Why write a FAQ about African Dwarf frogs?
There is very little information available on
the net about these delightful little creatures and some of what is there, is
inaccurate. The information in this FAQ has been gathered from my own personal
experience and from other frog keepers, who have generously provided details
from their own experience. A special thanks goes out to ~deb and Christine for
sharing their frog-keeping skills! Armed with good knowledge, you will
find that African Dwarf Frogs can be easy to care for and if you keep them healthy,
they will reward you with hours of fun, laughter and utter amazement!
What is an African Dwarf Frog (ADF)?
The African Dwarf Frog (ADF) is a small, fully
aquatic frog that needs to live 100% of its lifetime in water. They are not
amphibious like most other frogs that spend part of their time on land and therefore
ADFs have no eyelids!
The African Dwarf Frog belongs to the family Pipidae (tongueless) and are either Hymenochirus boettgeri or Hymenochirus curtipes. There is apparently very little difference between these two types and likely the only ones who really know are the frogs themselves. ;) An ADF is categorized as Hymenchirus because the Latin translation of “hymen” is membrane and “chirus” is hand and the ADF has webbing between the toes of his hands (forefeet). It is very likely that the frogs that you will find in the fish stores are now a hybrid of H. boettgeri and H. curtipes as most suppliers are located in North America now.
What does an African Dwarf Frog look like?
This aquatic frog grows to an SVL of 1”-1.5”,
that is, a snout to vent (nose to butt) length of 1-1.5” at full adult
size. When sizing a frog, the legs aren’t counted.
An ADF’s coloration ranges from various shades of grays or browns, while some appear more reddish brown, with little black and white spots on their backs, arms and legs. No matter what shade an ADF is, they all have a light whitish coloring on the front of their bodies, though you might see shades of pink along the frontal areas of their limbs and body areas.
An ADF is covered with little bumps and its' back also has black and white spots. They have 3 black toenails on their large hind flippers (hindfeet). The much smaller front flippers (forefeet) are webbed between the toes, hence their name Hymenchirus (Latin translation of “hymen” is membrane and “chirus” is hand).
ADFs grow to about 1-1.5” in snout to vent
(nose to butt) length (SVL) at full adulthood. When measuring frogs, don’t
include the leg length. Females will often be larger than the males both in
length and girth. It always amazes me how something this tiny can be so delightful
and entertaining.
How can I tell if I have an African Dwarf Frog or an African Clawed Frog?
The easiest way to determine if you have an African Dwarf Frog or an African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) is to check the front flippers. The African Clawed Frog (ACF) has no webbing on its forefeet (hands) and this gives their toes their “clawed” appearance. It is very difficult to tell the difference between the ADF and ACF when they are very young, before the ACF grows into its’ adult size, which is much larger than the ADF. The best way is to check the front flippers (forefeet) because the ADF has webbing between the “fingers” while the ACF has no webbing and the forefeet look like “claws”. At adult size, the ADF has a snout to vent (nose to butt) length of 1-1.5”, while the ACF grows to 3-5”. If you find an aquatic frog that is albino, then it is an ACF. Very rarely are ADFs albino, but there are numerous albino ACFs available.
How do I tell what sex my ADF is?
It's very difficult to determine the sex of a
young ADF. Females are normally larger and more rotund than males in all aspects.
The female vent (cloaxa), where the tail once was as a tad, becomes more pronounced
and more extended than a male at maturity. Males show a small whitish bump on
their sides under their forelimbs (arms) that often resembles a pimple, but
these might not show until they are adults and are developing a readiness to
reproduce. Females sometimes have these white bumps but they are flat and not
nearly as pronounced as those of the adult male. It's really difficult to be
able to see these differences at the fish store, so often, you will get the
luck of the draw on your purchase, especially when purchasing young frogs. Finally,
to dispel one myth, ADFs do not change their gender or sex if you have a tank
full of only one gender.
How does an ADF reproduce or why are my frogs hugging?! ;)
ADFs reproduce by the female releasing eggs and
the male fertilizing them during mating (amplexus). Amplexus is the action by
which the male grabs the female from behind, holding her by his arms around
her lower mid-section and it looks as if he is hugging her. On occasion, males
will even “hug” another male or even try to replace or dislodge
a male already amplecting with a female. They are very indiscreet in these
activities as Mother Natures directs them to do what comes naturally and don’t
care who’s watching! :)
ADFs can amplect for many hours and the female will carry the male around on her back throughout, surfacing often, flipping both of them upside down to deposit one or more eggs, which the male fertilizes. She then dives down again and the process continues. One pair of my frogs was amplecting for at least 27 hours but it usually doesn’t last this long. The eggs are smaller than a pin-head, white on one side, brown on the other. Eggs are created in a sausage-like membrane, surrounded by a sticky gel resembling a string of pearls when any length is seen. The female will usually deposit one or a small group of them at a time.
One of my females often has a little string of eggs left trailing after a big night out with the boys and the other female will follow her in an effort to eat them. One morning, the end of this little trail caught on a plant or rock and a string of eggs was pulled out of her as she moved away approximately 9" long by the time the other female managed to break it and gobble them up. This picture shows about 4" of the string…
I've never stopped to count the eggs I find in my tank some mornings. I know they've all been busy eating them as they find them but some days I find approximately 100 or so floating on the water surface and clinging to the plants, decorations and scattered around the rocks. Some of these are single and sometimes there's a small group of them. If they were not fertilized, they will quickly grow fungus on them.
Why does my frog swim really fast to the water’s surface & take a gulp?
ADFs breathe atmospheric air, so on occasion,
you will see them swim quickly to the water’s surface and take a breath
of air. Always leave a space of air between the lid on the tank and the water’s
surface, so that they have plenty of air to breathe. If they cannot get to the
air at the water’s surface, they will drown. ADFs come up for air at least
every two hours and when they do so, they’re faster than a speeding bullet!
