Need help re-doing our FBT tank. Newbie here!

[jajeesh]

Hello. We inherited 3 fire bellies a few months ago that we created a home for in a 10 gallon tank in my daughter's room. They are named after SF Giants....Timmy, Pablo & Buster....based on the lovely orange and black bellies! The woman we adopted them from thru Freecycle, simply handed us a plastic box with the 3 lil' guys and told us to give them a tank with a little bit of water and feed them crickets from the feed store. They've done very well in the environment we created but amateurs that we are, we didn't do it right. One of the 3 whom we think was a girl, Timmy, managed to escape without our knowledge. We found her a few days later deceased. Lesson learned about watching for gaps after feeding and checking that everyone is present daily. Anyways, the other 2 were so sad they stopped singing. We decided to get them a new girl but since it is so hard to figure out the FBT's sex, we opted to take 2 based on what little we could figure out from the net. They are Willie Mays and Wilson. Thus came mistake number 2....we now have 4 froggies in a 10 gallon which I now read is not recommended. Well they are all ok with the crowd apparently and the singing has begun again. After purchasing the other two at a nearby pet store we noted the environment they came from is much different than the one we have. We need to incorporate more water rather than a plastic pool of water 2 inches deep! They have rocks to climb on and hiding places, but I'm sure they would be happier in a more red bellied toady-like environment. I have looked at images and videos on the net and see that we should have at least 1/4th of the tank with water and rocks giving them some dry land areas. I know they would not live in an environment like our gold fish, but wondered if anyone can give us more advice on this. i.e.. Where to get and what kind of rocks and plants? Where do you find rocks that I see in some of those images? What kind of plants? The kind that live in water only or dry land only? I assume the place we bought them would have some of this stuff but they already mis-sold us on a warming bulb that makes the tank much too hot. After 15 minutes they all ran for cover! I do not trust the store's advice! Also, what kind of filter should I consider for the water? In our fish tank we also placed nylon stockings filled with coral to keep the water condition healthy for the fish. Does that work for these guys? Lastly, where is the best place on the net to find this stuff? The store we got the new guys from is far and I'm really mad that they won't take back the bulb based on their bad advice!

Sorry for the long post and thanks for your help!!
Jacquie

[Odica]

Can I see pics of the toads

[s6t6nic6l]

without giving an extensive answer to your queries by anyone here, it will be well worth your while spending some time going thru the bombina part of the forum you're on now and you will get a vast amount of ideas for your setup and all relevant posers set by you answered duly.

good luck with the husbandry.

[jajeesh]

That's my problem...having read many suggestions to proper tank set up here and on other forums, I am quite confused. I need a list of goods to get me started. What kind of rocks? What kind of filter? what kind of plants? Our current set up allowed one to escape though I'm not sure how. How do I make the water deep enough and yet allow land for them that is not lifting them so close to the escape hatch? These are my basic questions. The Pet Club is a far distance to travel without a list.

[BigBlue83]

hello. sorry to hear about your frog that got away. I have three firebelly toads, one of them Urlacher (mine are named after the Chicago bears. lol Urlacher, Hester, and Forte) as i was saying urlacher got out, i dont know at what time if night, but when i woke up the next morning i came out of the bath room and he was on the floor in front of the door. he was wrapped up in cat hair and dry as a bone and lifeless. i cleaned him off of the hair and put him to soak in a carrier container with water. after taking some other steps and caring for him he pulled through and still lives to this day. (that was about a month ago)
as far as filters go i dont like them. i dont trust them. a frogs water is VERY important! In my case i used a piece of plexiglass that i cut into a divider, so i have half land half water (although its more like 60/40) i use a transfer pump to pump 95% to all of the water out and refill every couple days... thats just me though im sure someone else will comment on filter.

as for the rocks, i used a bag of turtle rocks. thats exactly what the bag said turtle rocks. they are small but not small enough that the frogs could swallow them while eating a cricket.

as for light, i may get crucified for this but i dont use one, nor do i heat my tank. i mist it every day or two. when i first got urlacher, he had a light and it was too bright he stayed in the corner under a plant and would not move! the light was too bright. then i got the second frog about five months later. they were in a plastic funny shapped like 5 gallon tank, with a aquarium lid. then they got upgraded to a twenty gallon the one i previously told you about with the turtle rocks. they have been in there for over a month with no light or heat and have been fine.

also as youve learned dont take the advice of pet stores too truly. Ive discovered that one as well...

i hope i helped a little.

[jajeesh]

Thanks Big Blue. Very helpful. Gives me ideas of what we need to change our tank. At least this gives me a starter list. Love that you have Chicago Bears frogs. You made me wonder if our escapee might've been alive when we found her, but she was pretty stiff and not moving. There was no hope. If we'd known she was out, we'd have left her a bowl of water to attract her back to the tank. I have no idea how long these guys can live without water. She was only a few feet from the tank when we found her. My son said he heard a lot of extra chirping the night before. Makes me so sad!

Anyway, when you put in the plexiglass what did you do to seal it in place? I'm wondering if there's an easier way. I do not have the tools to cut any plexiglass but wonder if there's something I can buy fitted or go to a Home Depot to ask them to cut to size. I assume you used some kind of fish tank sealant to secure the water out of the dry side? Was also thinking perhaps I could find some high piled rock structure then just fill the water to below the level of the structure. Then I wouldn't need to do anything that involves tools or glue. Problem there, I wonder, is the algae build up from anything that sits in the water. I'd have a lot more regular work just to keep it clean!

Anyone else with suggestions for how to do this is most appreciated!

Thanks again for your input!