By: Rebecca S. Key Facts: In Southern Asia and Europe there are little, cute, and colorful toads that are among the most popular and extremely liked of all semi- aquarium aquariums. Other toads that this care sheet will be for are European Fire Bellies and Yellow Bellies. There are 6 species though, but I would highly recommend this care sheet for Oriental, European, and Yellow Bellies. Classification Order: Anura Family: Bombinatoridae Genus: Bombina Species: European Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina bombina) Linnaeus, 1761 Species: Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) Linnaeus, 1758 Species: Guangxi Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina fortinuptialis) Tian & Wu, 1978 Species: Giant Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina maxima) Boulenger, 1905 Species: Hubei Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina microdeladigitoria) Liu, Hu & Yang, 1960 Species: Oriental Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis) Boulenger, 1890 Age and Size: Fire belly toads grow to an average of 2 – 2 ½ inches along with a life span of 14 years in captivity, but I have heard of one of my breeders having a female, Rosy Barb, that lived up to 19 years! Temperament: Males barking and displaying courtships by singing mean that they are very social little creatures to listen to and watch. Often displaying loneliness when alone, they get along great with each other very well and need each others company. They may be cannibalistic when it comes to smaller toads of the same type. Adding on, they eat smaller frogs, newts, and fish… anything really they can fit into their mouths. Sexing: Males – Some say they have thicker forearms, brightly colored, or even have different snouts. I believe the best way to sex a male is to just watch for its throat. When it barks its throat makes fast inhale, exhale type of movement. Not only you know you have a male, but you actually see which one is the mystery male. Another way is watch for any clinging or grabbing of the waist. Males will do this to the females or others they might think are females (this include males!) to see if it’s the right sex to mate with. IF the grabbed one barks... this probably means “Get off!” or “Buddy, I am not what you think.” And this is a sure sign you have another male. Female – Some say that females tend to be bigger than males, but I have had experience when one of my males was bigger than I have ever seen before, than another female I saw from my breeder. I would say the best way to sex a female is whenever she is grabbed by a male and doesn’t bark. This tells the male she is a female. The best way to sex a female is at breeding season because there were some cases that females did bark for other reasons. Mostly Active During: Either night or day is when fire belly toads are most active. It matters on the frogs choice of whether having the night life or being a sun craver. Housing: Four gallon per toad can be used… they must always have a companion though. Like I said before these are very social creatures! I house my 4 male toads in a 20 gallon long. Even though I can house five, I believe the more room the better! A LID IS REQUIRED! When I was a beginner at owning these frogs I lacked a lid leading to the death of my female. New mates must be quarantined!!! Just throwing them in there is an absolute no, no! With landscaping, I recommend a ½ or 1/3 land and water ratio with water being the most with a 1/3 setup. These are semi- aquatic toads! They need fresh, clean water. River rock (or med. To bid sized stones can be used. Anything small can seriously impact the toad leading to death), coco fiber bedding can be used, and with treated water, hiding spaces, climbing objects, and fake or real plants. (Pathos or Devil’s Ivy can be used along with peace lily and heart-shaped philodendron) NO MOSS! I have seen this a million times… this leads to impactions which lead to a death of a beautiful fire belly toad. Tank Maintenance: Clean water is one of the most serious things to keep in check when owning fire bellies! With standing water, you should clean it daily and put anew (treated, of course!), but with filtered water, clean it out every 2 weeks (just the water). More to the point, it really matter what type of filter you have. With a good filter, you could probably change it out every month, but doing 50% water changes every 2 weeks and then do a full clean out of the tank every one to 2 months is GREAT, but would really recommend cleaning it out every month (the whole tank), but that is me! As for dirt, when it molds clean it out! Mold is not good for the frogs to be breathing in, nor would it be you. Decorations and fake plants should be cleaned every month or whenever doing a full clean out. Dead leaves from real plants should be picked off to prevent mold and bacteria growth that could be harmful to your frogs! Temperature, Humidity, and Lighting: The right temperature for these fire bellies toads are about 72 – 78F (22.22 - 25.56C). Going over 80F can lead to heat stroke