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Questions about ADFs?

From the lens African Dwarf Frogs.

Feel free to ask them here, or to share any insight you have into the lives of these tiny little amphibians.

  • Tiffany May 28, 2012 @ 2:02 am | delete
    So I bought an ADF yesterday and he was fine in the tank all day today and all last night. I came into my room to feed him before bed and he is gone!! He is not on the floor around the tank and I looked all through the rocks at the bottom of the tank and all through the cave that is in his tank. There is only 1 little spot in the cave that I can't see into. Any suggestions? I can't find him anywhere and it's driving me crazy!!
  • Lironah May 28, 2012 @ 1:02 pm | delete
    I once had a frog hide so well for so long that I stopped feeding him. He came out after that, hungry. He was probably hiding in the gravel under the edge of something. They can dig themselves a little gap and squeeze into it, sometimes moving even heavy rocks with enough time.

    That said, do be sure you've got either a lid or at least 6 inches between the top of your tank and the surface of the water and anything he might be able to climb up on. If he did jump out, he likely hid under the furniture nearby.
  • Jen May 23, 2012 @ 3:59 pm | delete
    I've had success with two ADF's, one with me for about 2 years and the other for 3 years they came together in a very small tank and I moved them to a 2.5 gallon tank with no problems. One died before the other and the last one just recently died. I started from scratch and bought a larger 3.5 gallon tank, purchsed new gravel, new plants everything, but used my same heater I - even added a filter. We followed all the same steps I have done before owning the other frogs and with-in 5 days one of the frogs became bloated and died. I'm afraid the other frog will die too (although it seems fine now) and I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong? I also want to return the frog that died and introduce a new one but I don't want to kill that one too! The first frogs I got were not from a pet store - these frogs are from a pet store and I fear what ever I am doing is shocking their system and they die. Any sugggestions? The people (kids) at the pet store seem clueless.
  • Lironah May 23, 2012 @ 4:58 pm | delete
    It's likely that the pet store is overcrowding them; most I've been to do. If your other frog is fine, then it probably isn't your tank, but here's a quick checklist of some often-overlooked details.

    Check your pH levels and such, and make certain there isn't any unidentified metal in the tank. Check that your gravel doesn't have a lot of very small pieces that might present a choking hazard. Make certain that the plants in your tank are actual underwater plants. Many pet stores sell plants for terrariums in the same display.

    I would take your dead froggie back for your refund, but you may want to wait a week and watch the other one before replacing him.
  • Ted May 21, 2012 @ 11:02 pm | delete
    I know people might hate me for this... But I keep my 2 frogs in a small 2gallon tank. I feed them about 6 frog pellets everyday an I clean their tank once every two weeks. But they have been with me for about 2 and a half years and they look very healthy. Despite them being kind of chunky, they are very active an they wrestle with eachother. I want to move them to a bigger tank... About 5 gallons, but I also want to put some fish and maybe some snails. Does any one know what fish I can put in with my two frogs?
  • Lironah May 22, 2012 @ 12:00 am | delete
    Two gallons is just about right for these little guys. Due to a fish tank disaster, my remaining 2 frogs and 1 fish are living in a large mayonnaise jar right now. So yours are much better off than mine. As for which fish to put in, you might want to scroll back up to section 4, where I cover that in detail.
  • cory-peralta-1 May 22, 2012 @ 12:36 am | delete
    thanks man! do you think its a decent idea to put three or four tetras, 2 snails, 2 cory catfish and 3 ghost shrimp along with my frogs all in a 5 gallon tank?
  • Lironah May 22, 2012 @ 1:26 am | delete
    No. You'll want about a gallon per occupant. I'd go with 10 gallon for that load.
  • ted May 23, 2012 @ 3:21 pm | delete
    It turns out that i do have space for a 10 gallon tank. now my frogs will have A LOT of space. Oh and by the way, the "1 gallon per occupant" tip really helped. thanks so much!!
  • teresa May 9, 2012 @ 10:31 am | delete
    Oh I hve a 10 gal tank.
  • teresa May 9, 2012 @ 10:30 am | delete
    Yes I feed the others and while they are eating I drop some blood worms in close to him. The guppy he was biting on was at bottom of tank. I just took frog out and gonna get him a playmate and try again since he's the only one I hve at the time.
  • teresa May 8, 2012 @ 9:10 pm | delete
    Why is my frog biting my guppies and algae eater? Since I bought him I have lost 3 guppies and the fin had been chewed. I know its the frog because I caught him in the act at 2 am. No lights were on.
  • Lironah May 8, 2012 @ 11:00 pm | delete
    Is he getting enough to eat? Be sure to either use sinking food or administer it directly. Fish food isn't good enough.