They blow a bubble, grab another breath of air and head for the bottom, nose
down, at the same speed Crash landings are a daily occurrence!
How big should my frogs home be?
Adult ADFs thrive when living in 2.5 –
3 gallons of water for each adult frog. They can survive in less, for example
one frog in a one gallon bowl, however it won’t have the room to use those
flippers for anything but tap-dancing! They love to swim and need the water
and space to do so… you will have a healthier ADF if it is allowed to
swim. It is a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to watch your frog go for a
leisurely swim around its’ home.
The 3-gallon Eclipse is great tank to choose for your frog. The 3-gal Eclipse System, though a little pricey, has a very good filtration system and has a 6-watt fluorescent bulb, which is ample lighting to grow a number of low-light requiring plants.
As ADFs need to surface for air regularly, the typical height that a tank should be is about 12”, though ADFs can easily navigate a tank with a height of 18” maximally.
What should I put on the bottom of my frogs' tank/bowl?
The best substrate (bottom) materials for your
frogs are rocks or large pieces of smooth gravel that are big enough that they
can’t be swallowed. If an ADF does swallow one, the piece of gravel
may block their intestinal system, being too large to pass through and this
will result in death. Frogs eat by sucking in a mouthful of what they think
is food and can inadvertently take in a smaller rock or piece of gravel that
can block their digestive track. Sometimes, pieces of gravel can be small
enough to pass through the intestinal system but this is very risky for the
frog. Even though grains of sand are small enough to pass through their intestinal
systems and some frog keepers swear by sand, I personally don’t recommend
using it because I want to avoid adding inorganic matter as part of my ADF’s
diet.
Here is an ADF who accidentally sucked in a piece of gravel into his mouth...
Any rocks or pieces of gravel used should be rounded and smooth, without jagged edges, because the ADFs are bottom feeders and we want to avoid injury to them. Some frog-keepers have had problems when using marbles because they have moved too easily within the bowl/tank and ended up trapping their frog’s flipper, resulting in a drowning death.
Be sure to use only
aquarium safe decorations in your frog’s tank.
Should I put a plant in my frog’s home?
You can choose from plastic, silk or live plants,
when planning your frog’s house. Plants make a great addition to any tank!
Frogs love to have places to hide and can often be found resting under a plant,
which makes them feel secure. ADFs also enjoy a leaf at the top of the water
surface to hang on, sometimes miraculously only by a toenail, so that they can
float lazily at the top for a while… resting. In this position, they don’t
have far to go to gain a breath of air. They simply raise their heads, take
a breath and go back to resting. Sometimes, a leaf of a plant in the water will
cushion those “death-defying dives” to the bottom that the frogs
do after grabbing a quick breath, so they hit the leaf rather than the solid
bottom with their snouts!
In 1- and 2-gallon containers, which only receive indirect light and undergo 100% water changes, low light-requiring and hardy plants such as Java Fern makes for a great choice, if you want to go with live plants. They are particularly suited for frog bowls/tanks because they don't need to be rooted and will naturally sink, yet remain "free floating” or you can anchor the roots to a rock or other ornament in your frogs' tank to keep them on the bottom. They will tolerate 100% water changes and add that natural feeling to your frog's home. They have good-sized leaves for your frog to rest on or under.
The 3-gallon Eclipse is great tank to choose for your frog. The 3-gal Eclipse System, though a little pricey, has a very good filtration system and has a 6-watt fluorescent bulb, providing 2 watts per gallon, which is ample lighting to grow a number of low-light requiring plants. Choices of such easy-to-grow plants include Java Fern, Water Sprite, Pothos and Anubias nana. Try to choose a style of plant that isn’t too tangled, such as Java Moss, because some keepers have had drowning deaths of their frogs after they got entangled in the plant.
Many beautiful silk plants can be found at your local fish store. Only use silk plants made for aquarium use. Silk plants from craft stores are not designed for aquarium use and they may leach toxic dyes into the water and poison the frog.
If using plastic plants, be sure to only use ones, which have leaves with smooth, rounded edges and no pointed or sharp areas.
Does my frogs' home need a lid?
A lid is a definite must!
Frogs can and will escape if given any opportunity to do so. The most frequent cause of death of aquatic frogs is as a result of drying out from being out of water after a successful escape. Ensure you have a secure lid covering your frog’s bowl or tank. Also, be sure to plug up all holes, for example, the little hole in the back of the tank that the heater and filter cords come out through. You would be amazed at the tiny holes that they manage to escape through! Cover all holes with strong tape or stick little pieces of filter sponge in them.
Be sure to leave an air space between the surface of the water and the lid because ADFs breathe air and need to find some at the water’s surface. If you're stuck for a lid, you can always use plastic kitchen wrap with tiny air holes punched into it, secured with an elastic band.
What kind of water and water conditioner(s) should I use?
The most important thing that you can do for your ADF is to keep the water conditions within proper ranges. Failure to keep the water conditions within healthy ranges will cause illness and possibly death. Also, poor water quality may cause an undesirable odor.
There should never be measurable ammonia or nitrites and ideally, the nitrate level should be 10 or less, though up to 20 may be ok. The pH should read at whatever the normal is for your tap water. There are many reports that ADFs require a pH of 7 or more (i.e. alkaline water) but my own frogs have been very healthy and active in a pH of 6.5. As long as the pH measures within the 6.5-8.2 range, a frog will do well. It is not recommended that you alter the pH levels by adding commercial pH adjusting products because they often cause the pH to bounce around instead, causing your frog stress, possibly leading to illness.
