New to the frog world

[fyrfytr]

I picked up a few mis-prices 10gal tanks at PetCo a while ago with the intent to use them with my saltwater aquarium, however I got over ruled by the wife and now I am to make a tank for my 3yr old. As cool and colorful as poison darts are, for a 3yr old the price is just too high so I am leaing towards Fire Belly Toads.
Pardon the stupid questions, but I dont wanna screw this up and be on the couch till next Christmas (she is wanting to make this part of his Christmas presents this year)
From what I can find on here and online, 10gal will work for a pair of them?
Experts say 50/50 but realits is 70/30 water to land?
No gravel, but bigger decorator rocks work for water portion bottom?
Get the repto filter not a standard aquarium filter?

I saw the TetraFauna Vivarium...but for the price it just isnt worth it (see above about dart frogs). I have seen a few videos on YouTube where the guy uses foam then covers it with sandless grout then paints it...is this frog approved/safe?

Thanks in advance, my 3yr old will thank you as well

[Misschievou2]

Hello . I am sorry to inform you but pregnant women and children under the age of 5 and people with suppressed immune systems should consider not having a frog/toad for a pet. In all concern for your child I urge you to consider the illnesses that frogs and toads naturally have (salmonella.. which can cause moderate fever, nausea, abdominal pains and cramps and diarrhea. which is terrible for children ), children are adorable but they love to hold and craddle animals and frogs/toads stress out very easily and become ill with over attention, also imagine your child holding the frog - "washing there hands" and eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich with serious bacteria on his or her hand. Sounds like a bad idea. . Check out the care sheet for petco (you can also show your wife and you two can make an informed decision).
http://www.petco.com/assets/careshee...llied-toad.pdf

How do you feel about leopard geckos (fairly cheap too!) and bearded dragons? Or how about the berber/schneider skink and the blue tongue skink?

Kids learn a lot of responsibility and also gain self esteem from having pets. I think it is a wonderful idea - but it is very important to choose the right one! . Good luck!!

[boaman]

Welcome to the forums. I have researched these toads also as i have recently saved three from being set free in a lake....and I think we are reading the same sites lol. From what ive read 10 gallon is big enough for a pair of FBT's. 70-30 water to land is also what alot of sites ive read suggests. rep filters are also best according to sites.. I do agree with the salmonella concerns but a reptile screen cover that has padlock will keep childrens hands out of the tank. One thing to warn you about....they are addicting and you will prob end up with a bigger tank and more frogs lol..at least thats what im doing anyway lol. I also have reptiles and can tell you most places dont have geckos,skinks and dragons for under 30 bucks...which is the cheapest ive sen darts for...and none of which id suggest for a three year old for the fact that geckos and dragons are fast...little hands trying to reach for them will pull a tail off in a hurry and skinks have a nasty bite...second all reptiles can carry salmonella so what ever way you go id still suggest the locking screen top..just my two cents worth. good luck with the setup.

[Heatheranne]

Welcome to the forum . I would say firebelly toads are fine so long as they are a look but not touch pet. Washing your hands properly before and after handling them is key.

Yes, a 10 gallon can house 2 firebellies. Any more than 2 and I'd recommend a 20 gallon long.

Any ratio is fine so long as they have at least a large water dish or pond. They love to swim. 70/30 would be fine.

Peek around at the vivarium section here and I bet you get some great ideas .

[Misschievou2]

What is the point in having a padlock and telling the child to not handle his pet? Did you grow up "just looking"? As a child I used to pick up everything living i could get my hands on and try to take care of it. Children are trying to learn and be involved. If that were the case the man would have let his child enjoy his fish if it were "just for looking".

Leopard geckos are WONDERFUL for children. They are very easily handled and they don't necessarily need the whole lighting set up!

The bearded dragon is a social and expressive lizard that is very good with children. Also the blue tongued skank is very similar to the bearded dragon besides some small adjustments.

You are completely right about the tail detaching but usually the tail only detaches if the animal is stressed and trying to get away and if the child grabs it by the tail. This can be spoken about to by the child to be aware of. All animals give bites - and reptiles are known for biting. We can discuss every single animal that bites but I just don't see it getting anywhere. The main point is children are wonderful caregivers with animals and they learn tons from taking care of them but it is important to pick out the right animal. I just do not recommend a fire belly toad if the child is planning on handling them. If you plan on doing all the cleaning and care and he or she is just watching from a distance than I agree with boaman just padlock it.


check out this site about best pet lizards for children:
Top 5: The Best Lizard Pets :: VIVAPETS

[Heatheranne]

True. It depends on what you are looking for in a pet.

