# Frogs & Toads > Fire Belly Toads (Bombina) >  Possibly 3 new FBT's tomorrow.. Questions!!

## Psychotic4mb3r

I put a ad on craigslist looking for a fire belly toad or a few maybe. I got a text from someone saying they have 3 fire belly toads and a albino water frog in a 5 gallon tank that they would give to me for free because they had gotten them for there nephew but they payed to attention to them. So I'm suppose to meet them tomorrow after I get off work(about 8pm). I have a 20 gallon aquarium I'm not using and thought about getting it out for the toads because I'm guessing your not really suppose to house the frog and the toads together. Or I may put my new Leopard gecko into the 20 and using her 10 gallon for the toads.

I guess I should post this in the ACF section as well.

But for the FBT questions, are crickets the main source of food they should eat? I was just curious because I keep tons of mealworms for the leopard geckos. Also earthworms would be easier to keep in bulk lol so less frequent trips to the pet store(but if not crickets are totally fine by me lol)
Ill go ahead and ask about the ACF here as well to see if anyone could help me out. What is a good diet for them?

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## bshmerlie

> I put a ad on craigslist looking for a fire belly toad or a few maybe. I got a text from someone saying they have 3 fire belly toads and a albino water frog in a 5 gallon tank that they would give to me for free because they had gotten them for there nephew but they payed to attention to them. So I'm suppose to meet them tomorrow after I get off work(about 8pm). I have a 20 gallon aquarium I'm not using and thought about getting it out for the toads because I'm guessing your not really suppose to house the frog and the toads together. Or I may put my new Leopard gecko into the 20 and using her 10 gallon for the toads.
> 
> I guess I should post this in the ACF section as well.
> 
> But for the FBT questions, are crickets the main source of food they should eat? I was just curious because I keep tons of mealworms for the leopard geckos. Also earthworms would be easier to keep in bulk lol so less frequent trips to the pet store(but if not crickets are totally fine by me lol)
> Ill go ahead and ask about the ACF here as well to see if anyone could help me out. What is a good diet for them?


The firebellies would need to be kept separate from the afc.  I can't believe someone even tried to keep them together. You could always "regift" the AFC if you don't want it. :Smile:

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## bshmerlie

Crickets should be the main diet of the firebellies but they can eat appropriately sized worms for variety.

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## clownonfire

THE ACF could have died from the FBT toxins. It's ridiculous. As for the FBT, yes, they love crickets. And if you want to be really nice with your frogs, you should gut load your crickets first, and spray them with a calcium powder once a week justbefore feeding them to the frogs.

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## Han

Hi

Earthworms should be the main diet of Bombina together with all the
flying and crawling seasonal side-dishes you can catch.
No need to believe that gutload-fairy-tale, everything the toads need to live a healthy life is already inside the worms etc.

Han

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## clownonfire

I personally would advise to not feed your frogs critters that you have found outside, simply because of parasites and other diseases they might carry. If you are going to feed them earthworm, purchase them (Wal-Mart carries some that are safe). Also, try and vary the diet. Crickets powdered weekly are the staple. 

As for the gut-loading, it's your choice to make. I do it, my frogs are happy for it, and in my opinion, it's my responsibility as their owner to make sure they have the best diet they can get.

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## Psychotic4mb3r

I personally wouldnt wanna feed them bugs from outside either. I totally understand about that. Ill pick up some earth worms as well as crickets. Ill feed them both  :Smile: . (I gutload my mealworms and crickets when I get them so no worries about that lol)
I have calcium without the D3 in it for my leopard geckos. would this be ok to dust the crickets with? Or should I pick up some with D3 in it?
And for mealworms. Would they be ok to give frequently? Or should I occasionally give them to the toads if they like them? I wasnt sure how the shell would effect the toads. Thanks so much for the reply though!