It’s perfectly fine to use tap water in the vast majority of cases. Besides, it’s free and convenient! You will need to "condition" the water with water conditioning products, that can be bought from your local fish store, to remove toxic chlorine, chloramines, ammonia and heavy metals. We recommend conditioning your water with AmQuel and NovAqua.
AmQue®l is a water conditioner, which removes chloramines, chlorine and ammonia. While letting a bucket of water sit uncovered for 24 hours will allow chlorine to evaporate, it does not allow chloramines to evaporate. Chloramines can only be removed by using water conditioners specifically designed to do so. You can contact your local water supplier to find out if your tap water contains chloramines, to determine if you need to use AmQuel®.
NovAqua removes toxic chlorine and heavy metals. If your water supply does not contain chloramines, then you can just use NovAqua® alone. Even if my tap water didn't contain chloramines, I would still use AmQuel® with NovAqua® because of AmQuel's added benefit of taking care of toxic ammonia, which is critical, if you keep your frog in a small container, such as a one or two-gallon bowl. Toxic ammonia has been known to build up within 24-48 hours in ½ gallon containers with fish. AmQuel®, when used as a water conditioner to convert toxic ammonia to a non-toxic form is what allows us to keep the ammonia levels at zero in our smaller water containers between regular water changes.
Both AmQuel® and NovAqua® should be given at the rate of 10 drops each per gallon. Be sure to get a KH (carbonate hardness) reading on your water at your local fish store because if the KH is less than 4, using regular liquid AmQuel® may cause the pH to take a dangerous dive. If your KH is less than 4, then you should use either dry AmQuel with Buffers® in combination with NovAqua® or use Prime™ alone to prevent such pH crashes.
Stress Coat and AquaPlus are other very popular water conditioners used by aquarists. These products remove chloramines and chlorine but contain aloe vera and do not neutralize toxic ammonia. There are reports that the aloe can cause blockages in the gills of fish, leading to health problems, but the effects upon frogs is unknown.
Never use distilled water, as water in this form lacks the minerals, which are necessary for your frog to remain healthy. Likewise, do not use de-ionized or R.O. (reverse osmosis) water alone. It is fine to use some types of bottled water or spring water, but many undergo processes, which makes them unsuitable for aquariums. If the bottled or spring water that you wish to use has undergone any processing, then don't use it. Also, test the water for pH to be sure that it is within the range that is suitable, such as a pH of 6.5-8.2. In any event, bottled supplies of water are expensive and much less convenient than using water right out of your tap. Your local fish store’s pH is likely the same as whatever your local water supplier provides to your home, but always check with the fish store before bringing home any aquatic critters to determine if their pH is the same or different from yours, as this will dictate how you will need to get your new frogs used to (acclimatized to) your water.
What temperature should my frog’s water be and do I need a heater?
As tropical creatures, ADFs do best in water temperatures of 75–80ºF
(24-26.7ºC), though they may do well if kept in the range of 70-82ºF
(21-28ºC). From my own experience, I find that 77-78ºF (25-25.5ºC)
keeps them active and healthy. If temperatures are too low, this tends to make
ADFs less active and may lower the immune system, making them prone to serious
ailments ADFs have no natural ability to regulate their own body temperatures
and therefore rely upon the water temperature to maintain a healthy level for
them. They can handle mild natural or normal fluctuations in temperature however
radical changes or continuous ups and downs can create problems for them. It
is therefore important to maintain a steady temperature for them.
Be aware that the both container size and type of lighting can have an effect on the water temperature. In general, incandescent lighting will heat the water more than fluorescent lighting, especially in smaller tanks. However, compact fluorescent lighting can generate a lot of heat, even with fans in use. The smaller the tank is, the more likely it is to experience an increase in temperature from your lighting.
If your room temperature water is below 75ºF (24ºC) temperatures, then a heater is recommended. When doing water changes, unplug the heater about 15-20 minutes prior to removing any water, so that the glass of the heater won't shatter, if the cooler air hits it. Heaters are not recommended for small units of 2 gallons or less. Visi-Therm enjoys a good reputation with their 25-watt heater for smaller units. A 50-watt heater is too strong for smaller bowls and tanks.
Be sure to get a stick-on-the-outside (liquid crystal) thermometer to measure your frog’s water temperature. They are very accurate and inexpensive.
How do I change my frog’s water?
If you are keeping your frog in a 1 or 2-gallon
home, then you should be performing a 100% water change at least every week,
providing you are using a water conditioning product
to neutralize ammonia. If you are not using such a product, then more frequent
changes would be required. Any smaller container should be changed every other
day to keep ammonia under control and such a small home is not a healthy set-up
for a frog. Performing partial water changes by siphoning (drawing water slowly
out via a tube), can lead to a build-up of toxic ammonia over time. In any event,
you should condition your water with AmQuel® to neutralize any toxic ammonia
build-up between water changes.
When changing 100% of the water in 1 and 2-gal containers, one is not attempting to "cycle" these homes and all of the water can be changed and the substrate and plants can be rinsed off. Water changes for the 3-gal tanks and up are performed quite differently, though some do change 100% of the water in tanks sized 3-5gallons.
In the tanks 3-gallons and larger, you will cycle them safely and they will require partial water changes of about 25% every week with partial gravel vacuuming. If you use a heater in your frog's water, unplug it 15-20 minutes before performing the water change. This will allow the heater to cool down and prevent it from shattering should cooler air hit it.
Advocates of siphoning as a means of performing water changes for small containers claim that it is less stressful on its’ inhabitant. There are methods of removing your frog during water changes that are not particularly stressful if done properly. ADFs can easily be netted. Patience is the key to proper netting. Simply place the net behind your frog and gently coax him into it with your hand or a second net. When your hand or the second net simply gets near him, he will turn around and swim right into the net. I usually just hold the net in the water and wait for the frog to surface for air, slip the net under it and catch it on the downward dive very easily.