which these frogs can easily get and dropping tempts lower than 65F will promote freezing or hibernation. WATCH THAT WATER TEMPERATURE! It should be about 72- 75F in the summer (so they wont get too hot) and, about, 74-78 in the winter months. No water heater is required, but it is very nice to have in the winter months or if you want you frogs to be pampered. Note: Never use those cheap stick on thermometers that you see at Wal-Mart. They are pretty bad when it comes to telling you the accurate temps of your tank. I would go for one of those 15 - 20 dollar ones. Humidity should be between 60- 80 percent. You may use a hygrometer to measure humidity if you wish or any other commercial products that you see fit. As for lighting, I would say no lighting is required for these toads. Artificial lighting or filter light is my light source, but some people use plant lights (if they have real plants!) or UVB (I believe UVB is artificial light also). No basking bulbs are required for this frog. They are amphibians not reptiles! Nourishment: Fire belly toad can be fed a wide variety of food, but the main staple of their diet should be gut loaded crickets! Other food items could be earthworm, wax worm (no meal worms or super worms. Mealies have a hard outer shell that the frogs might not digest properly, and super worm are huge for digesting and can bite hard!), Fruit fly (bred), feeder guppy, silkworm, and red worm. Other worms that are sold at stores are good, but research before you give it to your frog! Wax worms should be the occasional treat! (Only about once a month) These things are really fatty to feed to your frogs. Nutrition Contents: Crickets Moisture: 68.07 % Fat: 6.01 % Protein: 21.32 % ~*please Gut Load (if not gut loaded please dust you crickets with calcium but you may do this even if you gut load!) your crickets so frogs can have all the vitamins they need. You may use home made recipes, but some might lack nutrients that Fire bellies might need! ~* Wax Worms Moisture: 61.73 % Fat: 22.19 % Protein: 15.70 % Earthworms Fat: 7.2 % Protein: 10.93 % ~* Earth worms are full of moisture and are full of proteins that many other insects might not have. These also counts for red wiggler, red worms, or night crawlers. ~* Note: if you see you fire belly is eating his or her skin. Don’t threat. It is very nutritional and natural for them to do that. Proper Feeding: “They stop eating when ever they are full” is pet store talk. These frogs will eat and eat when ever they are dead of obesity. A bloated frog won’t move at all… proper feeding won’t just be throwing crickets in the tank. The others might not get they share because of an aggressive or bigger toad might eat them all, and then you have obese frogs and anorexic frogs. Hand feeding can be taken, leading the crickets to their doom, or block the other toads out while the one is trying to get its cricket. Every two to three days can be feeding days to your frogs. They might act hungry, but they will eat anything, even if it is your finger or if they weigh two pounds. For my feedings, each frog gets hand fed a specific number. An average of 2 medium crickets per serving every 2 days keeps my frogs at their weight level, but some might need more than others comparing to their sizes. Small crickets can be fed to little ones as mediums can be fed to adults. Large crickets are a BIG no, no! A large cricket may try to eat you frog. This can lead to a nasty bite and a terrified frog. You frog might go through a phase when it is so afraid of crickets that it wont eat anything that looks like a cricket. Other: These frogs have a lot of personality. You will notice when you first get them. Some love to climb, while other loves to swim, float, and lay on land. These frogs are low maintenance, and they are good beginners. All breeding information should be attained else where since I do not breed. Seeing as is I don’t breed, I can give the best information an experienced breeder can. Sorry. These toads should NOT be handled. Skin oils or toxins from cleaners, lotion, and perfumes can make a toad very sick, and it may even die. Wash you hands and get regular latex gloves when transporting them to another tank while cleaning. They are very delicate. Their appendages (legs, toes, and arms) could get seriously injured, so only hold them when necessary! Don’t let children get a hold of them. More to the point, if by some chance you don’t have gloves on, keep your hands away from your face. Their toxins are not harmful to humans, but it can make a very upset stomach, eye swelling, and puking, rashes, and/or muscle pains. In Addition, when startled or scared it will flip over on its black to show its intensive fiery belly, but be warned when this happens they excrete a white liquid from their backs. Don’t ingest this and keep it away from your face. This is the fire belly’s full toxin. ~* thank- you for reading… May you frog be pampered and very much loved in your house!
can i add color to it? I love color... will Cheris let color show up on the caresheets? What ya' guys think?!
