Adding a new fire belly to my tank

[skook42]

Hi! My husband and I had two fire bellies, Boss Tweed and General Tso, up until a few weeks ago. General Tso got sick and sadly didn't pull through. We decided it was time to get another tank mate for Boss Tweed. We have a 30 gallon tank, so there's plenty of room. We bought a new FBT at a pet store tonight, and set him up in a temporary tank next to Boss Tweed. We didn't realize how big new frog was until we got him home. He's way fatter and longer than Boss Tweed. We're concerned about his size and introducing him into the tank. We don't want Boss Tweed to feel less dominant. Any advice on introducing a new FBT into a habitat? Is introducing one who's substanitally bigger than the other a bad idea? Thanks all!

[Frogman1031]

Hi! My husband and I had two fire bellies, Boss Tweed and General Tso, up until a few weeks ago. General Tso got sick and sadly didn't pull through. We decided it was time to get another tank mate for Boss Tweed. We have a 30 gallon tank, so there's plenty of room. We bought a new FBT at a pet store tonight, and set him up in a temporary tank next to Boss Tweed. We didn't realize how big new frog was until we got him home. He's way fatter and longer than Boss Tweed. We're concerned about his size and introducing him into the tank. We don't want Boss Tweed to feel less dominant. Any advice on introducing a new FBT into a habitat? Is introducing one who's substanitally bigger than the other a bad idea? Thanks all!

Hello and Welcome to Frog Forum!!!

When a frog gets sick and dies, it's better to remove everything from the tank and disinfect it. There may still be microbes and parasites lurking .

If there are any live plants you should remove them from the tank

throw away and replace as much of the decor you can. Otherwise boil them for 20 minutes

wash the tank itself with a 10:1 bleach solution. Make sure once your done that you rinse well and rinse everyday until the bleach smell is definitely gone.

During this process both FBT's should be quarantined in their own containers. The quarantine enclosure can be a medium to large critter keeper - they won't be in there for long. The quarantine enclosure should contain
- damp paper towels as substrate
- a water dish
- a place to hide

i'd highly recommend getting a fecal test done for both frogs by an exotic herp vet.

If Boss Tweed is free of parasites and disease, you can add him back after the tank is free of bleach smell.

The new frog should be quarantined for a minimim of 30 days. This is just a rule of thumb for all new frogs in general

once the quarantine is over, you can add the new frog and monitor carefully for a week or two to make sure the new frog isn't bullying or out eating Boss Tweed. If it is, it's best to remove the new frog and put it in a separate enclosure until Boss Tweed grows big enough to stand a chance. If not, you're in the clear!!

hope this helps

edit: I've included to link to herp vet connections. This list is specifically for New York State.
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/newyork.shtml