African Dwarf Frogs

African Dwarf Frogs, or ADFs as most enthusiasts call them, are possibly the most popular type of pet frog because they can live in an ordinary fish tank, even peacefully co-existing with some types of freshwater fish. They are tropical frogs, thriving in water between 75° - 82° F, and unlike most other frogs are completely aquatic, preferring to remain submerged except when coming up for air. They can sometimes hold their breath for half an hour or more, which is longer than they can survive out of the water in drier climates.

ADFs prefer a lot of space, at least a gallon each and some say more, but because they are air-breathers, they should not be kept in tanks more than about 16 inches deep; 12 inches is better. They get very nervous out in the open, and prefer having plants to hide in, or even a cave of some sort. A simple terracotta pot turned on its side can provide a favorite resting spot, and even a plastic plant in your gravel bed is better than nothing.

Though a filtration system is not required if you keep nothing but ADFs, it can help keep your frog healthy and increase the time between water changes. Keep in mind also that your frog, while it doesn't breathe that water, still absorbs it through its skin. If your water is brown and cloudy, not only does it look bad, it's not safe for your ADF either.

Image credit: Ruth Hinckley

In most cases, the answer to this question is no. Most other kinds of frog are more aggressive than the African Dwarf Frog, and will either eat all of its food, or eat the ADF itself. If by some chance you find a more docile example than the ADF, this position could be reversed. For the safety of your frogs, they should only be kept with other ADFs, though they are tolerant of any number of tank-mates as long as they are not overcrowded.

Few types of frog are as thoroughly aquatic as an African Dwarf Frog, as well, and will require a different sort of tank setup from your ADF. Even docile species of frogs have been known to poison each other on contact. There's also the issue of diseases; a strain that does little to harm one species of frog can be deadly to another.

Adult ADFs are also commonly mistaken for juvenile African Clawed Frogs, which grow much bigger, and can be distinguished by their generally rounder shape and their lack of webbing between the fingers of the front limbs. Be sure to get your ADFs from a reputable source, or inspect them carefully to make sure you're not picking up an ACF instead.

It should also go without saying that snakes, turtles, crayfish and other predatorial animals should not be housed with ADFs.

Image credit: Christophe Cagé

There are several varieties of fish which will make good companions for your ADF. Mostly these include fish which grow to a size comparable with your frogs. When in doubt, make sure that the fish's mouth is no larger than a pea when fully open.

Ornamental Fish

Platies
These are peaceful fish which come in a wide variety of colors and grow to about an inch and a half in length. They are live-bearers.

Guppies
These popular tank fish can reach as much as two inches in length, and have a variety of tail shapes as well as colors. They are live-bearers.

Tetras
These shiny fish are generally very small, and are popular for their bright and reflective coloration. They are egg scatterers.

Swordtails
Closely related to the platy, these hardy fish have long tails - almost as long as the rest of the fish! They are live-bearers, and can interbreed with platies.

Maintenance Fish

Shrimp
Ghost and cherry shrimp have been safely kept with ADFs, because of their size. Anything smaller will be eaten as quickly by your other fish as by your frogs. These shrimp are algae eaters.

Otocinclus Catfish
These tiny catfish (only an inch and a half when fully grown) are popular in small aquariums, where there is not enough room for the more well-known Pleco, or Plecostomus catfish. Otos are algae eaters.

Corydoras Catfish
These fairly playful catfish often come to the surface for a gulp of air. The various types will usually school with each other, with the exception of the shyer peppered corys. Corydoras are bottom feeders.

Fish of Dubious Compatibility

Goldfish
The jury's out on this one. Some people claim to have no trouble with goldfish in their community tank, but many types of goldfish can grow large enough to swallow an ADF whole. They are also not considered to be tropical fish, and prefer cooler temperatures than your ADF is comfortable with. Be certain you understand the risks when adding a goldfish to your tank.

