# African Dwarf Frog



## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I bought a companion for Mr. Fish to see if it helped with his tail biting issues. It is the smaller african frog with all webbed feet. The store info said they get to 1.5 inches in length (nose to rear), so there shouldn't be any violence from the frog.

They both seem to like the same hidey place that I bought. My issue so far is that Mr Fish is eating Mr. Frog's food for him even if it's something he doesn't like. I squirted some defrosted mysis shrimp next to the frog after I fed Mr. Fish. The frog is busy hiding and didn't eat right away. Mr Fish hates mysis shrimp, but he went down and chewed up every single shrimp on the ground and spat it out.

Should I return the frog or give them more time together? The frog looks a bit underfed to me already, and I don't want it to die under my betta's tender loving jealousy of 2 seconds of attention.

10 gallon filtered tank, 78 degrees heated, silk plants and one marimo moss ball. Haven't tested the water, but Monday was big water change and vacuum day. Mr Fish had 4 Omega One pellets before I fed the frog.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You can feed HBH Frog and Tadpole Bites which none of my Betta will eat; the first time I fed them they picked them up and spit them out. Or you can get a pair of long tongs and feed your ADF that way. I feed mine the Bites, Mysis and Brine Shrimp and bloodworms (all frozen). Feed ADF in the same spot every time; preferably on the opposite side of the tank from the Betta. If you feed Mysis, don't squirt in a bunch at one time as ADF are nearly blind and hunt by smell. Instead, drop one at a time right on his nose and he will soon figure it out.

I would advise getting at least two more ADF or the one you have will spend his time hiding. ADF are extremely social and for them there is safety in numbers; being alone is not good. I have six in my 10 gallon with Random the Betta. Their bioload is about that of a large Tetra .... not much.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Mr Fish also ate the frog/tadpole food that I tried. I put the food next to the (hiding) frog with the fish tank's turkey baster, and 10 minutes later, Mr Fish came over and ate it all. 

So if I got a few more frogs, they would come out? It's either that or give the frog back to the store.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Did you tap the frog's nose before you dropped the food? You can't put food in the tank for the frog unless he (or she) is out and about until he (or she) learns where it's going to be fed. If the frog doesn't eat it right away take it back out and try again later.

Some aquatic critters won't eat until they settle in and that can take a few days.

When I added four more frogs as company for Clayton and Esmeralda they completely changed and now I see them all of the time instead of just at feeding or when they come up for air.


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

Net your fish for the 10 minutes it takes froggy to eat.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Today, the frog ate after 1.5 hours. That's a long time to keep one of them in a cup. I left the light off today, and the frog is more active. Do they get overwhelmed by light?


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

African dwarf frogs are much more active when they have a group. They really like to have friends, and it makes them much more comfortable.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Thanks, everyone!


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

Givemethatfish is right about the groups. You can also target feed by defrosting the bloodworms in a cup with water and then sucking it up with a turkey baster. You can then use the loaded baster to drop bloodworms right in front of frog.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

ADF were not meant to live alone. ;-)


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> ADF were not meant to live alone. ;-)


I had thought all the talk about ADF in groups had to be a bit of an exaggeration. I started with one and never saw her. After I managed to keep her alive for a month I brought her home a buddy and I saw them more frequently. Then I went from 2 to 3 frogs and there is such a difference! They went from hiding all the time to clowning around all over the place.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Family strongly suggested I return the frog and get shrimp like I had originally planned. I had tried the turkey baster thing, but the frog was too scared by him/herself to try it, and Mr Fish is a hog. Petco was okay with trading the frog for some shrimp, and at least Mr Fish won't be stealing their food. I feel really horrible about the whole thing. The store employee hadn't heard about them being social or I would have taken 3-4 frogs home to begin with.


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

Shrimp are awesome too! Don't blame yourself about the little frog. I'd never had any luck with them until this last go around. They're hard little buggers to keep in a community tank.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Shrimp are even harder to keep with Betta than ADF; they also hide a lot more because they're in a confined space with a much larger predator.

For *long-term* success shrimp only be kept with Betta in a tank that is heavily planted with live plants (no clear line of sight/chase for the Betta), is at least two months past cycling (need stable parameters and biofilm for food) and has lots of places for them to completely hide when they molt. 