Revised::// Fire Belly Toad ~~ Care sheet By: Rebecca S. Key Facts: In Southern Asia and Europe there are little, cute, and colorful toads that are among the most popular and extremely liked of all semi- aquarium aquariums. Other toads that this care sheet will be for are European Fire Bellies and Yellow Bellies. There are 6 species though, but I would highly recommend this care sheet for Oriental, European, and Yellow Bellies. Classification Order: Anura Family: Bombinatoridae Genus: Bombina Species: European Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina bombina) Linnaeus, 1761 Species: Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) Linnaeus, 1758 Species: Guangxi Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina fortinuptialis) Tian & Wu, 1978 Species: Giant Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina maxima) Boulenger, 1905 Species: Hubei Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina microdeladigitoria) Liu, Hu & Yang, 1960 Species: Oriental Fire-bellied Toad (Bombina orientalis) Boulenger, 1890 (-Thanks, Marc Staniszewski for info!-) Age and Size: Fire belly toads grow to an average of 2 – 2 ½ inches along with a life span of 14 years in captivity, but I have heard of one of my breeders having a female, Rosy Barb, that lived up to 19 years! Temperament: Males barking and displaying courtships by singing means that they are very social little creatures to listen to and watch. Often displaying loneliness when alone, they get along great with each other very well and need each others company. They may be cannibalistic when it comes to smaller toads of the same type. Adding on, they eat smaller frogs, newts, and fish… anything really they can fit into their mouths. Sexing: Males – Some say they have thicker forearms, brightly colored, or even have different snouts. I believe the best way to sex a male is to just watch for its throat. When it barks its throat makes fast inhale, exhale type of movement. Not only you know you have a male, but you actually see which one is the mystery male. Another way is watch for any clinging or grabbing of the waist. Males will do this to the females or others they might think are females (this include males!) to see if it’s the right sex to mate with. IF the grabbed one barks... this probably means “Get off!” or “Buddy, I am not what you think.” And this is a sure sign you have another male. Female – Some say that females tend to be bigger than males, but I have had experience when one of my males was bigger than I have ever seen before, than another female I saw from my breeder. I would say the best way to sex a female is whenever she is grabbed by a male and doesn’t bark. This tells the male she is a female. The best way to sex a female is at breeding season because there were some cases that females did bark for other reasons. Mostly Active During: Either night or day is when fire belly toads are most active. It matters on the frogs choice of whether having the night life or being a sun craver. Housing: Four gallon per toad can be used… they must always have a companion though. Like I said before these are very social creatures! I house my 4 male toads in a 20 gallon long. Even though I can house five, I believe the more room the better! A LID IS REQUIRED! When I was a beginner at owning these frogs I lacked a lid leading to the death of my female. New mates must be quarantined!!! Just throwing them in there is an absolute no, no! With landscaping, I recommend a ½ or 1/3 land and water ratio with water being the most with a 1/3 setup. These are semi- aquatic toads! They need fresh, clean water. River rock (or medium to big sized stones can be used. Anything small can seriously impact the toad leading to death), coco fiber bedding can be used, and with treated water, hiding spaces, climbing objects, and fake or real plants. (Pathos or Devil’s Ivy can be used along with peace lily and heart-shaped philodendron) NO MOSS! I have seen this a million times… this leads to impactions which lead to a death of a beautiful fire belly toad. Tank Maintenance: Clean water is one of the most serious things to keep in check when owning fire bellies! With standing water, you should clean it daily and put anew (treated, of course!), but with filtered water, clean it out every 2 weeks (just the water). More to the point, it really matter what type of filter you have. With a good filter, you could probably change it out every month, but doing 50% water changes every 2 weeks and then do a full clean out of the tank every one to 2 months is GREAT, but would really recommend cleaning it out every month (the whole tank), but that is me! As for dirt, when it molds clean it out! Mold is not good for the frogs to be breathing in, nor would it be you. Decorations and fake plants should be cleaned every month or whenever doing a full clean out. Dead leaves from real plants should be picked off to prevent mold and bacteria growth that could be harmful to your frogs! Temperature, Humidity, and Lighting: The right temperature for these fire bellies toads are about 72 – 78F (22.22 - 25.56C). Going over 80F can lead to heat stroke which these frogs can easily get and dropping tempts lower than 65F will promote freezing or hibernation. WATCH