ADF curious death?

[aegillesp]

I got a ADF about a month or so ago and he was found dead floating in the top of the tank bloated and red. I didn't get any pictures but any clue to what happened to him? He was fine one night then in the morning he was found that way... I'm just curious so i know what to watch for with my new one.

[Gnag the nameless]

That sounds like dropsy to me. How bloated was he?

Was he acting oddly beforehand?

Did he have any odd spots/cuts/markings on his body?

Most importantly, describe his tank, and how clean the water was, and if there were other animals in the tank, what were they?

We need more information.

[mpmistr]

Possible cause of death may have been a bacterial infection or bloat.

I probably say this a lot but xenopus and hymenochirus (acf and adf, respectively) really needs to be kept with the same approach as fish in aquariums.

This means 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and less than 20ppm nitrate. Also water temperature would also be a factor since adf are tropical an optimal temperature would be around 78f and cold temps could have weakend it's immune system and an opportunistic bacterial infection set in.

So...Basically we need more data.

[Gnag the nameless]

Exactly. We need more information to conclude what happened to him.

To properly diagnose what happened to your frog, give us every scrap of information about what happened before-hand and after, as well as it's:

-Tank

-Temperature kept in

-Tank features

-Other occupant(s)

-Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia levels


We can only guess what was wrong with him if you simply give us 'he was found dead floating in the top of the tank bloated and red'.

[aegillesp]

The tank we have is 5.5 gal, we use distilled water that we change about 1.5 gal every week. It houses 1 beta, 2 algae eaters, and had 1 ghost shrimp. According to the ammonia indicater we have in the tank says that it has been "safe". When we test the water the pH level is usually at 7 I think. it's typically a blushish color from the tester. We typically keep the tank at 76 degrees with a tank heater. Honestly, I didn't get to see the frog, my boyfriend got rid of it so I didn't have to see him dead but told me he was bloated and red. He was typically a tanish color and was pretty active. He ate frog pellets and beta flakes. This is all the info I can think of...

[mpmistr]

The tank we have is 5.5 gal, we use distilled water that we change about 1.5 gal every week. It houses 1 beta, 2 algae eaters, and had 1 ghost shrimp. According to the ammonia indicater we have in the tank says that it has been "safe". When we test the water the pH level is usually at 7 I think. it's typically a blushish color from the tester. We typically keep the tank at 76 degrees with a tank heater. Honestly, I didn't get to see the frog, my boyfriend got rid of it so I didn't have to see him dead but told me he was bloated and red. He was typically a tanish color and was pretty active. He ate frog pellets and beta flakes. This is all the info I can think of...

Okay this makes more sense but there's some red flags here.

1) Algae Eaters? If Common Plecos, both these fish need 55 gallons when full grown, if not more (They grow to 18 inches!). They are also incredible waste producers, so you most likely had ammonia present in the tank which is both toxic to frogs and fish. Also Common Plecos are nocturnal and rather territorial, they may have harassed your frog to death at night, as it also is a bottom dweller. This may work in a larger tank but in a 5.5 gallon, your frog had no where to hide, became stressed.

2) Overstocked. This tank is just plain overstocked for 5.5 gallon, overstocked means ammonia/nitrite which is toxic, can lead to death. A 5.5 gallon could support a single betta and a adf but the plecos don't belong in here.

3) Best to use a liquid test kit for your water tests. Strips are highly inaccurate also, the only 'safe' amount of ammonia is zero.

4) Quite possible the bloated/redness was occurred postmortem, but can't say for sure.

[rodsboys]

I doubt dude is running 2 plecos in a 5.5. Probably ottos.

[mpmistr]

I doubt dude is running 2 plecos in a 5.5. Probably ottos.

I don't know man, a friend of mine was talking to me about his fish dying and he had three goldfish and a common pleco in a 10g. I assume the worst when people tell me these stories about their fish/frog troubles.