Help: American toad cage size

[caudatadude28]

I have an American Toad that is about 2-3 inches long. Could I keep him in a ten gallon aquarium or does it need to be bigger? I am going to use milled peat moss for a substrate. How is that? I appreciate all feedback.

 

[Kaysie]

They're pretty active. You may need a bigger tank just to offer appropriate moisture gradients. And peat moss is not really a good substrate for amphibians.

 

[caudatadude28]

thank you for the reply so soon Kaysie. I will try to find a larger cage.

 

[oregon newt]

Amphibiancare.com has a good article on how to care for them.

 

[xMIDNIGHTx]

I have found that no matter what size tank/setup you have them they seem really good. When they are not buried in the coco fiber/topsoil mixture or sitting in the water they are usually pretty docile. I have my two in a 20" x 20" x 8" clear tub and the only movement I get is during the day when its feeding time, otherwise they seem to do just fine. They do choose different areas all over the tank to burrow but I never see them excessively moving around for no reason. The toads will spend the much of their time hiding. I would say a ten gallon is more than good for one, just make sure to take them out every once in a while. They actually become quite tame!

I would suggest several inches of coco fiber/organic top soil mixture on the bottom with like a hide log or something. A few leaves seems work good too. I don't keep moss in there anymore because of the dry conditions and low lighting. I like to move things around in the setup just to keep things interesting. I use a small dish for water and usually keep the substrate on the dry side.
Hope this helps!

Good luck

Mitch

 

[caudatadude28]

Hey, everyone I have this cage that is 12" wide 24" long and 12" tall. It's a 15 gallon, I think. My toad is doing good. He ate right away. I am using eco-earth(coconut fiber) as a substrate since people suggested that peat moss is too acidic. It has a brock pot for a hide, one real plant, one fake plant, a water dish, and some drift wood. It is 1-3 inches deep of substrate.

 

[tonyj]

10 gallon will be fine.

 

[caudatadude28]

First off, this is a very old thread. Secondly it seems to have been resolved. And lastly a ten gallon wouldnt really be enough space considering how active American toads are and the adults are large and love to have space to hop about.