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## clownonfire

> I personally wouldnt wanna feed them bugs from outside either. I totally understand about that. Ill pick up some earth worms as well as crickets. Ill feed them both . (I gutload my mealworms and crickets when I get them so no worries about that lol)
> I have calcium without the D3 in it for my leopard geckos. would this be ok to dust the crickets with? Or should I pick up some with D3 in it?
> And for mealworms. Would they be ok to give frequently? Or should I occasionally give them to the toads if they like them? I wasnt sure how the shell would effect the toads. Thanks so much for the reply though!


For mealworms, I tried a few times, but my FBT don't seem to care about them because they do not move a lot. Also, they are a bit harder to digest because of their harder shell. I use Zoo Med's Reptivite with D3. I'm not certain about yours. I'll let the pro speak on this one!  :Wink:

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## Psychotic4mb3r

Ok well I got them all today. I have to say... Wasnt to happy with the whole setup. Not only did they have the 3 FBT's in with the ACF... The whole setup was set up for water frogs. No land.. I have them in a temporary setup right now in a 10 gallon aquarium. I do plan on re doing the whole tank, so dont worry  :Smile: . All three toads are bright green. The ACF seems very healthy as well. Kinda dirty(the tank was pretty nasty) but I cleaned out the whole 5 gallon tank and tossed all the gravel because it was nasty. Hes in a bare 5 gallon for now until I can get decorations and hide areas for him. I fed the FBT crickets and they where really going at them! lol I love watching them eat now  :Big Grin: 

This is the FBT setup right now. I have allot of plans for it though for re modeling  :Smile: 


And heres a closeup pic of one of them. Not the best but you can see how green they are  :Smile:

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## clownonfire

> Ok well I got them all today. I have to say... Wasnt to happy with the whole setup. Not only did they have the 3 FBT's in with the ACF... The whole setup was set up for water frogs. No land.. I have them in a temporary setup right now in a 10 gallon aquarium. I do plan on re doing the whole tank, so dont worry . All three toads are bright green. The ACF seems very healthy as well. Kinda dirty(the tank was pretty nasty) but I cleaned out the whole 5 gallon tank and tossed all the gravel because it was nasty. Hes in a bare 5 gallon for now until I can get decorations and hide areas for him. I fed the FBT crickets and they where really going at them! lol I love watching them eat now 
> 
> This is the FBT setup right now. I have allot of plans for it though for re modeling 
> 
> 
> And heres a closeup pic of one of them. Not the best but you can see how green they are



I'm sure they will be very happy with you. If you have questions on ACF, you should contact Jenste. I'm sure she will be happy to help you with the best setting 

Can't wait to see the new FBT's enclosure. Remember, lots of water, some land, and live plants if you can!  :Smile:

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## Psychotic4mb3r

I just divided the tank. now the long wait for the drying and what not lol! I ended up spliting it half and half. I think the water side is like 1 cm wider lol. I got more coco fiber for the toads and my leopard geckos today. Ill get some moss when I get my paycheck. I just need to figure out how to layer it. I was some of those Hydro Balls at the per store and thought about using it as the1st or 2nd bottom layer?

Also, I deff at least have 1 male  :Big Grin:  Ive been hearing barking every day since I got them lol

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## Psychotic4mb3r

Well theres the tank. I still need to get a few more things to put in it like the hydro balls for the bottom layer of the soil and some moss to put on top of the coco fiber so its not as messy.(I kinda wish I would have made this with a 20 gallon aquarium instead of the 10 gallon haha) I found a filter and put it in the water but im wondering if its making too big of a current? Or maybe they dont mind it? One toad dont seem to mind it, hes already in the water chilling on a leaf haha. Its surprising how much one of the toads have fattened up. Well they all have visibly put on weight but one is a chunky butt lol. I heard a weird bark this morning(but not like the normal bark) and looked in there and one toad was wrapped around another really tight and wouldnt let go.
I got some night crawlers and cut them in sections and tried feeding them the worms.. As soon as they got them in there mouth, they spit it out lol. So I think its safe to say that they dont like them. They eat the mealworms ok but im only going to give them mealies occasionally.
Any other suggestions?

