# General Topics > Vivarium, Terrarium & Enclosure Discussion >  Fire Belly Toad Setup Suggestions/Help

## Cody

Well, looks like I'll be getting some FBT's in the near future and as such I need to setup my 20 gallon tank for them. Unfortunately I have no experience making something for a semi-aquatic herp, I figure I'll have 4-6 inches of water for sure but I don't know how I'll go about the land, I do have a few ideas.


I could do a 1/3 ratio of land to water by using a dividing wall and using some sort of substrate.
              (While the idea above seems good, I feel like I'm using too much space just for dirt.)



I could forgo having any dividing wall and just build land with foam and grout that would be put slightly above the water with a lower ledge dipping into the water 1/2"-1" for easy access back to land.
               (I like this idea a little better, I'm just unsure if it's okay for FBT's to be on grout?)

Those are the best ideas I've got, the second one leaves a lot of room for creativity. Either way I do plan on having a few aquatic plants in the tank and maybe I could cover the grout with a type of moss? 


Enclosure ideas aside, I could use some help figuring out all of what I'll need to get it up and running.

I know I'll need a filter for the water, anyone got some good recommendations?I'll need tube for routing water, the care sheet on here states that they dislike strong flowing water, perhaps I'll build in a channel on top of a cave ect. for it to run back into the pond.Something to treat the water.Gravel or some other stone for the bottom of the tank. (Lava rock?)Egg crates to support the foam.Foam (Home Depot sells large 4'-8' insulation foam would that be safe?)Grout and some sort of sealant. (Water based polyurethane?)

If I missed anything important please let me know. I'll try making some sort of layout in Photoshop when I have time, thank you!

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## maxQ

This is how I have done mine, with this in mind everyone does it different and everyone thinks that they are doing it the right way. In the end its what makes your Frogs and you happy. Of all my Frogs and Toad enclosures, my FBT's are my favorite and I love my set up. Mine is very low maintenance.

I have had this tank for a very very long time and my FBTs are healthy and happy. 

I originally  started with Cocco Fiber and honestly, I grew  tired of changing soil so I changed to aquatic and never looked back and wont do soil again.

I have  5 FBT's In a 20 Gallon Long filled 1/2 with water. I have no false bottom, I have small river rock on the bottom. One corner I have a waterfall with a built- in changeable filter. I have 100% all live vegetation and tons of shale,  rock caves and other nooks for them to hide in. There is also plenty of flat dry area for them to sit. In the middle is floating  cork half round for my guys to float on. I have floating moss balls for them to hold on too.

Other than partial water changes once month, twice a month in winter months , this tank runs itself.

Contrary to popular vote, their water does not need to be crystal clear, frogs are used to living in murky water.

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## Cody

Great setup Gary!

I really like what you have done, I think I too will forgo dirt and the likes. What kinda rock is that on the left side that is layered? Do you have any suggestions on a good way of going about filtering the water? What sorts of plants do you have in there, did you find any of them difficult to grow and last what type of lighting do you use for the plants? Thanks.

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## maxQ

The rock is shale that I got at my local pet store, my water is filtered by way of a waterfall in the back right corner (purchased at any PETCO, Petsmart or local pet stores) which has a changeable charcoal filer inside. I got the plants at a local nursery, I don't know the names. I have a fluorescent tube light on top and as you can see, my plants are flourishing.

I also have various rock hides and caves stacked across the whole back, tons of hiding places are important, thy like that.

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## Cody

Alright thanks for the info, I'll have to check around locally for stuff.  :Smile:

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## Tongue Flicker

@cody: wahaha finally you've decided upon something

@gary: your plants are photos. They're nice since they can be submerged in water and survive on low light and the variegated one looks like either aspidistra lustra (cast-iron plant) or dracaena fragrans/marginata haha  :Big Grin:

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## Silkmoth

I started with dirt and some plants like an african violet and pothos. I put a long 1.5 gallon food storage container for thier pool. It was good, but I could tell the guys wanted more water to swim in. I took out all the dirt and plants. I put back in the rocks I had picked up on a beach, thendevided the pothos and put the plants at both ends of the tank and use the rocks to hold the plants down. The frogs like the leaves. They lay on them in the water.