Other Catfish
While generally peaceful and uninclined to fighting, catfish can be territorial when it comes to their favorite spot. A large breed of catfish can do serious harm to your African Dwarf Frog, even if he isn't out for a snack.

Bettas
Bettas and ADFs will not generally harm each other, but there are exceptions to every rule. Also, keeping a betta in your tank means that you can't add any other kinds of fish, unless your tank is upwards of about twenty gallons.

The biggest downside of keeping fish with your African Dwarf Frog is that ADFs are slow swimmers, and have very poor eyesight. This makes it very easy for the fish to eat all of your frog's food before it gets any. Frog food should either be sinking pellets, or administered by hand with a turkey baster or a pair of aquarium tweezers. Your frog may not eat food even if it is directly in front of him, but as long as you make the effort, he should get enough. Another tactic is to distract your fish with flakes before dropping in the frog food, or to place the frog pellets on a plate near their favorite spot.

Lastly, while fish can generally eat anything you feed a frog, frogs should not be fed fish flakes. Brine shrimp, daphnia and bloodworms are the most commonly available frog foods. They will also happily eat the fry of your fish.

Image credit: Ruth Hinckley

There are a few things all African Dwarf Frog keepers should be aware of.

First and most importantly, some ADFs carry salmonella, a bacteria commonly blamed for food poisoning. If you have to handle your ADF, you should always wash your hands before and afterward - keep in mind that your fingers may be carrying bacteria which will harm your frog as well. A fish net is the best way to move them when cleaning their tank.

Small children should never handle an ADF. Not only do they not know how to be gentle, but salmonella is more dangerous to small children and infants because it can cause dehydration.

Don't leave your African Dwarf Frogs out of the water for longer than a few minutes. Though they don't need the water to breathe like fish do, they use their skin to 'drink', and will dry out very quickly - a matter of just 20 minutes in low humidity can kill your ADF.

Never put salt in your ADF's tank. Though a tiny amount may not make a difference, even brackish water can cause your frogs to dehydrate. That's right - your frogs can become dehydrated from just sitting in salt water, because it reverses the process of osmosis which their skin uses to keep them hydrated. It's like you trying to drink seawater - it only makes you thirstier.

Don't feed your African Dwarf Frog fish flakes. There are plenty of commercially available types of frog food, from dried to frozen. While a frog will eat fish flakes if it is hungry, it won't get a properly balanced meal out of it. You wouldn't live very long on a diet of donuts and soda pop either.

Fish medications can harm your frog so be very careful if you keep both in the same tank. You should follow standard quarantine procedures with all sick fish, and treat them in a separate tank. Some other common aquarium chemicals can be harmful to frogs as well, so make sure you check before purchasing something.

Do not release your ADF into the wild. Not only is this likely to kill your frog, should he survive for any length of time he can pass on diseases which are deadly to the local frog population. In some places it is actually illegal to release pet frogs and fish into the wild, or to introduce species of plants used in aquariums into the local ecosystem. If you really can't keep your African Dwarf Frog any longer, try to find a friend who will take him, or even give him back to the pet store. (I used to sell my dove chicks to a local pet store; many of them are quite accommodating).

Image credit: Ruth Hinckley

Before you get excited and run out to buy one or more African Dwarf Frogs, there's a lot of planning you should do first. Even a beginner can keep an ADF alive for years, but only if you're willing to do the work and research that it takes.

The first thing you'll need is a tank. The most basic setup for an ADF tank includes the tank itself, gravel (substrate) of some type, one or two hiding spots, and some frog food. However, if you want to keep your frog alive and happy for a long time, here are some other important pieces of equipment you should acquire.

