African Dwarf Frog questions! Please help!

[Deku]

Hello. As I used to have african CLAWED frogs years ago. Now Iam wanting to get into african DWARF frogs. Yes, I still have my toads(they're taught to hand feed--all of em--) and they are doing great. My parents made our basement into a space for fishtanks and terrariums. Currently my tanks are down there, but my friend gave me a 29g recently as a gift. My parents let me accept it, and now they let me set it up in my room. But since we want to avoid dirt in my room(due to the rugs). Id like to start an aquarium. I was thinking of having a little bit of everything. Id like to get your opinions guys. Would african DWARF frogs be happy in this tank? Iam planning on getting 6-7 of em. Those arent the only inhabitants. Iam thinking of getting 2 snails(apple), 5-6small shrimps(cherry shrimps preferably), and 7-9small 1inch schooling fish. I was thinking id go for either mosquito fish(gambusia), guppies, mountain clouds, or some other type of minnow. And no not all together. Just this:
A small group of frogs
A pair of snails
A small group of shrimp
A small group of fish.

I have the filters to back it up. :P I got my fluval 305 cleaned up and all. I have this fluval heater, that measures the EXACT water temperature and distributes it accordingly. If it gets a degree above the water temp in my room, the heater either goes in low power or doesnt heat. :P You get it? Iam planing on using fake plants, black tahitan moon sand, and some live plants and maybe an ornament or two. The black sand is my favorite and I already have it either way(he gave it to me). I have a hood already, but it has a uv light(not a super bright one), but it distributes enough uvb to keep a turtle happy(old turtle light-long story). I have airiators ment for like 100gallons. I have extra filters in case one of em screws up.

My question is, will this set up work? Frogs, fish, snails and shrimp?

As for foods, what foods should I feed ADF? I have frozen foods(brine shrimp, bloodworms, clam). I have reptomin meant for aquatic turtles and frogs. Would this be good? its fortified in calcium and vitamins. Later on Iam thinking of buying frozen daphnia, frozen krill and frozen mysis shrimp.

Please help. Iam trying to get educated on em.

[Geoff]

My question is, will this set up work? Frogs, fish, snails and shrimp?

The answer to your question is: probably. The fact is that there can never be a blueprint that guarantees success and if you're mixing different animals in the same tank there is always the potential for unforseen problems and complications. For example, competition for food.

As for foods, what foods should I feed ADF? I have frozen foods(brine shrimp, bloodworms, clam). I have reptomin meant for aquatic turtles and frogs. Would this be good? its fortified in calcium and vitamins. Later on Iam thinking of buying frozen daphnia, frozen krill and frozen mysis shrimp.

Please help. Iam trying to get educated on em.

Frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms are fine in my experience and I've bred them when those two frozen foods have formed their staple diet. I cannot comment on the other frozen foods you've mentioned as I've never used them. Live foods like tubifex, Daphnia and white mosquito larvae are the ideal. Not only are they more nutritious but the frogs' hunting behaviour, which is sometimes cat-like, is very engaging to observe.

Hymenochirus frogs are very under-rated in my opinion and often regarded as smaller versions of Xenopus but their behaviour is much more complex and all the more interesting for that. Their behaviour is largely affected by the conditions under which they are kept and a dedicated tank is best to observe it fully.

[Deku]

The answer to your question is: probably. The fact is that there can never be a blueprint that guarantees success and if you're mixing different animals in the same tank there is always the potential for unforseen problems and complications. For example, competition for food.



Frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms are fine in my experience and I've bred them when those two frozen foods have formed their staple diet. I cannot comment on the other frozen foods you've mentioned as I've never used them. Live foods like tubifex, Daphnia and white mosquito larvae are the ideal. Not only are they more nutritious but the frogs' hunting behaviour, which is sometimes cat-like, is very engaging to observe.

Hymenochirus frogs are very under-rated in my opinion and often regarded as smaller versions of Xenopus but their behaviour is much more complex and all the more interesting for that. Their behaviour is largely affected by the conditions under which they are kept and a dedicated tank is best to observe it fully.

