I want to get an African Dwarf Frog, but I'm not sure if my tank is adequate or not.

[ReyK]

In the past few months, I've gotten back into the aquarist lifestyle, and I have two tanks: a 15-gallon column tank with my tropical critters in it: 2 mollies, 4 guppies, a very peaceful betta, 3 ghost shrimps, and a nerite snail. I started out with a goldfish in this 3-gallon cube tank kit, but I learned it needed a far larger aquarium that what I had, so I gave it to my sister, who had such a tank. After I got rid of the goldfish, I decided I wanted a larger community tank, so I acquired my larger tank and set it up, cycled it, and stocked it, but now I don't know what to do with the little tank. The 3-gallon cube tank is LED lit, filtered nicely, heated to 78-82F, and planted with anacharis, java moss, dwarf baby tears, and two other small bushy plants my sister gave me but I forgot the name of. It's all cycled and everything, but running without any stock at the moment, which brings me to my frog inquiry. I've wanted to get an African Dwarf Frog for about five years now, but I don't know if he'd be happy and/or healthy in my little nano-tank. I've read about their habitat requirements a few different places, and some say they need as little as one gallon, and others say they need at least ten. I'd like to get some more opinions on the subject so I know whether or not I should go out and get one. If he wouldn't be happy/healthy in my nano-tank, would he be better suited in my community tank? What should I do with the 3-gallon if I can't put an ADF in it?

Sorry for so much reading, but I appreciate any help I can get.

 

[nirbhao]

I can't answer frog questions, but I would separate that nerite from the ghost shrimp. Ghost shrimp eat snails.

 

[Toad]

I'd get three, one per gallon and just keep an eye on your levels. Make sure you target feed them, thos tiny terra cotta bottoms are a good spot to put food.

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[CRexy]

I'd get three, one per gallon and just keep an eye on your levels. Make sure you target feed them, thos tiny terra cotta bottoms are a good spot to put food.

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What kind of food do recommend and how do you get it onto the terra-cotta plate?

 

[Toad]

Bloodworms are good, you can use your fingers and hand feed or use a turkey baster or syringe to put them on it. I'd research more into their diet too to get some idea of options

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[54seaweed]

I would avoid adding a frog into your tank as it can be a big mistake !
ADF will find a way to snack on most of your stock if it fits in his mouth it has no chance,
ADF should be species only or with larger type fish to avoid any type of feeding off his tank mates

 

[AnimalKrazed]

I would avoid adding a frog into your tank as it can be a big mistake !
ADF will find a way to snack on most of your stock if it fits in his mouth it has no chance,
ADF should be species only or with larger type fish to avoid any type of feeding off his tank mates

I think you might be thinking of ACFs, also known as African Clawed Frogs. African Dwarf frogs typically don't grow much larger than 3 inches in size. While I agree that they would eat any stock they could fit in their mouths, I don't really think much of the commonly available stock for a Community tank would fit inside, unless they were fry. ADFs typically are a shy species, and will spend most of the day hiding wherever they can fit themselves. I can understand the sentiment of a species only ADF tank though, I'm thinking of maybe starting one up when I finally graduate from university.

African Clawed Frogs, on the other hand, can reach up to 5 inches in size and there are quite a few commonly available stock in the hobby that can and will fit in their mouths. ACFs have been falsely sold under the African Dwarf Frog name by unknowledgeable sellers and this has caused something of a negative rep for ADFs.

A good way to tell the difference is to check the toes of the frog. If it has claws then there is a possibility it is an ACF. If it doesn't then it is an ADF. Another way is to just flat out avoid buying an ADFs from a place with albino 'ADFs' since there is no such thing available in the hobby at the last time I checked. The only albino aquatic frog in the hobby that I know of is the ACF, which is actually a pretty common colour morph for it.