Tips on African Dwarf Frogs?

Question

I want to get an African Dwarf Frog to put in my tank (its small - 5 gal) with my fish. I only have a couple fish, so I don't think it will be overcrowded, but is it okay to get just one frog? Is it better to get a pair? I've never kept them before so does anyone have any useful tips???

Answer 1

What fish do you have in there now? Your tank is likely overcrowded. Bettas are fine in 5 gallon tanks because they are not active swimmers and do not schools. But other small fish, even the small neon tetras, are not suitable for 5 gallon tank because, first of all, they need to school and therefore need to be in groups of 5+, and second, they are highly active swimmers, and should have at least 10 gallons of swimming room for a school of 5 fish.
So, you likely do not have room in your tank for an ADF.

However, you *could* keep ADFs in a 5 gallon tank, if the tank was devoid of other fish (except maybe one betta or one killifish). If you brought your current fish back to your local fish store and exchanged for a betta, you could have one ADF in there, maybe 2.

ADFs are NOT predatory. Well, they do eat meaty foods, but even the biggest ADF is too small to eat fish (do not confuse the african dwarf frog with the african clawed frog, which is considerably bigger and will eat fish).

ADFs eat bloodworms, mostly; they have poor eyesight but a good sense of smell, but you need to keep an eye on them to make sure they are eating. A pair of tweezers can help guide a bloodworm to the ADF if he's having trouble.

They are rather susceptible to poor water conditions, so do NOT put them in an overcrowded, or they will eventually succomb to ammonia poisoning.

If you want to get an ADF, you should also make sure you have a good liquid testing kit. You need to know that your ammonia and nitrite levels are at 0, if you want to keep the froggies.

Anyway, I suggest you upgrade to a 10 gallon tank. You can find full set-ups including heater, filter, etc, for like 20-30$, used. You could get a few more fish and an ADF or two.

If you do stick to your 5 gal and your current fish, you should not keep an ADF. Maybe some red cherry shrimp instead, if you're looking for diversity?

Answer 2

In my opinion a 5 gallon tank is too small for frogs. Additionally african dwarf frogs are predatory and eat small fish, so your fish may end up on the menu.

You definitely cannot put 2 frogs in that tank as it will be over crowded.

Zoe,

You are incorrect. ADF are absolutely predatory and in the wild will eat any small animal they come across, including fish. While it is true that in the aquarium there are few fish small enough to be a meal for an ADF, you cannot discount the fact that if they can fit it into their mouth it's a target for eating.

Answer 3

an incredible ten gallon with hiding rocks is great for those adult adult males. Mine will chase my finger in the event that they see it via the glass. i prefer to advise bloodworms for nutrition. Mine have been ingesting this when you consider that they have been youthful and seem to thrive. some aquarium vegetation make it even homier. i do no longer advise protecting fish with them. My frog had a male beta companion and he replaced into burdened by utilising the frogs. you will get the dryed blood worms at walmart. you additionally can purchase frozen bloodworms at a puppy petshop yet they're messier and much less handy. in addition they'll consume brine shrimp.

Answer 4

angelmwilson: You need to cite the source of the info from our ADF Caresheet that you copied verbatum from our website. The link is:
http://thegab.org/Articles/ADFCareSheet.html

Answer 5

ADFs are generally hardy and easy to care for if minimum requirements are met. But be careful not to expose them to bad water conditions. Their skin offers little protection for poisons/toxins in the water
Provide at least 2 1/2 gallons of water for each frog
Cycle tank before adding frogs
Keep good water quality by weekly water-changes and use of dechlors (such as NovAqua) that also binds heavy metals.
ADFs need water temperatures in high 70s
The tank should be well covered as they are escape artists
ADFs can adapt to a range of hardness/pH levels
Substrate should be to big to swallow, but not so big that food gets lost in between rocks. Sand or very small gravel would also work well.
Frogs may like to have a floating plant (real or not) to hang on to when they get up to the surface

Possible Tankmates
Can be kept with other ADFs - male or female
Can be kept with most friendly community fish. ADFs eat their food from the bottom so it it best not too have too much competition from other bottom dwellers.

Food and Diet
African Dwarf Frogs are usually not picky eaters
Should be offered food generally given to carnivourious fish (and not for plant eaters)
You should provide a variety over a week of feedings
Favourites are frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, beef heart. You can also feed HBH Frog and Tadpole Pellets. They would enjoy live food (like grindal worms) if you can offer it.
The frogs will end up with nice round tummies after feeding.
You can feed one or two times a day
The frogs can get obese if you overfeed
It is OK to skip a couple of days if you go away for the weekend

Behavioral Characteristics
They are funny and cute little critters
They like to swim and crawl around in the tank
ADFs swim to the surface for air and come back in such a hurry that they crash into the bottom (but no harm done)
ADFs like to hunt for food. They do not see well but sense motion easily, so often they will snap at anything that moves. These frogs probably find non-live food using their sense of smell. And they do a lot of digging.
Sometimes they do zen like things. They may lay motionless upside down (And scare their poor owners. But it is just a frog thing) or they may hang on the surface with their little noses sticking out.
Sometimes they like to hide, so provide a secluded spot. You may find yourself taking apart the tank to try to find the little guy
They shed their skins once in a while. It is always funny to watch them get rid of that last little bit

How To Tell Males From Females
Not easy to do especially when the frogs are young
Females may be rounder than males
Females have a more pronounced tail stub that males
Mature males have a white (or pink) bumb under their forearms
Males may sing/make noices often at night.

Mating, Eggs and Tadpoles
If males and females are kept together mating will occur
The males will hug the females from behind and they will (eventually) make their way to the surface where eggs will be released and fertilized.
Frogs and fish will usually eat all eggs. So if you want to raise tadpoles you have to move the eggs (or the parents)
Tadpoles (which should hatch after a day or two) need to be fed good nutritious food to mature. Unlike most tadpoles that are filter feeders, Hymenochirus are predetory from the day they finish absorbing their yolk sack. They need to live in water that has lots of microbes for them to munch on until they are big enough to eat things like daphnia and baby brine shrimp. Read more about their feeding requirements here.

Health Issues
Frogs can carry bacteria and viruses and should be quarantined like fish.
If cared for properly frogs should normally stay healthy. But sometimes diseases cannot be avoided. Be very careful with your choice of medication as frogs are sensitive because they absorb chemicals through their skins more easily than fish.
One of the common frog ailments is "red legs". Legs or body may be red and flaky. Frogs with this illness should be isolated and you may try a Maracyn/Maracyn 2 treatment. Do not use Kanacyn with your frog.
Another common disease is "bloat" or dropsy. This is still unexplained and untreatable. See picture here.
More pictures of frogs with different ailments.
You may want to ask questions on our forum if your frog seems ill
Also consider taking you frog to your vet if you think it is suffering from a disease