Hmm thanks. Ived been thinking about what id do with the tank. I like having single species tank, but I wanted a community tank of some sort. I was thinking of like a group of frogs, a group of cherry shrimps, one betta, and a group of black or white colored guppies(the betta will attack any bright colored fish, esp. reds, blues, and yellows---in my experience that is) and maybe one or two otto cats(for clean up). Ived seen people put in their dwarfs with bettas and they do superb because the bettas do not eat much thus do not pose any competition for the frogs. The shrimps are scavengers and are not soo fast that will pose a competition for foods. The otto cats mainly eat algea and left overs(they are nocturnal). I found some sites that said I should feed hbh pellets and I think it was zoo meds pellet??? Iam thinking of feeding pellets meant for newts. Or maybe ill go to xenopus express and buy their pellets but in baby pellets. :P I do plan on feeding frozen foods. but i dont want to feed it "Daily". I dont know if I can culture daphnea(water fleas), brine shrimp(sea monkeys---may not be a problem), blood worms(how the heck would I even do that???). I could also offer them live earth worms(chopped). Could I feed by tongs?

[Geoff]

There's little I can add to my last post. If you want a communtity tank with frogs in it and you feel reasonably confident that it'll work then try it but I've never kept the frogs with such diverse tank mates.

You say that the shrimps are scavengers and the cats eat left overs. The frogs are bottom feeders so the question that arises in my mind is how you can ensure everything gets enough to eat even if you try using tongs. Also, getting the portion of food right without running the risk of polluting the water could be a problem.

When I mentioned live food I wasn't thinking in terms of you culturing them but buying them from a tropical fish store. However, if you're interested in going down that route you probably know that this site's sister site has forums devoted to live food culture at: Advanced Newt & Salamander Topics - Food: Live, Frozen, Freeze-Dried, Pellets, etc at Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Portal

[Jenste]

with african DWARF frogs, I really prefer having them as the only bottom dweller - - giving how hard it is to feed them anyways - it gets exponentially harder in a community tank...and even harder in a community tank with other bottom dwellers.

I would keep the adf as your only bottom dweller and stock lightly with fish - -make a large shoal of one type of tetra for appearances

that is just my opinion - i feel this may be the best solution for all the tankmates involved

[Tony]

with african DWARF frogs, I really prefer having them as the only bottom dweller - - giving how hard it is to feed them anyways - it gets exponentially harder in a community tank...and even harder in a community tank with other bottom dwellers.

I completely agree with this. Although I no longer keep them I have in the past both in community and single species tanks. Feeding was always a problem in the community tank, even though none of the fish were bottom dwellers they had no trouble making a trip down to snatch up the frog food.

[passon13]

I have an adf, 1 angelfish, 3 platies, 1 Cory and a bock khuli loach and they do fine together. I feed my adf sinking shrimp pellets, though I have never seen him eat I'm assuming he eats them, as he's still Alive

[Jenste]

going by the method of - if its living it must be getting enough is not the right way of thinking. you want to make sure your frog is well cared for and not just "Getting by" on scraps it manages to find after the fish.

for it to thrive and not simply survive...it needs dedicated feeding by a dedicated owner

[Deku]

going by the method of - if its living it must be getting enough is not the right way of thinking. you want to make sure your frog is well cared for and not just "Getting by" on scraps it manages to find after the fish.

for it to thrive and not simply survive...it needs dedicated feeding by a dedicated owner

Agreed. Personally angelfish are one of my favorite fishes(fav. fish include: goldfish, angelfish(fresh, and salt), puffers, oscars, true catfish, piranhas, eels, and buenos aires tetras, oh and gambusias) but I wou ldnt even add em with an african dwarf frog. Because I know for a fact that angel fish may look graceful but angels are fairly aggressive(They are a cichlid after all). Just because it may be doing well at this present time, doesnt mean the angel will never throw a fit and devour them whole. Ived seen angels attack other fish. Also angels have very specific needs to thrive in a tank. They need a C02 diffuser, they need a high temp of 82, soft and acidic water. They need the tank to be fully planted, need to be in sexed pairs, and many other complicated stuff. Just because the fish is alive, doesnt mean its at its prime. Its why I was carefully thinking what would be able to be mixed and what not could. Ived been going to many online fish forums just to figure out what will go with an african dwarf frog. Guppies can do well with or without a bit of salt in their tanks(they prefer some salt though), african frogs(claweds and dwarfs) can both tolerate to an extent of salinity. Both like hard alkaline waters. Guppies are gregarious, and peacefull and nature ALTHOUGH they may chase around other fish(for fun) but wont harm them physically. They live up to 2-3 years around so, breed like rabbits(provides a snack for the dwarfs) and are fairly clean and pretty to look at. African dwarfs, are also pretty clean to keep(that is if you're doing the right job). Shrimps are bottom dweallers, but they dont pose any threat. Bettas are known to get along with the dwarves(ived seen it with my eyes, multiple times).

