# ADF Care?



## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

I've been surfing the internet as of late, and I've been finding lots of conflicting information about African Dwarf Frogs. Some sources say you can keep 2 frogs in 1 gallon, others say 1 frog to 1.5 gallons, while some places say 2-3 frogs in a 10 gallon! 

Some websites say they live alone, others say they live in groups, and honestly, I am thoroughly confused about their care.

So what do you all think? How do you care for your Dwarf frogs?


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

With what I've heard, 1 gallon per frog, and they prefer large groups.


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

I love frogs, and these seem relatively easy to care for, so I was doing research to see if I might want one a few years down the road.... Lol, I plan pets XD

But seeing all these care discrepancies scares me, is there no reliable source of info on these froggies?

It seems like some people keep them in small tanks with bettas while others give them big 10 gallon tanks! *scratches head*

Thanks for your input shinybetta, I appreciate it


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## kaythenewbie (Aug 23, 2010)

If you are putting them in with a betta, you'll probably want a 10 gallon. Otherwise, you could have 2 in a 5 gal. They are social, but not overly so. They're fine in groups of 2-3, but if you wanted more,you could keep a large group. 

They can be pretty difficult to care for. They are nearly blind and rely on their sense of smell to find food. But that doesn't mean they'll scavenge like cories do, they are horrible scavengers. With mine, they can be right next to food and be oblivious to it. I have to hand feed them with tweezers.

They take a lot of time to care for, and you won't have a lot to show for it since they are nocturnal (you'll hardly ever see them during the day). I think they're worth the effort, but I love frogs. Let me know if you have any questions.

BTW, here's a couple links to some good info: African Dwarf Frog Housing and Feeding
Meet my Frogs : African Dwarf Frogs


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

They are perfectly happy living alone, but I would advise getting at least two - it's funny watching them interact. 

I have, right now, four frogs in a five 1/2 gallon. This isn't my ideal setup, before they had babies I had two frogs in the same five 1/2 tank - that's what I'd recommend. 2 gallons per frog, mostly because I hate seeing the little guys stuffed in tiny containers. You never get to see their antics like that. Anyway, you have to get to know your frog. My four each have different personalities, some of them hunker down for the day in one spot, others are always zooming around. If you have a zoomy frog, it would need more space, if you have a frog that's retarded and can't find its own food (I do :/) you'll need long tweezers to feed it with.

They're not really bright, so they won't go insane in a small tank, however these frogs are tropical and like their water temps to be middle-high 70's, so they do need a heater. Smaller than 2 gallons = hard to heat. That's why I've got my guys in the 5.5, same as my betta gets. I don't have a light for my tank since they're nocturnal, and they seem to like it like that. However, I gave six of my babies to a guy with a lighted planted tank (huge), and in the photos he sent me, they look great. So it's up to you.

Um, food. I feed my group HBH frog and tadpole bites and frozen bloodworms. Two years of owning them, no problems. I think this diet is great although many advise more variety (I'm not really in a position to provide). The HBH pellets are soft so they won't cause impaction, and the bloodworms... well, those are the favorite. I get them frozen, again, to avoid impaction. You just can't let them thaw or spoil.

Um, wall of text. Sorry. Hope this helps.

Just to add, I see my frogs all the time. I'm not sure when they sleep, despite their nocturnal habits, but there's always at least one smashed against the glass waiting for food, or one poking around in the gravel for scraps or zipping about aimlessly.

Also, some people seem to have trouble, but I have found caring for ADFs easy and rewarding. They get about the same care level as my betta (other than feeding by hand, but I think that's really fun).


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Thanks for all of the information guys! This is a lot better than what I was finding on the internet  2 gallons per frog seems to make the most sense, I'm glad I asked here! 10 gallons for frogs and a betta makes sense, so they can avoid each other if they wish. I honestly read about people keeping multiple frogs and a betta in pretty small containers, which didn't seem right to me...

If I ever get to upgrade to a large tank (And get out of this dorm building!!), I'd love to maybe try a frog! 

Thanks for the correct care information guys!


