Tutti Frutti A.C.F.

[Sueshee]

I have a 29 Gallon tall, with 4 dananio`s,2 molly`s 1 algae eater & 2 tutti frutti african clawed frog`s

My question is 1 frog is eating very good, while the other seems it cant find its food.The first day I got them they both got there food right away though. the one that cant find it`s food is staying at the top of the water all of the sudden as you can see in the photo. I been feeding them live worms. the water temp is 78. The water levels are all good. & Don`t mind the tank setup I moved a few things around to find a worm that slipped iNTO the rocks

[MatthewM1]

There's actually a few problems there.
1) tutti frutti acf get their color from a pretty horrible dye process and typically don't live very long.
2) acf do best in a species only tank, they will eat/ attempt to eat the fish as they grow
3) heated water isn't recommended for acf, they like it a little on the cooler side
4) they can accidentally ingest the gravel and die from a bowel impaction, your going to want to use either; fine grain sand, large rocks or a bare bottom
5) if those are hard plastic plants they can tear the webbing on the frogs back feet, you want either silk or real plants with them

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[Ted]

He might need a resting place at the surface,give him some floating plants to sit in..a tutti frutti frog,I once tattooed frogs and let them go...

[mpmistr]

Hello there, welcome to the Frog Forum.

There's a few issues here unfortunately. You'll want to lower the temperature in this tank by at least 6 degrees Fahrenheit, 68-72F is optimal for african clawed frogs, these are temperate water animals not tropical like most fish sold in the pet trade. Another issue here would be the fish your frogs are cohabiting with, Danios are OK they actually don't mind the cooler water Xenopus (clawed frogs) prefer however Mollies prefer 75-78F, so they fall in the tropical range. Also Mollies are known to be aggressive towards one another. I could tell you stories about my experience with Mollies, they're actually not the worlds best community fish as they tend to bully one another, they need brackish water or they tend not to live long, they also tend to develop parasites outside of brackish water.. of course this is all moot because all these fish are just future clawed frog chow, since once your frogs get large enough they will eat them all. The algae eater is also of concern though I do not know the exact species, these fish typically are "armored" meaning they have defensive spines, clawed frogs typically will try to eat and choke on these fish, killing both animals in the process. Clawed frogs simply do best in a species only tank, they do not mix well with any fish.

What kind of worms are you feeding your frogs? It's normal for a frog you recently took home to be reclusive because they are adapting to their new environment. Clawed frogs will also jam themselves in to corners behind decorations or filters and hide, this is normal, they become more relaxed over time. Also do you know if your tank is cycled? Typically new tanks will run high with ammonia and nitrite which is toxic to fish and frogs. You can read about cycling a fish tank here: The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Sadly the african clawed frogs sold as "tutti frutti" are actually just regular albino clawed frogs that have been dipped in dye.. this is considered inhumane. I know you probably did not realize this when you purchased these frogs but it's best to not purchase these frogs. By talking with your wallet and reducing the demand for these frogs is the only way to get pet shops to stop selling them.

Quick side story here. There is a pet shop near me that sells african clawed frogs. I was in their shop last year and I saw a reticulated albino I was interested in purchasing. I had him take it out of the tank and because of the lighting he used I couldn't tell while he was in the tank, but the frog was dyed purple. I asked him to place the frog back. I let him know I have no interest in dyed frogs and the frog would have been a more interesting purchase if not dyed. I really would have liked a reticulated albino but some times you just to send a message to these people that think this practice is OK -- because it's not.

If you have any further questions just let me know.

[mpmistr]

He might need a resting place at the surface,give him some floating plants to sit in..a tutti frutti frog,I once tattooed frogs and let them go...

Let them go??? You should never release clawed frogs in to the wild for several detrimental reasons.

[Sueshee]

Thank you everyone! As for the worms I get them from the backyard. but I plan to start getting them from the bait shop. The pet shop said its better protein from the bait shop then the ones out of my yard. I did not know they got injected with dye until after i bought them, it is sad. As far as my mollys go, all my fish get along quite well. no problems at all.I guess pet shops will say anything to get a sell because I ask are these ok with those, are the frogs ok to be in the same temp. as the fish. can I add this to those too. and they said yes yes bla bla bla. I had a bad experience buying fish with ick from them too. I went threw a lot because of it, but anyways. I plan on getting more live plants instead of plastic. I bought a floating turtle dock yesterday to put in the tank, but it sort of takes up a lot of room. My water levels are all good no nitrate nitrites & everything else is where it should be I took the last strip test yesterday. The algae fish type is a hypostomus plecostomus. So basically I have to get another tank & setup and put the frogs alone in it?.

[Ted]

I didn't say they were clawed frogs,,they were bullfrogs...

[Sueshee]

Tatts are awesome! But only on people.

[Ted]

That's your opinion,,I've tattooed horses ,dogs and cats also....

[Felis]

That's your opinion,,I've tattooed horses ,dogs and cats also....

Disgusting

[mpmistr]

What is the point of tattooing animals exactly?

[Ted]

Why is that? They were identification numbers put on valuable animals to protect against theft. I provided a valuable service to these people...so think twice before you comment..

[mpmistr]

Why is that? They were identification numbers put on valuable animals to protect against theft. I provided a valuable service to these people...so think twice before you comment..

Does not explain why you would tattoo and release frogs.

[Ted]

I did that when i was a kid,,and what things are you quilty of when you where young?

[Sueshee]

Yes it is my opinion.

[Mentat]

This thread is about Sueshee's frogs, not a flame war about tattooing animals. There will be no further posts unrelated to OPs subject in here.

In regards to OPs last question, yes, if you keep pets in a system; all the pets need to share same environmental needs and be able to live together. Plecos are not good companions to any animal that can try an eat them due to their spines. They also grow very large and produce huge amounts of biomass waste. A glass cleaner is far more effective in a small tank.

AFC's are not good companions to fish, specially to warmer water tropicals. IRT your non-eating/floating on top frog, that is not normal. Please answer the below questions to try and figure out what is wrong; thank you .

“Trouble in the Frog Enclosure”

The following information will be very helpful if provided when requesting assistance with either your frog or enclosure. To help with your questions, please utilize the below list and post the information in the proper forum area to get advice from FF members that keep the same frog. This will allow for little confusion and a faster more informed response.

1. Tank Size and volume of water in it (full, 1/2 filled, etc.)?

2. Number of inhabitants including all frogs and any fish?

3. Water source and any conditioner treatments?

4. Water Temperature and how is it heated (if so)?

5. Water chemistry levels: pH; Ammonia (NH3); Nitrites (NO2); Nitrates (NO3)? Note that if you do not have test kits, most aquariums/pet shops will do complimentary tests if you take a clean water sample.

6. Describe any filter system including model and media?[/COLOR]

7. Substrate type?

8. Tank set-up (plants (live or artificial), driftwood, hide outs and other decor? - How were things prepared prior to being put into the tank?

9. Main frog staple food and any treats? How often you feed?

10. CA, vitamins, and any other additives used (how often)?

11. Lighting set-up and hours it's used?

12. When is the last time frog ate?

13. Have you found poop lately?

14. A picture would be helpful including frog and tank (any including cell phone pics are fine).

15. Describe frog's symptoms and/or recent physical changes; to include it's ventral/belly area.

16. How old is the frog?

17. How long have you owned him/her?

18. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred?

19. Any medications in the water (treatment doses and for how long)?

20. Any salt in water (how much)?

21. Is the tank kept in a high or low traffic area?

22. Describe tank maintenance to include water changes, cleaning, media changes, etc.).

By Lynn(flybyferns), GrifTheGreat, and aquatic questions added by Carlos(Mentat)