Heater - Unless you're willing to keep the room your tank is in heated to 70 degrees or more at all times, you'll need a heater for these tropical frogs. You may also want a separate thermometer.
Filter - These come in all types, from water cycling systems to under-gravel filters and more. A filter will keep your water cleaner longer by cycling out waste and excess food particles. It will also help break the surface tension in your tank, which is important if you keep fish or live plants with your ADF.
Gravel vacuum - Most of the inexpensive ones (these can be made at home too) work through simple suction. Make sure the head of your vacuum is small enough to reach all of your tight spots, but large enough to not get clogged with gravel.
Water conditioner - You can purchase frog-specific water conditioners, but anything that works for tropical freshwater fish will do as well.
Note: If you do not use a water conditioner, you MUST allow any tap water you put in the tank to sit for 24 - 48 hours before adding it to your tank to remove any residual chlorine. Be sure that you introduce a lot of air into the water before letting it sit; keeping the hose above the surface of the water as it fills should be sufficient.
Plants (real or fake) - These provide hiding places, shade, and anchors for your frog to hold on to when it dives down after taking a breath. They also help your tank feel a little more 'alive' than rocks or sunken pirate ships do. If you use real plants, you should avoid bubblers and under-gravel filters, and you may also want to look at special plant substrates which will add iron and other important nutrients to your tank.
Tank hood with light - This will keep curious paws and fingers out of your tank (most of the time) and keep your African Dwarf Frogs from jumping out of the tank and suffering a quick but painful death from dehydration. The light is usually optional, but will make your tank much more interesting to look at. If you want to put live plants into your tank, you'll want to make sure you purchase fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones. Be sure to turn the lights out at night, though.
Fish net and small holding tank - For regular water changes, you shouldn't need to move your frog from his tank, but if you're going to be moving his furniture around or deep cleaning, he'll need a place to chill for a while. The holding tank doesn't need to be anything fancy, and should only be large enough to comfortably house all your tank's denizens for half an hour or so (too big and you'll have trouble catching them all to put them back when you're done). Avoid filling this to the top unless it has a lid, because ADFs are good jumpers.
Water bucket or hose - Water weighs about 8lbs per gallon, so you may want a smaller bucket that you can fill multiple times. Alternately, you can use a hose long enough to reach from your ADF's tank to your sink or shower drain when cleaning and refilling. Be sure to condition the water before putting your frogs back into the tank.
PH Testing kit - Usually, by the time you realize your frogs are sick, there's nothing you can do about it. If you keep an eye on the water chemistry, your chances of preventing a deadly spike in your tank's water chemistry increase a hundredfold.

Image credit: Nevit Dilmen

Now that you've got your equipment, there's still a lot to be done before you can put your frog into it. The preparation may take two weeks or longer, but skipping this step causes many an amateur aquarist to lose an entire tank (ask me how I know this). My ADFs lived through the cycling process, but for a while they were in pretty bad shape, so I don't recommend putting them through it.

Start with your substrate and decorations. Put down under-gravel filters, bubblers or plant-food substrate first, then cover them with gravel which has been thoroughly rinsed. You should never use soap on anything you plan to put into your fish tank, as it can remain trapped inside objects and slowly leach out into your tank later. Bleach may be used in some cases, but all tank decorations should be allowed to air dry completely after bleaching. Wood should never be bleached - if you plan to use wood in your tank, be sure to do some research on the proper preparation of wood for use in aquariums.

Once your gravel is in place and graded how you want it - a nice back to front slope is a good starting place - add your other decorations, placing tall objects and plants at the rear of the aquarium and shorter ones toward the front. Heavy decorations may be placed before adding any water, but plants will go in best if you fill the tank about halfway first. Put a plate or saucer down to keep the water from digging a hole in the substrate (and kicking up debris) when you pour it in.

Once your decorations are in place, fill up the tank to the level recommended by your filter and add all your other hardware, such as thermometers, heater, etc. You should start the filter, aeration equipment, and heater. Lights can be turned on as well, but unless you are using live plants in your tank, all they will do is encourage the growth of algae in your tank.

