A Few Questions

[PsionicRat]

Okay, a lot of the sites I've been too have told me a lot about care for this kind of frog which is an Albino ACF. But I was wondering about sexing it. Should an ovipositor be visible already or would it develop more towards sexual maturity? From some pictures I believe mine is still a juvenile but there could be some malnutrition and general poor health issues going on from previous care. There are no black marks as of yet and there is a tiny little bump that could either be the ovipositor or just the end of his/her spine. My friend said it was female, but it's looking more like a male to me.

The poor baby is also very skinny, thinner than some of the pictures I've seen of young ACF's and the first thing they tried to do when I put them in the tank was eat a gold fish that was bigger that they are. I have since put the goldfish in a separate tank, they were both big enough to shake the frog off but got some torn fins for their troubles. Should I try feeding a little extra (like a few pellets) between the 2 - 3 day gap of a full feeding or get it on a regular feeding time instead?

Everything else is set to the best of my ability. I've got a 5 gal tank with a whisper filter, a terracotta pot to hide in, I'm getting some silk plants in about a week, I got frozen bloodworms from the previous owner but I also bought some Cichilid pellets. I might be getting a 10 gal tank depending on who drops what off at my manager's recycling center (she's seen some big tanks being sold off for $3, they'll rescue anything useful and sell it cheap at her location)

I also want to know if melafix is okay for this kind of frog. It's been my general purpose medical care for my fish but I want to know if I might be able to use it to treat any abrasions/tears/etc that the frog might get in the future that nature can't take care of on it's own.

Gosh that's kind of a lot. I'll give a rundown for anyone who tl;dr's me.
Sexing: Should I wait until it's reached adulthood to really tell or can I tell a female straight away?
Feeding: Can I supplement a little in the beginning (for say, a week) since the frog had poor care and appears underweight or should I just get it on a regular feeding schedule instead?
Medical: Melafix in emergencies. Yes or no?

Thanks for any help!

[willtilian]

if its got that tail like thingy it is deffinetly female and their born with it so it probaly is definitly female

[PsionicRat]

if its got that tail like thingy it is deffinetly female and their born with it so it probaly is definitly female

In that case I'm going to say male. This little bump doesn't look remotely like the ones in the pictures of mature females I've found, but I didn't know if they needed to develop or if they were born with them. I think he's just underweight or otherwise underdeveloped and all I'm really seeing is the end of his spine or perhaps part of the pelvis. I'm not up on frog skeletons.

Thanks for the information.

[John]

Sexing: Should I wait until it's reached adulthood to really tell or can I tell a female straight away?

I've kept and raised these before but never tried to breed them. I can't recall whether or not the difference is visible when they are young but I want to say it's not.

Feeding: Can I supplement a little in the beginning (for say, a week) since the frog had poor care and appears underweight or should I just get it on a regular feeding schedule instead?

I would actually feed it every day, as much as it will eat in 15 minutes, and keep this up until you are happy with it.

Medical: Melafix in emergencies. Yes or no?

Melafix is not safe for amphibians at fish-friendly doses. ACFs are tough and would probably be alright, but I wouldn't risk it.

[Jace]

I've had three of these frogs at one time, and I couldn't tell who was who until they were bigger in size. Once they reach full size, it is very easy to tell. Until then, it's anyone's guess. If yours is malnourished, it might be even harder. I would feed it every day until it plumps up and grows a size or two. Then I would put it on a regular feeding schedule. Mine loved to eat bloodworms, guppies, feeder fish, crickets, brine shrimp and pretty much anything they could fit in their mouths. Feeding time was always a joy to watch. I agree with John on the Melafix. These frogs are tough and can handle pretty much any conditions, but I would not use Melafix with them at all. It puts a coating on the skin, and all frogs need their skin free of any substance in order to properly moisturize and breath. Definitely not a good idea. These frogs make great pets-I hope yours gets healthy soon and you enjoy many years with him/her!

[tgampper]

But I was wondering about sexing it. Should an ovipositor be visible already or would it develop more towards sexual maturity?

It is very difficult to sex juvenile ACFs. They do not reach maturity until they are about 3 inches snout-to-vent. The age of maturity is about 1 year. Sexually mature males have nuptial pads on their fingers. These are black, rough patches which help the male grasp the female during amplexus. The female are larger and have protruding anal papillae (swollen cloaca). I have included more detailed information on sexing if you visit the social discussion group, "The Tongueless Society".

Should I try feeding a little extra (like a few pellets) between the 2 - 3 day gap of a full feeding or get it on a regular feeding time instead?

Sorry that your frog is not in the best of health. ACFs are generally tough frogs with plenty of defenses to protect them from disease. However, this protection fails due to poor husbandry. A healthy frog should be placid, with moderately slimy skin and a nice pear shape. I have been keeping ACFs for over 40 years and never had any health problems. Let me share my routine with you:

1) don't put any other species in with your frogs. I found that single species aquariums work best.

