Firebelly toads and current?

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, all. Researching for my upcoming Yunnan hillstream sorta-biotope. (We need a term for almost-but-not-quite-biotopes. Bionope? Wannabetope? Something like that.)

Anyhoo. I'd like to add a firebelly toad, and I'm wondering how it would cope with the current of a hillstream tank. I've read that they sometimes live in streams in the wild, but that could mean anything. Anybody ever tried keeping one in a tank with current? How'd they do?

 

[Ellie Potts]

I can't help you with the firebelly toad, but the idea is exciting so keep us posted. My dad had a toad in the past (I was like 5) that was in faster-moving water and it did well, but I don't know what the toad was.

and I think I'll start using 'bionope.'

 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

I'd like to add a firebelly toad, and I'm wondering how it would cope with the current of a hillstream tank.

My start with aquariums was all with amphibians. They are awesome critters, and it's good to see fire belly toads becoming more available again!

In terms of your setup, I would say it depends on the flow and type of setup. They are good swimmers, but they will prefer calmer situations overall. So, if your flow is not too high, or if you have a setup with slow eddys/pools giving them somewhere to rest, you should be fine. But if your entire setup is one large riffle zone, over time they might struggle a bit. That said, they are pretty hardy little critters and will probably just haul out on the land if the current is too rough too often.

Good luck! They really are great little critters!

 

[Ed Pursell]

I have had three Fire Bellies for appx. 4 years now, tank is appx 1/3 rd filled with water, rocks covered with Java Moss. It is filtered using a corner rock/waterfall filter so it pulls water from the tank, filters it and runs down the rocks back in the tank. But there’s not much current. Sorry for the bad picture but here they are.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I have had three Fire Bellies for appx. 4 years now, tank is appx 1/3 rd filled with water, rocks covered with Java Moss. It is filtered using a corner rock/waterfall filter so it pulls water from the tank, filters it and runs down the rocks back in the tank. But there’s not much current. Sorry for the bad picture but here they are.

That's semi-similar to what I'm planning. I'd love to see a vid if you have one.

 

[emeraldking]

I've kept them but in almost still water besides the land. So, no experience with a stronger flow with these toads.

 

[Ed Pursell]

I’ll have to try to get something, but below is what I used. It does a nice job, filters can be cleaned or replaced. Small river rocks in the water area, and I built 1/2 tank up with bigger rocks so they have a place to sit, and also a place to swim, 10 gallon tank. I stuffed Java Moss all around and it grew all over to cover the rocks. The filter has a small fountain filter inside with tubing coming up and out the top to create the “falls”. If you are creative, you could build one out of real rocks. I was just in a hurry years ago and bought the Tetra one, it did the job!

 

[Byron]

This toad spends much of its time out of water on land, sitting quietly waiting for prey. In the water, it is not an active swimmer, preferring to just float as it waits for prey. I kept mine in a 20g with half "land" and half water, and the only time it was ever really active in the water was when it "communicated" with me. It recognized that I was always there when food appeared, and we used to wave at each other; it was very entertaining. It would sit on my hand at feeding time. It was in its 21 year when I got up one morning and found it dead; with an assumed lifespan of up to 20 years, I think it liked its enclosure. The water was still, no filter (I changed 100% every week), and at room temperature.

The Vancouver Aquarium has a large tank with a group of some 20 of these toads (they breed very readily, local stores have had tanks of locally-raised toads) and there is very low water movement.

 

[Ed Pursell]

Yes Bryon, they are entertaining! What’s funny with these they make a sound like a “bark” instead of a croak. Almost like a small dog but a lower noise level. They like their crickets and for a treat, wax worms once in a while. Three get funny when they all start barking.

 

[Archerfish]

One of our children had a 55-gallon pauldarium with the Tetra Reptofilter that @Ed Pursell mentioned on one end and also an air-driven sponge filter in the water. Those little guys loved it. They breed like crazy. He heated the water with a caged heater (to prevent burns) and had all sorts of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants in the tank. The tank had a glass top rather than a screen to keep the humidity high. They live a long time.