Fire Belly Toads?

Jeanette · Aug 3, 2009

Hello everyone!

I decided that my tank was lonely sitting beside my bed so I went out and bought two fire belly toads! Their names are Maddy and Ivory.

Does anyone have any tips, tricks or WAYS TO KEEP THEM FROM ESCAPING?
I have read up on them and given them all that they need, but I want to have other people's input and advice. They escaped in the middle of the night because I had something in the back of the tank blocking the hole where a water filter went... but I think that I mistakenly pulled the desk the tank was on and there was this teeeeeeny opening that they both found. Thank goodness I had put my cat out of my bedroom that night! I am horrified to think about what might have happened.

I went out and bought some aluminum screening to cover the tank (instead of what came with the original tank that has a gap in it where they could escape). These little guys are so adorable and very active! I watched them feed today and one chomped down on the other's head!! *sigh* Maddy swears it was an accident and everyone is okay.

So... tips and tricks to owning fire belly toads anyone??

saphire · Aug 3, 2009

Well, I have two fire belly toads with 2 small danio fish and 1 red belly salamder and 1 betta fish in the same tank.
The most important thing is your tank must be at 1/3 filled with water. The rocks, branches or other things you may have must not be higher than 1/2 the height of the tank and try to center them.
I don't have a lid on mine and have not lost one... in one corner I put real bamboo, a big rock a little off center for them to go on and a nice size branch that allows the salamader to hide and get out of the water when it needs, and real plants that will not grow to high. Also a snail that cleans the glass but not the plants. The plants feed of the fish and frogs pees and poos and purifies the water, and the frogs like to go on them. I rarely need to do a water change because of the plants.

Hope this helps

Jeanette · Aug 4, 2009

The tank is fairly tall and the toads like to try and scale the walls!
I can't imagine having the top off of this. There was an opening less than an inch tall and not even the width of their leg span and BOTH of them got out. This opening was way up high and I don't even have anything that comes close to 'half way up the tank'.

Perhaps I just got ones that like to jump and climb!

I have a piece of cork bark (like a log) in the middle of the tank and lots of plants and about 1/2 of the area is water. I like to keep the lid on because that keeps the humidity levels up.

saphire · Aug 4, 2009

See, the rock and branch are surrounded with water, my tank is 22 wide 18 deep and 14 high approx.. maybe that is where the difference is and why mine don't jump over and get out. There is nothing on the side walls for them to grasp on and get out.