Fire bellied toads confuse me!

[ilovetoads2]

Okay, so every time I take an interest in a new species I start to read...I have read lots about all kinds of animals...thanks to a previous thread...tonight, it is fire bellied toads.

I have read about 10 care sheets and what I could find about the species in the wild, and there seem to be a lot of discrepencies...

Some care sheet say deep water, some say shallow, they live near streams in the wild.

Some say basking light, some say none, this is not specified, but they do hibernate for 6 months in the wild.

Some say high temps, some say low...they get natural weather changes.

Some say soil, some say no, stones and moss....I think this is just preferece as in the wild they get both...they tend to occur in coniferous woodlands in the wild...

some say natural with live plants and climbing room, others say mostly water with a little land base...

So...which is it? It can be all, or none...this species seems to be happy just about anywhere as long as there is food?!?

Set up pics please with all of your opinions...lets get it right and do our own version.

[sarahking20]

as you asked so nicely...they are in a mostly aquatic set up, with some floating wood stuff, and some moss that is wet, but above water. all plants except 1 are real, alive, and just keep growing!! i do think you are right tho they seem happy as long as there is food!
enjoy!!

[toxic]

mine have a heat mat on the back of the viv and the viv is split in 2 one side is land I used the gravel bits you get for fish tanks as a bass the Eco earth on top. This is only to to stop the man made island floating around.

The the othere side is water with stuff for the to rest on or to wedeg them salf under.

And a built in light as its a fish tank I have them in

[ilovetoads2]

Nice pics...

anyone else with pics...any thoughts on the care I mentioned?

[connor 1213]

i have a very good care sheet

How to breed fire-belly toads, Bombina orientalis, with pictures

[troysdad1]

i use eco brick as substrate and as you have seen in my setup its a 50/50 land water setup. Mine settled in real quick and i think so long as the tank is kept in a warm room there is o real need for external heat. I have a thermometer in mine and the temp never goes below 68f at night, as for lighting mine too are in an aquarium so lights built in already, i do believe though they should have some light purely for a photoperiod.

[troysdad1]

forgot to add, water upto about 8 inches is ok so long as there is an easy way for them to get out and a floating island or plants are a good idea, mine will be receiving a live frogbit plant this week, its like a dwarf waterlilly and i think its really pretty too, its about £3 on ebay, it also helps with water quality as it absorbs nitrogen etc, and i suppose its more natural for them.
Heres a pic of it
will post new pics when it arrives along with the other plants i have ordered

[ilovetoads2]

THanks again...used that plant before, it did not do so well in my tank (along with fairy moss) but my water was quite shallow. Rinse well, I got some free snails!

Care sheet is quite good...It is interesting that they will spawn in underwater hides...?....LA seemed to use aquarium gravel for his land bases, I think I would use soil, covered in polished stones (quite big) One thing putting me off is the water...the tank that is empty at the moments is only a small 24 x 12 clear seal, I think they would be happier in a bigger one and I would like it taller so that I can landscape a little...and have a slope into the water...thanks again!

[ditzychick]

I have my little guys in a 50/50 setup land is mainly eco earth over gravle for drainage, with live plants in both areas. They seem to spend and equal amount of time in and out of water and have been breeding for what seems like forever. I currently have approx 80 tadpoles from 2 egg clutches. They are unheated but i have a light in the tank which brings the temp up to about 26. You can see pics on my previous fbt threads

[knighty]

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

Some care sheet say deep water, some say shallow, they live near streams in the wild.

#

define the depth of a stream? they need water deep enough to swim and submerge in but they dont need 10 foot of water. personally i would say 5-6 is good

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

Some say basking light, some say none, this is not specified, but they do hibernate for 6 months in the wild.

no light is needed as the heat bulb will bry there skin out, but a good temerature gradient along with cooling and warming to follow the seasons is ideal

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

Some say high temps, some say low...they get natural weather changes.

as aove just follow the seasons and they will be fine. in the wild they do have harsh winters but temps should not get that low in captivity as it is hard to provide suitable hybernation conditions.

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

Some say soil, some say no, stones and moss....I think this is just preferece as in the wild they get both...they tend to occur in coniferous woodlands in the wild...

ok in the wild they will encounter all three and many more, point is in captivity the substrate is very loose and easier to impact. in the wild the gmoss will be attached to the substrate were as sphagmum moss is not, and stones will be dugg into the earth. My advice is eco earth only as a substrate.

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

some say natural with live plants and climbing room, others say mostly water with a little land base...

FBT will climb but not to the extent of a hylidae. real plants are always better. in captivity a 50/50 or 40/60 land to water ratio is best.

Originally Posted by ilovetoads2

So...which is it? It can be all, or none...this species seems to be happy just about anywhere as long as there is food?!?

to be fair in an ideal world it would be a mixture of all. When keeping amphibians it is best to provide all the neccasary needs and let them chose what they want. providing temperature gradients is much over looked but is esential in letting the controll there body temperatures. providing the watre on a shallow to deep gradient will give them the choice. do as much as you can to replicate the wild but dont risk anything that could cause injurys or illness.