# Frogs & Toads > Toads >  -- Bufo Alvarius Habitat Question --

## xtheanon

Hi everyone, recently was lucky enough to get 3 colorado river toads and I wanted to make sure their terrarium is setup properly.. also questions about how much to feed them. How often I should change the water, humidity requirements and uv light recommendation.

have a new 40g tank, eco earth  coconut substrate, 2 Flukers 8.5 dimmer lamps, a 100w night black heat  bulb for uv, and a 100 halogen bulb for daylight,
2 cork flats that are round underneath for hides, a heat cable for warming the bottom of the cage on one side,
1  sticky temp gauge to monitor the heat cable temp and 3 velcro temp  gauges for air temp monitoring, a granite water bowl free of bpa and  plastic for em, 
some tropical moss for the cage for humidity and a decent sized plant. 
pic below

Keeping the terrarium at a steady 80 - 85 as well as 50 percent humidity plus. They hate being taken out of their habitat, I've been feeding one a time to monitor how many crickets each one consumes to make sure they all get food. Also they eat amazing amounts of crickets, so far I've spent 20 bucks on crickets in 4 days.. Whats a good amount of crickets to feed them, I'm gut loading the crickets and calcium dusting once a week as well. Each toad is eatting around 15 crickets a day. I read I should give enough for them to eat for 15 minutes then take away the rest. I'm going to need to start a cricket company cause they are going to cost me more than my dog and snake does in food combined lol.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've never taken care of an amphibian before and I don't wish to harm them only give them the best home I possibly can. Thanks

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## xtheanon

maybe I should get a couple of airstones with a small pump for a jacuzzi for em ha

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## xtheanon

another Q, is it alright if I let tap water sit in a stainless steel pot overnight for the toads water, I'm just trying to get rid of chlorine or chloramines right. I don't like the idea of treating water.. I've been buying gallon poland spring water.

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## n321

sounds good. These guys are pretty forgiving. Probably one of my favorite species...

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## xtheanon

thank you for answering... I've been trying to get any opinion on them for a long time. Nobody seemed to care enough to post until now, but it has a ton of views. I have a couple of questions though if you could help me, they want to eat every night but I've read they should only eat every 2-3 days. What should I do, should I give em about 10 crickets a night or wait and feed them every 2 days, I have a cricket enclosure in the room by them maybe the sound is driving up their appetite ? I don't know any info would help also the water question. Is it alright to just take tap water and let it sit out for 24 hours, is that good enough for them or should I filter it as well, I have a Brita pitcher I could use. I'm worried about the little guys I've never cared for a toad before.

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## traveler

I'm using still water (cheap one) for them but someone recommend me to buy revers osmosis filter and use it for them as not all chemicals are get out from water during the time ...
As well you can find some drops for tap water treatment they are good for frogs/rept. I did not try it as I do not like chemicals but they work ?!? I think filter is the best plus you can drink this water and it will be much better even for you  :Smile:  Flickr: Traveler Toad's Photostream

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## deeishealthy

> Nobody seemed to care enough to post until now, but it has a ton of views.


As one of those viewers I can tell you that it's not that I didn't care enough to post, it's that I don't have expertise in your area.  I'm a WTF owner, not river toads.  I'm not going to respond and give you false information, but this thread appears on the "what's new" which is why I read it.

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## Heather

> another Q, is it alright if I let tap water sit in a stainless steel pot overnight for the toads water, I'm just trying to get rid of chlorine or chloramines right. I don't like the idea of treating water.. I've been buying gallon poland spring water.


Hello. I've never had these type of toads, but the basics are the same.

Spring water is fine. Bottled drinking water and distilled water are not good. Reverse osmosis water removes too many of the natural minerals so it is similar to distilled water. Brita and other water filters do not necessarily remove chloramine, unless otherwise stated on the box. Dechlorinated tap water is good. 

In terms of feeding...if they are in any way similar to American or fowleri toads they can eat daily or every other day. If you feed them daily, just feed them a few less crickets. Same general rules apply...feed them only what they will consume in about 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to use calcium/vita D3 and multivitamin as you would for all frogs and toads. 

I hope this helps a little. I wish I knew more of the specifics for these toads.

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## xtheanon

thanks for the info about the water and multivitamin, do you have a multivitamin you could recommend, I saw a liquid spray multivitamin in a local petshop with a picture of a bearded dragon on it. Should I get that and spray the crickets with them once a week or so. I have d3 calcium dust I've been giving them once a week as well. How often should I give them the multivitamin and d3/calci ? I have a blacklight for uv so they are making their own d3 I don't want to give them too much calcium. Also sorry if I offended by saying nobody cared enough to post, I was just surprised to see nobody posting and so many views.

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## Heather

No worries on the sounding offended...you just sounded frustrated, which is completely understandable. Many people will read posts but if they don't have the answers, they move on to the next post. 

