Toad faeces

[DYLAN]

Hi - I'm a new boy, have 1m/1f/1? ~1cm BumbleBee Walkers for just 2 weeks. Together they eat ~12 small crickets daily. I can't see any waste on the Exoterra coconut substrate. Every other day-ish there are a few black specks in the water dish, some teardrop shaped. These appear overnight. I have seen toads sat on edge dish with rears in water - so could black specks be faeces?

If not how can you see, presumably minute, faeces on dark brown substrate? Would I have to remove surface layer regularly?

Any advice appreciated.

[LazyEyedFroggie]

Yes, toad feces are dark and teardrop shaped. It's unlikely you'll be able to spot them on cocofiber until the toads grow bigger. Replace the surface layer every few days.

[DYLAN]

Thanks Robin, Sorry mis-typed size - I think BBWs are practically full grown at ~2cm snout to rear so faeces probably large as gonna be. Don't like idea of shifting folliage etc that regularly as my BBWs are nervous critters. How do others clean 'ground' area? Ideas - laptop keyboard vacuum cleaner using extension pipe? Would introducing those 'maggots' that breeders put in cricket containers to clear up dead be a solution?

[LazyEyedFroggie]

Sorry, I forgot to take into account that they're much smaller than most toads! You can probably just clean the top layer of open ground every week, wipe any leaves/branches that have droppings on them, change the water daily, and do a complete tank cleaning every month. I'm not sure if the maggots/beetles would eat toad feces, I'll leave that question for someone else. However, any insects that they can't eat would likely just get in their way by crawling on them, drowning in their water, etc..

Could you explain the "laptop keyboard vacuum cleaner using extension pipe" a little more clearly? The vacuum concept could help in cleaning the top layer, but I can't really imagine that.

[DYLAN]

Hi again,

Here's the sort of thing - mine is battery powered and has a 1cm round protrusion on which you can fix the supplied 4cm pipe or brush attachment. I'd envisage a softer more flexible tubing. Perhaps the very soft neoprene tubing I used in the laboratory. Suction is limited but certainly picks up dead crickets, fine coco fibre particles. Also mine has a removeable dustbag. Just don't have a photo of it! I've also started a similar thread in the Vivarium/Terrarium/Enclosure forum.

[Frog Tropics]

Huh! I've never heard of such a thing.

Either way, welcome to the forum!

[DYLAN]

Hi again,

That's the whole point - expand the thinking beyond the conventional...

Am I right in thinking that the majority of the faeces would consist of the indigestible cricket residue - chitin? If so, I would suggest that the chitin would slowly biodegrade making it similar to cellulose - the plant comparative. I could also imagine that in an active bio-layer the bacteria would assist in the degradation.

[connor111699]

Welcome