# Frogs & Toads > Fire Belly Toads (Bombina) >  My toad trying to escape :D

## killercrow

Heres the lil bugger, its funny though, i never see this one out and about. He always hides and I can't ever find him. Or her. ? Is this the European model of Bombina? Looks nothing like my other one, which is bright green and smooth.

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## Kurt

I see nothing but _Bombina orientalis_. BTW, it's species not model. It's an animal not a machine. The European species are Bombina bombina and Bombina variegata.

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## Jace

These guys are master escape artists!!  I don't know where they think they are going, but they can turn up in the oddest places, too.  You have a couple of very cute ones, I might add.  Have you heard any "barking" like noises at all?  Out of my six, I have four males and only two females, so it can be quite a jam session in my house in the evening as they compete with my Pacific Chorus Frog for singer of the night!

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## SethD

I would recommend getting them off that coco fiber. Maybe cover it up with some nice natural dirt and oak leaves. Coco fiber as a top layer makes a mess and amphibians certainly don't enjoy it being stuck all over their skin.

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## Kurt

That's why I use leaf litter over it.

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## Deku

> I would recommend getting them off that coco fiber. Maybe cover it up with some nice natural dirt and oak leaves. Coco fiber as a top layer makes a mess and amphibians certainly don't enjoy it being stuck all over their skin.


Agreed, personally speaking. I hate coco fiber. It got stuck all over my frogs skin. They always were bothered by it. Not o nly that but it was extremely messy to begin with as a substrate. Good ol' soil is best! Maybe mix it in with a bit of sand if the frog likes to dig.

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## killercrow

Ok, I'm not completely lost, "European model... pun intended". I apologize for my sense of humor.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Thanks for the comments though, everyone. I actually was wondering about the coco husk as substrate, since it really doesn't look comfy at all. I'm limited to the coco husk and moss at my local pet store, and its a 4 hour drive to the nearest major center. Do you figure just any leaf litter would work, or does it need to be sterile?
   I do plan to construct a vivarium with a filtered water feature and some living plants, and I was curious as to what i can or cannot use (for plants). Could I use a small Ficus? I worry that the leaves may be too pointy, since these toads really launch sometimes. From what i have read about Ficus plants, they like high humidity. 
  Yes, the darker coloured toad does sing sometimes. I just cleaned their water dish, not a half hour later I could hear him singing. He likes his water dish! I kinda feel bad for them though since It isn't a very nice setup as it is now. 
   I'll throw one more query out there. What lights should i be using? I have read that I need U.V. bulbs, then someone else says it isn't necessary. I bought an 18" Exo-Terra Repti Glo 2.0 neon light today, since it seemed to be popular. Then i went to the Home Depot, where i found an 18" closet neon light setup. The Repti Glo fits perfect, and saved me from, A) Building my own fixure, or B) Buying an Expensive kitchen light fixture or the $200.00 Exo-Terra terrarium hood at the pet store. Overall, it cost me $20.00 for the bulb and $11 for the fixture (I bought 2 since my snake needs a light). 

  Well, that was long winded! I didn't expect that.

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## Jace

I used to have my toads on coco husk and though they tolerated it, since I have swtiched to a soil base with moss top layer, they are much happier. I'm always for sterile supplies, as you just never know what might be lurking in the leaf litter outside your front door. However, for the time being, simply adding a layer of moss to your setup might make your toads more comfortable.

The best thing about these toads are they are pretty easy going. Whatever you make of their setup, chances are they are going to love it and thrive. For an example, I have six fire bellies in a 25 gallon aquarium. I have a thick layer of dirt and planted several live plants (my favourite is called Peperomia because they require low light, stay relatively short and have broad thick leaves that the toads love to sit on!), and then placed a layer of moist fresh moss on top. On one end, I have a rock and driftwood display and a feeding station (a plastic dish nestled into the dirt where I can drop treats in for them) and on the other, a sunken bowl that is approximately 6-8" deep. I suctioned a plant to the side of the glass and spread it into the water bowl for hiding and to help the toads climb in and out. To clean, I merely lift the whole bowl out, clean, and drop it back in with fresh water. However, I might switch this as I miss having a filter and heater in their water for them. Pretty simple setup and really easy to maintain. These toads don't like really high humidity, so I wouldn't put plants in there that require it. 

As for the lighting issue, I have heard arguments for both sides. My personal experience with my own toads is this: I have a screen mesh over the top of the tank, and then an aquarium light setup on top of that. The light-a standard bulb that came with the canopy-sits on top of plastic "shield". It gives a bit of heat and plenty of light, but my toads are protected from being burned if they decide to go climbing. I have had my toads for over three years, and this system seems to work for them. Hope this helps or at least gives you some ideas.

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## Kurt

Using UVB lighting for your frogs is a good idea.

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## nana

I use eco earth from a reptile supplier is this the same as coco fiber??

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## Kurt

Yes, exactly the same.

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## missclick

i found a FBT in my kitchen this morning! no idea how he got there. 
 i have a really hard time keeping my moss layer moist even when i soak it or spray it down every day

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## Kurt

Is there a false bottom or drainage layer below it?

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## missclick

in one of the tanks yeah, i feel weird putting a false bottom in for my chubby though, she burrows all the way down to the bottom. i just stopped using moss because shes under the 3 inches of substrate anyways

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## Kurt

You can try making a false bottom using just the egg crate and needle-point mesh, then cover it in a layer of sphagnum moss. Flood the bottom cm of the enclosure, that way the sphagnum can draw water up and keep things humid.

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