Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi my name is Ryan and I work at PETsMART, and i would have to say our best selling animal would have to be the firebelly toad. I've been on here researching and the like but i was wondering if i could get some input from people on this forum on the best home for a firebelly toad. I would like to know the best kind of housing arrangements for them so i can educate the customer on how to take better care of their toads. Also list the minimal requirements too cause most of em dont like to spend much money on their new pets as sad as that is. Thanks for any input.

Hey Ryan,
I too work at Petsmart, as the pet care manager. It's great to see you're taking initiative and doing some outside research. For the most part, firebelly toads like to hang out in shallow water where their body can be submerged, but their head is still above the water. A typical setup for them would be a half-land-half-water setup. For those "cheap" customers, a 10 gallon tank can be used. Place a large water dish in it (dog bowls are nice and cheap) and cover the bottom of the cage with moss. Add a few hiding places (half-logs, fake plants...), keep the moss moist, and change the water daily (be sure to tell them to use dechlorinated water). Another thing that works great would be one of those Lee's Herp Habitats we sell. Both the 10 gallon and the Herp Habitat would be good for 2 toads. I've attached a pic of my toad tank for reference. There's 2 toads in there. It's probably a little more elaborate than what most customers would want to do, but it wasn't expensive. I hope this all helps. Also, if you have questions about anything related to pet care, get a hold of your regional pet care manager. They know almost everything, and if they don't know it, they'll find someone who does.
Josh

nice looking habitat.

Here's my setup. Its probably more than the typical petsmart customer wants to spend but I figured I'd post it anyway. Its a 20L and I keep 4 toads in there.

thanks guys for the help and ideas. I normally suggest they use the smaller pea gravel but now that i see yours im gonna start suggesting the larger gravel to prevent impaction. thanks for the help

About 4-5 gallons per toad is good. I keep my 5 in a 20 gallon long, but 2-3 can be kept in a 10 gallon tank, too. No special lighting is required unless it's for the growth of live plants, in which case, the ESU Retile Slimline Reptile Exture with Super UV Lamp seems to work just fine for my toads and plants. A half and half tank is what I use. I used aquarium sealant and got a piece of glass cut 4 inches tall to fit the aquarium. Then you just fill one side with dechlorinated water and one side with soil or gravel or whatever you want really. You'll want a filter for the water section cuz these little guys are very dirty, and water changes are a weekly must. If the people aren't willing to do this, then they should get something that requires less maitenence. If you provide a pothos plant or fake plants or a piece of cork bark up against the wall of the tank for a hide, the toads will be much bolder. As far as the water section, something for the toads to climb out on like floating fake plants works fine. Remember to use a secure lid. Hope that helps...there are lots of other designs i'm sure that work too.