes tell us what you choose, I like both, we have had both. Fish are beautiful and funny, but there is just something about the frogs that gets me. We used to hatch frogs and feed the little tadpoles. They are so cute and the frogs are so cute. Either way you'll have a good thing happening. Both very entertaining.

[swanwillow]

oh, I KNOW 1200 is enough. Been there, done that, I just haven't had once set up since my seahorses. (yes, I went tricky)

The birds are coming first-they are getting around $1000 of my tax money for new toys and perches, boings, etc. oh, and cages for the parrotlets.


I'm REALLY leaning at doing both, a 20 gallon saltwater, and the 75 gallon orchids and frogs. I've done research on frogs, and have done saltwater. It would be a shame to let the lights be 'wasted' on orchids... but this is the type of frog I was looking at;
Epipedobates Tricolor at www.poison-frogs.com
they get about an inch long. Loud, noisy.

The cost for either would be around 1200, to do it right.
saltwater-I have yet to get
test kits=$200+
more salt for the water=$40
fish=$200 or so
corals=oh my gosh, I can hit my limit with these, or go easy
shrimp (it was going to be a shrimp/goby tank)=$100

frogs-
materials for layout of the terrarium-500
fruit fly cultures-$100 (do it right the first time!)
frogs-$500 or so.

all in all, cost would be more for frogs, until you add in the corals, where the saltwater gets exponentially more expensive, since with the lights I have, I can keep what are called SPS and LPS, which can be priced (and the ones I want) at $100/6 inches of growth.

[greencinacheeks]

yeah that would be awesome...i would go with both...:D orchids and frog would be really fun... i actually grow orchids and have had frogs but never dart frogs...20 gallon salt would be ok... i like that idea:D:D:D:D

~N

[Courtzrocks]

YAY do both, how cool.

[swanwillow]

well, I've decided.

75=frogs and orchids, 35 hex=gobys and shrimp