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## clownonfire

> Well theres the tank. I still need to get a few more things to put in it like the hydro balls for the bottom layer of the soil and some moss to put on top of the coco fiber so its not as messy.(I kinda wish I would have made this with a 20 gallon aquarium instead of the 10 gallon haha) I found a filter and put it in the water but im wondering if its making too big of a current? Or maybe they dont mind it? One toad dont seem to mind it, hes already in the water chilling on a leaf haha. Its surprising how much one of the toads have fattened up. Well they all have visibly put on weight but one is a chunky butt lol. I heard a weird bark this morning(but not like the normal bark) and looked in there and one toad was wrapped around another really tight and wouldnt let go.
> I got some night crawlers and cut them in sections and tried feeding them the worms.. As soon as they got them in there mouth, they spit it out lol. So I think its safe to say that they dont like them. They eat the mealworms ok but im only going to give them mealies occasionally.
> Any other suggestions?


Amber, looks great. Minor changes I would do: give them more place to hide on the land, they will enjoy that. As for food, feed them crickets. Your frogs will like to hunt them. And they won't spit them out.

Also, if you can, remove all fake plants and replace them with real ones.

Great job!!

Eric

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## Psychotic4mb3r

Yea I planned on getting hide spots(I think im gonna look for some food containers to cut holes into for now for them) and I do feed them crickets lol  :Smile:  And ill def look into some real plants! I saw some at the pet store so ill probably get a few  :Smile:

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## Han

Don't waste your time on live plants and remember, earthworms provide excellent
food: keep on trying!

Han

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## bshmerlie

> Don't waste your time on live plants and remember, earthworms provide excellent
> food: keep on trying!
> 
> Han


I think live plants make for a more natural environment for the frogs and they simply just look better.  If you don't have a green thumb there a very simple to care for plants such as pothos.  Check out Walmarts indoor plant section they always seem to have a good selection under $5 bucks. Just rinse all the soil off and plant the roots into your substrate.  I don't think anybody could kill a pothos and it will do well in both the land and the water side.

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## clownonfire

> Don't waste your time on live plants and remember, earthworms provide excellent
> food: keep on trying!
> 
> Han


Han, it's really nice of you to offer your opinion, and to share your knowledge. There are many here that also own FBT, and have a few terrariums of their own (I have six vivs personally). Perhaps saying: In my experience... instead of Don't waste time... would be more helpful to readers. The same goes for crickets/earthworms. As much as the latter are a great source of food, dusted crickets will provide the frogs with most of what they need. And in my experience, the frogs like to hunt them too.

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## Han

Keeping loads of toads in a 5 or 10 gallon set-up, decorating it with plasic skulls,
submerged windmills and coloured gravel is simply not the european way of taking
care. We try to take things a bit more serious, try a more scientific approach, far
beyond "cute" and "their names are Silly and Stupid". Rather succesfull as far as
reproduction is concerned, i've been breeding Bombina since the early 1980's.
Did you? Ever? Couldn't find any breeding-report at this forum although Bombina
(orientalis) is known as "very easy to breed".
My Bombina maxima woke up after some 3 months in the fridge, i just found the first
150 eggs in their hygienic, easy to clean, clearly arranged, well-ventilated, spacious, not very "natural" set-up. So..................

regards, Han

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## clownonfire

> Keeping loads of toads in a 5 or 10 gallon set-up, decorating it with plasic skulls,
> submerged windmills and coloured gravel is simply not the european way of taking
> care. We try to take things a bit more serious, try a more scientific approach, far
> beyond "cute" and "their names are Silly and Stupid". Rather succesfull as far as
> reproduction is concerned, i've been breeding Bombina since the early 1980's.
> Did you? Ever? Couldn't find any breeding-report at this forum although Bombina
> (orientalis) is known as "very easy to breed".
> My Bombina maxima woke up after some 3 months in the fridge, i just found the first
> 150 eggs in their hygienic, easy to clean, clearly arranged, well-ventilated, spacious, not very "natural" set-up. So..................
> ...