THAT WATER TEMPERATURE! It should be about 72- 75F in the summer (so they wont get too hot) and, about, 74-78 in the winter months. No water heater is required, but it is very nice to have in the winter months or if you want you frogs to be pampered. Note: Never use those cheap stick on thermometers that you see at Wal-Mart. They are pretty bad when it comes to telling you the accurate temps of your tank. I would go for one of those 15 - 20 dollar ones. Humidity should be between 60- 80 percent. You may use a hygrometer to measure humidity if you wish or any other commercial products that you see fit. As for lighting, I would say no lighting is required for these toads. Artificial lighting or filter light is my light source, but some people use plant lights (if they have real plants!) or UVB (I believe UVB is artificial light also). No basking bulbs are required for this frog. They are amphibians not reptiles! Nourishment: Fire belly toad can be fed a wide variety of food, but the main staple of their diet should be gut loaded crickets! Other food items could be earthworm, wax worm (no meal worms or super worms. Mealies have a hard outer shell that the frogs might not digest properly, and super worm are huge for digesting and can bite hard!), Fruit fly (bred), feeder guppy, silkworm, and red worm. Other worms that are sold at stores are good, but research before you give it to your frog! Wax worms should be the occasional treat! (Only about once a month) These things are really fatty to feed to your frogs. Nutrition Contents: Crickets Moisture: 68.07 % Fat: 6.01 % Protein: 21.32 % ~*please Gut Load (if not gut loaded please dust you crickets with calcium but you may do this even if you gut load!) your crickets so frogs can have all the vitamins they need. You may use home made recipes, but some might lack nutrients that Fire bellies might need! ~* Wax Worms Moisture: 61.73 % Fat: 22.19 % Protein: 15.70 % Earthworms Fat: 7.2 % Protein: 10.93 % ~* Earth worms are full of moisture and are full of proteins that many other insects might not have. These also counts for red wiggler, red worms, or night crawlers. ~* Note: if you see you fire belly is eating his or her skin. Don’t threat. It is very nutritional and natural for them to do that. Proper Feeding: “They stop eating when ever they are full” is pet store talk. These frogs will eat and eat when ever they are dead of obesity. A bloated frog won’t move at all… proper feeding won’t just be throwing crickets in the tank. The others might not get they share because of an aggressive or bigger toad might eat them all, and then you have obese frogs and anorexic frogs. Hand feeding can be taken, leading the crickets to their doom, or block the other toads out while the one is trying to get its cricket. Every two to three days can be feeding days to your frogs. They might act hungry, but they will eat anything, even if it is your finger or if they weigh two pounds. For my feedings, each frog gets hand fed a specific number. An average of 2 medium crickets per serving every 2 days keeps my frogs at their weight level, but some might need more than others comparing to their sizes. Small crickets can be fed to little ones as mediums can be fed to adults. Large crickets are a BIG no, no! A large cricket may try to eat you frog. This can lead to a nasty bite and a terrified frog. You frog might go through a phase when it is so afraid of crickets that it wont eat anything that looks like a cricket. Other: These frogs have a lot of personality. You will notice when you first get them. Some love to climb, while other loves to swim, float, and lay on land. These frogs are low maintenance, and they are good beginners. All breeding information should be attained else where since I do not breed. Seeing as is I don’t breed, I can give the best information an experienced breeder can. Sorry. These toads should NOT be handled. Skin oils or toxins from cleaners, lotion, and perfumes can make a toad very sick, and it may even die. Wash you hands and get regular latex gloves when transporting them to another tank while cleaning. They are very delicate. Their appendages (legs, toes, and arms) could get seriously injured, so only hold them when necessary! Don’t let children get a hold of them. More to the point, if by some chance you don’t have gloves on, keep your hands away from your face. Their toxins are not harmful to humans, but it can make a very upset stomach, eye swelling, and puking, rashes, and/or muscle pains. In Addition, when startled or scared it will flip over on its black to show its intensive fiery belly, but be warned when this happens they excrete a white liquid from their backs. Don’t ingest this and keep it away from your face. This is the fire belly’s full toxin. ~* thank- you for reading… May you frog be pampered and very much loved in your house!
I don't see why you can't add colour. PM Cheris btw shes a busy person and probably doesn't have the time to check this forum.. It looks great Good Luck getting it approved!
Looking great so far! It'll have to be read over a few times though, by different people, as anything published on the site will need to be 100% correct. This can be a lengthy process, so patience is the key lol :wink:
