African Dwarf in accident, looking for advice...

[Chesh]

For about a month now, I've been the proud owner of an African Dwarf Frog. His name is Speckles, and I love him! He's been living in a 30 gallon community aquarium, but I have a 5 gallon on the way to house him away from the other fish (it'll be easier to ensure he gets his food). He's been doing fine in there, eating well, happy and active. I put a piece of nylon mesh over the intake of the aquarium filter, as I've read that there is often trouble with them getting their feet stuck in there. He's never had any problems with the filter. . . it was a just in case move.

Until today...

This morning he was fed (along with his tank mates) and I went about my business with the morning human family rush. By the time I got a bit of time to sit down and check in on my little guy, it was around 12:30. At that time I saw that the entire bottom of the filter had fallen of into the tank, leaving behind only an open tube into the aquarium. Speckles was nowhere to be seen.

Of course I found him INSIDE of the filter box, out of the water, kind of attached to the side wall. I put him right back into the aquarium. At first, I thought his leg might be broken, but after further observation, I now think his limbs are sound. I don't know if he has suffered any internal damage, but he was definitely stressed beyond belief. He had gone VERY pale, his skin looked covered all over in tiny white pimples, and he was having trouble swimming. He also looks like his skin might be shedding (possibly from drying out?) He was still managing to get up to the top of the tank (18" tall) for air, but he was unable to swim in a direct line. Looked like he was kind of floating and unable to control his movements. He was flipping from side to side on his way to the top.

The only obvious WOUND that I can see is that the webbing on one of his back flippers has been torn.

I moved him, along with a boatload of Hornwort (plants) into my 10 gallon 'hospital tank,' which is in a dark and quiet room of the house (inhabited by 4 female guppies to keep it cycled). I dosed the tank with Prime, which eliminates all toxins in the water and also helps with the slime coat. I kept the hood lights off, and observed him quietly off and on for several hours. He was still very pale, and not swimming well, and was having trouble with the very low filter on the 10 gallon tank - even after I planted a jungle of hornwort around it to baffle the flow a bit, he would get sucked in and stuck to the filter from halfway across the tank. I turned the filter entirely off for the rest of the afternoon, and added a bubbler, instead. I attempted to feed him periodically, but he refused to eat.

By around 8:30 this evening he is looking MUCH better. His color has returned, he is swimming much more strongly, and is somewhat active again - though still refusing food. I ran to the petstore and got a divider screen to put in the tank to keep him far away from the filter overnight, just in case he continues to have issues with it. They couldn't recommend anything for frogs for stress or wound care, which brings me to this site.

I've looked all over the universe for information on this little guy, and have had a very difficult time finding ANYTHING. I populate aquarium sites, though, so I guess I was looking in the wrong place! If anyone out there can help give me some idea what to do to help my little Speckle out - how to treat his wound, what to add to the water for stress, how much - ANYTHING! I'd really appreciate it, and take any advice to heart! I really want to do everything in my power to keep him alive and healthy. . . please help!

At the moment, I have on-hand only medications used for fish in aquariums. But I'm unsure if any of these will work on or help or harm a frog!

I have API's Primafix, Melafix, and Stress Coat (which is a dechlorinater + slime coat + damaged fin repair (with aloe))

Any advice? It's been a harrowing day!

[rodsboys]

I would think the best thing you can do at this point is leave him alone. Sounds like you have him in a great environment for healing. If he eats he will be fine. The fin will heal on it's own.

[Chesh]

Thank you so much for your advice... I think you're right, though I am worried about any infections that might affect that fin. Do you think the webbing will regenerate? Poor little dude. . . He refused to eat yesterday at all, and when I went to bed at around midnight, I tossed a couple of bloodworms in just in case he changed his mind. He's in a divided tank in the side AWAY from the filter (juuuuust in case he has any more issues). This morning they were gone. There is a lot of foliage, but I think he ate them. Just now, at noon, I got him to take another bite or two of wormies, so things are looking good! His swimming and color have very much improved since yesterday, and he is more or less acting normally. His skin is still funky, but I think he's just going to shed it in flakes and bits over the next few days.

*whew* I was so worried for him! Today I'm feeling much more confident that he'll pull through.

[rodsboys]

Keep an eye on him. Bits and flakes is not a good thing. If he starts hanging out at the surface a lot, you have a huge problem on your hands. Where did you buy him from? Please don't say Petsmart... Also try to not feed bloodworm so often. I prefer to not feed it at all, but if you must then do it sparingly.

[Chesh]

Keep an eye on him. Bits and flakes is not a good thing. If he starts hanging out at the surface a lot, you have a huge problem on your hands. Where did you buy him from? Please don't say Petsmart... Also try to not feed bloodworm so often. I prefer to not feed it at all, but if you must then do it sparingly.

Yes... petsmart! I didn't know ANYTHING about frogs a month ago, and was snowed by my 2-year old into getting him. Since, I've been backpedaling, trying to learn everything about these critters (which the pet shop told me 100% incorrectly, of course) He's been in my care for 4 weeks now, and until the intake fell OFF the filter, has been doing fine.