Whatever
temporary container you use to hold your frog during 100% water changes, ensure
that you cover it securely, as they will escape if possible and ADFs can be
really quick! Remember to allow for air exchange above the water line and your
cover.
When performing a 100% water change, some sit on the floor as frogs can escape
really fast and have been known to jump right down the drain of the sink or
take a fall to the counter or even worse, to the floor. If you do work with
your ADF at the counter near the sink, then screen the drain to prevent any
such loss and cover the counter and floor with soft towels to provide softer
landings for those unexpected emergency situations. Even though you think that
you have it all planned out, always be prepared for the unexpected! These little
critters are so fast that you won’t be able to keep up in any sort of
race for freedom with them, so plan ahead for these situations.
1. Dip about one cup of water out of his home
and put him in a never-seen-soap container (e.g. new Tupperware bowl with lid).
Soaps, cleaning agents and chemicals are very poisonous, so never use any equipment
that has come into contact with these.
2. Note the temperature of the water from the stick-on-the-outside thermometer.
3. Transfer your frog from its' home using one of the methods above and place
it in the temporary container that now contains some of the "old"
water.
4. Put the lid on top of the temporary bowl to prevent escape. Be sure that
you leave a good layer of air between the water's surface and the lid, so that
he can breathe. If he is agitated, wrap a dark cloth around the container temporarily
to keep him calm, again leaving room for air circulation.
5. Remove the plants and decorations.
6. Empty all the water out of the bowl, while emptying your substrate (rocks,
etc.) into a never-seen-soap strainer.
7. Rinse the bowl both inside and out with very warm water and wipe dry with
a paper towel.
8. Rinse your substrate off in the strainer with very warm water.
9. Plastic or silk plants and decorations can also be rinsed off at this time.
10. Rebuild his home by replacing the substrate, plants, etc.
11. Add tap water back to his home, which is the same temperature as you made
note of in #2. Use your stick-on-the-outside thermometer to determine that you
have reached the same temperature. You can dedicate a brand new, never-seen-soap,
bucket with water in it and let it sit out for 24 hours before the water change.
This water will be room temperature, which would be the same temperature as
his old water was (providing that you are not using a heater). Alternatively,
you can adjust your tap water’s temp to meet your needs. Still remember
to check the temp on the thermometer after pouring in the water from the bucket
to be sure that it is the same temperature as his old water was.
12. Condition the water with proper water conditioners
for your particular water supply, such as AmQuel® and NovAqua®. When
using AmQuel® and NovAqua® as water conditioners, after shaking the
bottles well, add 10 drops of each per gallon of water.
13. You can immediately put your frog back into its' home by either using the
net, cup or you can gently pour him back in from its' temporary container.
14. Put the lid back on, plug any holes and you're set!
It depends upon whether you will be keeping your
frog in a cycled tank, performing regular partial water changes instead of performing
regular 100% water changes. Providing that you are willing to learn about the
cycling process, keeping your frog in a cycled tank, performing partial water
changes, will be healthier for them.
If you are planning to do 100% water changes, which you will need to do in homes sized 1-2 gallons, there's no need for a filter. Be sure to siphon out any uneaten foods regularly between water changes to keep it from fouling the water quality. An inexpensive new turkey baster that's never had soap used on it, works well for removing uneaten pieces of food and frog waste. What goes in, must come out and you’d be surprised at the amount of that!
In filtered units, if you can, the filter outflow should be set at the lowest possible setting, so that little flippers don't get sucked into the intake tube. This is generally not a problem for a healthy adult ADF but for juveniles (those ADFs under one inch), the current created by the water going up the intake tube may be strong enough to hold the frog helpless, unable to surface for necessary and life giving air. If your filter or system does not allow for adjustments in water flow, then it is suggested that a net, nylon stocking (devoid of soap!) or filter sponge be placed over the intake tube and this will reduce flow through the filter. An Aquaclear filter sponge works well for this as long as there is plenty of room between the sponge and tank wall, so that the frog cannot become trapped and unable to surface for air. If you do cover your intake tube with something, be sure to clean it regularly because it builds up quickly with waste matter.
What do I need to know about using decorations in my frog's tank/bowl?
Always be sure that any decorations that you
obtain for your frog’s home are designated for aquarium use only. Ceramics
and other objects, such as silk plants from a craft store or metallic things
may contain toxins and/or dyes that will leach into the water and poison your
frog.
Many of the aquarium decorations are fine for ADFs but be sure that you check them for hollow spaces, which could trap your frog. ADFs have difficulty moving backwards, so if you purchase any decorations that have such hollow spaces, be sure to fill them up with filter sponge to block access and avoid any possible trapping of your frog inside and drowning.
If you plan on using terra cotta, slate, or natural rocks or wood, again, ensure that these are for aquarium use. There have been reports of some of these altering the water conditions, that is, specifically causing changes in the pH level, which could cause serious problems. It would be safest to test these items before adding them to your frogs' home by setting them in some treated water for a few days prior to use. Do regular water tests throughout to see if there are major changes… so, measure pH before adding the item to the test water and then daily so for about 7 days. It's not recommended that you use any shells, rocks, bog or driftwood that you've found in nature as these could harbor unwanted bacteria and again, may alter the water conditions. Shells tend to increase pH, while driftwood tends to lower pH.
If you do decide to use rocks, then test them first by putting a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice on the rock. If you see a bubbling reaction, this indicates that calcium carbonate (found in marble and limestone) and/or metals are present, which will cause an increase in the pH levels of the water as the rocks breakdown and leach minerals into the water.
Where should I place my frog's tank/bowl?