In order to establish your tank's ecosystem now that it's up and running, you'll need to introduce bacteria into it. The quick way is to put in gravel or filter media that was used in another tank, and let the bacteria on it cycle your new tank for you. If you're lucky enough to have a friend with a freshwater tank, you could ask him to save you some water from his next water change, though this is less effective because the bacteria you want will be less plentiful. You can also purchase kits which introduce the necessary bacteria into your tank. Sometimes a pet store may be willing to supply you with gravel or tank water as well, and if all else fails, you can introduce one or two frogs into the tank to start the cycle, but keep in mind that they may not survive the chemical spikes which will occur.

Once you have bacteria in place, you'll have to feed them. You can introduce ammonia either directly (in the form of either ammonium hydroxide or ammonium chloride) or by placing fish food into the tank and letting it break down. Planted or stocked aquariums may not need any additional ammonia to begin cycling. If using the fishless (or in our case frogless) cycling method, you will want to start out with 4-5 ppm of ammonia (you'll need a testing kit for this) and within a couple days to a couple weeks your bacteria may 'bloom', clouding the water. This is normal, and the excess bacteria will eventually die, leaving just the right population to keep your tank balanced.

As you watch your tank's ecosystem 'mature', you will see a spike in first nitrites (poisonous to frogs and fish) and then nitrates (not as bad, and good for any plants). When both ammonia and nitrite levels reach zero, your tank is cycled and you may fully stock it after making a 70-90% water change. If instead you've started the cycle by adding frogs or fish to the tank, you'll want to continue to add one or two (up to your tank's capacity) at intervals of no less than a week apart, so that your tank is less likely to reach a dangerous spike in either chemical.

Image credit: Ruth Hinckley

Shedding

African Dwarf Frogs will shed their skins as frequently as every other week, if they're growing quickly. It is quite normal for them to eat this shed skin, so don't be alarmed if you see your frog wrapped up in white film and using his legs to shove it into his mouth. It can take up to several hours for the frog to remove the last few pieces of their shed layer, so don't panic if you wake up one morning and he's still a little fuzzy. If the condition lasts for more than a couple hours, however, or the spot is red at all, watch out because there are some types of fungus which will attack your frog, and this will need to be treated quickly. (My pet store recommends a joint treatment of melafix and pimafix for the entire tank.)

Singing

Male ADFs will sing throughout the summer months, with or without the presence of a female in the tank. They usually sing at night, and their voices are very quiet - a rising 'zip, zip' sound that may be amplified if they sit touching the glass. Females will sing as well, but usually only in response to the males. Singing is part of their courtship ritual, but does not necessarily mean that they are ready to breed.

Breeding

If you have male and female ADF in your tank, be prepared to see them lay eggs eventually. They do this by 'hugging' and swimming around at the top of the tank, after which they may rest for an extended period of time, often appearing comatose. The eggs, or 'spawn', will stay at the top of the tank in clusters, and will take only a short time to hatch into almost microscopic tadpoles. Nevertheless, African Dwarf Frogs are not a parenting species, and they will eat both eggs and young if provided with the opportunity. Fish also consider frog eggs and tadpoles to be a tasty snack, so if you're set on raising ADF tadpoles, you'll have to move either the eggs or the frogs to another tank and do a lot of research on the proper care of frog eggs and tadpoles. If, on the other hand, you'd rather not be bothered with the little guys, you may discard the eggs (into the trash, NOT into the local pond). Also, any eggs that remain white are unfertilized, and should be removed before they mold.

Floating

Sometimes called burbling, this behavior can be alarming to an unprepared ADF owner. They will float with the current for long periods of time, or stand at the bottom on one leg, not moving for as much as half an hour. Occasionally, other frogs or fish will even knock them onto their backs. Usually, a tap on the glass or a gentle nudge (I use a soft, narrow paintbrush for this and various tankscaping purposes) will wake them up and get them to move; they're not dead, just oblivious. If your frog is actually dead, he will most likely look injured or bloated.

Image credit: Ruth Hinckley