Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 711

2 members and 709 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,915
Threads: 249,118
Posts: 2,572,199
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, KBFalconer
  • 11-01-2011, 12:13 PM
    Vinny
    Fire belly toad substrates
    Hi,

    I have some fire belly toads Wich I am currently using orchid bark for substrate.
    I have some tortoise life Mediterranean soil stuff Wich I was using for my tortoise but I no longer use it for my tortoise as he makes to much of a mess, so my question is can I use it for my fire belly toads?

    The only worry I have about it is that on the bag it states it has added pure limestone to the mix to provide additional calcium if the substrate is mistakenly eaten, is this ok for the frogs?

    Thanks
  • 11-01-2011, 12:24 PM
    aldebono
    What I do with my darts is on top of my false bottom, I do a layer of Atlanta Botanical Gardens modified mix which is orchid bark, tree fern panel (I couldn't find locally, so left out), sphagnum moss, organic small pieces of charcoal, crunched up leaf litter and maybe some organic soil without the perilite and then a layer of leaf litter on top. Allows for great drainage.

    I dug up my dart viv a week ago for maintenance and the dirt smelled just the same, not gross at all.

    I couldn't find the product you mentioned so I couldn't say yes or no. Limestone will probably change the PH of your water making it harder. I don't know what PH firebellys like, but you could always soften the water with driftwood in the water as well. It will turn the water a tea color from the tannins but it's not hurting them any way. You can also make what we call "Tadpole tea" and boil some (clean from pesticides) leaf litter into a tea, let cool, then add to the water.

    Otherwise, the limestone will not hurt them, IDK about PH requirements.
  • 11-01-2011, 01:02 PM
    Vinny
    Re: Fire belly toad substrates
    Ok thanks for the info, my water part and substrate part seperate so the soil won't affect the water ph level in anyway other than wot they take into the water that is stuck to them.

    Here is a link to the stuff I have:
    http://www.pro-rep.co.uk/tortoise_life.html

    Thanks
  • 11-01-2011, 01:32 PM
    aldebono
    If you cover your soil in leaf litter and mist it every day or so it should help keep the soil of of them and dragging it into the water.
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1