Deciding where to locate your frogs in your home
depends upon a number of things. ADFs have no ability to regulate their own
body temperature, so their body temperature is maintained from the water that
they live in. Don’t locate them in direct sunlight, as this will heat
up the water, possibly killing them or, at the very least, this fluctuation
in temperature, may leave them more open to disease. Likewise, you don’t
want to locate them near a heat vent or window. Don’t locate bowls or
tanks on any electrical devices like a television or PC as this will cause the
water to heat up and the sound vibrations may cause additional stress to them.
They enjoy a certain amount of shade throughout the day while they rest so indirect
sunlight is preferred.
In deciding where to locate them in your home, keep in mind that ADFs are most active in the evenings and later part of the night. If you want to enjoy watching their delightful antics, then have them near where you spend a lot of your evening time. Don’t locate a tank or bowl in high traffic area where the base or support or tank can be easily bumped or the bowl or tank might possibly be tipped over. If you do have a tank set up with filter, lights and heater, consider where the necessary electrical outlets are.
ADFs are fine on their own and will live long,
happy, solitary lives given the right environmental conditions. We tend to transfer
our human emotions to our pets (and I personally wouldn’t have it any
other way!), but on their own, there’s no competition for food or a real
requirement for company. On the other hand, they also do well in most community
tanks. Be aware though, that if your ADF can fit in the mouth of any of his
tankmates, then he’ll end up as lunch!!
From personal experience, the interaction between two or more frogs can be very entertaining for the keeper. As young frogs, you may see them in a pile in a corner but that's only as a result of one trying to hide under another with the strong instinct for survival. As they mature, they develop individual quirks in hunting for food and finding the needs for their own comfort and safety resulting in them developing their own special little personalities, which you will recognize and enjoy!
Who are suitable tankmates for my frog?
Tankmate decisions are determined by a number
of factors.
First, your tank size and whether or not you house your ADF in a filtered tank set up or are performing 100% water changes with a smaller unit will dictate what tankmates are suitable. The needs of the potential tankmates must be considered. Most tropical fish cannot handle 100% regular water changes and must be kept in larger filtered tanks. The general rule of thumb in aquariums is to have at least 1 gallon of water for each inch of slender, adult fish or frog. When measuring fish, do so from nose to base of tail with no fins or tails counted and with frogs, one measures from snout to vent, that is, from nose to butt, but don’t include the legs. Also, as ADFs need to surface for air regularly, it's recommended that the height of the tank be no more than 18", especially for young frogs.
If your ADF can fit into the mouth of any tankmate, then this tankmate is not suitable… your ADF will become a tasty snack! The same holds true when keeping both ADFs and ACFs together. The ACF quickly outgrows the ADF and without a doubt will consider African Dwarf Frog legs a delicacy to place on their dinner menu!
Keep in mind the feeding needs of your tank's inhabitants. ADFs feed by hunting the bottom for their food and take their time about it. If you have tankmates that will quickly devour all the food, your frogs might starve to death unless you create a special feeding area for them like a jar that your other fish cannot enter but your frogs can get in and out of. Sometimes, frogs need to be handfed, if the tankmates get wise to all your feeding tricks.
Another consideration with keeping other fish with your frogs is that if you have a breeding pair of ADFs, there will be a lot of eggs and your other fish as well as your frogs will feed on them. Unless there are many other fish in the community, they may die from over-eating the frog eggs. I speak from experience in this regard as I had a top feeder tankmate in my ADF tank, that literally ate itself to death before I realized that it was eating all of the frog eggs that two pair of mating ADFs could create.
Suitable tankmates should include peaceful fish that prefer the middle or top areas of the tank. This allows the frogs to forage the bottom area. From my own experience, ghost shrimp and otocinclus (oto cats) do a great job of tank clean up and their movements often cause the frogs to be curious about them.
If you plan on keeping a betta with your ADF, have plan B ready to house one or the other in a different tank or bowl. Bettas are often great companions for ADFs but on occasion, some bettas need to live alone because they can attack or cause an ADF stress. I have to admit though that I once heard about a very unhappy betta swimming around with an ADF latched onto his tail…another “Kodak Moment” missed!
Remember that anything smaller than an ADF might be eaten by him and anything with a mouth big enough to fit an ADF in it, might just end up eating your frog!
What, how much and how often should I feed my frog?
ADFs are carnivores (meat eaters), so frozen
or live worms are a great choice for a regular dietary source to meet their
needs. Frog & Tadpole Bites, which are specially made for ADFs as a soft
food of combined anchovy meal, krill meal, squid and various other additives,
is another food option. Your frogs will be healthier, the more that you can
vary their diet. Do not feed any freeze-dried or dry/hard pelleted foods. These
can cause an intestinal blockage and may result in death!
Frozen bloodworms can be purchased from most fish stores. When using frozen bloodworms, thaw them in a little of the tank water and feed only the most juicy, red and plump ones, discarding any of the off colored ones. Conversely, they may be thawed in tap water but you must condition it to remove chlorine and/or chloramines. Do not keep thawed worms, even overnight, as they spoil quickly and this can cause serious health problems and even death. In an attempt not to be too wasteful, shave off the proper amount of worms that you need from the frozen cube and thaw only that amount for your frogs. Likewise, if there are bloodworms leftover, your other fish will enjoy eating them as well.
Frozen brine shrimp is another good source of food for your frogs and again if you use frozen brine shrimp, rinse them in some tank water and use only the pink healthy looking ones. They make a great treat for your frogs but can quickly foul the water, so be stingy about feeding them and remove any uneaten shrimp with a turkey baster. I usually only feed shrimp the evening before a water change is due. That way, the water doesn't have a chance to become fouled.
Blackworms make a good choice if feeding live foods. Tubifex worms, normally bred and raised in fouled water, have the reputation of carrying organisms, which cause disease, so buyer beware, even if using the frozen and dried products.
