African Dwarf Frogs - feeding issues

[sweetp]

First time poster here...I've been stressing about my lil frogs for a couple weeks and haven't been able to locate a clear answer online (and was given several sketchy answers at the pet store), so here I am Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

I have 2 dwarf frogs, I believe both are male, in a 2 gallon aquarium with a couple silk plants and a little cave thing to hide in. I recently added a tiny terra cotta dish to feed them in and it seems to be working out well. They come straight to it for the food every day. I feed them at the same time daily - mainly it's pellets for aquatic frogs, but I supplement with blood worms also. They eat quickly and I'm happy with their size and energy levels.

The thing that is stressing me out to no end is that one of them clearly dominates the other, to the point where it seems like he's fighting the little guy away from food. I've never seen the smaller one get more than 2-3 bites per feeding. They both make a beeline to the dish as soon as food hits the water, but the bigger one seems more intent on fighting the smaller one away than on eating the food (which he does, eventually). The small one doesn't look malnourished in any way, he actually looks much brighter-colored and is more active than when I first got him.

Is this normal behavior? Do I need to make sure the smaller one gets more food somehow? Should I separate them? Are they social - and if they are and I separate them, should I get more to replace them as companions?

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF! Appears your larger frog is a bully . A problem with a small tank is that there is no way to get away from the bully, and that could stress the victim and invite disease to the tank.

In a larger tank, you could use 2 feeding stations to avoid issue and add more hiding spots to break line of sight contact between the 2. Also, could introduce more frogs (after quarantine) so that bully either quits or divides bullying among more than one frog. Obviously separating these 2 is an option too. Hope this helps a bit and give you some ideas, good luck !

[Small Pet Feeders]

I agree with Carlos, you need to be careful because the dominated smaller guy will eventually develop issues from both the stress and malnutrition.

I'd be a bit more liberal with the food dispersion. Not the amount, but the dispersion, giving both of them separate directions to go in.

Also consider live foods too for you lil guys. Many live nematodes will live inside the water for a period, giving your smaller guy a longer period of time to feed without destroying your water conditions. If they are eating bloodworms, you may try Grindal Worms, which culture on peat moss or coco fiber and feed on nearly anything. Microworms and Vinegar eels may work too, but I think they could be too small.

California Blackworms are a really good bet too! I have a care sheet here if it interests you...
California Blackworms (Care & Culturing) - Small Pet Feeders (English)

I vote for a larger tank too, give them some room to claim separate homes if they want.