With all due respect, it's not because someone would add skulls or windmills or whatever piece of decoration one would chose that someone does not take his hobby with seriousness. And on this forum, there's no European VS America VS wherever else. It's a community of amphibian lovers, from the expert, to the beginner. What we DO however is respect each others ways. That is the FROG FORUM way. Not everyone wants to breed their frogs. We inform them for THEIR needs. And if the needs are others than just keeping a frog, we do have resources on this site that will step up. It would be appreciated that you respect the ways of others, and respect the community that we have build here.

Eric

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## Han

There's actually only one valid reason one should allow him/herself to keep non-domestic animals like amphibians at all: (trying to ) breed them! Heavily consuming pet-trade together with destruction of natural habitat and global warming will eventually lead to total extinction of many amphibian-species.
With all due respect, i wasn't aware of the fact that giving an (my) opinion could be
disrespectfull, nevertheless, i wasn't able to find reports on (succesfull) breeding Bombina although "There are many here that own FBT".  It might be that sad truth that makes you feel not very comfortable, i guess (with all due respect, of course!!).

respectfull regards,
 Han

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## clownonfire

> There's actually only one valid reason one should allow him/herself to keep non-domestic animals like amphibians at all: (trying to ) breed them! Heavily consuming pet-trade together with destruction of natural habitat and global warming will eventually lead to total extinction of many amphibian-species.
> With all due respect, i wasn't aware of the fact that giving an (my) opinion could be
> disrespectfull, nevertheless, i wasn't able to find reports on (succesfull) breeding Bombina although "There are many here that own FBT".  It might be that sad truth that makes you feel not very comfortable, i guess (with all due respect, of course!!).
> 
> respectfull regards,
>  Han



I am happy to read that you are pro-frogs, and passionate about them.  Most of us are here. But that is not the point. We all have different  needs on this forum, and different philosophies. Stating your opinion is  encouraged. As long as others are respected by yourself too. This is a  great site for all. We are all respectful of one another. And one's  opinion should not be imposed, nor made to think that it's better than  someone else's. We discourage the elitist approach on this site. We have  many experts herps and hobbyists on this site, and instead of putting  down others' opinions, they have helped others by teaching respectfully.  

As for me not being comfortable, if you stick around long enough, you  will quickly learn that nothing really gets me uncomfortable. And I  welcome any debate. But I will do it respectfully, keeping the good of  this forum in mind, 

Comfortable Eric

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## bshmerlie

Han, you've obviously been around in the frog community for awhile.  Which means you've probably been to different frog websites. If you notice each site has a different feel to it. Some are very knowledgable and offer a lot of great info but theres a feeling of elitism and members often avoid expressing opinions for fear the "dog pack" will come out and attack them.  Here we are more family oriented and try to be very welcoming so that new members aren't afraid to ask the "dumb" questions.  We don't try to make them feel stupid or suggest that its our way or the highway.  There are a lot of different ideas on keeping frogs and the reasons for doing so.  Why we do respect your opinions and passions we ask they you also do so in a civil manner.  There really is no reason to break into arguments half the time.  Its only our egos that get in the way.  Just keep opinions what they are opinions.

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## Psychotic4mb3r

lol I didn't know me asking for help would cause a argument  :Smile:  I respect everyones opinions and all opinion are greatly appreciated. I just want whats best for my toads.

(quick question though.. I was thinking about getting dubia roaches for my geckos sometime in the future and wondered if anyone has tried feeding baby dubias to there FBT's?)

I appreciate everyones opinion and respect there opinion. I don't think anyone is doing anything better then others. We all have the choice to take into consideration what other people do with there beloved pets. We all have the choice to try it or not to try it. It all depends on the person and what they believe is right(as long as the pet is not being abused or whatnot of course!). Just as long as the toads are happy and healthy is all that matters.

But again since I'm doing this all new, I need any advice as possible haha  :Smile: . Ill post updated pictures of the tank when I get the rest of my supplies though.. And suggestions of how to clean out the water side? Because I don't have any moss on top of the coco fiber, the toads have gotten quiet a bit of the coco fiber in the water. The water filter only does so much cleaning it out lol

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