If you feed your frogs live larvae from a home source (e.g. mosquito larvae from a rain barrel) ensure that it hasn't been treated or sprayed with any chemicals prior to feeding your frogs. The same holds true of any earthworms or other live foods that you may wish to take from outside your home and feed to your frogs. I personally would avoid this because you can never be sure if these live foods have come into contact with something that may be poisonous or may cause disease in your frogs.
Other foods available are beef-heart and liver. Liver has been implicated as a cause of Vitamin A toxicity as well as other diseases found in amphibians. For this reason, I do not recommend that you feed liver to your frogs. Likewise, beef-heart has a very high fatty content and should only be fed on occasion.
Frogs should be fed once every day, though you can safely feed adults once every other day on occasion. Juveniles (frogs smaller than one inch), who are still growing, should be fed daily.
When feeding your frog, feed only enough to
see their tummies bulge a little bit. The tummy is located in the middle left
side of the underbelly of an ADF. Overfeeding them is unhealthy, so adjust the
amount that you feed to the size of your frog and it's tummy bulge.
Your frogs' vision is limited and it relies on its’ sense of smell to
find food. An ADF hunts with its’ snout down into the bottom areas of
its’ home. An ADF attacks and sucks in a mouthful of food, bouncing back
a bit each time they make an effort. I have seen my frogs take a worm, that
is folded in half or too large to be swallowed during the first attempt in its'
mouth, spit it almost all the way out, take it back in again and do this over
and over, using their front flippers to help work the worm into position before
finally swallowing it. It's like watching a little toothless old man, gumming
his food! These frogs have to resort to such matters when eating because they
do not possess a tongue (hence the Family name Pipidae). In my experience, my
females are the avid hunters and continue to forage long after the food seems
to be gone in hopes of just one more morsel, while the males seem to know when
they’ve had enough and lose interest in the hunt. It's not unusual to
see one of my females, head down in the rocks digging out some tasty tidbit.
No, but their eyesight is incredibly poor! ADFs
have no eyelids, so it's difficult to determine if they are awake or in that
resting mode as they always seem to have that look of total surprise on their
faces. Never try to out-stare an ADF! ;)
ADFs don't seem to see anything very close to them. Movements that are approximately 2-3" or more away from their eyes will be seen by them and if they think it's edible, they will strike very quickly to try to eat it. You can drape a dinner of a big juicy bloodworm over your frog’s head with it hanging right in front of his eyes and he won't see it at all! But, just wiggle the worm about 2-3" out in front and a little to the side of his face and he will grab it and eat it before you can blink!
If your frog's eyes become cloudy or milky, please check your water conditions (especially ammonia and nitrite levels), perform any necessary water changes and post a message in the Emergency Forum for specific assistance.
How do I know if I’m getting a healthy frog?
First thing to do when buying any aquatic creature
is to check out the fish store itself. Are the tanks clean? Does their stock
look healthy? Are there dead fish floating in the tanks? What is the store's
return policy? I don’t personally recommend that you support fish, pet
and department stores that don't take proper care of their stock or offer refunds.
Choosing a frog from a tank at the fish store isn't always the easiest thing to accomplish because they are great at hiding behind the heater, among plants or other things in the water. Be prepared to spend a little time watching them, so that you can tell which ones are active and healthy and take special notice for any abnormalities. When shopping during the day, remember that ADFs are nocturnal, so they naturally rest and are less active during the day, so don’t confuse this with a frog that is inactive from being unhealthy. A healthy frog will scamper away when he is being netted.
Your best strategy then is to obtain the most active ADFs, the ones that might be difficult to catch and that are moving around the tank. When watching them, you might see them quickly make a rush to the surface for a bubble of air and then dive like mad for cover again. Their eyes should be clear and not cloudy. Healthy ADF's have a pinkish tone to their frontal areas and extremities.
If a frog is really skinny in comparison to others, it might be diseased and should be passed over. It is normal for young frogs not to be as round and rolly-polly as adults. If you find an ill ADF or one suspected of disease in the tank, you really shouldn’t purchase any frogs from this tank because when disease effects one frog in a tank, the others may also be infected. If a frog appears sick and listless and/or doesn't try to get away from the net as he’s being caught, you shouldn't choose him, no matter how sorry you feel for him. Curing sick ADFs is a very difficult thing to do, so only pick a healthy one. Don't be afraid to say “no” to the choice that the person at the fish store makes as they are just trying to catch any frog they can. If the frog was caught too easily without a little bit of a chase, there may be problems with him because they can, do and should move very fast away from any threat made to them.
Find out what the pH level is of your fish store’s water to determine if you need to allow for any gradual adjustments when you get your frog home to your tap water.
At the first sign of any problem, check your
water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature) and perform
any urgent water changes that are required. If you do not have water testing
equipment at home, take a sample of your frog’s water to your local fish
store and ask them to test it. This will most often be done for free. Be sure
to ask for the exact numbers of the readings rather than “It’s fine!”,
so you can determine if they need to be acted upon and so that you can properly
report them when asking for on-line assistance.
A frog that is not eating may be sick. Check for any visible signs or differences in your frog's coloring or eyes. It is normal for ADFs to have a pinkish tinge to their extremities but redness in their limbs or belly area is a cause for concern, as are cloudy eyes. If this is the case, and/or you need some assistance with your frog, post your problem, in the Flippers ‘n’ Fins’ Emergency Room, using the questionnaire at the top of the forum as a guide.
Your frog may not be eating if you are trying to feed him improper foods. ADFs are carnivores and prefer meaty worms, larvae or shrimp and even Frog & Tadpole Bites by foraging the bottom for their food. They don't eat flakes or shouldn’t eat most other fish foods.