Good multivitamin powders are Repashy and Herptivite. I use herptivite, though Repashy is considered the best by most amphibian and reptile keepers. If you can not find them locally, joshsfrogs.com has them. 

Repashy, I believe, is used daily. Check the bottle to be sure. Herptivite is used once a week, but not in the same day as the calcium/D3. Calcium/D3 should be used every other day if feeding daily or 2 to 3 times per week. Liquid calcium can be used, but ingestion of calcium through the GI tract is best. Vitamin D3 is required to properly absorb the calcium into the bone. Otherwise, it passes through with minimal absorption.

Frogs very rarely get calcium or vita D toxicity, even when using UVB lighting and supplements. Deficiency is the most common problem. Signs of tetany (caused by low blood calcium levels) are numbness, tingling, twitching, tremors, lack of motor control mostly seen in their limbs when trying to walk, hop, or climb, progressing to seizures and death. Metabolic bone disease will occur at the more serious levels of deficiency or over a persistent period of time. Signs of high vitamin D3 and calcium are lethargy, decreased appetite and abdominal cramps, and muscular over-contractility. 

I apologize it took so long for me to find your post. I am glad another member posted because it bumped your post back to the top of the recent posts. If ever you can't get a response, just add a "bump" or "help" post and we will see it sooner  :Smile: .

Do you have any photos?

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## xtheanon



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## xtheanon

Can I feed my toads super worms, and are pinkie's good for them I've read they were just full of fat and maybe feed each toad one per month. What's another good food for them, I'm getting tired of crickets already pain in the *** to try and breed.

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## xtheanon

I was told they were adults but they seem so small to adults I see on youtube. Maybe that's why they never seem to stop eatting ? I keep trying the 15 minute feeding frenzy for each toad. They still seem hungry after 20+ crickets. I don't want to overfeed them.. Are they like horses, gorge themselves till they pop...? These guys are voracious

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## xtheanon

> I'm using still water (cheap one) for them but someone recommend me to buy revers osmosis filter and use it for them as not all chemicals are get out from water during the time ...
> As well you can find some drops for tap water treatment they are good for frogs/rept. I did not try it as I do not like chemicals but they work ?!? I think filter is the best plus you can drink this water and it will be much better even for you  Flickr: Traveler Toad's Photostream


Really like your setup, I might have to switch to moss for the substrate instead of coconut husk. Seems like it doesn't stick to them near as much = happier toads right ? Ha I know I would feel better. Also you're lucky to have such a large family ! These three that I have are costing me 15$ every two days at the moment buying crickets locally. I'd rather feed superworms, they seem a lot easier to house and live a  lot longer but not sure if they're a good choice for them. They have more  protein from what I've read. I have to order a large supply and figure out where to house them in my 1 bedroom apartment to try and cut down on costs. My python, dog and ferrets equate to roughly 50$ average a month, these guys are 400%+ more expensive a month so far. Not counting the two 100w bulbs I'm burning 24/7. I'd love to have more once I get the feeding cost under control but I'd be worried about introducing more due to parasites as most in the market are wc it seems, is that why you have others in separate habitats ?

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## xtheanon

> No worries on the sounding offended...you just sounded frustrated, which is completely understandable. Many people will read posts but if they don't have the answers, they move on to the next post. 
> 
> Good multivitamin powders are Repashy and Herptivite. I use herptivite, though Repashy is considered the best by most amphibian and reptile keepers. If you can not find them locally, joshsfrogs.com has them. 
> 
> Repashy, I believe, is used daily. Check the bottle to be sure. Herptivite is used once a week, but not in the same day as the calcium/D3. Calcium/D3 should be used every other day if feeding daily or 2 to 3 times per week. Liquid calcium can be used, but ingestion of calcium through the GI tract is best. Vitamin D3 is required to properly absorb the calcium into the bone. Otherwise, it passes through with minimal absorption.
> 
> Frogs very rarely get calcium or vita D toxicity, even when using UVB lighting and supplements. Deficiency is the most common problem. Signs of tetany (caused by low blood calcium levels) are numbness, tingling, twitching, tremors, lack of motor control mostly seen in their limbs when trying to walk, hop, or climb, progressing to seizures and death. Metabolic bone disease will occur at the more serious levels of deficiency or over a persistent period of time. Signs of high vitamin D3 and calcium are lethargy, decreased appetite and abdominal cramps, and muscular over-contractility. 
> 
> I apologize it took so long for me to find your post. I am glad another member posted because it bumped your post back to the top of the recent posts. If ever you can't get a response, just add a "bump" or "help" post and we will see it sooner .
> ...


and thank you for the vitamin info, ordered some they're going to be healthier than I am ha! Just need to get them a gym for their terrarium  :Frog Smile:

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## Locascio

You should be using prime to fix you water problems its safe to use with frogs as for feeding feed them as much as thay can eat in 15mins  
Sent from my RM-845_nam_vzw_100 using Board Express

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## Heather

Sorry I was away. Was at work. Super worms are considered high in fat as are pinkies. Only use them as rare treats. 

