Love at first sight

[littleteacher]

I am a preschool teacher and fell in love with these little darlings when my supervisor brought her tank in with 2 toads for the children to watch. I have been caring for my own 2 toads for about a week so I am brand new to this very interesting world of Fire Bellied Toads. I also love gardening and plan on building a beautiful vivarium for my new friends. I have been rreading all I can find on the internet as I am a responsible pet owner and educate myself on the type of pet I have. I also know you can't believe everything you get on the internet. You people seem to really know your Fire Bellied Toads. I do have many questions and am not sure just where to begin. But here goes. I have read not to feed the toads meal worms. However, the guy at Pet Smart that sold me the toads said it was fine. I think they are eating them. I have 2 toads and put 4 worms in the tank. There is usually 1 that I can find that was not eaten. Am I feeding them correctly?

[Heatheranne]

Welcome . I just joined the forum a month or so ago and I have learned bunches already. Everyone has been very kind and helpful and they really know their stuff here. I have had red belly toads for years and just recently traded them for red eyed tree frogs. when I first purchased my toads the fella at the pet store also told me the same. So, I fed them mealworms and small crickets. One of my babies bloated up and could hardly walk or swim. I soaked him in a warm dechlor bath but it was too late and he passed. I felt awful. The next time I went to get crickets I asked my buddy who has had several types of frogs and toads and he said he probably had trouble digesting the worms and became impacted. So I sadly learned the hard way . I fed the others crickets from then on out and they did great, never got sick, and were healthy energetic little guys .

Small crickets dusted with calcium/vitamin D powder are best for them.

I hope you enjoy your babies and look forward to your viv!

Post us pictures. We love sharing!

[tgampper]

Hi and welcome to Frog Forum! Enjoy your stay and there are many who will be able to answer your questions!

[LilyPad]

Welcome!!! Heatheranne has given you some great advice regarding the meal worms. We also have a great care sheet for firebellied toads that you will want to check out if you haven't already! Frog Forum - Fire-Bellied Toad Care and Breeding - Bombina orientalis and relatives

[Kurt]

Mealworms are fine in moderation. However, you should never use them a staple diet for any frog. They are the larva of a beetle and beetles are high in chitin, a substance that is similar to keratin, the material that makes up your hair, finger and toe nails, as well as the horns of the rhinoceras. If too many mealworms are fed, it could impact a frog, so go lightly on them.

And welcome aboard.

[Jace]

Welcome to the Forum! You will find your little toads to be a high source of entertainment and joy. I did give my toads mealworms, but, as Kurt stated, in moderation. Once a week, each toad received 2-3 small mealworms as a treat, but the rest of the time, they were on a strict diet of crickets and phoenix worms when I could get them. If I had a smaller toad or a skinnier one that I wanted to fatten up, I used soft butterworms to accomplish the task. Have lots of fun setting up the vivarium-that can be an addiction in and of itself! Can't wait to see pictures....