Oophaga sylvatica "San Lorenzo" Care Guide

Housing Requirements

• Terrarium Size: 18 x 18 x 24 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair, 24 x 18 x 24 preferred; more vertical than pure terrestrial dendrobates
• Tank Mates: Sexed pairs are the standard for large-form Oophaga. Females can be territorial with each other and groups often collapse to a dominant pair, so a proven pair is easier to manage than a colony. Never mix locales or species.
• Temperature: 72-78°F (22-26°C) during the day, 65-70°F (18-21°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

• ABG mix (Atlanta Botanical Garden mix) or similar well-draining substrate
• Live plants, including broadleaf bromeliads for egg deposition and tadpole rearing sites
• Deep leaf litter, cork bark, and film canisters for cover. Sylvatica are more secretive than tinctorius and stay in view more in a heavily furnished tank.
• Clean, dechlorinated water source

Diet & Feeding

• Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster and hydei)
• Springtails, aphids, and small isopods as supplemental live prey
• Dust food with calcium and vitamin supplements at every feeding
• Adults readily take hydei; melanogaster remain useful for froglets and calling males

Breeding

• Mature at 12-18 months
• Obligate egg-feeders, the female must feed her tadpoles unfertilized eggs deposited into the tadpole's water. The pair has to be left in with the tadpoles for rearing to succeed, so pulling clutches to raise artificially is not routine and remains an advanced technique.
• Clutches are small (typically 2-10 eggs) and productivity is modest, a well-established pair may produce roughly 4-6 froglets per year
• Tadpoles develop over roughly 90-120 days before morphing

Special Notes

• Locale-pure only, never mix San Lorenzo animals with other sylvatica localities or with other Oophaga; mixed-locale animals are considered ruined for the hobby
• More secretive than dendrobates; a heavily planted, deeply leaf-littered enclosure is what brings them out
• Considered harder to breed than dendrobates and slower than most pumilio, patience is the main requirement
• Extremely sensitive to chemicals and chlorine
• Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving
• Quarantine all new animals for 30+ days