Because of its semi-aquatic nature, water should represent a large portion of the fire bellied frog habitat in captivity. There are several ways to setup the vivarium to achieve this, the simplest method is to create a substrate gradient by piling most of the aquarium gravel at one end, the land portion which gently slopes to the water part. It is advisable to use large gravel, that is too big for the toad to ingest accidentally when it is feeding.

Another method for setting up the vivarium is to use a sheet of acrylic as a divider which is fixed to the bottom of the tank with aquarium sealant. The land part is then filled with substrate, which can be gravel, peat moss, or Zoomed Eco Earth (compressed coconut fibre). The land area should provide hiding spots for the toads, and it is nice to decorate it with moss and rocks. Living plants in both the land and water areas are a great addition, but plastic plants can be used for a simpler setup. If there is no slope leading from water to land, a ramp created from a branch should be used to make it easy for the toads to climb out of the water.

The water used must be treated with a decholorinating aquarium water conditioner, such as that used for fish. Although fire bellied toads are sometimes kept without any filtration, with frequent water changes, it is better to use a small aquarium filter to prevent build up of waste in the water and even with filtration weekly partial water changes should be carried out. The water should be about 4 inches (10 cm) deep.