Ok, I'm pretty set on either the newts or the toads. I have a few thoughts/questions.
-Should I breed crickets and try to ignore the chirping lol or just buy them every week?
-What should I do with them when I go on vacation (which is usually 6-7 days max)
-Is it worth it to spend extra money on a fogger or digital thermometer/hygrometer?
-What plants could I use with them?
-Could I use prime, even though I won't be keeping fish?
Thanks
#1-It is up too you if you want to breed crickets. It has its advantages. You will be able to have healthier cricketsbecause you could gut load them and give your toads healthier crickets. You could do this when you buy them as well but then you cant gut load them there whole life (until they are eaten). Gut loading is feeding the crickets healthy viatiman packed food so it is passed to the frogs when they eat them which usually equals healthier frogs. Below is a good link for info on it and raising/breeding them.
Keeping and Raising Crickets for Food - and Gut Loading
#2-When you go on vacation the best way is to really have someone else feed them. You feed them 3 to 6 crickets about every 2 or 3 days. So feed them before you leave, then someone only has to feed them another 1 or 2 times. Just have there light on timers. And i like to add a fogger or something on a timer for coolness and variety.
#3 i like to do that because it keeps humidity up (i would do it like once or teice a day) and this will help you avoid having to mist manually. As for the digital thermometer that is up too you. I think i would buy a small water heater for the aquarium side and hide it so if the water gets too cold then it will warm up.
Here is a excert i copied and pasted that i agree with that i don't want to type out but is basically what i was gonna say.
"Fire-bellied toads are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, which is one of the reasons they make good captives. Daytime temperatures should range from 72°F to 78°F (22°C to 26°C) and can drop at night. Cool temperatures are tolerated well, and occasional drops down to 60°F (16°C) don’t present a problem. Avoid temperatures above 82°F (28°C). A low wattage incandescent light bulb can be placed over the land area during the day to create a warm spot for the toads. A submersible aquarium heater can be used to heat the water if needed, though only rarely will this be required. "
#4-
Epipremnum (devils ivy, pothos, etc etc)
Peace lilly
Philodendron scandens (heart leaf plant)
Tradescanthia (inch plant etc)
Pellonia
Birds nest fern,
Java moss
You could also do things like hornwart in the water section. Also make sure it is moist. Tryo to put larger stones in the water and whats around the cage so there is no accedintal swallowing. On the land side you could do gravel on the bottom for water draining and then a layer of Lizard Litter Jungle Mix for plant growth, and a top layer of live moss so the toads dont ingest the Lizard Litter (though the toads do love to burrow a bit in this moss). I prefer to have a small peice of plexiglas siliconed on too seperate the water/land side. But that is all up to prefrence. Just make sure that the toads can sit in the water were they are no completley submerse and were they can completely submerse.
#5-Yes, you ALWAYS need to dechloranate the water you put in, even though they are not fish. Frog skin can be very sensative.
Another note is do remember that these are not the kind of animal to be held all the time. They can create rashes on some people do to there toxins and always wash your hands after handeling.