The 15 minute rule is best, as noted above. It gives them plenty of food, but does not encourage obesity. It will keep them healthier than letting them gorge.

I am not a fan of moss if you are going to let them eat on top of it. It you tong feed or bowl feed away from the moss, that is fine. Feeding on top of loose moss can be risky...if they accidentally eat a piece, it can cause serious impaction. Moss is fine if you're not going to feed atop it.

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## xtheanon

> Sorry I was away. Was at work. Super worms are considered high in fat as are pinkies. Only use them as rare treats. 
> 
> The 15 minute rule is best, as noted above. It gives them plenty of food, but does not encourage obesity. It will keep them healthier than letting them gorge.
> 
> I am not a fan of moss if you are going to let them eat on top of it. It you tong feed or bowl feed away from the moss, that is fine. Feeding on top of loose moss can be risky...if they accidentally eat a piece, it can cause serious impaction. Moss is fine if you're not going to feed atop it.


So I tong feed, but one did eat one tendril of moss, not a lot. Is it something I need to worry about if they accidentally ingest even the one strand of moss occasionally? If so I'll just feed them outside of their habitat

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## Heather

If you tong feed away from the moss it should be fine. Monitor for abdominal bloating and lack of poop. If he poops, he's okay.

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## Wormwood

Try roaches in place of super worms.  You can get them fairly easily online.   Earth worms might also be an option but can take a while for any toad to get used to snapping up.

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## traveler

> Really like your setup, I might have to switch to moss for the substrate instead of coconut husk. Seems like it doesn't stick to them near as much = happier toads right ? Ha I know I would feel better. Also you're lucky to have such a large family ! These three that I have are costing me 15$ every two days at the moment buying crickets locally. I'd rather feed superworms, they seem a lot easier to house and live a lot longer but not sure if they're a good choice for them. They have more protein from what I've read. I have to order a large supply and figure out where to house them in my 1 bedroom apartment to try and cut down on costs. My python, dog and ferrets equate to roughly 50$ average a month, these guys are 400%+ more expensive a month so far. Not counting the two 100w bulbs I'm burning 24/7. I'd love to have more once I get the feeding cost under control but I'd be worried about introducing more due to parasites as most in the market are wc it seems, is that why you have others in separate habitats ?




Thank you . But I did spot on one of the forums moss are not good for them as they are not digest it  !!! I'm not sure if this is 100 % true  but two toads of that's man was mouth bleeding and  on the end died. I was using moss for 1 days  and all went to bin after reading it  :Smile:  I don't want to try it on my. But I have to agree it was excellent substrate ...

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## xtheanon

> Thank you . But I did spot on one of the forums moss are not good for them as they are not digest it  !!! I'm not sure if this is 100 % true  but two toads of that's man was mouth bleeding and  on the end died. I was using moss for 1 days  and all went to bin after reading it  I don't want to try it on my. But I have to agree it was excellent substrate ...


wow I had no idea it was that dangerous, my little guys have eaten one tendril or two but they seem to be fine.
it's amazing how much these toads can eat, they are hungry 24/7 I swear they could eat 50 crickets each with ease. I keep tong feeding them as the moss I use on top of their huts keeps their habitat humidified. I just hope they don't eat a mouthful and have problems. I love the look the moss gives the cage as well. I'll be careful with the moss thanks for telling me heather and traveler

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## Heather

You're welcome. Any new pictures?

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## xtheanon

no new pics at the moment but I've been trying to switch them over to dog food, I've been feeding the crickets the dog food also carrots then dusting them with vitamins and calcium also with crushed 40 percent protein good corn meal no preservative or bs dog food to get them used to the taste and they've finally accepted sliced in half pieces as crickets tong feeding them, I think I fixed the cost of crickets lol. What do you guys think, I'm not going to switch over to just dog food at once. I gave them each 10 crickets and a half piece of dog food. I figured I'll ease them onto the dog food and see how it works.. anyone have any experience with this

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## habeeb

i own two pixies and one pacman but never a bufo...but i use this water treatment stuff i got from wal mart called Stress Coat....works great.. and isnt too expensive...like 5 bucks a little bottle and should last u like 1 year or even longer....but as for feeding ur frog dog food?? i dont know if thats safe or not...i feed my cockroaches dog food but i wouldnt try giving it to my frogs....maybe someone else might know more bout it

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## xtheanon

I was told by the lady I got my toads from they could be trained to eat dog / cat food so I have attempted to get them used to the diet. I won't be feeding them this every day but a few times a month would be nice, I still want to offer them a diverse diet, but for the times I don't have any live food or feel like they need a little bit more food this is a nice option. I've read about frogs / toads eating canned cat food but well see if this is viable, I don't want to harm the little guys. I'm monitoring them before I try this endeavor again.

