substrate

seniorfrog · 11-27-2005, 06:53 PM

what is th ideal substrate for a vivarium with fire bellied toads in it? i read somewhere that the toads eat gravel and i had to get a special substrate for anphibians.

thanks

dissident · 11-27-2005, 07:14 PM

The best is what will closest resemble what they have in the wild.
http://www.livingunderworld.org/amph...icle0021.shtml
that link my help, im not familiar with that animal but it may help you create something that closely resembles their natural habitat.

seniorfrog · 11-27-2005, 07:39 PM

ok thanks for the link. how do i keep it from going into the water and clouding it up? i read that the fire bellies need a lot of water to swim in, so how do i keep everything in place?

dissident · 11-27-2005, 08:04 PM

My plan for that is using plexi glass and attaching it to the bottom and sides, drain in the middle to a canister filter and back out the back into a waterfall over stones back to the pool. Line the pool with some small slate to hide the plexiglass. Depending on the size of viv you are putting together this may or may not be an option. You can always make your own pond with a plastic tupperware container or something, you could use mosses/stone to hide the edges, or use a black silicone. Be creative

If you can have your tank drilled that is the best way to do the plumbing for it. Also having a drain below the substrate (do a false bottom) will help you avoid excess water down there which can cause problems.

In my test viv I used a 4" PVC sitting on the bottom with holes drilled and it runs to the top of the substrate so I can syphon excess water out that way (hidden by a fern). You can use a cap/screen over it to keep the critters out.

yoink · 11-28-2005, 06:01 AM

For my fire belly toads I used shultz aquatic plant soil on the land side covered thinly with sphagnum moss, then live backyard moss on top of that. The water section just has inert aquarium gravel. The toads have never tried to eat anything but bugs, my finger, each other, and the ocasional guppy fry.
http://photobucket.com/albums/a257/y...%20Paludarium/
There are some pics here if you want to see what I'm talking about.

seniorfrog · 11-28-2005, 07:15 AM

ok thanks for the replies and the ideas. thats a cool paldurium there. i am going to try to go for more land and shalower water, but that is a really cool setup.

11-27-2005, 06:53 PM	#1
seniorfrog Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: california Posts: 5	substrate what is th ideal substrate for a vivarium with fire bellied toads in it? i read somewhere that the toads eat gravel and i had to get a special substrate for anphibians. thanks

11-27-2005, 07:14 PM	#2
dissident Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Piedmont - NC Posts: 337	The best is what will closest resemble what they have in the wild. http://www.livingunderworld.org/amph...icle0021.shtml that link my help, im not familiar with that animal but it may help you create something that closely resembles their natural habitat. __________________ 110Xgal Planted 65gal Planted 8gal nano-hex Planted First planted tank ever Retired 2003

11-27-2005, 08:04 PM	#4
dissident Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Piedmont - NC Posts: 337	My plan for that is using plexi glass and attaching it to the bottom and sides, drain in the middle to a canister filter and back out the back into a waterfall over stones back to the pool. Line the pool with some small slate to hide the plexiglass. Depending on the size of viv you are putting together this may or may not be an option. You can always make your own pond with a plastic tupperware container or something, you could use mosses/stone to hide the edges, or use a black silicone. Be creative If you can have your tank drilled that is the best way to do the plumbing for it. Also having a drain below the substrate (do a false bottom) will help you avoid excess water down there which can cause problems. In my test viv I used a 4" PVC sitting on the bottom with holes drilled and it runs to the top of the substrate so I can syphon excess water out that way (hidden by a fern). You can use a cap/screen over it to keep the critters out. __________________ 110Xgal Planted 65gal Planted 8gal nano-hex Planted First planted tank ever Retired 2003

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11-27-2005, 07:39 PM	#3
seniorfrog Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: california Posts: 5	ok thanks for the link. how do i keep it from going into the water and clouding it up? i read that the fire bellies need a lot of water to swim in, so how do i keep everything in place?

11-28-2005, 06:01 AM	#5
yoink Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (69/100%) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,981	For my fire belly toads I used shultz aquatic plant soil on the land side covered thinly with sphagnum moss, then live backyard moss on top of that. The water section just has inert aquarium gravel. The toads have never tried to eat anything but bugs, my finger, each other, and the ocasional guppy fry. http://photobucket.com/albums/a257/y...%20Paludarium/ There are some pics here if you want to see what I'm talking about.

11-28-2005, 07:15 AM	#6
seniorfrog Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: california Posts: 5	ok thanks for the replies and the ideas. thats a cool paldurium there. i am going to try to go for more land and shalower water, but that is a really cool setup.