# Minimum temperature for Fire Belly Toads?



## Mr Bee (Jul 10, 2009)

Hi, I know FBT's are generally regarded as not needing heating, and are fine at room temperature, but what really is the coldest they can safely get down to?

I have my FBT tank in my lounge, and what with the recent cold snap we're now getting, the thermostat in the lounge is reading a temp as low as 15C overnight. I anticipate this could be even colder, especially when winter properly sets in, and it can get down to 11C or so - it did last year. 


So I'm wondering how cold my FBT's can be allowed to get, if this is too cold then I need to look for a suitable heater to keep the water part warm for them.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

They will probably be fine but on the safe side I would go with the heater. Not only will it heat the water but will increase the air temp by a few degrees.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I don't heat mine ever- and the temp has been down as low as 10C on odd occasions- although my flat is usually warmer than that. To put it into context, though, they have been successfully kept outside year-round in this country. If you are really concerned, a standard aquarium heater in the water area can be set for 18b or 20C


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## s6t6nic6l (May 15, 2010)

i'm sure your setup will never get affected by frost and if you have substrate(soil/eco-earth/etc) for them to bury themselves into when it is cold then you have nothing to be concerned about. it is actually quite beneficial for your toads welfare to have these rest periods, be it hours or months at time.
if your need :naughty: is to see them out and about all the time then keep the enclosure warmer.


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## Alex M (May 28, 2008)

Assuming you're talking about orientalis, I've kept and bred them outdoors all year round so that should answer your question. Like their European relatives, as long as they're protected from frost - Bulletproof.


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## Mr Bee (Jul 10, 2009)

Aah cool, thanks everyone for the replies, it sounds like I'm worrying a bit too much unnecessarily and they'll be fine. 

Nic, I do have Eco-earth in my land side, but its covered with moss, so I don't know if they'd be able to burrow into it. It's not that I want to keep it warm and keep them active, I just want to protect them and keep them alive and safe, I was scared of them dying from being too cold. 

Alex, yeah they are B. orientalis and as they're indoors, I really can't see them getting frosty, I can imagine the room getting down to maybe 10 or 11 degrees C overnight in the depths of winter, but much colder than that and the heating should kick in anyway to protect the pipes from freezing, I think that's set at around 7C or something. 


As I say, I was more worried about their welfare and being safe and able to withstand such temperatures, but I guess if they can survive outside all year round they probably should be fine without a heater.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Mr Bee said:


> Aah cool, thanks everyone for the replies, it sounds like I'm worrying a bit too much unnecessarily and they'll be fine.
> 
> Nic, I do have Eco-earth in my land side, but its covered with moss, so I don't know if they'd be able to burrow into it. It's not that I want to keep it warm and keep them active, I just want to protect them and keep them alive and safe, I was scared of them dying from being too cold.
> 
> ...


If they really needed to, they'd burrow through the moss, trust me- but they probably won't. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that while the males are 'up for it' all year-round, the females actually really respond to a cooling period, and are much more receptive to breeding as temps go up afterward.


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## s6t6nic6l (May 15, 2010)

Mr Bee said:


> Aah cool, thanks everyone for the replies, it sounds like I'm worrying a bit too much unnecessarily and they'll be fine.
> 
> Nic, *I do have Eco-earth in my land side, but its covered with moss, so I don't know if they'd be able to burrow into it*. It's not that I want to keep it warm and keep them active, I just want to protect them and keep them alive and safe, I was scared of them dying from being too cold.
> 
> ...





Ron Magpie said:


> *If they really needed to, they'd burrow through the moss*, trust me- but they probably won't. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that while the males are 'up for it' all year-round, the females actually really respond to a cooling period, and are much more receptive to breeding as temps go up afterward.


or they may just lift/use the carpet!! edge :whistling2:


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