Extensive African Dwarf Frog Article - Revised

[Leopardess]

Thank you beviking I must say the same thing can be applied to you! You're always good for a trustworthy response.

As for night feedings, it can help, but IME the cories and other fish still find the food. I always feed using tweezers (after seeing that it wouldn't work like that) and its hard to tweezer feed in the dark!

As for the shrimp, baby shrimp are probably fair game, yes. Although I did have six adult shrimp in my tank that gave birth to a new generation and about 10 of them lived (not too shabby considering I didn't even know they were in there) into adulthood. Some frogs will probably be more likely to indulge in a shrimpy snack...but a full belly goes a long way in avoiding it. That said, cherry shrimp may be another story. Given the high cost of them, it just seems more prudent not to mix them in the event that something does happen (unless you don't care about selling/keeping offspring or losing a few dollars in investment).

 

[beviking]

...As for night feedings, it can help, but IME the cories and other fish still find the food....

That said, cherry shrimp may be another story. Given the high cost of them, it just seems more prudent not to mix them in the event that something does happen (unless you don't care about selling/keeping offspring or losing a few dollars in investment).

Well Bettagurl, I don't know how a frog can be healthy if it dies I don't think it's "happiness" could really have an effect on whether or not it floats. I'm sure some diseases will be more likely to result in a floating frog, such as bloat or twisted intestines, though. I dont think I ever said it went one way or another - just that most are reported as having sunk whereas mine floated. Interesting though.

But if one didn't keep bottom scavanging fish and only used snails and shrimp to do the job...?

Shrimp that one raises in a seperate 15gal tank that does well enough to keep up with demand...and the target tank is a 90gal with lots of hiding places (too many maybe).

 

[Leopardess]

I'm sorry, I hadn't realized I left your question hanging, beviking!

If no bottom feeders are used, it may indeed work out to use nightfeedings. The issue then becomes one of the frog finding the food. They're just plain terrible at it, with the problem exascerbated in larger tanks. Some would be fine, I'm sure. And some, naturally, wouldn't. I have a frog who won't eat unless you almost push the food into its mouth.

You would have to experiment and see how things progress. I'm dealing with trying to figure out how to even feed my Brochis splendens in the 125g because the rainbowfish and congos eat their pellets even if they themselves are stuffed to the threat of explosion. If your fish behave and your frogs get into the routine, it could be a more convenient method, perhaps.

I updated a little bit on the nomenclature of the genus at the beginning of the article. Basically, its confusing so what I wrote may not make much sense (and I'll probably polish it later when I have more time) - partly because the species classification itself doesn't make much sense. I have also fixed some dead links that I hadn't known about (changed addresses) and I changed the sound bite because it wasnt working. I've got the old one, plus a new one that is a lot clearer (although my frogs are always singing at a higher pitch than the one I link to).

 

[mugirl08]

I have 4 ADF's, and three of them are darker and plumper compared to the fourth, my only girl, who is skinnier and has much lighter coloring. In fact, she looks very similar to the frog in the last picture. She is perfectly healthy, so yours probably is too. However I am no expert : )

 

[RUSH2112]

Leopardess GREAT INFO. I have one in a 75 gal. I am running a Fluval 404 and a Mag.350. Needless to say there is alot of current. Looks like my frog has a tough time surfacing ( I did not realize this is how they breath... no gills duhh...I'm an idiot) Is there anything I can do to make surfacing easier for the little fella ( maybe something he can get on top of closer to the surface). I am afraid he is to shy to use anything I offer. I am also afraid that this is the wrong environment and he has been in there for 9 months.

Thanks again

 

[Leopardess]

Thank you

You could try aiming the filters in such a way that they creat a corner of lesser current. And yes, sometimes adding somethign near the surface can help. Maybe a tall plant or a terraced section? As you mentioned, however, some frogs are too skittish to come out and use these platforms. You could always get him his own little tank If he's been in for 9 months and is of healthy weight, he should have figured out the breathing issue. If he really has to struggle, the only "good" option would be to move him into a different tank (like a 5g). You're not an idiot, lol. Bettas have gills and they breathe atmospherically as well. And one kind of expects that something IN water breathes IN water somehow.

 

[fishy man]

also another thing that i didn't see mentioned directly is never take your frogs out of the water to play with it. i have heard of people tanking their frogs out of the tank and letting there kids play with it...as lepardess said they will dry up within a small amount of time...they will be much happier in the tank and your kids will be happier with a frog in a tank then a dead frog in the toilet

 

[Leopardess]

Wow. People actually do that? That's like "hmm, I want to play with my fish out of the tank." I mean, I've heard of someone thinking that "hand fed" means you have to hold him out of the water to eat really quick (?) but playing? Not to mention that contact with amphibians skin can be bad for the animal...

Maybe I'll have to add a disclaimer

 

[Captain Hook]

Very very good article. Nice job Leopardess! I remember reading it a long time ago without as many pictures, length, etc. The FAQ style works really well. Amazing pictures as always.

Oh forgot to ask, are they particularly sensitive to copper or anything like that? Just wondering for plant fertilizing, but it looks like you obviously don't have any deficiencies.

 

[Leopardess]

Thanks Captain. They are sensitive to things like copper, kind of in the way that invertebrates are. Anything is, really, but I'd say they're more along the lines of scaleless fish and inverts when it comes to toxins like that. However, whatever you'd be dosing for your plants would be just fine. I did not have to fertilize the plants in those pictures - I just had good water - so I can't give you any specific levels.