Is this a good setup for fire bellies?

[JamesL]

I am wanting to get some fire belly toads. I'm hoping to get 3. Although I may get one at a time.

Anyway. I have been doing lots of research and thought I'd join a forum incase any questions came up while I was buying stuff for them or while I own them. This forum seems really helpful. I can't wait to get my fire bellies!

-JamesL

[LilyPad]

Welcome James! Fire bellies are fun because they are so active! You'll have to share some pics when you get them

I know you said you've been doing research, but here is a great care sheet in case you're interested - Frog Forum - Fire-Bellied Toad Care and Breeding - Bombina orientalis and relatives

[JamesL]

Thanks! I can never read too many care sheets! Hahah

[LilyPad]

I understand, I research obsessively before I get a new pet. Sometimes it leads me to the decision not to get that particular species, and sometimes it makes me even more obsessed LOL I can't even imagine how much time I spent researching uluguru forest frogs before ultimately deciding that it wasn't for me.

[JamesL]

Yeah! That happened to me with tarantulas. That was the first pet I was going to get, but as I researched it wasn't for me. Then fish, but watching nitrate levels and all that would get me confused and I'd probably end up killing the poor thing. Snake never was an option. Hahaha So then that left lizzards, newts, and frogs. I looked at some frogs and when I saw the fire bellies I knew that was the ones for me. But I kept looking and thought pacman frogs would be a good idea. But I wouldn't want to keep rats or mice in my room for them to eat. Haha So I went right back to fire bellies.

I have been brain storming their tank set up and was going to make a thread of all my ideas and decided I'd wait on that thread. Then while I was writing this one my phone freaked out and what I had typed went away. So I used the auto saved button and it put that title up and I didn't catch it before I posted it. xD I have been on lots of forums. I was even a moderator on a forum. But no matter how much experience I have. I will forever be a nOOb. Hahaha

[chibikaie]

More research is definitely better. The time to do research is before you get a pet, not after! I considered fire belly toads as well, but apparently they are mostly wild caught. I prefer captive bred. Also, I strongly suggest understanding aquarium water chemistry if you plan on keeping an aquatic or semi-aquatic species. It will be much harder to keep them in good health if you don't know how to handle water quality issues. It is fairly simple, really - it boils down to yes, you need a filter, yes, you need to clean out poop, and yes, you need to do water changes. Once you wrap your head around that, fish tanks are incredibly easy compared to amphibians. After all, most fish will happily eat flakes or pellets that you can buy and stick on the shelf, so the hardest thing about feeding is not overdoing it.

I don't think you should count out pacmans just because you don't want to raise feeder rodents. They do very well on earthworms, roaches, and other invertebrates. If you still think they should have an occasional mouse for the calcium, you can purchase frozen ones as an occasional treat. Some will also take commercial food readily (mine prefers the dough balls to live food, but s/he gets a rotating variety because I'm a little insane when it comes to nutrition).

[Stampingfrog]

I just got FireBelly Toads and have them housed in a planted terrarium/paludarium. Mine are captive bred. I joined a facebook group, Fire Bellied Mania and found a breeder there.

I also have African Dwarf Frogs in a planted community aquarium. They are so cute, I love them.

It is important to understand water chemistry, the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank. For me, I love the aquatic component of the my firebelly tank.

[JamesL]

I know I am resurrecting an old thread, but here's an update.

I got my froggies 4 or 5 days ago. I had to wait a while cause of money. Even though they're not that expensive, my initial set up was. I found a cheaper version and it works the same.

When I first got them, the store was closing and I couldn't get everything. So I got what I could. Rocks, a filter a log, and water treatmeant. I already had a tank. So I rushed home and as I was setting it up I got super tired. Like gonna pass out any moment tiered. So I threw the rocks in sloped them put in water, treated the water and put the toads in. Then I slept. I woke up the next day and realize, the rocks I got had lots of sand on them! I got them from home depot to save money. So I changed their set up twice.

Anyway, I say that to say, these pictures I am posting I know the water is cloudy, and the set up looks and is horrible, but I changed it. I am going to post my tank set up in another thread. I just wanted to post my frogs in this one.