At a store I had picked up a styrofoam plate that is used for meat packing for sale with plastic wrap. It cost nothing so I am not going to buy other rocks for a land feature yet. The guys love it. Its black so they dont see the flies unless they are dusted so I will pick up a white one and switch them depending on what Im feeding.
Ill get a pic of my setup.

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## Cody

> @cody: wahaha finally you've decided upon something


Yup. haha




> I started with dirt and some plants like an african violet and pothos. I put a long 1.5 gallon food storage container for thier pool. It was good, but I could tell the guys wanted more water to swim in. I took out all the dirt and plants. I put back in the rocks I had picked up on a beach, thendevided the pothos and put the plants at both ends of the tank and use the rocks to hold the plants down. The frogs like the leaves. They lay on them in the water.
> 
> At a store I had picked up a styrofoam plate that is used for meat packing for sale with plastic wrap. It cost nothing so I am not going to buy other rocks for a land feature yet. The guys love it. Its black so they dont see the flies unless they are dusted so I will pick up a white one and switch them depending on what Im feeding.
> Ill get a pic of my setup.


Nice! I'm not too sure how I'm going to go about my land section. If I can find shale/slate rock, I may have some areas with layers like Gary, I like that look a lot!


Does anyone know if the TetraFauna ReptoFilter is any good?

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## maxQ

YES, Ive had the medium for over a year and It works great ! In fact I got some plain common pond moss from a local pond store, stuck it to the waterfall and the moss rooted and now the moss has almost covered the entire waterfall , it looks awesome.

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## Cody

> YES, Ive had the medium for over a year and It works great ! In fact I got some plain common pond moss from a local pond store, stuck it to the waterfall and the moss rooted and now the moss has almost covered the entire waterfall , it looks awesome.


Awesome, I think I'll skip the already made waterfall, buy the filter by itself and build my own waterfall.  :Frog Smile:

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## Cody

What type of foam is safe to use for something like this? Since some of it might be submerged what's the best way of sealing it so that is it safe for the inhabitants?

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## Cody

Anyone?

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## maxQ

> Anyone?


I have used plain ole Styrofoam 3 x 2 x1 sheets from Home Depot, but everything in my present enclosures are real  rock.

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Hellsrage

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## Cody

> I have used plain ole Styrofoam 3 x 2 x1 sheets from Home Depot, but everything in my present enclosures are real  rock.


Hmm. I've seen and used some of the larger sheets of foam at Home Depot, but those are for insulation and as such they would probably leak something toxic into the water. I'm not sure of an easy way to seal the foam effectively either.

Might be time to start looking into simpler ideas.  :Smile:

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## maxQ

> Hmm. I've seen and used some of the larger sheets of foam at Home Depot, but those are for insulation and as such they would probably leak something toxic into the water. I'm not sure of an easy way to seal the foam effectively either.
> 
> Might be time to start looking into simpler ideas.


Actually they don't leak or have any toxin at all, I've coated a lot of my stuff with in other tanks with thinned out bath tub grout
...................good luck

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## kh2odragon

I use repto filtes that i bought at pet smart for multipal species. This is what they look and an idea i saw on gooogle for  a water fall.

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## jocie1976

In the last picture above, the Google search idea... This is exactly how I have done my waterfall for my FBT's. They seem to love it and climb it to sit on top. But as my lid doesn't have a small gap like the one shown, it actually has a larger opening. The first time I couldn't find a frog I panicked. I quickly learned that in addition to the filter insert, I need to fill up the dead space with river rocks. That way they can't get inside, the sneaky little buggars. 

I have mine in a 30g long with a screen lid. Their tank is divided 50/50 land and water, with the waterfall. Their water section has aquarium gravel (natural colours), larger rocks for sitting on, a few live plants (which they seem to love sitting in) and a half submerged hollow log (which is constantly in use). The land section is potting soil covered by natural moss from the woods, very many live plants, and larger hollow log. One of the frogs has burrowed out a cave under this rock and can be found there all the time. The soil is kept constantly moist by a very fortuitous very small leak in the siliconed bulkhead. I add water as needed and gravel wash every two weeks. I find it takes me no time at all to maintain.

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Hellsrage

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## Carlos

> ...I have mine in a 30g long with a screen lid...


Beautiful vivarium  :Big Applause:  !

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jocie1976

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