How to Take Care of Water Frogs
Water frogs make low-maintenance pets: They're easy to look after, sociable and relatively inexpensive to take care of. Frogs are amphibious animals, meaning that they divide their time between the water and the land. As a result of their amphibious nature, water frogs will need to have access both to a watery and to a dry environment. Frogs are carnivorous---they eat other animals, mainly flies and insects, and they swallow their food whole. Water frogs are slightly different from tree frogs in that they spend most of their time in the water and have physical characteristics such as webbed toes adapted to suit this environment.
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Things You'll Need
- Acquarium
- Water filter
- Specialist light bulb
- Lamp
- Gravel
- Rocks
- Miniature plants/vegetation/moss
- Food (flies, crickets, worms)
- Bottle (spray nozzle attachment)
Instructions
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Habitation
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1
Acquire a suitable tank. A good frog tank will be large (at least 30 inches by 20 inches), and will come fitted with a water-filter attachment, permitting you to regulate the water supply and keep your frogs happy and healthy.
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2
Build a suitable atmosphere. Once you have your aquarium tank, begin building up the environment within the tank by adding a layer of gravel to the bottom (approximately 1 to 2 inches in depth). If your tank does not come with a water-filter attachment, you can place one underneath the layer of gravel. Arrange several medium-sized rocks on one end of the aquarium so that once you fill the tank with water, your frog will have somewhere dry to get out of the water.
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3
Build up the frog habitat. Once you have your aquarium base, you can begin "decorating" the tank in the way that your frog would. Grow a mossy layer on the rocks. Alternatively, you can actually buy a divider from a pet shop and place this at the bottom of your tank. Add some miniature tropical plants such as Dwarf Anubias or Anubias Nana.
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4
Establish humidity. Using a spray bottle filled with stale water, spray everything in the tank, from the plants to the walls to the rocks. Keep everything nicely moist and your frog will be very happy. A secure lid to your tank will help retain the humidity, but make sure that it also provides ample ventilation. The lid should be soft (i.e. flexible) so that your frogs do not hurt themselves when hopping around. Moss also helps retain moisture in the atmosphere, so keep cultivating it.
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5
Provide light. Pet stores stock special light bulbs that will help your frog to generate vitamin D3. You cannot use a normal, bog-standard light bulb because it will damage your frog's vision. Attach the light bulb to the inside of the tank in one corner.
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6
Regulate the temperature. To keep the atmosphere in the tank at a steady temperature, you will need to place a heat lamp next to the aquarium to keep your frog warm. Place the lamp nect to the rocks, so that the frog has one are of the tank to heat up, and one area to cool off (the water). The ideal tank temperature will depend on your species of water frog, so ask your pet store dealer when you purchase the animal, and do not place the frog in the tank until you have achieved the requisite temperature.
Maintenance
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7
Adjust the water. Frogs have delicate and sensitive skin. If you place your water frog in an inappropriate climate, they will die. Polluted water is particularly destructive to the frog population. Make sure that the water is regularly cleaned out (once monthly).
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8
Regulate the humidity. Make sure that the humid atmosphere is maintained---a dry frog will not necessarily hop into the water for a dip. You will need to make sure that the conditions remain hot and wet.
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9
Provide a varied diet. Don't just give your frog the same boring diet every day. Spice things up occasionally with spiders, small fish and snails.
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References
- Photo Credit Christoph Burki/Digital Vision/Getty Images
