Mantellas are an interesting species of frogs from the island of Madagascar whose coloration mimics that of the poison dart frogs from south America. There are at least 10 recognized species of Mantellas and many different morphs. Mantellas, unlike the poison dart frogs lack the high price but are almost the same difficulty to take care of, if given the proper temperature, and the proper cage setup, Mantellas will flourish. Out of the 10 main species of Mantellas, the most commonly found in pet stores or at herp shows are the Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) and the Green Mantella (Mantella viridis). They seem to be the cheapest and both have been successfully bred in captivity also M. madagascariensis have been captive bred too. The males are the only ones who make noises(chirp) which sounds like a drip of water. They are very small frogs about an inch and a half at the largest, so they eat small food, You can feed them pin-head pin-head crickets, fruit fly's or termites. If it is in the summer time you could probably find enough termites to feed your mantellas all summer.
From the above mentions species the cage setup is generally the same, you want to have a cage which closely mimics their natural habitat in Madagascar. The live in a humid area with temperature ranging from 68 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Try not to get the temp any where above 78 degrees and below 65 degrees Fahrenheit which could very well kill your frogs.
Mantellas live together well but don't think they are not territorial, they are so you don't want to over crowd a terrarium. A 5 gallon terrarium may be sufficient for a pair or a trio of Mantellas, but you should try and go with a larger tank like a 10 or a 20 gallon. With a larger size aquarium, the more plants and the more things you can put in it. You should first start by putting down a 3/4 inch layer of aquarium gravel and then a layer of screen or the filter from a air conditioner. Then take some top soil and put in as much as you want, at least 2 inches if you want plants to grow. Once the top soil is in, terra form the soil to give some shape, mabey some small valley or a small pool of water other than just a flat plain for your frogs. Find a small bow or lab dish and bury it to the rim in the soil and begin to plant small tropical plants selectively in the soil to add some cover for you frogs. Next you want to find a piece of cork bark or something that can be made into a cave for your frogs to hide in. If you can find a sheet of live moss out side, cut it to the disered size and place it in the terrarium but being carful not to let any of the moss hang into the water dish or cover the entrance to the cave. If you have a lot of open space still left, you can add some rocks or branches. If you live near a stream or a swamp land that is unpolluted, you could possibly find a small log that already has moss growing on it, add it to you tank and in a couple of weeks, moss that's on the log will start to grow onto other parts of your cage if the conditions are right. Mantellas, needing a high humidity, special care should be taken on choosing a lid for your terrarium. You can take your time and make a nice lid out of plexy-glass or you can take a piece of plastic wrap and cover the tank with it. You need to mist their cage at least once a day, if you have a large amount of mantellas in a couple cages, it may be wise looking into buying an automatic misting system for them. The high humidity is crucial when eggs are developing.
Animals such as all plants, need light, I have found that special UV lights are a lot better than the regular flourescents, the plants will thrive and your frogs, since they are diurnal (active during the day) will benefit from the light too. You have to be carful on what type of light you choose, watch the thermometer in your cage. On a larger cage, the more lights you need to properly even out the amount of light in the cage. I hope this information on Mantellas has helped you in better understanding this interesting anuran.