FrogmanGav has some questions (new member)

[FrogmanGav]

Hello folks. Im a new member to this but intend to use it to improve the living conditions of my 2 Albino clawed frogs which i have had,since they were very small for nearly 2 years now. I know you may not think these are the best pets but i think my 2 are superb pets.

My 2 frogs 'Claude' (female) and 'Giblet' (male) are housed in a 30(length)X14 (height)X12 (depth)tank with nothing else so a good start for me would be

'WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD COMMUNITY FOR THE FROGS??'

I feed by frogs every 2 days with reptomin, and every 5 days or so they get a big fat juicy earthworm each which they eat very eagerly, which is very amusing to watch

'IS THIS A HEALTHY DIET FOR MY FROGS?'


and my final question is

'WHAT CONSIDERATIONS TO I NEED TO TAKE TOWARDS WATER CHEMISTRY'


My frogs seem healthy enough as I do a 20% water change every 3 days and i go for a full 100% water change every month or so. I always dechlorinate the water with Nutrafin Aqua plus when adding new water as well.


Any help on any of the topics i have asked about will be greatly appreciated.

Im sure i have come to the right place, Thanks. Gav


Il upload pictures at some later date and we can talk frogs!!

[Viv]

Do a 10% water change every week. You are fine with the 100% change at the end of them month. You could also feed them blackworms and blood worms with the reptomin and the worm every five days. You want to vary the diet though.

[adawinters]

My frogs seem healthy enough as I do a 20% water change every 3 days and i go for a full 100% water change every month or so. I always dechlorinate the water with Nutrafin Aqua plus when adding new water as well.

The 20% water changes sound great. I would not do a 100% water change, since this may be a shock for them, and/or upset the nitrogen cycle (although that's less likely since you're using a dechlorinator.)

Do you have a filter on the tank? If so, a weekly change of 25-40% should be fine, or you could change less water more frequently. Smaller changes in temp and water chemistry will be easier for your frogs to adjust to.

Can't wait to see pictures.

[tgampper]

Hi Gav!

Welcome to Frog Forum. I really love clawed frogs and been keeping them for over 30 years. I currently have 4 Xenopus and 2 Pipa. I do 100% water changes once a week. It is critical that when you do the water changes the temperature should not vary by more than 5 degrees (F). Also, the water should be conditioned, I have been using Stress-Coat without any problems, but any good quality conditioner will do. To help protect your frogs from bacterial infections, I recommend regularly using a pro-biotic called Lymnozyme. I have not had any infections for several years.

If properly cared for, these frogs will live at least 12 years. I have one that is over 20 years old. I do not use any filtration system, heater or light. They will thrive on "room temperatures" of between 65-72 (F). Of course, my Surinam toads are kept differently. The clawed frogs are kept in pairs in a 10-gallon tank.

Water chemistry is important, but these frogs have adapted to live in extreme conditions. The most common diseases are red-leg and bloating. both can be fatal if not treated quickly. I think using Lymnozyme and paying close attention to water quality can prevent these problems.

I feed my frogs Tetra's Repto-Min exclusively. It seems to provide all the nutrients they need without introducing any parasites or diseases that come from live food. Clawed frogs are one of the few species that are both scavengers and predators.

There are many people on the forum who keep clawed frogs and I am sure that each one keeps them differently. I am just sharing what has worked for me. Good luck with your frogs and I know you made the right choice

[FrogmanGav]

Thanks very much for the info!

I am running a filter but only a small one at the moment because I don't really think the frogs need a crazy amount of filtration in their tank as I keep the water conditions fairly clean by frequent water changes.

I always make sure that when i do the 100% water change that the water has had time to adjust and to heat up, I am running a heater which is currently at 16 degrees, 60F but im thinking that this may not be entirely necessary as its just to prevent the temperature dropping during the cold nights.

I will keep an eye out for the lymnozyme you were mentioning as i know how messy these guys are and a bacterial infection would be a disaster.

Please keep the good info coming, its priceless, cheers. Gav