Water filter for FBT

[toadsworth]

Hi. I have two new fire bellies and I have some questions about water filters:

- What kind is good, i want something discrete and not too loud. (not a fancy waterfall) UK.

- How often do you have to change the water when you have a filter? And is there something that makes changing water easy? the tank is so heavy i can hardly lift it.

- How long does it have to be on for a day?

At the moment i have just a pond bowl but they seem a bit depressed because they came from a home with a full swimming area which they spent all their time in. I want to make it nice for them.

Thanks for reading. Any help will be really appreciated ^_^

[Barry]

The best thing you can do is go to a garden centre or aquatic stockist and buy the smallest filter available. One for a small fish tank will be fine.
I tend to leave the filter running during the day. All you really need is a trickle to stop the water getting too turbid. Too much flow may disturb your toads.
The filter will help clean the water but the toads produce quite a lot of waste so water changes are still required - at least a third of the water every week . Replace it with rainwater from a water butt so you won't have to worry about treating it .
You can buy good cheap Aquarium gravel pumps from Ebay. All you do is squeeze the pump a few times and the water is sucked up , no need to keep lifting the tank.
Some pond weed would also be a good idea as it gives the toads a place to hide and also helps to filter the water. I would recommend Java Moss - Ebay is a good source.
Hope this helps !
Enjoy your toads.

Barry