    If that isn't the problem, then chances are you just have a really aggressive frog. ADFs sometimes attack their tankmates, especially fish that look small enough to eat. Perhaps he's frustrated because he doesn't have enough space, or he wants another ADF for company. If the other fish are coming into his favorite hiding spot, he may be attacking them to drive them out.
  • Lisa May 6, 2012 @ 9:44 pm | delete
    why does my frog go up often for air, like 4 times every few minutes. Not all the time but occassionally, is he sick?
  • Lironah May 6, 2012 @ 10:53 pm | delete
    Sometimes they don't get as much of a lungful as they'd like. He may also be letting some air out when he reaches the bottom, so that he won't float back to the surface. They can't always control how much is let out when they do that.
  • Stacy Apr 4, 2012 @ 12:31 pm | delete
    I had 2 ADFs, one has recently died. Should I buy another one or are they perfectly content being alone?
  • Lironah Apr 4, 2012 @ 1:30 pm | delete
    Very few aquatic creatures are happy without another of their species for companionship. I've had one fish who was so desperate for company that he'd try to school with the other types of fish I had in the tank until I got him a friend. I never keep fewer than 2 ADFs in a tank if I can help it.
  • Amie Apr 1, 2012 @ 8:52 pm | delete
    If swimming how fast can they jump out of water? Just wondering :)
  • Lironah Apr 4, 2012 @ 1:39 pm | delete
    I've never seen mine try to jump, so I don't have an answer for you.
  • Reneta Mar 30, 2012 @ 6:08 am | delete
    Hi I have had 3 ADFs for almost a year now when I got them as baby's I got the tank and pump setup with them , the pump has never bothered them at all , but I've been reading through your posts , and I was never given a heater with them they have always been in cold water I'm worried now but they seem fine with the cold water can anyone give me advice it would be much appreciated , also they have just laid eggs I have one male and two female he has been busy with both girls many thanks Reneta
  • Lironah Apr 4, 2012 @ 1:35 pm | delete
    My pair survived just fine without a heater for half a year. However the temperature in my home never dropped below 65° F. I keep the heater on at 78°ish now that I have one; it's closer to what they're used to, and less likely to cause stress.
  • Miri Mar 24, 2012 @ 6:22 pm | delete
    I use a seashell to put my ADF's food in. I usually feed him every other day. I have noticed the last week on the 2nd day all the food is gone, but there are rocks from the aquarium in the seashell. Could he be grabbing rocks and putting them there? Too funny! Will try to catch him in the act. Is this possible?
  • Donna C Mar 28, 2012 @ 12:10 pm | delete
    I've seen mine with a piece of gravel in their mouths as they are "digging" for food but then they just spit it out -- not in any specific place -- maybe you have some good aimers! It may just be them digging around for more food near the shell after they finished what you gave them in it and it happens to land in there!
  • Lironah Apr 4, 2012 @ 1:26 pm | delete
    Mine have dug out the gravel in their favorite corner, so much that they've dislodged one of my plants. It's most likely that they are digging, and when they move the gravel it floats up higher than it would on land.
  • jon Mar 13, 2012 @ 5:54 am | delete
    I have two African dwarf frogs and I watched the tank for 4 hours (i know its a long time) and they literally never came up for air... Is that normal??? in fact one never even moved. He sat in the same corner the entire time and the other one was more active by scooting around the tank and by chasing the shrimp but she never swam only scooted across the bottom gravel... that cant be normal. The one that never moved I have had for a week and the one that scooted across the bottom I just got today. I have a 20 gallon tank and got my water tested yesterday and the ammonia was 0. What are your thoughts and advice?? please help me figure out why they dont swim and are barely active..
    Thanks!
  • Donna C Mar 28, 2012 @ 12:17 pm | delete
    My 2 ADFs are on my desk at work....they are to the side of my monitor so I pretty much can always see them moving....they dart up to get air very quickly. But, they do that at least every few minutes...I think you must have missed them doing that because I can't imagine that they couldn't come up for air for 4 hours and still be alive. How are they doing now?
  • P.H. Feb 29, 2012 @ 4:12 pm | delete
    My 2 ADFs have been hiding since I got them. I cannot find them anywhere! Is it possible that they bury themselves under the gravel? I'm worried they're not eating.
  • deb l Feb 22, 2012 @ 1:24 pm | delete
    where do i buy replacement gravel my local pet store said it had to be a certain type
  • Lironah Feb 22, 2012 @ 4:17 pm | delete
    Can you be a little more specific?