If your frog is in a community set up with fish and other tankmates, it could be that the others are quickly eating all the food before your frog has any opportunity to hunt for it. If there is aggression from any of these tankmates, your frog will likely be hiding most of the time and especially at mealtime, when the aggressive fish will naturally be at their most fierce, trying to get all of the food.
If other fish are scarfing up your frog’s food, then set up a specialized feeding area and regular feeding time for your frog as well as a different area within the tank to feed the tankmates. Everyone will quickly catch on to this. Even so, there may be some that won’t play by the rules and will continue to prefer to steal the frog’s food. Then, you can put your frog's food into a small jar on the bottom that the fish can't get into but one that has enough room for your frog to turn around in and exit, as they don't move backwards very easily. Another method is to drop the food for your frog through a tube so it gets placed directly on the bottom and in front of your frogs and this allows them to get to the food quickly. The last resort, is to hand-feed your frogs, which is actually very simple to do. Some use a pair of new tweezers (preferably with rounded corners) and pick up a juicy bloodworm and hold it about 1-2 inches in front of your frog, wiggle it and when he strikes at it, let go of the worm with the tweezers and he’ll swallow the worm. When I hand-feed mine, I use one of the plastic water test kit suction droppers, an eyedropper will work too, to suck up frozen bloodworms or shrimp. I drain them first and hold the tip near the frog with worms just at the bottom of the tube and the frog will eventually lunge for the worm. I've seen them take in 3 or 4 but they usually spit out all but one and then hunt the rest once they get a taste for it. Getting into the habit of hand-feeding isn't recommended if you aren't going to be available to do so regularly or plan to go on vacations or business trips. An important note in hand-feeding is to ensure you have no chemicals on your hands at all. Soap residue, hand lotion, perfume or anything of that nature, can poison your frogs and fish. I scrub my hands in hot water with a brush both before and after my hands have been in the tank for any reason.
I've noticed when my 2 males and 2 females were younger and not filled out yet, they would all eat well and all four would hunt the bottom for any leftovers. Now that they've matured, the females still hunt continuously and have no idea of when to stop eating. The males however only seem to be interested in food only every other day and are much slower hunters than the females and therefore find very little left for them once the females have made a sweep of the tank bottom. If I haven’t seen my male ADFs eating in a couple of days or when I am trying to control the intake of food for my over weight female, I will hand-feed my frogs for a week or two.
There are a few reasons why your frog might be
fat. You might have a rotund female who is a great hunter and is over-eating.
One of my females gets more than her fair share of the food and is almost twice
the size of one of my males! Keeping her on a diet has been difficult with 4
of them hunting, as she's a faster and better hunter than the rest. Females
are usually larger than males but as with any other living being, being overweight
is not a healthy thing.
An overweight ADF looks like the following…
This is the same frog after proper control
of her diet… 
If your frog is severely bloated it could be from either intestinal blockage or from dropsy. These two pictures of dropsy in an ADF (Dropsy pic #1, Dropsy pic #2) show how swollen the frog’s belly and the entire body in general get.
Dropsy
is due to kidney failure and often from poor water conditions with a subsequent
bacterial infection. At this point, there is no specific treatment. Even antibiotics
are unlikely to help a frog with dropsy. Do check your frog’s water parameters
(pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature) and perform any urgent water
changes that are required. If you do not have water testing equipment at home,
take a sample of your frog’s water to your local fish store and ask them
to test it. This will most often be done for free. Be sure to ask for the exact
numbers of the readings rather than “It’s fine!”, so you can
determine if they need to be acted upon and so that you can properly report
them when asking for on-line assistance.
If your ADF has an intestinal blockage, then either nature will undo it or it
won't. Fasting is the best treatment for constipation. Feeding freeze-dried
or dry-pelleted foods can cause blockages of a frog’s intestinal tract,
so never feed these types of foods to your frog.
If you have a concern about the size of your frog, please post your problem in the Flippers ‘n’ Fins’ Emergency Room or ADF Forum.
Why is my frog floating all the time?
It is quite normal for a frog to float for some
periods of time, resting on the water’s surface, just being too lazy to
make the trip for air from the bottom of the tank. What a life, eh? ;) This
way they only need to stick their nose quickly out of the water to grab a breath
of fresh air. You'll often see them at the surface with all four arms and legs
spread out, perhaps hanging onto a leaf or anything else at the top even by
just by a toenail and sometimes they are just free floating.
If your frog is floating continuously, then he may be sick. A very gentle nudge, will either wake up your healthy frog from his Zen state or if he does not flee, then he is ill. Likewise, a frog that stops eating is ill.
The first thing to do is to check your water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature) and perform any urgent water changes that are required. If you do not have water testing equipment at home, take a sample of your frog’s water to your local fish store and ask them to test it. This will most often be done for free. Be sure to ask for the exact numbers of the readings rather than “It’s fine!”, so you can determine if they need to be acted upon and so that you can properly report them when asking for on-line assistance.
Next, check for any visible signs or differences in your frog's coloring or eyes. It is normal for ADFs to have a pinkish tinge to their extremities but redness in their limbs or belly area is a cause for concern, as are cloudy eyes. If this is the case, and/or you need some assistance with your frog, post your problem, in the Flippers ‘n’ Fins’ Emergency Room, using the questionnaire at the top of the forum as a guide.
If your ADF is having problems submerging, perhaps bouncing like a cork at the water’s surface, this could be as a result of constipation or blockage of the intestinal tract from overeating or from a diet of freeze dried or dry pelleted foods with air trapped in the gut. Mating frogs will leave upwards of a hundred or more eggs scattered around the tank and at the surface and will then proceed to eat them given half a chance. Having eaten their fill of eggs, plus any other foods that they have been fed, can cause constipation, which will usually pass naturally within 24-48 hours with fasting.
