Need help with African Dwarf Frogs

[Ashes2ashes]

Just my personal opinion, I wouldnt remove one from the tank...It's more stress on the frog than it's worth. You can make sure food is getting to both frogs by hand/tweezer/turkey baster feeding them....removing one of them from the tank would be a total last resort for me. Again, this is only my opinion, but I don't like the idea of stressing the frog once a week by removing it from it's home when I think there are better ways to make sure it gets fed. Also, if you get a chance to talk to one of our other members here, Mel20_20, she is almost an encyclopedia of dwarf frog info....or you could look at some of the old threads she has written in about them by searching some of her older posts.

 

[melissasroja]

I used a net the few times Ive had to take mine out. Didnt seem to stress them at all. They ate and went right back in like nothing. If anything the food calmed it down. You can also take two low heavy dishes (I used those glass ones Petco sells) and use tweezers to put the worms in that inside the tank. One on each side of the tank so each frog can go to one and eat. Then just remove the dish with the uneaten food when they are finished.

 

[Wolverine45]

Thanks, Ashes and Melissa!

I would probably only take them out when I clean their tank.

How often do you feed your ADFs?? I've been online for days researching and I have read mixed things.

Also, one is larger than the other one...I think that is the female, Lois. The little guy, Clark, is tiny and he is the one I am worried about getting enough food since Lois seems to bully him around and literally take food out of his mouth!!

Also, how do frogs look when they eat? I got scared because Clark seemed like he was choking...like, he would try to chew the worm...then spit it back up and chew it back down again. This went on for a while and I was scared!

Thanks for all of your help. You are wonderful.

 

[Ashes2ashes]

That is the way they look when they eat. No worries. They are not choking, they just look funny. As far as feeding times, if they are young frogs then I would feed daily, but I have heard a lot of people say they only feed the adults a few times a week. My frogs were ACF's not ADF's, so I don't know if food scheduling differs much between the two. Also, no need to take the frogs out when you clean the tank either.....just siphon the gravel around them and do a water change...since it is a new tank, it won't be cycled yet, so you might want to keep an eye on amonia spikes and make sure you do water changes more often.

 

[melissasroja]

I dont remove my dwarf frogs when I clean the tank either. As Ashes said I just syphon the rocks real good and leave them in. One thing to watch for is if they seem like they are trying to climb out of the tank. Thats a good indication that amonia is too high. As for feeding I feed mine every other day. I do blood worms then skip a day then do brine shrimp then skip a day then blood worms and so on. It seems to work out as both are several months old and doing wonderfully. They do look funny when they eat. I wouldnt worry about it too much.

 

[Wolverine45]

Thanks, Ashes and Melissa. You two have been so helpful. I was so worried that something was wrong with little Clark when he was eating, lol!! Whew!! That makes me feel much better.

Can you explain exactly how you clean the tank while leaving them in? I am afraid since I have never done it before that it might be crazy!!

 

[Ashes2ashes]

I personally just siphon whatever gravel or substrate you have to get the poop and extra food out, and while siphoning the water comes out, then after I am done taking out water and debris, I add back however much water I took out, but it is of course water that has been treated wiht a dechlorinator. There are actually some videos on youtube of how to siphon and clean an aquarium if you want to look those up. They are pretty visually helpful.

 

[Wolverine45]

Thanks, Ashes! I will look those up!

 

[melissasroja]

Yes! YouTube! Not only for tank cleaning vids but also just search african dwarf frogs. You can see how they normally act. That will help a lot in deciding if they look normal or not.

 

[Wolverine45]

follow-up

Hi friends!!

I successfully changed the tank water last week and it went very well.

I also got a long pair of tweezers and fed them with the tweezers as suggested. It was awesome!! They loved it!! And, this way I was able to ensure they each got some food.

I have another question...Lois has been chillin out in a weird position lately...scaring me! Is this look normal?

I think each of them hang out like this from time to time...they have also been spending some time at the top of the tank just floating...it is freaking me out!

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!!

-Wolverine