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Dendrobates Tinctorius "Azureus" Care Guide

Dendrobates Tinctorius "Azureus"

Last updated: September 21, 2026

Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' is the electric-blue morph originally described from the forest islands of the Sipaliwini savanna in southern Suriname. Hoogmoed described it as a separate species (Dendrobates azureus) in 1969; Wollenberg et al. synonymized it with D. tinctorius in 2006 and it is now treated as a color form. Azureus run a little larger than most tinctorius and prefer somewhat cooler temperatures. They are bold, active during the day, and make good display frogs. They lose their toxicity in captivity when fed a commercial diet.

Housing Requirements

  • Terrarium Size: 18 x 18 x 24 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair; a 24 x 18 x 24 is better for a trio of one female and two males
  • Tank Mates: Best kept as a pair or one female with multiple males. Two adult females typically fight, and female-female aggression is well documented in this morph — watch any group during breeding and separate animals that get pushed off food.
  • Temperature: 68-75°F (20-24°C) during the day, 65-70°F (18-21°C) at night; sustained temperatures above 80°F are risky for Azureus and heat is the most common cause of loss in this morph
  • Humidity: 80-100% relative humidity
  • Lighting: Standard vivarium LED on a 12-hour day/night cycle; UVB is not required — dust prey with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement instead

Substrate & Environment

  • Substrate: ABG mix or similar bioactive substrate over a drainage layer
  • Plants: Live plants — bromeliads, pothos, and ferns work well
  • Hiding Spots: Cork bark, leaf litter, and coco huts; a few film canisters at floor level for breeding
  • Water Features: A shallow water dish and moist leaf litter; deep water is not needed

Diet & Feeding

  • Primary Food: Melanogaster and hydei fruit flies
  • Variety: Springtails, aphids, and occasional small isopods or pinhead crickets
  • Supplementation: Dust prey with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement at every feeding; rotate in a multivitamin per your supplement schedule
  • Feeding Schedule: Daily for juveniles; every 1-2 days for adults

Breeding

  • Sexual Maturity: 10-14 months
  • Clutch Size: Typically 4-10 eggs on a smooth leaf or in a film canister
  • Tadpole Care: Male transports hatched tads to water; raise in individual cups on a commercial tadpole diet with regular water changes, or leave in-tank with parents
  • Development: Tadpoles reach metamorphosis in about 60-80 days

Special Notes

  • Azureus are one of the more bold, out-front tinctorius forms and spend most of the day visible on the floor of the tank
  • Keep them on the cooler end of the tinctorius range — this morph does not tolerate summer heat as well as most tinctorius
  • Keep localities pure — never mix Azureus with other tinctorius forms or with other dart frog species
  • Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving
  • Wild populations are restricted to a few forest islands in the Sipaliwini savanna; hobby animals in the US descend from imports in the 1980s and early 1990s, including the Wattley line

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