# Frogs & Toads > Fire Belly Toads (Bombina) >  Our new FBT and their palaudium

## Johnny O. Farnen

Some of you may recognize this paludium from caudata.org. It was an experiment with Cynops ensicauda popei in mind, but now that it has grown in well, I realized it was perfect for FBTs.

So without further blather, here is some shots of our new critters and their homes!

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## John Clare

Very nice, Johnny.  Some of them are very green.  I still haven't forgotten this vivarium - I would pay serious money for that setup!  

PS: Perhaps a photo of the month in there?

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## Kurt

Very nice. How long has the Java moss been growing in there?

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## Johnny O. Farnen

All the plants were added in Late March, Early April.
12 on 12 off lighting wiith standard T8 Bulbs is the secret.

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## Kurt

I find Java moss to be indestructable, unless you put in a bucket and leave that bucket on your back porch during a New England winter. That will kill it, but not too much else will! I also find that it will take over the tank, clogging up filters and other equipment.

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## Johnny O. Farnen

Agreed.  Every so often I take the scissors to a mass and trim it back...then save the trimmings to clone more batches. Works very well. All of my moss is descended from a few stray strands that was tangled into an anubis plant about 7 years ago.

For those that are interested, here is the thread that covered construction of this set up. 
http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60637

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## Kurt

Its is amazing that all it takes is a few strands to get it going.

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## Johnny O. Farnen

Amplexus!

Must be doing something right... I suspect I ended up with one male and three females in the collection. Boy, that one male has been busy! every time I turn around he has the large green female in amplexus. This could be interesting...

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## Kurt

Then again, nothing could come of it as this species is known for being in a constant state of amplexus. Mine are always trying to mate. My understanding is they need to brumate over winter, kind of like temperate zone Colubrids do, before you can breed them. I will be attempting to do so this fall, and hopefully and successfully breed them in spring.

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## John Clare

Yes they are always in amplexus but nothing ever comes of it.  They don't need to be cooled down a lot to breed, I believe, but they do need a cycle.

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## Kurt

Well, I am going to give it a try and hopefully next spring I will have tadpoles.

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## Johnny O. Farnen

Excellent. I was unaware that this was constant behavior in this species. I will give it try this fall also, I will have no problem with brumation temperatures in the new frog section of the critter room.

Could anyone suggest a care and breeding reference for these animals? The little bit I have been able to find so far seems somewhat incomplete.

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## Greatwtehunter

Awesome tank Johnny!

I've always put my toads in the fridge for about a month and a half to get them to breed. I tried one year just cooling them down in the tank but only one female cycled so I never bothered trying that way again.

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## Laura

Heck I saw some the other day in a petsmart that had tadpoles in the tank. I told a guy and he was just like "are you sure they aren't crickets". Um yea. Pretty sure. lol

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## Kurt

Billy said that he was going to write a care article. If he doesn't, I will next year after I successfully breed them.

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## Kurt

Was this a fire-bellied tadpole?

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## Laura

I assume

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## aramcheck

> For those that are interested, here is the thread that covered construction of this set up. 
> http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60637


Great set up, however, if I want to spy on your built, the link seems to be brocken...

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## Johnny O. Farnen

Interesting....

Try this one:

Caudate bar...Now with Anurans!

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## aramcheck

That one worked, thanks!  :Smile:

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## into

> Great set up, however, if I want to spy on your built, the link seems to be brocken...


the link isn't broken, just has an extra *ht* at the beginning.

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## John Clare

All fixed.

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## Tom

What moss is on the land?

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## Tom

Also where did you get that super green one?

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## Johnny O. Farnen

> What moss is on the land?


 That is just terrestrial moss out of my backyard.




> Also where did you get that super green one?


 All of them were purchased at PetCo. Like a lot of frgos and toads, they change color a bit. In this enclosure the bright green pair often shifts to a darker green.

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## Tom

Hmm ok i just read the caudata article and the thing about buttermilk was interesting. How do you do it? What are spores?

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## Tom

What kind of pump/filter did you use to make the waterfall?

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## Ribbet

Very nice set up. I really appreciate all the time you've taken to share this info. I am gonna get FBT's and am buying the stuff I need now. I decided to go with largish (at the gravel supply they call it 3/4") round river rock covered with dry moss that I got at the local nursery and a small pool and waterfall for now. I will be looking into where to find java moss and button moss as well. This forum is a great resource.

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## Kurt

Thanks, we work hard on it.

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## John Clare

> This forum is a great resource.


Kurt does most of the work!

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## Johnny O. Farnen

> What kind of pump/filter did you use to make the waterfall?


That is a cheap Tetra Whisper 10i in tank filter.

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## Kurt

> Kurt does most of the work!


Thanks. I do spend way too much time in front of this computer. 

John does a lot of work as well.

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## Johnny O. Farnen

Heck, I am forever grateful to both John and Kurt for providing the only Anuran community in the English language that is both friendly and informative...and puts up with my run on sentences!

The project in this thread, and the critters living in it are both a direct result of the wonderful community they have built.

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## Tom

John and Kurt are both great and do an amazing job with the forum. They both know a lot and if there is anything they don't know they have a book that has the info. 

Are there any good forums that deal with leopard geckos?

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## Kurt

Thank you, thank you. And behalf of John, thank you, thank you (w/ an Irish accent)

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## John Clare

Thanks for the compliments!

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