I had firebellies when my daughter was 3. She loved them, but they were more for me. I did not let her touch them. She was definitely amused by their silly antics. She would just watch them jump and swim back and forth.

Leopard geckos sound fun. I've never had any.

[Kira Hudson]

no u can handle fire bellys u shouldnt but you can as long as you 1. was your hands before with very mild soap and rinse very well 2. limute it as short a time as possable this dose stress them even if you have a tamer one like me 3. wase your hands compleatly after i have one that wont eat unless i hand feed him while cupping him in my hand i know its nuts but scardy cat is a weird one and i use a reg fish filter i have modifed it with the help of a fourm goer it works great
fbt are a great starter frog anuther to consider is green tree frogs they are also cheep but nocturnal so wont do as much and whites are good to

[fyrfytr]

All points well taken, however as far as things go it is as much a pet for him as well as it is a learning experience for later pets down the road. We have a freshwater tank with african cichlids and he has a beta fish, so we are ok with "hands off" pets. With those he helps us with cleaning (he holds the bucket for me when I am using the gravel vac on the freshwater tank and he is the official cup holder when my wife cleans the beta bowl) but he knowes his limits. Although he is a boy, he is definatly a mamas boy and doesnt like to pick up worms and other slimy insects, so getting hands into the tank is not a fear at this point. I thought a frog tank would be a fun addition to his room as he does like to sit and watch the fish in the fish tank out in the living room and if I set up a small LED moonlight (marine tank talking here) they could "share" a nightlight and maybe help ease the scared of the dark issues.

[Niima]

Well to "the no touch thing" I have fire belly toads and I don't touch them, but I show my two year old son all the time and he can't keep his eyes off of them. He doesn't even need to touch them. He cries when I take them away to let them unstress. And you can touch them very delicately, plus they are amazing even to watch. Plus I'd always be worried that if my son was holding something and he squeezed too hard, or dropped it, or it even got away that'd it be gone. I guess it depends on your child.

[Hoppity100]

I say yes, a 10 gal tank for 2 is perfect, that's what I have. I also have 60/40 water and land, it is just right. You're right about gravel, I have pebbles and eco earth fiber in flat round lid. I put live food on top of a smooth large oval rock that is away from the eco earth. I have a small submersible heater and water is 76 degrees, they love it. You could probably use either filter, I'd choose a quiet one. A tank with a screened lid works out for me, I have plastic saran wrap over part of the top to retain humidity. They love warmth. Now what is the foam, grout and paint on? I would be careful what touches the water. Oh, and try to not handle these frogs, they are sensitive to our oils. Hope this helps.

[Hoppity100]

If you have a child that won't squeeze it, it should be alright. This was meant for person writing about padlock, its a great learning experience for kids especially when they learn how to care for and handle pets. But, if a child is too young, what would you do if frog jumps and gets hurt from falling or hitting something too hard while falling? I would tell the child frog has to be handled in conditions where frog is protected from jumping from fear. If I had small kids I'd feel better if they held a turtle or hermit, something slow moving.

[MantisMan]

i would set up the tank like this:
get clean, rinsed gravel and put a half inch down
make a raised land area ramp on one half (start the ramp halfway so a third of it is above water)
the top of the land area should be about 4 inches
spring or dechlorinated water ONLY!! fill until you come close to 4 inches of water
cover the exposed land area gravel with some moss (NO ECO EARTH!)
dont worry abt exposed water gravel, they wont accidentally swallow it if it's underwater
put a small fake cave on land and in water float and insert plants into gravel, real or fake depending on budget
lamp over land with 40 watt bulb and u r good to go!!
make sure to siphon the water/gravel (swirling it and collecting the junk with a betta net works well, no filter needed, weekly water cleanings needed and every 3-4 months take apart everything and rinse it
also, if the kid holds the frog, be sure they wash their hands afterward

[Hoppity100]

Sounds good, I have my tank carefully decorated. I love cleaning it and putting it back together in fact! I do not have a filter because I clean tank often anyway. Plus I don't want an extra obstacle in it. The natural set up is too nice. I don't handle frogs unless its necessary.