Deceased ADF

[Katden74]

I have two fairly new ADFs, Snap I have had about 2 weeks and he seems to be doing great... Pop I had 4 or 5 days, he seemed fine last night, a very active little critter... but was dead this morning. Being the nurse that I am, I examined his little body, nothing seemed out of the ordinary..

I am new to ADFs, I am open to any suggestions as to what I might have done to have prevented this. I want to get another one, so Snap has company, but want to make sure I am doing what I can to give them the proper care.

2.5 gallon tank.. heated for their comfort... frozen shrimp for food.. only a snail ( Crackle ) shares the tank.

Thanks!

 

[adadkins1]

Sorry about your little guy.

I am not at all sure what may have caused his death. However, siva should see this thread and maybe give you some ideas as to what may have happened.

In the mean time, I can tell you that really a 5 gallon tank would be more suitable for the frogs. Sure in a 2.5g aquarium the frogs can live, but it is harder to keep smaller tanks clean. So really a 5 gallon would be a good upgrade, and it would allow you to have up to 4-5 ADF's. They really act more comfortable with 3+ of their own kind. The heater is great, a lot of people skip that!

Secondly, when you say "frozen shrimp", do you mean brine shrimp or just plain ole shrimp that you and I would normally eat? The most common foods for ADF's include, but are not limited to: HBH Frog and Tadpole Bites, Frozen Bloodworms, Live Mosquito Larvae, Garden Worms (I clean mine before feeding), and Livebearer Fry.

Like I said, siva should be along and be able to give you more info.

 

[siva]

Hello and welcome to AA!

So sorry to hear about Pop.

I must agree that a 5 gal or larger tank would be best for your frogs. I consider it the absolute minimum for them. I kept my frogs in a 2.5 gal for a while after their tank broke and they definitely did not have room in there to move around like they normally would. The size of your tank did not have anything to do with the frog death, but in order for you surviving frog to thrive, he will need a larger tank and a couple frog buddies.

Diet is very important for these frogs, the suggestions adadkins1 gave above are perfect. If your shrimp are frozen brine or mysis, those are great too. For very young skinny frogs (as they usually are at the time of purchase) I feed mostly frozen foods, once they seem stable and healthy, I begin rotating every other day with HBH frog and tadpole bites.

It is not uncommon for ADF's to pass fairly quickly after purchase. Unfortunately they are not handled and fed properly, typically, before we buy them so, sometimes they are already doomed. The first two things to address would be 1. Did you cycle your tank before adding frogs? This is crucial. If not, the frog may have passed from ammonia and/or nitrite poisoning. 2. When you examined the body, was the stomach bloated at all? Or was the frog extremely emaciated..like skin stretched over bone?

 

[siva]

Also, I will include some links here that will be helpful if this is the first time you are hearing about cycling your tank:
The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

 

[Katden74]

Thank you both for the advice... funny what a little research can do.. it is brine shrimp! =)

This all started when my boss brought in two ADFs in a little tiny container that was suppose to care for itself... she had gotten them for her nephew... they told her to feed them twice a week... I watched them little things all day. Decided that I wanted my own! I thought that little container was cruel... I thought my 2.5g was a mansion!

Pop was not too skinny, nor was his belly popping out. I am working on getting Snap a larger spot to live, and when I get this cycling thing figured out, I will get him some friends!

I am very appreciative for the help!

 

[siva]

No problem! I agree they are very entertaining little buggers. Kudos to you for getting them a proper tank and heater.

Without any physical signs of illness, it is very likely toxins in the water are to blame, or just causes we can never determine. Since you are just learning about the cycling I'm guessing you do not have a test kit to test your parameters like ammonia yet, so I would recommend you do a daily water change (starting with a large one right away) until you can perform tests. At this point the tank is mid cycle and may have sky high ammo and nitrites. Also be sure to use a dechlorinator to treat new water when you add to the tank.

 

[alLexX]

sorry about your frog

 

[skiweeangel]

sorry about your ADF. We love our little guy and are going to get it two new buddies soon. (I hope.) They are so much fun to watch! Ours likes to "surf" on the bubbles from our bubble wand on the back of the tank! Hope all goes well and the advice about is great. This forum is a wealth of knowledge! Welcome to your newest addiction AA!

 

[Katden74]

No... can't say that I knew about cycling. I went out and got some test strips and fortunately for Snap.. his levels were good... probably because I have been changing his water to keep it clean.

Today I started preparing a 5 gal tank for Snap and his new friend when I can find one... they are very hard to come by around here for some reason.

Everyone here has been great!

 

[librarygirl]

You might want to pick up a liquid test kit, like the API Master kit. The strips are cheaper but very inaccurate and you want to be sure of those levels. Keep up with the regular water changes. Good luck!

 

[siva]

Yes, I must say, those test strips aren't reliable. Hopefully it's a small little pack of them and you can move to a API liquid kit soon.

 

[Katden74]

Thank librarygirl and siva... will lose the test strips and get an API liquid kit very soon!