Sinking ACF

[Geoff]

The obvious things to consider if you haven't done so already are the differences in environmental conditions between the two tanks in order to try and establish whether some aspect is adversely affecting the inactive frogs. Things like water temperature, water quality, filtration, exposure to light, particularly direct sunlight might be influencing their behaviour. I'm not sure what could reasonably described as normal but I think the problem here is that the inconsistent behaviour shown by sibling frogs in two separate tanks points towards something being amiss in the one with the inactive frogs.

[SailAwayAK]

You might start with checking your water parameters in both tanks and see what is going on there.

My frogs aren't very active during the day. Most often I can sit back and watch them really get active in the evenings. Even then temp makes a difference as well.

[SwimminSteve]

I agree with the above comments. Could you post a photo of the feet that you're worried about? I'd say there is definitely a chance that your slower froglets are just that: "slow". Some frogs just tend to be lazy or are "special", but I'm still betting on it being an environmental thing. Is there a reason you have them in separate tanks to begin with? Have these guys always been much smaller? Pics comparing the slow guys to the regular guys would be really helpful.
I wouldn't worry about them eating only sunken food. Frogs get used to obtaining their food a certain way. If they are used to finding it on the floor they aren't going to look for it at the surface. As long as they still have a good appetite I wouldn't worry about it. Are you only feeding them reptomin? Because nutritionally that could be part of the issue.

[emberlisa]

Hi. I've taken some photos for you guys to look at. I apologize for the poor quality, they were taken with my cell.

Here are pictures of the ones that stay along the bottom:



And here are photos of the siblings, which are kept in the tank with the light and filter:


Is it to early to tell the sex?

I agree with the above comments. Could you post a photo of the feet that you're worried about? I'd say there is definitely a chance that your slower froglets are just that: "slow". Some frogs just tend to be lazy or are "special", but I'm still betting on it being an environmental thing. Is there a reason you have them in separate tanks to begin with? Have these guys always been much smaller? Pics comparing the slow guys to the regular guys would be really helpful.
I wouldn't worry about them eating only sunken food. Frogs get used to obtaining their food a certain way. If they are used to finding it on the floor they aren't going to look for it at the surface. As long as they still have a good appetite I wouldn't worry about it. Are you only feeding them reptomin? Because nutritionally that could be part of the issue.

[emberlisa]

You might start with checking your water parameters in both tanks and see what is going on there.

My frogs aren't very active during the day. Most often I can sit back and watch them really get active in the evenings. Even then temp makes a difference as well.

Well, the frogs in the filtered tank are very active, always swimming around or floating at the top. I use the same water for the other tanks and feed them the same food, except I change the water every 2 or 3 days instead of having a filter (I am going to get a filter soon) and the water level is at about 6 inches.

[SwimminSteve]

I don't see anything off about the froglets. But I think that the light and filter have something to do with the others being more active. What is the water depth of the tank with the filter?
I have a froglet just about the size of yours and she spends all her time on the bottom. She swims around from hiding place to hiding place and to eat, but other than that I don't see her much. She has a filter but no tank light. She eats well and is growing. I'm not worried about her one bit. Some froglets are more shy that way. Try adding more hiding places including a floating plant. This should ease their stress and make them want to explore more.
It is probably too soon to tell sex with 100% accuracy at this point, but you might see a cloaca starting to become more prominent in a female at this age. To take good pics for determining gender: Put them in a kritter keeper(or clear container) with no substrate and a little water. Put the kritter keeper on a white piece of paper and get a pic of between its legs from above.

[SailAwayAK]

I am with Steve that I don't see anything off about their feet. How cute they are when they are soooo little! I got mine as adult whoppers and never hat froglets. Hiding places, lights and filtration will all make a difference. Heck if I lived in a room of white padded walls I would be more nutty than I already am. Some hiding vegetation on the surface can help.

[emberlisa]

I don't see anything off about the froglets. But I think that the light and filter have something to do with the others being more active. What is the water depth of the tank with the filter?
I have a froglet just about the size of yours and she spends all her time on the bottom. She swims around from hiding place to hiding place and to eat, but other than that I don't see her much. She has a filter but no tank light. She eats well and is growing. I'm not worried about her one bit. Some froglets are more shy that way. Try adding more hiding places including a floating plant. This should ease their stress and make them want to explore more.
It is probably too soon to tell sex with 100% accuracy at this point, but you might see a cloaca starting to become more prominent in a female at this age. To take good pics for determining gender: Put them in a kritter keeper(or clear container) with no substrate and a little water. Put the kritter keeper on a white piece of paper and get a pic of between its legs from above.

Hi. I agree with you that the light and filter are having a positive affect on the frogs that I am keeping in that tank. Even those frogs' bodies are only about an inch. They will be 2 months old on tuesday. They stopped growing about a week or 2 ago and I think I am even spotting a cloacal extention on one. Do you think it is possible that they are dwarfs? With the eggs, Insect Lore included a paper that states they are "African Water Frogs: xenopus laevis."

What do you like to feed your froglet? What is its name?

[mpmistr]

Hi. I agree with you that the light and filter are having a positive affect on the frogs that I am keeping in that tank. Even those frogs' bodies are only about an inch. They will be 2 months old on tuesday. They stopped growing about a week or 2 ago and I think I am even spotting a cloacal extention on one. Do you think it is possible that they are dwarfs? With the eggs, Insect Lore included a paper that states they are "African Water Frogs: xenopus laevis."

What do you like to feed your froglet? What is its name?

Xenopus Laevis are African Clawed Frogs (not Dwarf). You can tell the different between Clawed and Dwarf frogs pretty easily, the front 'arms' on a Clawed Frog are not webbed while the Dwarf has webbed fingers. Clawed frogs eyes are positioned more on the top of the head, Dwarf are on the sides, also most Clawed frogs at least when fed properly, are a lot fatter than Dwarf frogs (I've only seen ADF in pet stores they always look skinny). Clawed frogs are also much better swimmers from what I have seen, Dwarf frogs seem a lot more lethargic in comparison..

I feed my froglets reptomin pretty much exclusively. I can't seem to get them to swim up for the pellets so I usually just hand feed them, I usually feed mine about 3 (small) pellets per day.. I think reptomin makes bigger pellets and I would break those up. I soak the pellets a bit too before feeding. I tried HBH Frog & Tadpole bites but honestly they have ZERO (and I mean ZERO) interest in them, in fact when I can get them to bite into one, they spit it right back out.. they go crazy for reptomin though!

My froglets seem to be growing at a pretty good rate and appear pretty healthy.

[SwimminSteve]

You definitely don't have dwarfs. They haven't stopped growing, but they're slowing down. My froglet, Pip, is doing the same thing. She grew really quick in the beginning, but now has slowed down. They tend to go through growth spurts. I feed her every day. She gets a variety including small guppies, bloodworms, and brine shrimp, but her staple is the HBH frog bites. All of my frogs love them. I think the reason a lot of people have trouble with the HBH pellets is because of substrate. They are easiest to feed in a bare-bottom or sand-bottom tank. They will fall in the cracks of gravel and rock tanks and be very difficult for the frogs to reach.