Help PLZ Sick African Clawed Frog

[Mentat]

Agree that looks like a bacterial issue. Those are usually caused by contact with a diseased animal or bacterial blooms due to overcrowding/poor husbandry.

IRT your test kits; they might be faulty. Only way to check that is to take water sample in a sandwich bag to local fish store and have them tested. Foam in the water can be caused by bacterial bloom or excess organics from the frog's condition.

You mentioned adding salt and some medication to the water. Can you please state the dose being used for both and how many days has treatment been ongoing? How long do you need to run that antibiotic? Myself would treat with a combo of Melafix and Pimafix; but you can't stop antibiotic treatments half way because that creates problems down the line with antibiotic resistant pathogen strains. Good luck !

[aquariumlover2014]

Agree that looks like a bacterial issue. Those are usually caused by contact with a diseased animal or bacterial blooms due to overcrowding/poor husbandry.

IRT your test kits; they might be faulty. Only way to check that is to take water sample in a sandwich bag to local fish store and have them tested. Foam in the water can be caused by bacterial bloom or excess organics from the frog's condition.

You mentioned adding salt and some medication to the water. Can you please state the dose being used for both and how many days has treatment been ongoing? How long do you need to run that antibiotic? Myself would treat with a combo of Melafix and Pimafix; but you can't stop antibiotic treatments half way because that creates problems down the line with antibiotic resistant pathogen strains. Good luck !

Was told never use melafix with the frogs.She is currently seperated frog the others in a small clear tote that holds about 5 gallons but I only have her in enough so she can stand and get air without swimming. I just want her to rest. I am currently using tetracycline orally by injecting it in her worms. Now that she has started eating again. The dose is 1mg/5g of body weight. I have just been injecting a full worm with 1 mg and when and if she eats it she gets it. Aquarium salt at half the dose it says on the box. I did this for 3 days, cleaning her clean water everyday. Now she is in regular water with nothing and seems to be clearing up. This morning she also decided to lay some eggs for me and eat her worm plus some snack guppies. The rash is fading I believe in another couple days whatever it was will be gone and I will put her back in the bigger tank with the other 2. After bringing water to pet store I realized my readings were way off. my numbers are reading. 7.3 PH, ammonia 0.25ppm, nitrates 20ppm , nitrites 2ppm, phosphate 0. I have had this tank established for a yr now and have never had this problem before. What could have interupted my nice cycle? I have done a 15% water change to that one and added amquel.

[Lija]

Why you were told not to use melafix? It is one of the safest medications for frogs, very widely used in any frog not just aquatic. Any fish medication is safe to use for frogs, especially for aquatic frog. If you are using tetracycline use for 10 days in total, even after symptoms are gone.
Glad she is better.

[aquariumlover2014]

Why you were told not to use melafix? It is one of the safest medications for frogs, very widely used in any frog not just aquatic. Any fish medication is safe to use for frogs, especially for aquatic frog. If you are using tetracycline use for 10 days in total, even after symptoms are gone.
Glad she is better.

I was told by the guy I got her from to not use it. He runs a exotic pet store and is quite familiar with them. I dont know but if I had known that I would have gotten the melafix. If he wasnt on vacation I would have hit him up about all this. Thanks a bunch.

[Lija]

I was told by the guy I got her from to not use it. He runs a exotic pet store and is quite familiar with them. I dont know but if I had known that I would have gotten the melafix. If he wasnt on vacation I would have hit him up about all this. Thanks a bunch.

You're welcome! The guy you are talking about is mistaken anyhow im glad the problem is known now , thus can be fixed and you sure have right people here helping you.

[mpmistr]

Ah I won't have to eat shoes afterall. I figured this was a water chemistry issue. Sadly 0.25ppm Ammonia is bad news but 2ppm Nitrite is insanely toxic.

Honestly the water quality could have been out of whack for quite some time without proper testing. ACF are very tough animals, they can survive poor conditions for a very long time but eventually they will show signs of illness from the stress of being kept under subpar conditions.

I think you may just have too many frogs in that 20 gallon, not sure what filter is being used but it's overwhelming the biofiltration. ACF females are fat little things, they eat a lot and they poop a lot. They are messier than goldfish and you can't really keep 3 goldfish in a 20 gallon either. My advise would be to upgrade the tank to a 40B, the Petco sale I alluded to makes it a good time to upgrade.

I think with all three frogs in that 20 gallon you may wind up with the same situation down the road.

[aquariumlover2014]

Ah I won't have to eat shoes afterall. I figured this was a water chemistry issue. Sadly 0.25ppm Ammonia is bad news but 2ppm Nitrite is insanely toxic.

Honestly the water quality could have been out of whack for quite some time without proper testing. ACF are very tough animals, they can survive poor conditions for a very long time but eventually they will show signs of illness from the stress of being kept under subpar conditions.

I think you may just have too many frogs in that 20 gallon, not sure what filter is being used but it's overwhelming the biofiltration. ACF females are fat little things, they eat a lot and they poop a lot. They are messier than goldfish and you can't really keep 3 goldfish in a 20 gallon either. My advise would be to upgrade the tank to a 40B, the Petco sale I alluded to makes it a good time to upgrade.

I think with all three frogs in that 20 gallon you may wind up with the same situation down the road.

I was hoping not the water but I am glad I found the problem. She is getting better and I will be looking into getting a bigger tank for them. I use a whisper filter wich is meant for a 40 gallon. I was told to get one for double the size. They like the whisper its quiet and if I fill the water right up to the neck it doesnt make too much of a splash. I wanna thank you for everything. You all have been such a big help. At first I thought it was red leg. I thought for sure I was gonna lose her. After hearing from all you I was able to calm down. Thanks again

[Mentat]

Was told never use melafix with the frogs...This morning she also decided to lay some eggs for me and eat her worm plus some snack guppies. ...What could have interupted my nice cycle? I have done a 15% water change to that one and added amquel.

Melafix and Pimafix have proven safe with my frogs; but I never mix meds not meant to be. Unless you are breeding them and disease free; buying guppies or any live fish at pet shops (specially feeders) is the surest way to introduce pathogens in a tank. Amquel and other ammonia "neutralizers" interrupt the natural biological cycle in established filters. I've kept and bred fresh and saltwater fish for 52 years and know this from personal experience .