Dendrobates Tinctorius "Oyapock" Care Guide

Housing Requirements

• Terrarium Size: 18 x 18 x 18 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair; a taller 18 x 18 x 24 works well and gives more usable space
• Tank Mates: Best kept as a pair or a single female with one or two males. Juveniles can be grown out in small groups, but adult females are territorial and will fight, separate any female that gets pushed off food
• Temperature: 72-78°F (22-26°C) during the day, 65-72°F (19-22°C) at night
• 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 a bioactive drainage-plus-substrate build with a leaf-litter layer on top
• Live Plants: Broms, philodendrons, pothos, and low ground cover; Oyapock use the floor and low structure more than the canopy
• Water Features: Not required; a shallow water dish or a small film-canister pool is enough. Keep standing water clean
• Ventilation: Cross-ventilation with a mostly sealed top; mist once or twice a day to hold humidity

Diet & Feeding

• Primary Diet: Melanogaster and hydei fruit flies dusted with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement at every feeding
• Supplements: Springtails as a constant seed culture in the tank, aphids as a variety item, and occasional isopods or small pinhead crickets
• Feeding Frequency: Daily for juveniles and sub-adults; five to six days a week for established adults
• Water: Reverse osmosis or dechlorinated water for misting and for any standing water

Breeding

• Sexual Maturity: 10-16 months
• Breeding Setup: A coco hut with a smooth petri dish inside, or a horizontal film canister; keep the enclosure humid and well-fed
• Clutch Size: 3-10 eggs, typically laid on the petri dish or a smooth leaf; a productive pair may lay every one to two weeks
• Incubation: The male attends the eggs and moves the hatched tadpoles to water. Tads can be pulled and raised individually in cups on standard tadpole diet with weekly water changes, or left in-tank with the parents. Metamorphosis in 60-90 days

Special Notes

• Oyapock tend to sit out in the open and use the floor of the enclosure; a planted tank with clear sight lines lets you actually see them
• One of the smaller tinctorius forms, a pair fits comfortably in an 18 x 18 x 18, but do not house two adult females together
• Long-lived, properly kept Oyapock can live 15-20+ years
• Historically this line was considered thin and inbred; current captive-bred stock is much hardier, but source from a breeder who tracks their line
• French Guiana prohibits wild export of Dendrobates tinctorius, so every legitimate Oyapock in the hobby is captive-bred, expect that provenance from any seller
• Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving
• Keep localities pure, never mix Oyapock with other tinctorius morphs or with other dart-frog species