But I still wanted to make sure that its an okay idea.

[1buscemi]

Hello everyone, I have an issue and I would like to know what you all think. I have 2 African Dwarf Frogs and they are currently in a 2 gallon tank. From the research I have done, the water is supposed to be at least 70 degrees. I know for a fact the water they are in now is not that warm. What do I do?? Do I need to buy a tank water heater??

Please help, it is visible that they are cold, they wont move at all and they will not eat. They haven't eaten in almost 2 weeks, I don't think its the food because they have eaten it previously.

[1buscemi]

is it ok to use a submersible water heater with ADF's?? is it dangerous to have the heater in the tank with the frogs??? can the frogs get hurt from it (i.e die)?

[Jenste]

Heaters are absolutely fine and you should buy one immediately.

You should also up grade to a 5+ gallon..
this helps keep the water more stable.
their temp should also be slightly higher than 70* to keep them healthy.


Do you filter the tank?
How often do you change the water?
Do you treat the water before adding it?
What are you feeding them and how often?

[Jenste]

Just want to verify ....does your frog has webbing between the fingers on their front hands and back feet or just webbing on the back feet?

[1buscemi]

Thank you so much for responding. There is webbing on all of the feet. The tank is freshwater tank so I only change the water and clean the tank 1x/mo. When I got them they were in a much smaller tank with only a rock and a plant. They were very cramped that's why I upgraded to0 the tank I have now. The tank did not come with a filter so I am not using one now. The water is fresh so there is no treating it. When I got them they gave me food pellets. They didn't like them so I got them bloodworms and they liked them for a while, now they won't eat at all!!

[1buscemi]

they kind of just stay either at the bottom of the tank or under their plant. I dont even see them come up to breathe anymore...

[Jenste]

Thank you so much for responding. There is webbing on all of the feet. The tank is freshwater tank so I only change the water and clean the tank 1x/mo. When I got them they were in a much smaller tank with only a rock and a plant. They were very cramped that's why I upgraded to0 the tank I have now. The tank did not come with a filter so I am not using one now. The water is fresh so there is no treating it. When I got them they gave me food pellets. They didn't like them so I got them bloodworms and they liked them for a while, now they won't eat at all!!

ok here are a few problems :

with no filter and such a small tank - changing the water only once a month means you are leaving them in high levels of ammonia (frog waste) for a LONG period of time and this is very very bad for them!

for a small tank like yours, with out a filter, you should be either doing a daily small water change or a 100% water change every 5-7 days. (Think - fresh water animals liked "FRESH" water )
Once a month is no where near sufficient. Ammonia literally burns their skin and will eventually cause Red leg - an fatal disease caused by poor water quality.
you should also be treating your water - yes even "fresh water" because tap water has chemicals in it. you need a dechlorinator at the very least.



Food - - bloodworms should be fed only as a treat (once a week or so)
As soon as possible - pick up either HBH frog and tadpole bites or Reptomin sticks (these float and need to be broken up for the frog to eat)



In summary - - change their diet, clean their water more frequently, treat their water, get a heater and consider an upgrade.

Larger quantities of water are more stable which helps prevent illness.

[Jenste]

In all honesty, I am not 100% these frogs will make it. Unfortunately when you purchased them, you were not told how to properly care for them (Something the pet stores are known for being neglectful about)

You bought them in a new gimmick item - a tiny "habitat" which is about 2-3 cups of water at best.

With a heater, better water quality, and a more nutritional diet you may see a HUGE improvement in them.

If unfortunately the changes have come too late, I would not be discouraged from keeping them again. You are on the right track now to learning how to properly keep them and if the changes are made you will know that you have done all you can do

[1buscemi]

thank you so much!! this really helps. they were fine for a long time, and then they just came to a halt. I am definitely going to make these changes. Thank you again :-)

[Jenste]

no problem!!! I hope your little guys pull through!!! Please keep me updated

[1buscemi]

well now I am going out now to get the right products.