    If you mean 'live' gravel, there is an alternative. Buy regular gravel, and either add your old gravel to the mix or dump in a bunch of your old tank water. This will prevent your tank from needing to go through a cycling phase before you can put your frogs in.
  • DonnaC Feb 22, 2012 @ 4:28 pm | delete
    Live gravel is available online at Wild Creations.
  • Donna C Jan 27, 2012 @ 12:27 pm | delete
    i have two ADF's in a 2 gal tank with a filter. They were originally purchased at a Hallmark Store in a tiny little covered tank with "live" gravel and bamboo. They lived for 6 or 7 months in that small tank with frequent water changes. They have been in their new home for 2 or 3 months now and were doing fine there too. The smaller of the two has what seems to be a red sore at the base of his tail, or possibly his insides are coming out? The aquarium store recommened Melafix. I changed about a third of the water yesterday and put the Melafix in today. The dosage for fish is 1 tsp. per 10 gallons...I tried to estimate the right amount for 2 gallons??? I don't know for sure if it is a bacterial infection on his tail, or if in fact it is much more serious and he has some sort of internal injury? Impaction? Can anyone help. Now I'm worried about the melafix if it wasn't necessary. They are both males. Also, he (the sick one) is climbing on the filter up the wall of the tank taking himself out of the water?? Can anyone help?
  • Lironah Jan 27, 2012 @ 3:25 pm | delete
    Normally Melafix is recommended in combination with Pimafix, to simultaneously treat both of the possible causes of infection. The last time I used them in my ADF tank, I followed a regimen which had me gradually increase the dosage, with daily water changes. Be sure to do your research before differing from the instructions on the label. Also, a pH testing kit can be handy, even if you don't have fish - though an ADF can tolerate a higher range of environments, it's most comfortable in one optimized for tropical freshwater fish.

