How to Set Up for Fire Belly Toads

Fire-bellied toads, Bombina orientalis, are colorful, active little amphibians. As with any other frog or toad, they have quite specific habitat requirements if they are to thrive in captivity. If you set up and maintain their tank properly, your pets can live for 10 years or more. Bear this in mind before adopting toads. Amphibians are not easy to find good homes for if your circumstances change. As these toads are semi-aquatic, they need both land and water areas in their tank.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon or larger fish tank with UVB light
  • Pebbles
  • Large, smooth rocks
  • Clay plant pot
  • Pieces of bark
  • Aquatic plants
  • Aquarium heater or heat mat
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place large smooth rocks in one half of the tank to build a land area about two-thirds up the tank. Place pieces of bark, a clay plant pot on its side and live moss on the rocks to provide hiding places and moisture.

    • 2

      Use a couple of inches of pebbles, not gravel, as a substrate in the other half of the tank.

    • 3

      Fill the tank about two-thirds full of water, leaving the land area exposed.

    • 4

      Add aquatic plants to the water side of the tank. Check with the supplier to ensure the plants are safe for amphibians and have been grown without chemicals. Toads have a permeable skin that toxins from natural or artificial sources can easily penetrate. Leave the tank for a few days to settle before you acquire your toads.