Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 small firebellys, how many crickets do you think I should give them at a sitting? I am supposed to feed them every 2 or 3 days, right? I just got these guys and already fed them once, but I wanted to ask, before I accidently over feed them. Also, its a semi-aquatic tank, should I get one of those floating balls to keep crickets from drowning? Thanks.

while they are growing they shouldnt get obese. as long as the crickets can get on to the land area easily it is fine, that means not just a cliff at the waters edge, but a slope. feed 2-3 crickets each per feeding. i put in a firebelly newt in my FBT setup and he would eat any crickets that drowned. some people feed everyday while the toads are still growing. remember to supplement the crickets with a calcium/vitD3 powder every 3 feedings or so.

I'm only useing a 10 gallon tank right now. Would it be fine to put a firebelly newt in with the 2 toads? Or do you think that would be pushing it? Also, For the water part of my tank I thought about adding a fish or 2. Thanks for your help.

do you have a filter? i would use a whisper 10i, also called the microfilter or the reptofilter(which is a model with green plastic and a cover). these can suction cup to the inside and function with very low water levels. it is a very good filter and if there is enough water fish would be okay. hardy species would also be a prerequisite. something like a zebra danio or a platy would do well. i used this filter with small axolotls (a salamander that stays larval its whole life) and they didnt have problems with the intake area of the filter or the flow from the falling water. how deep is the gravel in the land area and the water? (that is if you used a sloped gravel setup to provide land.)if it is relatively shallow some more gravel will allow deeper water and therefore a better habitat for everyone in ther. i would have the water at least 3" deep in the deep end. the land area should only cover a third to a half of the total area of the tank. everyone will appreciate multiple hides in the land as well as the water.

I already bought a small filter. The Penn Plax "Shark". I haven't gotten a heater yet, not sure if I want one. It's only a ten gallon tank and I think that might take up to much space. I'm hopeing to make the water 5 or 6 inches deep, and have about 1/3 of the tank be on land. Do you think I should leave it at the 2 FBTs? Or do you think it will be safe to get a newt also?

what kind of heater are you talking about? because you should not get a water heater, and at most a slightly warmer end heated only by a low wattage daylight bulb at one end would be max. dont use a heat bulb, that will maek it too hot, use a regularly shaped daylight bulb, usually light blue in color of the actual glass on the bulb. i dont know what kind of a pull the shark filter has, so it may be enough to grab and hold the newt under. in general i owuld say add the newt, but im ot sure with this filter. i guess you could try it and keep a close eye on it, maybe even putting him on it to see if it will hold him down. it sounds kind of mean, but he will eventually get to the filter anyways, it might as well be when you are there to turn the filter off if need be.

What exactly is a "daylight" bulb? And what kind of fixture do I need for it? Do you think I should place the bulb over the water part of the tank, or the land part? And about feeding: Newts will eat crickets also, right? How would I go about feeding the newt and the frogs? If I were to throw maybe 12 crickets in, every few days, will that be good? Thanks for all of your help, reptileguy.

a daylight bulb is a reptile bulb that is not a heat bulb. it does give off heat, but a true heat bulb gives off a lot more. a daylight bulb is shaped like a regular house bulb, where heat bulbs are shaped very differently. the daylight bulbs have a light blue glass instead of white, clear, or red. put it over the land. it should be in a reptile heat dome fixture that can handle about 60 watts(no less than the bulb). newts will eat the crickets, but there are also newt pellets you could give them to ensure a full and balanced diet. you would just sprinkle some in the water near the newt. he will find them. doing this right before you turn out the lights is best since he is nocturnal.

reptileguy, I don't mean to question your teachings, for you do know a whole lot more then me. But are you sure it's safe to put the newt in with the toads? I was reading an earlier post and it said the toads will eat the newts. I would really like to get a newt, too. I just want to be sure. Thanks again.

it is good to read as much as possible. and when given the opportunity, question all sources. i guess a big toad could eat a tiny newt, but that applies to a lot of things. i know some big toads have tried to eat smaller toads at places i have worked at. i have never had that as a problem since the newts tend to stay in the water almost all of the time, and even when the toads are in the water, their heads are above the water, so they dont really interact with anything under the water. sometimes things like that stem from a single incident that the person involved uses as a rule that is way to conservative for practical purposes. that doesnt mean that whoever posted it hasnt had repeated problems like that, but i never have. multiple hides for the newts in the water will allow them to avoid the toads even more.

One more question for ya. Now, with 2 FTB and an FTN and maybe one or two medium-small fish, how many crickets do you think I should give per feeding?

if the crickets have places to hide you can just dump them all in and replenish as needed, usually once or twice a week. if you want to hold them separate and gut load them before you feed them, feed about 3 crickets per toad per feeding, dust once every 2-3 feedings with a calcium VitD3 supplement. small hardy fish are okay with a filter. rosey reds get up to 3" so thats not too bad since they are so skinny. feeder guppies would be good too.

Reptileguy, I feel like your personal janitor. For many threads now I have to come in behind you and sweep up. YOU CAN NOT PUT FB NEWTS IN WITH FB FROGS for precisely the reasons you've stated previously: THEY'RE TOXIC! If you care anything about animals, you wouldn't put them in a situation where they would be a.) in an environment that is FAR too hot for them, b.) Exposed to potentially deadly toxins, and c.) possibly made SNACK FOOD!

i have had them together many times, as well as many other people i know, and havent had any of those problems, so from my experience it is fine. i understand your point, but do not think it is as bad as you make it seem.