Problem with my FBT and habitat cage suggestions

[11TNS]

i just got myself new FBT's and i have this one toad who sits in the corner all day, the color of him is dark black dont know if that makes a difference but hes been sitting there a good 10 hours the whole day, i fed them yesterday. Also my cage only hads one large water bowl but i have seen most tanks on youtube that have half land/water and was thinking if i should do that or will they be fine with just this. also feeding, should i buy crickets for the week or every other day and lastly when i go on a vacation should i leave something for them like fish have or just feed them before i go?


thanks

[FinnyBird]

You sound very ill-prepared to own toads. However, it's already done, so we'll try and fix things, yeah?

A dark color in the toads generally indicates stress or low temperature. Do you handle the toads? And do you have any source of heat for them?
They can survive with a small bowl of water, but it is not good for them as their toxins can build up. And even if you change the water every day, it can still cause issues if you don't de-chlorinate it. Amphibians literally breathe through their skin. It may not have immediate effects, but it will cut their lifespan short.
So yes, it would be best if you could do a large portion of the tank with water so that water changes are less often. Even better, you can set aside the money to put together a small filter. You can buy one, or you can make one. Personally, I like to construct my own. Costs less than a filter of similar quality and lasts a lot longer. I can give you instructions on how to make a filter yourself for about thirty dollars that will keep the water clean for a very very long time.

As for feeding, you should feed them about every other day. They won't eat fish, and if they're so starving that they do, it would not be good for them. If you went on vacation, it would depend on how long. A couple days would be fine so long as you give them a big meal beforehand. A week, and you could shut off heat so that their metabolism slows. Any longer and you should just get someone to feed them while you're gone.

Also, how many do you have?

[11TNS]

i have 3 toads in a 10 gall tank, but when i got one of my 3 toads it was black but now 2 of them are black and the other one is normal, i only have a desk lamp which i know isnt enough i am getting a real one for them tmro or friday

[adinco]

i would def do more water, especially for 3 toads in a 10 gallon. and you def need a filter as well.

[FinnyBird]

Okay, so yeah. Have more water, see about getting a filter set up, and get an adequate heat source. Do you handle your toads at all?

[11TNS]

are we talking like a vivarium or terrarium because i put another large water dish in there last night and no i dont not handle my toads

[FinnyBird]

Alright, it's good you don't handle your toads. That can be a major stressor.

A vivarium is any tank or cage that is a home for your pet, and a terrarium just has an earth element. So both. You should try and do at least a half and half water earth setup, though the best is a two thirds water setup. What you could do is get a big tupperware container and fill it with water if you can't do anything better, one of the larger ones so it'd take up about half the tank.