    Sadly, if there's a serious injury involved, there's not really much that can be done. It may be that your frog is suffering from great enough pain that he's attempting to kill himself. (Since just half an hour out of the water could do it, in the absence of natural predators.) The last time I had a fish disembowel itself in the tank, I eventually had to euthanize it. It can be hard to watch a mortally injured pet continue to live.
  • Donna C Feb 28, 2012 @ 11:23 am | delete
    Good news. Whatever was wrong with my frog, as of yesterday it is gone! After my original post, I removed him to the small tank the frogs originally came in; separating them. In there he began to eat small amounts. After a month with that "red thing" hanging out the back of him, it finally is gone. He is acting normally, but very thin so I am trying to feed him extra; small pieces several times a day. Once he is "fattened up" I will put him back in the bigger tank with his old tank mate! I'm so happy he is better and still have no idea what was going on! So if you are having the same trouble and reading this, don't give up -- there is a chance he'll get better!
  • John Smith Jan 24, 2012 @ 4:27 pm | delete
    My african dwarf frogs used to always swim around in my tank when i didn't have a filter, now they almost always stay in their cave. Does this mean anything?
  • Lironah Jan 24, 2012 @ 6:51 pm | delete
    It might mean that the flow is too fast for them to feel comfortable. Try rearranging the tank furniture to cut the current directly below the filter.
  • nova Oct 16, 2011 @ 11:03 pm | delete
    So i have an albino dwarf frog and recently its been at the bottom of the tank, noticed today thugh that it was peeling yet still in same state and position it was in before. Curious if it is peeling that its not dead
  • Emerald_Ice Oct 29, 2011 @ 11:05 am | delete
    As he said, try nudging it with a paintbrush or tapping the glass. I suppose you can also use another long pointy thing, but make sure you don't hurt or injure it. Most likely it is shedding but make sure anyways. Also, are you sure its an ADF, not an African Clawed Frog?
  • hallmonster Aug 19, 2011 @ 9:31 am | delete
    thanks for the info. just bought my frog yesterday! they are sooo cool!
  • holly Aug 19, 2011 @ 9:24 am | delete
    how long can an african dwarf frog hold it's breath?
  • sandyspider Aug 10, 2011 @ 9:36 am | delete
    Angel Blessings! Please add your lens on the Not Zazzle Lens plexo on my August 2011 Zazzle Sales and Blessings
  • Caitlin Jul 31, 2011 @ 11:26 pm | delete
    Please help. I've had my ADF for about four months, and now he is acting very strange. Not moving unless touched, and he appears to be bloated sortof. I think I see water swishing aroundn inside his belly. :(
  • Emerald_Ice Oct 29, 2011 @ 11:06 am | delete
    Take him to an exotic vet.
  • laura Jul 6, 2011 @ 4:29 pm | delete
    i just got my adf and i have 2 but 1 of them is all cerld up i moved her around but she will only move her front lages is she ok?
  • Lironah Jul 6, 2011 @ 10:35 pm | delete
    She may be feeling frightened from a change of environment, or she might be sick, especially if you got her from a less reputable source. Keep an eye on her and make sure she's eating; if she isn't, call your local pet shop and ask for their advice.
  • Lily Jun 30, 2011 @ 1:06 am | delete
    I just got my ADFs and the male is constantly hiding behind the plant, sometimes in an upside down position (his head facing down), and he barely moves all that much. He usually stays at the bottom of the tank being motionless.
    My female, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She's constantly moving around, especially going up for air.
    Are these normal behaviours? Or is something wrong with one, or both, of them??
  • L. Furlan Jun 6, 2011 @ 2:46 pm | delete
    I've had my ADF's for about a month and the largest one has been lying on the bottom of the tank on it's back. This is freaking me out. When I gently tap him he will move but stay on his back and sometimes flip up right and swim. Is this "normal" behavior or do I have to be worried.? The smaller one seems fine.
  • Lironah Jun 7, 2011 @ 9:29 am | delete
    I have seen healthy ADFs lie on their back, though none of mine do it very frequently. He may be getting caught in the flow from your water filter. If this seems to be the case, slightly rearranging your tank furniture might help cut the current a little bit.
  • cinstress Jun 6, 2011 @ 5:46 am | delete
    great lens!
  • jack May 27, 2011 @ 2:02 pm | delete
    can ADF be in the same room as an AC in the summer if the tank has a heater?
  • hallmonster Aug 19, 2011 @ 9:27 am | delete
    i believe so as long as their tank stays warm enough
  • Jaclyn Manning May 27, 2011 @ 2:00 pm | delete
    Hello. I have a heater in my ADF tank and it has been keeping the water between 75-82. Now that it is getting warmer however,I installed my AC. Should I move my frog tank to a different room? Or will the water be able to stay warm enough for my little friends? **Note they are in my bedroom, of average size, so the room will get cool about 65 with the AC on ... any suggestions would be appreciated
  • Lironah May 27, 2011 @ 3:41 pm | delete
    As long as your heater is rated for your tank (measured in gallons), your frogs should be just fine.
  • UKGhostwriter Mar 25, 2011 @ 4:51 am | delete
    Great lens! I saw this in Squidu lens spotlight ...you've got my 'thumbs up' - I like it!!
  • Evelyn_Saenz Feb 17, 2011 @ 8:54 pm | delete
    Well written and informative. Blessed by the Frog Angel.
  • I-sparkle Feb 17, 2011 @ 10:46 am | delete
    Great lens. You did an excellent job with content, pics and presentation. A wonderful source of information to read and to interest someone in the actual purchase of the frogs.
  • PrettyWorld Feb 17, 2011 @ 7:51 am | delete
    Really good information about how to care for your frog. Nice lens!
  • KM9999999 Feb 17, 2011 @ 1:11 am | delete
    I've never had a frog for a pet. Might be fun.
  • emmalarkins Feb 16, 2011 @ 12:56 pm | delete
    Never had a pet frog, but loved catching tadpoles when I was younger. Great information here!
  • lil_muchang Feb 16, 2011 @ 12:48 pm | delete
    Hi, thank you for passing by my lens! Yup i agree, it really does need some content. Yours is so detailed, good job :)

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Lironah

I love anime, computers and anything Japanese. I play Dungeons & Dragons, and dabble in writing, graphics, fansubbing and web design.

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