African Dwarf Frogs Help!

[Oohitsae]

I have been wanting to get some ADF's for quite a while and yesterday while at a petstore I saw 2 that were so emaciated and sad looking that I couldn't leave without them.

Now, both of these guys are active in the new tank, but seeing as it was on such a whim that I bought them, I didn't get to do much research before hand.

I've heard bits and pieces of advice here and there from other people that have kept them, and everything seems so contradictory!! I need help.

I am clueless on what the best type of food to feed them would be. I've noticed some people say to never use pellets, others say frog pellets are good. I've seen some people use bloodworms, others say to not....
Do I need to try and hand feed them, or will they find the food on their own.
I have heard that the temp range is from 65-75 and others say 78-80....I keep all my tanks at 79-80 so I need to know if thats TOO high.
Any other special requirements of their home?

Basically, any advice you can give on them would be amazing.

For now they are in a 10 gallon naturally planted tank, sand as the top layer of substrate, tons of plants some reaching the surface, some DW and a couple caves. Temp at 79 and an aquaclear 20 filter. What else do they need or what shouldn't they have?

 

[Frogster McFishington]

Good luck!

First thing is first. You want to make sure they are in fact African Dwarf Clawed Frogs (ADCF) and not African Clawed Frogs (ACF). The best way to tell is to look at their front feet. If there is webbing between the toes then they are ADCFs, if not then they are ACF and have slightly different requirements.
ADCFs need about 5 gallons per frog to be on the comfy side so your 10 gallon should be fine. The little nooks and crannies in your tank will make them want to come out more so you’re good there too.
Having your temperature at 79 degrees is summer temperature for them. Thus the many varying temperature ranges. 66-75 is winter 75-82 is summer. The main thing the temperature will affect is their singing (mating calls). I would keep it at a cozy 77 or 78, but I like the singing. I wouldn’t go as far down as 66 because, though that is survivable, it is not necessarily comfortable for them; the same goes with temperatures as high as 82.
As far as food goes ADCFs are scavengers so they can eat a wide amount of food. They do need higher amounts of proteins than your average scavenger so bloodworms are a good supplement, you can do freeze-dried or frozen. (I prefer to use frozen but I spoil everything I own…) the pelleted foods are good for them because they should have the vitamins and minerals that they need for a healthy life. They also need veggies to help with digestion; veggie rounds or pellets that are small enough for them to eat are good. When it comes to flake food I think it is individual people and frogs that will determine whether it is good for them or not. I don’t see a problem with it but look at the ingredients of anything you feed them before you do. Variation is key when it comes to their diet. So long as you switch what you feed them daily you should be good. At least three types of foods are preferable for a healthy happy frog, frozen food (protein), pellets (vitamins/minerals), and veggies (digestion).
You can just drop the food in or you can train your frogs to eat out of your hand. If you train them they are less likely to freak out over loud random noises or fast movements. Just remember to wash your hands after handling them.
You might see your frogs eating something that looks slimy… don’t freak out. It is their shed skin and they need to eat it to replenish good bacteria on their new skin. If they don’t eat it after a few hours and the other one in the tank didn’t either go ahead and throw it out. (In your trash NEVER the toilet, and always was your hands afterwards.) It just means that they have a good amount of bacteria growing already.
They are safe to go with fish that will not bother them and that they will not be able to fit into their mouths when they are full grown. My suggestion would be the bigger/strangely shaped tetras or some mellow gouramis. (Just remember peaceful, larger/strange shape) If you do get fish, when your frogs shed don’t let the skin stay in the tank for very long. The bacteria can harm or even kill your fish.
As far as substrates go just be sure your frogs can’t eat the pebbles as babies. As they get older they get smarter and don’t try to eat the rocks but as babies you can sometimes get a slightly… less smart one that will try to eat a rock instead of the bloodworm next to it…
I can’t think of anything else right now...

 

[Oohitsae]

Thank you so much for the reply! It's very helpful, sounds like I'm doing everything pretty well so far.

 

[Sharpchick]

ADFs do not have good vision. Some people find it helpful at first to do "targeted" feeding, where the food is delivered straight down to the frogs, where they smell it and eat it. You can use a straw to drop frog pellets, a turkey baster to get bloodworms and brine shrimp to them, etc. If you feed them in the same location every day, they learn very quickly where that is, and it's just a matter then of feeding in that location.

 

[Oohitsae]

I've been trying to target feed already...I've been using blunt tipped tweezers to put it in front of them when I see them where I want to feed them regularly. I think they are catching on fairly well. Thanks for the info!!

 

[Cherrise]

I had two (ADF) in a 55gal tank their body bloated and after some time they died what is the best size tank for (ADF) does it matter?

 

[Oohitsae]

I'd say 20 gallons max, and you don't want them in anything taller than like 18"

 

[Cherrise]

By having them in the larger tank is that what cause the bloating?

 

[Sharpchick]

By having them in the larger tank is that what cause the bloating?

No that lengthens the distance they have to go to the top to gulp air.

On the bloating, I'd check the water chemistry. There is also a disease called African dwarf frog dropsy, which may or may not be contagious depending on what source you read.

 

[Cherrise]

Thanks, When I decide to try again I know I will have more question.

 

[Bottomfeeder88]

I keep a few in a 20l planted community, full of personality and peaceful. Once they know who's feeding them they'll meet you front and center. They use frogbit in my tank as a raft, and sing.