Help - my Bombina Orientalis are making me tear my hair out

[matthew]

Hi -

Hope some of you can help, once again.

I'm having trouble with my fire-bellied toads. I am about to pull apart my second set-up... why didn't the care sheets warn me they are such good escape artists?

I've prepared two tanks - large areas of cork bark floating, some wonderful planting etc. but a few individuals always go to the corners of the tanks and sprint up before looking for any gap at the top to get out. So far I've just been able to spot escappes as they emerge but today I admitted defeat. The latest set-up has failed - this time I tried a piece of fine netting, tied between the top of the tank and lid - amazingly one almost got through this morning. AAAAAGH!!!

I just wanted a simple planted, lit, glass terrarium :-( I think it is, unfortunately, time to go back to smaller, drabber plastic tanks with clip on lids and basic floating land masses. No plants. No lights. No glass to climb. No playing about with extra covers.

Anyone got any ideas before I jump into the water section myself?!

 

[cg]

Get a screencover from a pet store like petco. Since I have been using screencovers I have not had any escapes.

 

[edward]

You can also get some plexiglass and cut it to fit the corners. Remove the toads for a couple of days and silicon the pieces into the corners at the top(like a small ledge) to prevent the toads from using the corner to climb out.
Ed

 

[han]

hi!
a screencover is ok (ventilation) but what about the tankconditions? enough light? bombina needs a lot of light and a strong lightsource outside the tank (window!) attracts; a baskingspot is appreciated. air/watertemperatures ok? 77/74F max (summer), 64/60 max(winter).
airhumidity probably not an issue when your tank
is more then 80% aquatic. enough places to hide?
enough floating plants? waterquality (ph, filtration) ok? floating cork moves, bombina likes
stable pieces of "land".
when their tankenvironment is ok, bombina will not even attempt to escape. if you ask me.

 

[swan]

If you want to be really on the safe side, get clips for the screen cover (don't have to switch to a plexiglass container for that. There are clips for regular screen covers).

I've found that my Bombina orientalis usually don't attempt to escape. But a couple of times a year, they get into this frenzy of just trying to go to one particular corner of the tank, even climbing. Are they trying to migrate to another pond? Could this be the reason for the escape attempts described in the original post as well?

 

[craig]

i found with my different newts that only a proper vivarium lid like those used for snakes truly works. they find a way out of the smallest gaps and yes your right it is either fear of other tank inhabitants, or a migration instinct that will make them climb, its less likley to be succsessful if you fatten them up slightly and they always have plenty of food

 

[craig]

oh yeah and seal around any pipes leading ihnto the tanks

 

[matt]

I've got this sorted now, since kicking the thread off - big PenPal tanks (as you say, like the ones used for snakes) with mesh sealed over the lids if need be.

Also, there is a great, new-ish brand of viv lids here in Britain, designed to convert fish tanks into vivs. They are a mesh "sandwich" with a space for a UV or Grolux tube in between, a flap to put your hand in and a (plugged) hole for a light bulb. Intelligent design.
Will get brand name if people want.