He DOES hang out on the top of the tank, even before the accident - but not in a bad I-can't-get-air kind of way. He does his Zen thing, sometimes at the bottom, sometimes at the top, and has been observed floating around in free-floating bits of hornwort at the top of the tank. Not CONSTANTLY, but enough that we've come to accept it as normal for him. He also spends a lot of time swimming around and hanging out on the ground, and sitting on the plants mid-level in the aquarium.

At the moment, he's not at the top of the tank, and has mostly been at the bottom, though he did spend a good portion of yesterday at the top in a bunch of hornwort plants. Since he was having trouble swimming, I thought it was good, as he didn't have to travel so far for air. . . the rest seems to have done him good, and he's been at the bottom of the tank most of the day today, and has eaten. . .

Now... tell me WHY it isn't good for him to hang out at the top of the tank, and what I should be doing to help him out. He ate today, and seems to be behaving and swimming normally at this point. Only his skin is still looking a bit ragged, but his color is 100% back. He's still in isolation in a darkened hospital tank, and his flipper is still torn - of course. PLEASE ADVISE!!!! What should I do to help him!

Also... please tell me more about not feeding bloodworms all the time! I get so many different answers on the subject of food. . . WHAT should I be feeding him? How often? How much?!

Thank you for your reply. . .I really had a lot to learn BEFORE his accident. Now it's even more important. I'm so worried for the little guy!

I still have, and have not used Melafix and Pimafix made by API and also API's stress coat. These are FOR fish, so I didn't want to do anything that might hurt a frog without knowing anything about them. If there is something frog-specific that I can put in the water to help him through this, please let me know! I'm not, as a general rule, a huge fan of using chemicals in the water unless there's an obvious need, but THIS is just the right situation for outside help...

I can try to get a decent picture of him, if you'd like to see him? But. . . only if you don't think the light would stress him out more? He really is behaving more or less normally today.


ETA: My PetSmart doesn't carry African Clawed Frogs - ONLY the dwarves. I double-checked after reading about Chytrid Fungus being carried on ACF's. . .

[rodsboys]

All of the Petsmarts in my city(6) have Chytrid in their system. I have also heard the same from people all over North America. I have never had a frog survive that had the disease. There are others that are experts on it though and have sucessfully treated it. Try looking up the African Dwarf Frog group on Yahoo. I don't care for the format there, but the people that frequent will be able to help you.
As far as bloodworms go....don't get me started. They offer poor nutrition at best. I personally believe that frogs that get them regularly will eventually develop bloat. You can look that subject up on google and develop your own opinion though.

[Chesh]

Ug... I was hoping that since our PetSmart doesn't carry the clawed frogs, he'd be fine. SO much to learn. Thanks for the info, I'll check out that Yahoo group. I also can't stand the format of them, but if the info is there, I will be also!

I was told the same thing about brine shrimp feeding. . . not very nutritious, can cause bloat. How do I feed this guy? Really... what is the BEST thing for him to eat? How often, and how much?

[rodsboys]

I have never heard of Brine causing bloat. If you use brine get the spirulina enriched kind. Very nutricious. Mysis is great too.

[Jenste]

I must say Tony has given great advice.

I do have a question though - - when you found him in the filter, was he mostly dried up? If this is the case then I urge you to skip feeding for about a week or so. Their organs are primarily made up of water, so when they dry up they start going into organ failure. Their skin absorbs the moisture back faster than the muscles and organs. Feeding too soon before they are properly healed can kill the frog as he will not be able to digest the food and it will rot in their system. It is also a good idea to keep the water shallow so that they can work up their muscle strength again with out the extra stress of swimming to the surface.

The best diet is pelleted Reptomin turtle/HBH frog and tadpole bites/Zoomed frog/tadpole food. They are found in the reptile and fish sections.

[Chesh]

I must say Tony has given great advice.

I do have a question though - - when you found him in the filter, was he mostly dried up? If this is the case then I urge you to skip feeding for about a week or so. Their organs are primarily made up of water, so when they dry up they start going into organ failure. Their skin absorbs the moisture back faster than the muscles and organs. Feeding too soon before they are properly healed can kill the frog as he will not be able to digest the food and it will rot in their system. It is also a good idea to keep the water shallow so that they can work up their muscle strength again with out the extra stress of swimming to the surface.

The best diet is pelleted Reptomin turtle/HBH frog and tadpole bites/Zoomed frog/tadpole food. They are found in the reptile and fish sections.

He wasn't dried up at all, though he was above the water line. I assume he climbed out of the water because the suction/flow/noise was terrifying and dangerous for him. He was clinging to the inner wall of the filter basket. Though out of the water, it was still WET in there. However, his skin looks like it's trying to flake off now. He only just shed his skin a day or so ago, and his color is fine now. But I can see where the skin above the frog is kind of white and hazy. It really looks like it'll be coming off soon. He's in the 10 gallon tank and does not seem to be having any trouble getting to the surface for air, he's swimming fine today. I guess I'll not feed him again today, and he can skip tomorrow - just in case. We'll go from there. . .thank you!

[rodsboys]

Any updates on your little guy?