Aggressive FBTs

[ericbrookey]

Hey everyone..first post. I am worried about aggression in my FBT setup and need some advice. I was given a couple fbts about 2 months ago and had a spare 55g long so I built them a home. It's about 30% aquatic with about 4 inches of water in places and the terrestrial part is raised with sloping river rocks, coco fiber atop mesh then hydro balls and has an assortment of ferns, etc planted. I'm using two small submersible pumps at opposite ends for filtration and change 50% water every 2 weeks. There is only about 5 gallons total.

After about a week I added 4 B. Orientalis but I think the original two are European because they are very dark brown. They all seemed to get along at first but recently the first two have become very aggressive and grab onto the others trying to mate. This, in and of itself is not alarming, even the orientalis are trying to mate, but they, the darker ones, are increasingly getting more and more aggressive towards the rest and I had to separate one of them when he almost drowned another today..had a lock on her and she was flipped upside down under water yelling at him to "Let go!" I could hear the panic in her voice!

The other European has started the same behavior and I fear he may hurt or even kill the others. Is this level of aggression typical? The darker ones are a tad larger, not by much but I think enough to make it difficult to escape their death grip. Should I remove both Europeans and stick with all B. Orientalis, if indeed the others are a different sub species? Can they actually drown each other or am I worried over nothing and this is just how they get it on and I should let them be?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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[privet01]

It's normal behavior. See the replies in this thread http://www.frogforum.net/showthread.php?t=35085

[ericbrookey]

It's normal behavior. See the replies in this thread http://www.frogforum.net/showthread.php?t=35085

Thanks privet. Next time I will read some threads before I post as I noticed quite a few of the same questions after the fact. I've put the little guy back in the tank and they seem happy to have him back. I'm definitely less nervous about it now. I will let nature take its course.

I will post some pics after my water change today to get everyone's opinion on my setup.

Thanks again!

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[privet01]

It might be interesting, if the setup of your viv allows for it, to provide them two distinct places to feed and two areas of water that are well apart. Then see if they break up into groups based on whether they are B.bombina or B.orientalis.

[ericbrookey]

It might be interesting, if the setup of your viv allows for it, to provide them two distinct places to feed and two areas of water that are well apart. Then see if they break up into groups based on whether they are B.bombina or B.orientalis.

That's an interesting idea. My setup is pretty established, meaning I would have to tear it apart to provide two distinct water sources but the only thing I have seen is that a couple of the o's tend to like the land more at times, where there is plant cover, whereas the rest stay the majority of time in or near the water. I've even tried changing up the food drop location but it doesn't have much affect. They pretty much all congregate in the center at the waters edge or pair off on different ledges but they seem to intermingle without prejudice. They are definitely an active and entertaining g colony.

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[privet01]

I don't think the water necessarily has to be separate, but if the "shoreline" is such that there are two areas that they can use without feeling like they are close enough to want to challenge each other for it.

[ericbrookey]

I don't think the water necessarily has to be separate, but if the "shoreline" is such that there are two areas that they can use without feeling like they are close enough to want to challenge each other for it.

I see what you mean. During my water change today I decided to build up a waterfall with a few more hiding spots that I hope will give them some escape options. The aggressive behavior continued today so maybe this will allow for the ones being picked on to have a little more "privacy" which I've read can help. Seems the smallest one is the one that gets jumped the most and it happens in the open shared areas. Crossing my fingers.

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