[Cavedweller]

Many years ago, when I was a kid, I had a 29 gallon 50/50 tank with some fire-belly toads. I purchased some kind of "repti-grass" seeds and planted them on the land side of the tank. The grass grew remarkably well and I figured the toads would enjoy hiding in it.

Instead, I found them eating the grass. I kept them pretty well fed on dusted crickets and the occasional mealworm or bloodworms, so I can't imagine it was malnutrition or hunger. Grazing isn't really something associated with toads, so I was pretty surprised.

I've seen a few mentions of the tadpoles being omnivores, but not much else. Anyone else noticed firebellies eating plants before?

 

[Fishies_in_Philly]

Maybe they weren't so much grazing on the grass, but snacking on microfauna in the grass? Fbt's are notorious ravenous eaters and if the grass was there as they were snacking on something, the grass would be eaten as well? I've never had fbt's but know many people who do, but have never heard of that behavior before.

 

[TheDrake]

herbivory is the norm in tads, but exceptionally rare in adult anurans. it has not been documented in Bombina.

 

[Aquaticz]

At one time I breed these beauties. I kept them in a custom vivarium I built. I keep them for over ten years and never saw any signs of them eating the plants.
Are u gut loading your crickets? The better you do that the healthier the frogs will be. The other thing is absolute cleanliness - they absorb ever thing through there skin. aAlthough they can deal with deep water I do not suggest it as they prefer shallow water with plants.


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[Cavedweller]

This was many years ago that it happened, Aquaticz. I do think I gut loaded the crickets, but I can't be positive. They had a sloped 50/50 tank that was probably 4 inches at its deepest.