How to Care for African Dwarf Frogs

African dwarf frogs make great pets. You don't have to walk or groom them, yet they provide hours of entertainment by frolicking in the water. And some owners swear their frogs sing! These amphibians live under water all the time. Look to these water frogs as good pets for a beginner once you understand these steps for African dwarf frog care.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aquarium with lid
• De-chlorinated water
• Frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, or amphibian food pellets
• Aquarium heater (optional)
• Filter (optional)
• Bamboo plant (optional)

1. Buy African dwarf frogs at a pet store. Buy at least two as company for each other. Make certain you choose active frogs with clear eyes and no skin sores. Don't confuse African dwarf frogs with African clawed frogs or dwarf clawed frogs, a larger and more aggressive species.

2. Use a regular aquarium with a lid, allowing for no more than two frogs for every gallon. Overcrowding causes stress on the frogs. Start with a larger tank if frogs will share a home with fish. The aquarium top should not have holes in it, although air slits are OK. Remember, these are frogs, and frogs jump.

3. Provide clean, de-chlorinated water for the aquarium. Let tap water stand for at least 24 hours to allow chlorine to evaporate, or use de-chlorinating drops available at the pet store. Frogs function best in water that is 76-78 degrees. If water temperature falls below 68 degrees, buy a tank heater. Change water as it becomes murky. If you want to decrease the number of tank cleanings or plan to add fish, you should have a filter.

4. Feed your African dwarf frogs frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp from your neighborhood pet store. These frogs need protein. They also have to locate their food by sight, not smell, so make sure you drop the food near your frogs. Live bloodworms and brine shrimp are favorites, but messier than their frozen counterparts. You can also feed your frogs amphibian food pellets that sink to the bottom of the tank. An easy to grow bamboo plant in the tank offers nutrients to the frogs as well.

5. Watch your frogs swim. At times, they look like they are leaping around underwater. They do have their down time though. Look at the bottom of the tank as they blend in with their surroundings. Sometimes they float near the top. A slight tap on the glass will assure you that they're not dead.

6. Look for signs of illness. Cloudy eyes or a lack of appetite can be signs of problems. African dwarf frogs are hardy creatures, but sometimes bacteria or a low pH level can cause problems. Test the pH level occasionally. These frogs like it best between 7.2 and 7.6. Frogs do occasionally shed their skin. This is not a sign of illness, but a normal part of their development.

Tips & Warnings

• If you notice tiny black things swimming around your tank, your frogs have mated and given you some tadpoles. Separate them from the adults as soon as possible, in case the adults mistake them for food. Due to the small size of the tadpoles, it might be easier to move the adults to a different aquarium. Offer the tadpoles a protein powder made for fish or spirulina flakes. After they grow a bit, switch them to frozen bloodworms.
• You can mix your African dwarf frogs with non-aggressive freshwater aquarium fish like tetras and goldfish.
• Cover filter openings with clean hose or cheesecloth to prevent frogs from getting caught. They are attracted to the air current.
• If you have a joint fish-frog community, remove the frogs to a new tank when a fish dies. The tank must be cleaned before the frogs can join the fish again.
• Don't overfeed your frogs. Give no more than your frogs will consume in an hour or two; if food remains in the water, it will rot and cause disease. Never feed your frogs fish flakes that float. On the opposite end of the scale, African dwarf frogs sometimes become anorexic because they can't find their food, or fish in the aquarium eat it. If this happens, scoop your frog into a smaller container of chlorine-free water and leave it alone with food until it eats enough.

[kmt80]

on 10/27/2009 have you tried adding salt to the water? apparently they need salt in thier water...but not table salt, there's a special kind for freshwater fish such as mollies. you only need to add a full dose once because it doesnt evaporate with the water. but if you do a water change you'll want to add more...

[judysmiling2day]

on 10/14/2009 My daughter bought dwarf frogs for my granddaugher and grandson's rooms. The came in 6-7" x 6'7" plexiglass containers (aquariums) with a top on them and one hole in the top. The toy store she bought them from told her to feed them one pellet per frog once a week and change their water once every 6 mos. I am wondering if this is accurate information since I'm seeing online that these frogs should be fed every other day. Also, I'm wondering if it's cruel to have these frogs in such a small container. There's two in one and 3 in the other one. Your help is much appreciated!

[natelola]

on 10/6/2009 To ****,

I had my two African Dwarf frogs for 5 years. We first bought them at a fair to give my son something to care for after our dog died. My male frog passed away last week :(. We kept them in about a gallon of water in a shallow tank so they could easily go up for air. I find them easy to care for and very resilient. They just need clean water, room, water and love. I hope this helps. Maybe you're trying too hard. I'm on my way to the Pet store now to get more. I hate to see her by herself.

[booker48]

on 9/25/2009 Anybody.
Over the past 6 months my wife and I have purchased 6 African Dwarf Frogs. All have died! The first 2 lived about 2 months. One of them developed a white fungus on one of its legs. We tried everything to save it but it died. About a week later, the other one stopped eating, began constantly swimming up and down, back and fourth in the tank day and night for 2 or 3 days. Its clear bright eyes became discolored as did its dark body. Then, it would just float and sink, float and sink, then, it too died. The first 6 were in a 46 gallon docile community fish tank. I have had aquariums for 20 years and pretty much know what I’m doing. I always test my water and it always balanced correctly. I even brought in a sample twice to have it tested and they too, found the water quality excellent.
I consulted with a number of knowledgeable people; one is a wildlife biologist...

[yourmomtheone]

on 7/12/2009 hola!i have a quesgtion...can i get married to my pet frog? and can i hold it? and let it jump on my floor? and let it eat ants? as you can see i bought these not knowing a thing about them.... please help my frogs and alsso my frog toly tried to kill himself.....under a rock...my friends frog died that way...but i saved it....sooo is that normal...bad?....should i be concerned and also is it normal for hermit crabs to sit on eachother?
p.s
i love you ............
Rintu and Toly. <3
p.s.s.
rintu and toly need your help!
p.s.s.s.
loook inside to find your prize.