You also do not want to do more than a 20%-25% water change as those any larger than 25% can kill shrimp if parameters aren't matched exactly. While a Betta is hardy enough to handle slight differences in pH and other parameters, shrimp cannot. It is my belief a lot of people are unsuccessful with shriimp partially because their water changes are entirely too large.

If a Betta manages to catch a shrimp it is because the tank is too lightly planted or the shrimp was dying, anyhow.

Edit: A turkey baster is not the best way to feed ADF in a tank with a Betta. Tongs or hemostats so you can touch the ADF's nose with the bloodworm offer more success.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

So far, he hasn't attacked the shrimp, and they survived over night. He is very curious about them when he can see them. 

Thanks for the info on water changes! I knew they were sensitive, but I didn't realize how sensitive they are. The tank is cycled, but I have been adding more plants every paycheck. So far, all my plants are low-med light, easy care things that can survive with my desk lamp.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I love low-medium light plants and that's all I have.

Thanks for understanding. Sometimes I feel like such a Debbie Downer but I figure people need to know shrimp aren't easy peasy and why they may be experiencing a lack of success.

I have Red Sakura Shrimp, Vampire Shrimp and Dwarf Orange and Brazos Crays in my Betta-based community tank.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I'd rather get the information in a brusque manner than have everything die!

So far, the four ghost shrimp are still alive. They're out in the open more than I expected, so maybe I don't have enough hiding spots. When they do hide, they swim up to the taller silk plants, where they still seem pretty visible to me. I'll keep adding to the tank so they have somewhere safe to be during molting.

I thought some tank mates would distract Mr. Fish from his fin biting, but I see more injuries today  http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=503802 is the thread about it. Today, I put a paper on the side of his tank that faces Mrs. Fish's tank in case he could still see her somehow. They're about 2.5 feet apart, but I'm willing to try anything!


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

I've only kept ghost shrimp and I find them to be pretty hardy little critters. Once they settle in they do well. I regularly have them live a couple of years.


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## kman (Dec 10, 2013)

Ghost shrimp are VERY different from the ornamental shrimp that I believe Russell is referring to. Most of them do just fine with bettas (as long as the betta isn't unusually aggressive... some won't tolerate ANYTHING in "their tank"). They're more sensitive than the betta, true, but not nearly so much as other shrimp species.

Cherry shrimp (RCS) are relatively hardy, too, but not nearly as much so as ghost shrimp. Ghost shrimp can actually be mean to a betta, at times! Generally, though, the ghosties are highly amusing tank mates for bettas, and do well with them. Just watch them to make sure they don't steal all your betta's food, though!


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## Roxy (Nov 16, 2011)

cousiniguana said:


> I had thought all the talk about ADF in groups had to be a bit of an exaggeration. I started with one and never saw her. After I managed to keep her alive for a month I brought her home a buddy and I saw them more frequently. Then I went from 2 to 3 frogs and there is such a difference! They went from hiding all the time to clowning around all over the place.


I rescued an african dwarf frog from someone and he's always roaming around the tank... 

Maybe it depends on their personality? * shrug * my betta and adf often hang out together like this:










I can't add a 2nd adf to the tank since 1x betta and 1x adf is a bit much in a 3.4g tank.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I hand feed my bettas, so the pellets don't reach the floor. The defrosted stuff seems to get torn into and makes lots of debris, and the plants make debris.


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## kman (Dec 10, 2013)

Sadist said:


> I hand feed my bettas, so the pellets don't reach the floor. The defrosted stuff seems to get torn into and makes lots of debris, and the plants make debris.


My ghost shrimp used to swim up and grab pellets right off the surface! It was actually pretty hilarious (and mildly infuriating at the same time, LOL).


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

Adorable Roxy!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I just saw the frog and fish together picture! I guess my frog was too afraid to come out.

Yesterday, I fed some frozen food to Mr. Fish and he didn't like it. He kept spitting it back out, and the biggest shrimp swam right up and started grabbing it! The biggest shrimp seems to be the only one allowed on the algae ball, too.


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## SabastiansMom (Jul 25, 2014)

I have both in my 10g tank. The ADFs are lively since I have two..started out with 4 but lost two. The ghosties are very lively and will steal the Betta pellets so I have to watch them.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

One tried to take Mr. Fish's bloodworm today!


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