# best substrate for fire bellied toads



## jon342 (Oct 19, 2011)

Just wondering what substrate to use for my tank i will be getting babies and i have read that you cannot use gravel/small stones as a substrate on land because of impactation


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## rosy boa mad (Aug 17, 2008)

wet kitchen towel while there small works a treat :2thumb:


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## jon342 (Oct 19, 2011)

Would i place it over the gravel as im gonna have a sloping from water to land


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I'd be inclined to just go ahead and use moss, in that set-up. Oh, and I've never had a case of impaction in all the years I've kept FBTs.


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## rosy boa mad (Aug 17, 2008)

Ron Magpie said:


> I'd be inclined to just go ahead and use moss, in that set-up. Oh, and I've never had a case of impaction in all the years I've kept FBTs.


id probably agree as im really a newbie to fbts :lol2:


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

I used eco earth, seeded with dwarf woodlice. If you are worried about impaction using moss, just live moss rather than the dead dried stuff.

Ade


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Wolfenrook said:


> I used eco earth, seeded with dwarf woodlice. If you are worried about impaction using moss, just live moss rather than the dead dried stuff.
> 
> Ade


I think the impaction question was about gravel. In my experience, any kind of earth tends to get dragged into the water, or water tends to get dragged on to the land. Either way, we are talking mud pies. I've learned not to use soil with FBTs.


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## jon342 (Oct 19, 2011)

could i use gravel with spagnum moss covering it


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Ron Magpie said:


> I think the impaction question was about gravel. In my experience, any kind of earth tends to get dragged into the water, or water tends to get dragged on to the land. Either way, we are talking mud pies. I've learned not to use soil with FBTs.


You didn't create a lip around the earth then, as I haven't had ANY issues with earth getting dragged into the water at all with mine. I have a rim of bogwood around my ground area, with a ramp of wood up to it out of the water. You just need to be creative.

This illustrates the rim of wood well:-










I removed the ornament and put in a large flat piece of bogwood to make more of a ramp since then. There's absolutely no way to drag the earth into the water.

Ade


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

jon342 said:


> could i use gravel with spagnum moss covering it


 Yes you can. I use Java moss, which does well out of the water if it's kept wet- which the toads do, quite efficiently!


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## jon342 (Oct 19, 2011)

Thankyou


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