Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a male and female Colorado River Toads/Cane Toads/B. Alv. arriving in a few days and I dont know where to begin. I have read several care sheets online, but as i have never cared for an amphibian before, i dont know where to begin. I want to have healthy toads, but i dont know the first thing about setting up or long term care. I have a 55 gallon aquarium and thats about it. Anyone with any sort of knowledge please help. I need to know how to turn an empty aquarium into a toads paradise, and i need it explained to a total layman.
All help is appreciated, thank you!!

Cane toads are Bufo Marinus(I probably spelled that wrong lol)

Not sure how large your toads will get, but a 55g is a good choice for a home for them. How many will you be getting, or did I miss that in your post? You'll want to have a good varied diet on hand. I use crickets, redworms, mealies and occasionally grasshoppers from an area that is free from pesticides and herbicides. Once a week I dust with a mix of the calcium/phosphorus dust and instead of feeding a larger quantity every other to every three days, I feed smaller amounts nightly so that he doesnt gain too much weight, but doesnt have to go 24 hours with an empty stomach. Occasionally I will skip a day and then pick back up on schedule. Some would argue this method but my toad is fairly active and feeding smaller amounts nightly gives him excersize by hunting.
Well.. ground up. I put a drainage layer of small gravel in my toads tank. You'll want it if you use organic potting soil but compressed coconut fiber bricks like EcoEarth are by far my prefered substrate. There are alot of benefits to EE(eco earth) and my plants are doing wonderfully in it. It holds moisture but it doesnt drain out as much as soil does. The plants I have also help with the water situation, and I have yet to find the tank wetter than I would like. I have the opposite problem with it being a bit too dry sometimes but my Egyptian toad doesnt seem to mind. The plants I have in my tank are three arrowhead philedendrons, a vinca vine, a fig bonsai tree and another bushy plant that I'm unsure of the name. You'll also want dechlorinated water in a bowl that is no deeper than the toad is sitting at rest. My toad uses his occasionally when he is a bit impacted and he'll get in himself and soon deficate. I typically find defication in the water dish, but more often in one of his burrows. You'll want to give your toads lots of hiding places as it makes them feel more secure also. A full spectrum lighting system isnt a bad idea for temp control and also the health of the toad and plants(if you plant any). I use a plant growth bulb on my tank and it really makes a difference in the health of the plants.
When you get your toads you might want to give them a bath in dechlorinated water that is right around room temp(75 degrees or so) and look for any mites, and also feel the stomach area for any lumps which could signal impaction. My toad was impacted when I purchased him from the petstore.
I know I'm missing things but I'm super tired and I'll let someone else fill in the spots I'm missing. Hope this helps.

Couple of things to add...

Wash your hands before and after handling them. I live in an area where Colorado River toads are native, and every year we have dogs get killed by chewing on them. The daughter of a friend had to get flown to a hospital by chopper because she played with one of them, then rubbed her mouth.

As far as size, they will get 7.5 to 8.0 inches, at full growth. They're big toads.