2) I do a complete water change once a week. The aquarium is cleaned with salt, making sure that all the scum is wiped out. Rinse thoroughly. Don't use distilled water, it does not have any minerals that the frogs need. I condition my tap water with Stress-Coat (1 ml to 2 gallons of water, use a syringe to measure), Optimal water temperature should be 66-72(F) or 19-22(C). I do not use a water heater. My frogs are kept at room temperature all year around.

3) I feed my frogs Tetra's Repto-Min exclusively and they seem to thrive quite well. Feeding schedule is 3 sticks per frog per day (5x/week). According to some studies, ACFs have the best growth potential on a diet of tubiflex. Be careful, feeding live food items can introduce parasites and other diseases.

4) Even though these frogs are fully aquatic, it is best to keep the water depth to no more than 150% of the frog's length.They love to float, sticking their head above the surface. I keep 2 frogs in a 10 gallon tank. If you want to breed you need at least a 20-29 gallon tank.

5) Since both males and females of this species call, you can't sex them based on who makes the noise

6) With good care, these frogs can live more than 12 years.

also want to know if melafix is okay for this kind of frog. It's been my general purpose medical care for my fish but I want to know if I might be able to use it to treat any abrasions/tears/etc that the frog might get in the future that nature can't take care of on it's own.

The problem with treating frogs at home is that there are not many sources with good information on the types of medications work and the dosages. Also, there are not many veterinarians that heal frogs. Since these frogs are both predators and scavengers, they often do a great job hiding their illness and often when it is detected, it is too late. ACFs naturally have skin secretions that protect it from most diseases. Generally, these frogs die due to improper husbandry. The only home remedy that I know that works on frogs is Bactine, it heals cuts and abrasions and is an anti-bacterial. Generally fish medications do not work on frogs.

Should I wait until it's reached adulthood to really tell or can I tell a female straight away?

Yes.

Feeding: Can I supplement a little in the beginning (for say, a week) since the frog had poor care and appears underweight or should I just get it on a regular feeding schedule instead?

Try Repto-Min or live tubiflex to bulk them up quickly.

Medical: Melafix in emergencies. Yes or no?

No.

I'll be happy to answer any other questions you may have. Good luck!

[PsionicRat]

Thank you all for your replies.

I've had to return the Cichilid food I bought, he tried to eat it but it all kept popping back out of his mouth until he just gave up. I then bought some ReptoMin instead earlier today (glad to see it was recommended here after the fact) but he doesn't seem to recognize it as food yet, I had to scoop them all out of the tank(it doesn't help that he doesn't know I'm the 'food bringer' yet and swims away when I open the lid). I'm going to try and get him to go after them with some of the bloodworms in the water, he knows that's food already but it spreads around too thin for him to get it all.

I'm really hoping I can get him up to a healthy size and weight and I'm really glad I found a place to help me do that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be with me for at least another ten years even though I had *no* idea they lived even that long when I offered to take him.

I just hope the goldfish don't mind their smaller accommodations. But it's better than being chewed on by a frog I guess..

Thanks again!

[tgampper]

Be patient with your new frog. It sounds like its been through a lot. Keep offering the Repto-Min along with the worms. They are tough and most likely respond to your TLC.

[Socrates]

I would recommend some live food such as earthworms, which are nutritionally dense and complete. Feeding pellets is not normal food fare for ACF. Other options would be silkworms dropped in the tank or hornworms. These all have positive Ca:P ratios and will aid in your frog's growth, also they are high in protein which will help plump the ACF up. Also make sure the filter has a very tiny to no current output. I would recommend not even using one, because ACF are from still waters and numerous experiments have shown they can easily be stressed by loud noises (even though we can't hear the filter, it sounds like a jack hammer to them). If you just perform 20% water changes every 3 days, you should be fine. Good luck!

[PsionicRat]

Oh my goodness. I unplugged the filter on the tank(I put my ear against the tank it and it did sound too loud) and I just now heard my frog croaking. XD It's an adorable sound. I just wanted to say that without starting a new thread.

[Jace]

My three used to "talk" all the time to each other, especially after a good feeding. I'm glad to hear that yours is strong enough to call. Sounds like you have a tough frog who is going to give you many years of enjoyment. Boy or girl, it's a lucky frog to have you taking care of it now!

[tgampper]

Oh my goodness. I unplugged the filter on the tank(I put my ear against the tank it and it did sound too loud) and I just now heard my frog croaking. XD It's an adorable sound. I just wanted to say that without starting a new thread.

Socrates is right. A filtration system is not recommended for ACFs. For some reason, I forgot that point in my post. I enjoy hearing my frogs rap each night