If your frog is severely bloated it could be from either intestinal blockage or from dropsy. Dropsy is due to kidney failure and often from poor water conditions with a subsequent bacterial infection. At this point, there is no specific treatment, though aspiration of fluid from the belly has had some success. Antibiotics are unlikely to help a frog with dropsy, though should be used if aspiration is performed. These two pictures of dropsy in an ADF show how swollen the frog’s belly gets.
If your frog has red coloration in it's limbs or belly area, this could be Red Leg (a bacterial infection), which requires antibiotics, though even with this treatment, the ADF will often die.
A frog's skin is its' protection against all
sorts of organisms that naturally live in water. It's very most outer layer
or thin membrane will shed periodically. It is reported that they do this weekly
or at least biweekly but many frog lovers have never had the opportunity to
witness this.
This will often happen
quite quickly and if you haven't seen it happen before, you might become concerned
thinking that your frog as some sort of fungus or disease. When ADFs shed, they
draw their front and hind flippers against their body or face over and over
as if they're trying to rub something off. Once the skin has been breached,
they either scratch it off in pieces or sometimes suddenly, they slip backwards
out of their skin, using their hind flippers to pull it off just like removing
a sweater over their heads! Don't be surprised to see your frog quickly devour
his “ghost” skin right away either. It's full of protein and quite
nutritious for them and they do make it look mighty tasty!
If you have more than one ADF, don't be surprised to see a good fight over who
gets to eat the skin or that another may actually try to eat the shedding skin
right off of the frog as it is being shed! It doesn’t hurt the shedding
frog to be peeled like a grape by another frog!
On some occasions, shedding can take longer than a day or more and be a bit more difficult, but don’t let this cause you distress. If however, your frog continues to shed day after day, then this is abnormal. If this is the case, and/or you need some assistance with your frog, post your problem in the Flippers 'n' Fins Emergency Room, using the questionnaire at the top of the forum as a guide.
Check out Flippers 'n' Fins' slideshow of an ADF shedding!
ADFs are nocturnal, preferring to rest during
the daylight hours, while becoming more active during the nighttime. They also
are a little more active after being fed, so feed them early in the evening,
so that you will be able to watch and enjoy them.
If your frog is inactive throughout the day and evening as well, this may indicate a problem. First, be sure that the water conditions are within the proper ranges, so check your frog’s water for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature and perform any urgent water changes that are required. If you do not have water testing equipment at home, take a sample of your frog’s water to your local fish store and ask them to test it. This will most often be done for free. Be sure to ask for the exact numbers of the readings rather than “It’s fine!” so you can determine if they need to be acted upon and so that you can properly report them when asking for on-line assistance.
If the water parameters check out fine, consider whether the lighting in the tank may be too bright for them, making them hide under plant leaves or in other hiding places. If this is the case, try subdued or backlighting to light their home. Finally, a frog that does not move, flee or eat, is sick. Water quality problems or disease are to blame.
If you need some assistance with your sick frog, post your problem, in the Flippers 'n' Fins' Emergency Room, using the questionnaire at the top of the forum as a guide.
Once a male frog has matured don't be surprised
if you hear a buzzing sound in his effort to call for a mate at night! Some
say that the sound reminds them of a low hum from a refrigerator. Not all frogs
sing however. Females don’t sing at all and some males won’t. Both
of my males sing, one much louder than the other who only sings once in a while.
They have a variety of calls that they make in their efforts to woo the ladies
and warn the other male off. The best way that I can describe it is that when
he's calling for a mate, the sound is like a buzzzz-zit, buzzzz-zit, buzzzz-zit
(emphasis on the 'zit' part at the end). When the males meet face to face, one
will vocally challenge the other to a chest-butting contest. This call is shorter
and faster like zzzit, zzzit, zzzit! Sometimes the singing will go on for hours
through the night but I've never heard them sing in the daytime. I've also noticed
that sometimes they get carried away with singing and butting each other rather
than pursuing the ladies, who carry on hunting and eating all the food around
him!
Listen here to the singing of an ADF!
Why does my frog fall over or lay on its' back?
Sometimes, ADFs “freeze” in strange
positions. They seem to wander off in their minds somewhere and no matter what
is happening around them, they appear oblivious to it and sometimes even fall
over backward and lay like that for a while with their eyes staring blankly
into space. I've heard of this referred to as The Zen Mode, or Going Off to
Their Happy Place. ;) You will find however that after a few minutes, the frog
will right itself and carry on normally. Many folks are concerned that their
frog is dying or dead and I don’t recommend poking it to see if it moves!
Instead, watch your frog for a few minutes and most likely, it will become active
again.
How do I know if my frog is sick?
Most folks who keep aquariums spend a fair bit
of time watching the inhabitants of their tanks and get to know the normal appearance
and behavior of them. If you are new to frog or fishkeeping, you will develop
this skill over time. Differences in their coloration, such as faded colors
or redness, cloudy eyes and swelling of the belly as well as such abnormal behaviors
as listlessness, floating continuously and loss of appetite are signs that your
frog is sick.
If you are concerned about whether your frog is sick or not and need some help, first please check the water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature) of its’ tank and perform any emergency water changes that are needed. Next, go to the Flippers 'n' Fins' Emergency Room and post your question or problem there, filling out your information in the questionnaire at the top of the forum.
My frog is sick, what should I do?
At the first sign of a problem, check your water
parameters (pH, Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and temperature) and perform any emergency
water changes that are required. Don't panic, take a deep breath and describe
your problem in as much detail as possible by filling out the questionnaire
at the top of the Flippers
and Fins’ Emergency Room and post it for specific assistance.
Please be aware that many medications that you might have on hand for fish are poisonous to ADFs (e.g. RidIch+, Quick Cure, etc.). Please do not medicate your frogs unless you know what the problem is that you are treating and which medicine is both effective for that problem and will not be harmful to your frog.
