Bombina Orientalis
DO NOT BUY THE TOADS YET! This is very important; you need to have the housing arrangements set up before you bring home the toads.
Oriental Fire-Belly Toad
Bombina Orientalis
Size: 2-3”
Description: Any where from bright green to forest green, with black spots, and the underside, of course, is bright red or orange with black spots.
Housing
Oriental Fire-Belly Toads are a great herp for beginners. They are fairly easy to keep and maintain. Each toad requires about 5 gallons of space, so a 10-gallon tank is good for 1-2 toads. I would not recommend getting only 1 toad. Fire-Belly Toads are very social, so it is good for them to have a tank mate.
Fire-Bellies are a species of aquatic toad, so the tank should be at least half water, and half land. A good way to do this is by getting a divider for the tank. Most pet stores sell these relatively cheap, or you can get one made at your local hardware store. (Even cheaper! I got one for my 20-gallon tank for $2.50!) The divider should be as long as the tank is wide, and half as tall. When you put it in, it should fit snugly. You can fix it in place with aquarium sealant.
The land half should come all the way up to the top of the divider, and slope slightly towards the water. The water should come almost to the top of the divider, but it must not be allowed to spill over. This will cause the substrate (land material) to become waterlogged, which is a pain to clean out. You may want to have some type of running water in your viquarium (half land/half water tank). This can be accomplished in many simple ways. Most ways require a small aquarium pump. I suggest you read the Setup Ideas section for ideas.
Substrate
Many people recommend gravel a substrate. I would not recommend it, as the toads may accidentally ingest the gravel, which would kill them. I think you’re much better off using soil of some sort (w/ out any chemicals or fertilizers). If you’re worried about the toads tracking dirt into the water area, use some kind of decorative soil cover, like green moss.