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## habeeb

well if u read up on it and it has been done b4 and they seem to accept it and do well on it i think that would be a easy food source  :Big Grin:  i wish my frogs would eat canned food lol my pixies only react to moving things...they even refuse to eat earthworms lol my pacmans the only one that might eat dog food but havent seen anyone on this forum feed thier pac canned dog/cat food so gonna stay with roaches and worms  :Big Grin:  but hope the best for u and ur bufos  :Big Grin:

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## traveler

I want to show you 4 toads on 8 picture a,b,c,d, 

25.01.13 - a set on Flickr

Anyone have any idea about sex ? Please answer with letter under picture.

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## xtheanon

I honestly have no clue about sexing but I've read adult males have a pad on on their front appendages that allow them to grasp the female while mating, I know all three of mine do not have it so I'm guessing I have three females.
Pic

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## traveler

My new setup with swimming pool  :Smile: 

13/03/13 water set - a set on Flickr

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## xtheanon

really nice setup, I'm jealous. Is that a gravel filter in the water side ? how often do you need to clean it ?

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## traveler

Thank you 
I dont know how often I need to clean it as it's working second day  :Smile:  yes

 it's undergrawel filter but conected to external filter 1000l with 9w UV light  plus booster  for better filtration and more space for good bacteria growing. The problem was with sediment on top layer of water. All filters for aquarium have that floater what collecting as well top layer but it need to be deep water to work well. I did put 3cmx3cm china water pump 1cm below the water level to pump all sediment under the undergrawel filter if I want to clean top of it and it's working well.

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## traveler

Today I did found one of my toads completely submersed like 1cm below of the water level. I'm waiting 1 minute nothing .... MY LITTLE ONCE IS DEAD OR WHAT ?!!!? Quickly I took my toad out from the water and I did place her on the rock in the middle. She is alive !!!! But as quick as I took her from the water she comeback there hehehe.... diving lessons hehehe.... They are spending much more time in this pound then before in the bowl with water even in the day time.

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## xtheanon

Worlds Cutest Frog - Desert Rain Frog - YouTube

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## traveler

superb!!!

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## xtheanon

think I'm going to mimic your build but use a custom water bowl made at a pottery place to my dimensions and level it with the substrate instead of filtering it, I gotta switch the look up their home is too mundane

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## traveler

Don't forget about ammonia and nitrite level in the water. Maybe I'm wrong buy in my opinion You need to change water every day if you are not going to use water filtration where good bacteria can develop and brake it down. I'm using API test kit they are ok

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## xtheanon

how goes their new home ?

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## traveler

Hmm...  pain in ... with ammonia but it's normal until new filter will be stable.  
5-10l water change every day doing the job. I'm thinking to put 25l barrel in to the cycle to increase water in the cycle to 40l This will help as well but it's an option if nothing change during next 2-3 weeks.The toads behavior did change completely. They are walking around during day and night looks really happy.
ps.
Day before yesterday when I was changing water. I have little pipe 0.5cm with 4x4cm pump under gravel. It's working slow like 5l /5min. I did left small gap on size of pipe in the doors where the pipe was going out to the waste collection barrel. I went out of that place and comeback after some time and did top up fresh water feed them and close everything. It was afternoon. At the evening we come back to home. My girlfriend want to see them. Staying on front of viv spot one toad jumping to her and across her feet from side of room !!! We quick count them and another is missing !!!! Two toads escape from viv when I was out for 5-10 min !!! They spot 0.5mm gap where the pipe was going out and why not use it  :Smile:  when I was back I did not spot any differences ....  Now I have to be more carefully. Yesterday the some toads was hiding next to open door in the water part and I'm sure they was want to repeat travel...

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## nepkire

Wow this is a great topic. I have been thinking about changing my toads set up so that it is less maintenance. Like setting up water filtration to reduce how often I need to clean and change water. How often do you need to clean the water with the filter setup like this?

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## traveler

> Wow this is a great topic. I have been thinking about changing my toads set up so that it is less maintenance. Like setting up water filtration to reduce how often I need to clean and change water. How often do you need to clean the water with the filter setup like this?


Thank you. Once a week or two I'm vacuuming all rubbish using medical suction pump  :Smile:  something like that : connected to 
20 liters barrel not to 2 Liter tank as on photo and I do top up terrarium by fresh water and ammo-bacteria . When bacteria settled in the filter ammonia and all things on ''0'' good to have one or two plants in the water.

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## nepkire

I have 6 toads in a 75 gallon tank but am thinking about getting a 40 gallon tank and building a wetdry filtration system for the tank. I would also build an extension to put onto the top of the take so they dont hit their head when they jump up.

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