Hi, I'm new here, and I'm a little desperate for some answers about my FBT.

Background: It was a rescue, nearly dead when we got it, had been starved and kept in a 55 gallon tank with 6 turtle in about 5 inches of muddy water. We've had it for about 2 months now, and it barely eats anything and has been spending most if its time hiding under a leaf in the corner.

Recent events: Bought 2 more FBTs and the original perked up considerably and started eating like crazy. I thought everything was great. I was so happy to finally see her eat something! Oh, and I think she's a girl, and one of the new ones is a boy.

Currently: I siphon out between 50% and 75% of the water every 2 or 3 days, but last night I noticed everything in the tank was slimey, and one of the new toads has slime literally dripping off her.

Questions: What is this slime, how bad is it for my toads, and how do I get rid of it?

Someone please answer and help me out. I can't find anything on the net about this.

Picture of enclosure:

is your waterfall a pump or a filter and pump?

and FBT, from what i have read, are social animals and thrive in a community setting, so adding more was a good thing.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

It's a filter, rated for 20 gallon tanks. The tank is a 15 gallon tank with about 2 gallons of water in it. Yeah, I tend to over filter everything. The reason I've been doing water changes so frequently is because it hasn't cycled yet. I had her in a smaller enclosure with just a large bowl of water that I changed every morning, until I decided to get company for her, then set up this 15 gallon with the filter and waterfall.

Ever heard of a slime problem before?

the only slime i can think of is them shedding, but then that doesn't usually go all over the tank. is it a clear slime?

My current FBT enclosure i'm building has a 20 gallon filter in it as well, with only about 3 gallons of water. I would stop changing the water so frequently actually. Let the natural bacteria build up. Be sure to be using a dechlorinator. Dechlorinating the water is a must. And when you do a water change, I would stick to 50% and try to get all the poop up.

I honestly don't know what the slime might be. Do you have a reputable aquarium store in the area? Like not petsmart but a local shop owned by good people. I would take in a water sample and have them run a test.

What brand filter are you using. There are some out there which are total crap.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

The slime is clear, and I didn't even notice it until I moved some of the big rocks to vacuum some poop that was underneath.

My husband keeps a lot of fish, so has all of the test kits. Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are all extremely low due to frequent water changes, pH stays around 7. I haven't tested hardness, but he's got the tests for that too.

The filter is a Tetra. It's got a sponge for mechanical and biological, and also a carbon filter. Brand new.

I STRONGLY suggest you stop doing such frequent water changes. With that little amount of water going through the size filter you have, you would be fine doing a 25% or LESS water change 1-2 a month. The more you change the less chance your water has to cycle. It will never get the opportunity to build up enough natural bacteria to help clean on its own. With the small amount of water you keep in the tank in the first place and the surface area in addition to the running water, a fair amount is probably just evaporating, and then you are taking more out addition to that. Sometimes the water has to get a little hazy before it gains the necessary bacteria to help keep it clear and break down the waste. It is MUCH more beneficial to let nature do the work than it is to keep adding chemicals that only work for short periods.

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Ok, so cut down on water changes to every 2 or 3 weeks? Does this have anything to do with the slime that has covered everything? When I vacuum the poo out, naturally some water is lost; is this going to have any significant impact when I replace that lost water?

I'm sorry if I seem so ignorant, but I've only dealt with turtles up to now, and they are messy critters! I do 50% water changes on their tanks once a week in addition to vacuuming every few days. But they've got LOTS more water to deal with too.

I just want to do what's best for my toads, and I don't know if the slime is normal or not. Right now that's my biggest concern just because there's so freakin much of it.

They all still eat good, but I have noticed they don't seem to go into the water like they did at first. Could this be because of the slime?

I appreciate all your help, even if you seemed a little bit mean! just kidding! I didn't think it was mean at all!

I think they aren't going in the water because you are changing it too much. Let the filter do its thing. if you are really concerned, removed them from the tank and let it bee for a week or two before you put them back in., Rule of thumb with fishtanks is to let the water cycle for at least a week before you add critters, a frog or toad tank would be no different.

A little bit of poo in the bottom isn't going to be that harmful to them, especially if you have a good filter, which it seems you do.

I could possibly see the slime coming from them, as a natural protectant from whatever may be in the water.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I would hold off on ANY water change for a couple of weeks and observe. She how they do...

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Ok. Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll just leave them alone and observe from a distance.

The only experience I have had is with 1 sick toad, so I'm not sure what "normal" behavior is. We just got the other 2 last weekend. Are there any behaviors I need to be on the look-out for that would indicate something's gone terribly wrong in there?