mocho the toad!

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hello everyone, this is my first time posting! I've got some questions about my toad that I hope can be answered here, they're things I just want to clarify on since this forum is specifically for amphibian owners and I imagine you all know more than others on this subject.the toad here's a blog full of pictures of him! 1. how often should a toad be pooping? I hear once a week or so is that correct? should I bathe him in warm water if he's not pooping?2. how deep should the substrate in the tank be? I use eco earth and it's about 2-3 inches I'd say3. is it fine to use bottled water for him? I never use the tap as I know it can be harmful, should I go further and get dechlorinating kits for the bottled water?I got him last august btw, he was pretty teeny back then and he's grown a lot! I feed him crickets, earthworms and pill bugs. he's got a decorative mushroom house for a shelter and a rock that he likes to sit on, I've considered putting some moss in too, would that be good? I'd put plants in but I dont know we had one in before and he just uprooted it ahaha

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Hello and welcome to FF! Lot's of good info on toads in here: Frog Forum - Toad Basics - Keeping ground-dwelling Toads. A care sheet for Bufo, Anaxyrus, Spea, Scaphiopus, Ollotis, Alytes, Pelobates. Myself don't trust bottled water; so recommend use tap water treated with Seachem Prime or ExoTerra Aquatize. If your toad poops once a week its fine and would not worry about baths; unless a couple weeks go by with no bowel movement.

There is a lot of debate on substrate depth. If you provide a couple of suitable hides, can go with shallower depth. If not; toad should have deep enough substrate to bury. Some toads do not like hides and prefer to bury; you just have to observe them and then adjust depth. Problem with burying is that if toad hunkers down and goes into brumation it's a risk in an enclosure.

Shredded coco should be mixed with dechlorinated water. Crickets should be gut loaded with lettuce, carrots, cherios and oats. Live moss is OK; but loose sphagnum is an impaction risk if toads eats some with prey.

Note you place your toad in many surfaces for photo's. If there are chemicals like cleaners on them and your toad absorbs some via it's belly skin; it could be deadly for toad. Hope this helps and good luck !

[kueluck]

^ Yup, what he said. Only thing I have to add is that if the toad is an aggressive eater & your bugs run free, he might rip off a piece of moss when hunting. And if you don't use the bowl feeding method I highly recommend it.

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thank you so much!
my toad quite likes to sit in the mushroom house we put in for him, he also climbs up into the top and sleeps there often!
I'm thinking I will make substrate slightly shallower then considering what you've said, I worry about him when he digs down and all sometimes

could I ask what the issue with bottled water is? that the chemicals haven't been cleaned out of it? our tap water is very gross so I hope that treating it with the said things will do good to it, you can really taste the difference between our nasty tap water and other water...

there are no chemicals or cleaners on the surfaces I've put him on but I will definitely keep that in mind! I could go an extra step and set him on clean napkins or tissues to be sure

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^ Yup, what he said. Only thing I have to add is that if the toad is an aggressive eater & your bugs run free, he might rip off a piece of moss when hunting. And if you don't use the bowl feeding method I highly recommend it.

I do use the bowl feeding method! I don't want him to swallow anything, back when I first got him he swallowed a bit of dirt and ever since then I have used a bowl to feed him

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...could I ask what the issue with bottled water is? that the chemicals haven't been cleaned out of it? our tap water is very gross so I hope that treating it with the said things will do good to it, you can really taste the difference between our nasty tap water and other water...

Bottled water might taste great and be good for humans; but it's rarely good for frogs. Even when sold as spring water; it just needs to meet city criteria and to get there; it can be over filtered until it looses minerals or have added chloramines . Here is more information about it: http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...hing-else.html.