# Frogs & Toads > Fire Belly Toads (Bombina) >  Is sphagnum moss safe?

## ArtloverHannah

I have some sphagnum moss that's from the Zoo Med brand and labled as "terrarium moss." The box claims it's okay for frogs and toads and it gets good reviews, but some people online have said sphagnum moss is unsafe because of impaction risk. so is it safe or not? If it's not safe, then what kind of moss is safe, and where can I find it? I'm having a hard time keeping the humidity high enough this summer!

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## privet01

Are you are talking about the compressed and dried stuff that comes in a brick?  I've used it ever since I've had my first FBT. I peel off a thin layers and then hydrate it in hot water then use it as the top layer over my other substrates.  I feel it keeps them from dragging the other substrate into the water.  

I'm careful not to break it up into small pieces and keep it together so it's like a mat. It seems to stay in place very well.  I've read the posts of those saying it's an impaction issue, but I tend to think they either used the loose sphagnum moss or broke up the kind I use.

I do have to change it several times a year as it tends to rot in areas where it stays very wet.

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## ArtloverHannah

it's dried but it's kinda loose

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## privet01

I thought what I was using was from Zoo-Med, but apparently not.  Unfortunately I used it up and no longer have the wrapper.  The one brick of it lasted me well over two years for my 10 gallon viv.  But I need to put new in there.   I looked online and all I came up with was from exo-terra, and I'm not entirely sure that's what I had.  

The brick of stuff I had allowed me to separate thin layers from the largest side.  Unless the loose stuff will tamp down and stay put, then I'm not sure I'd want it just from the view that it would likely get dragged into the water.

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## ArtloverHannah

It's not getting in the water and it's helping stop the substrate from getting dragged in the water. My concern is possible impaction risk.

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## privet01

I've used the stuff I described for close to four years without no such problems.  I'd assume anything that they can get in their mouths will be a risk for impaction if it cannot be digested or passed.  The moss is too fibrous to be digested.  But you have to also look at how you use it and whether or not they get it in their mouths routinely when they feed.  If not, no problem, if they do then it's a problem.

What might be a problem that some people have, may not be a problem for you.  Just be observant and remove it if you see them getting it in their mouths.

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## katelynf

I am new to owning firebelly toads I have had them for a week now, I have my tank 1/4 land and 3/4 water . I also have sphagnum moss, but I notice even though I have cleaned the tank and moss it smells. Does that mean I should get new moss or is that normal? I have the moss separating the layers of rocks.

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## Cory

Moss just has that smell its normal. The only moss I have used that doesn't smell half as bad as the others is the New Zealand sphagnum moss, its a white colour. But I took it out because it was really stringy and loose and didn't want my guys to ingest it.

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## ArtloverHannah

Does anyone know if the Zoo Med brand is a good/okay brand or not? The Sphagnum moss is real but I don't think it's alive. I would like to use some sort of moss to cover the substrate because otherwise the frogs track substrate in their water. Zoo mad also sells boxes of a different kind of moss, labeled as "frog moss." The frog moss is living. Should I use that instead of the Sphagnum moss? Would it be better?

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## Cory

IF this what your talking about I just added this into my terrarium a couple weeks ago, maybe a week and my guys love it. Its not stringy at all, and it doesn't get tracked into the water. _If you look at the pictures in my thread titled My new setup you can see what it would look like._

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## ArtloverHannah

Yeah That's what I was thinking of.

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