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## danifacetastic (Nov 11, 2010)

I had 2 in my 10 gallon divided three ways and they died within a week. The bettas seemed to ignore them and I was feeding them once a day so idk what happened.


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Aww, I'm sorry about your frogs!!


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## danifacetastic (Nov 11, 2010)

That's okay. I learned my lesson. I think if I ever get frogs again though it will be a frog only tank.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

IDK about ADFs but people say cories need bigger groups...I've had single cories before and they'rre as happy as can be digging around the bottom for food.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I did some research on ADF's awhile back for TFK's fish profile section and I found that they need 5 gallons or larger. They are sensitive to their water parameters so the water needs to be monitored. They like places to hide and these shouldn't have sharp edges. I also read that if you feed the frogs in the same spot every day then they will learn where to find their food.


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> I did some research on ADF's awhile back for TFK's fish profile section and I found that they need 5 gallons or larger. They are sensitive to their water parameters so the water needs to be monitored. They like places to hide and these shouldn't have sharp edges. I also read that if you feed the frogs in the same spot every day then they will learn where to find their food.


Thank you Dramaqueen, very useful information! 

I just haven't seen any good care requirements on the internet, so I thought I would ask here


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## kaythenewbie (Aug 23, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> I did some research on ADF's awhile back for TFK's fish profile section and I found that they need 5 gallons or larger. They are sensitive to their water parameters so the water needs to be monitored. They like places to hide and these shouldn't have sharp edges. I also read that if you feed the frogs in the same spot every day then they will learn where to find their food.


Thanks dramaqueen! That helped me out a lot when I got started with my frogs. I always wondered who wrote it. Thank you


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

lol! It's probably been edited a few times since then.


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## bettablue (Oct 13, 2010)

I have an adf and I put her in a 10 gal w/ my betta and she ripped his fins off so I hade to move her to a guppy tank. Idk if it's just me but I wouldn't recommend to mix an adf w/ a betta


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

danifacetastic said:


> I had 2 in my 10 gallon divided three ways and they died within a week. The bettas seemed to ignore them and I was feeding them once a day so idk what happened.


Were they showing any symptoms before they died? How were they behaving? It's quite possible that they had Chytrid fungus before you bought them. The people who distribute the frogs don't always take the best care of them, and many frogs that you get from the pet store already have the fungus, from what I hear. They don't live too long, or in some cases the fungus is dormant for a while and then comes out later. 

I was lucky my guys have never shown any signs of chytrid, but I got them from a smaller LFS.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

bettablue said:


> I have an adf and I put her in a 10 gal w/ my betta and she ripped his fins off so I hade to move her to a guppy tank. Idk if it's just me but I wouldn't recommend to mix an adf w/ a betta


... That's weird. Your frog must be psychotic. xD My frogs are way too slow to catch a betta. Although they are really nearsighted, so if the betta was asleep and the frog was really close and thought the tail was food.... it could happen.


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## JaspersANGEL (Oct 12, 2009)

I think those frogs are cute!
And it's true that there is not that much care info on them, I was doing some research for myself cause I was thinking of getting some one time and I could barely find any info.

But going through this whole post, I now think that maybe ADF's are not for me.
Look's like my only option is to devide my tank in the future unless I find another king betta.


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## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

I have an african dwarf frog temporally with my male betta, until I redo the sorority. Then, I will get 2 more frogs and put them in my 14 gallon. :-D They're really awesome, if you don't mind reaching your hand down in your tank and feeding worms with tweezers! :-D


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I think most of the users have covered a lot of the issues--ADFs are hard to feed due to their poor eyesight, need a varied diet, do best in groups, and are extremely sensitive to changes in water parameters. Often you will see the frog shed its skin in reaction to these changes. As far as space goes, you will see a variety of answers to this question. They have a very low bioload, so from that point of view you could do one frog per gallon easily--but do keep in mind that these guys need space to move around and stay sane, and having a cycled, stable tank is really the best thing for them. Personally, I would not go under 5 gallons for two frogs. The tank should be fully enclosed to prevent escapes.

Another thing I wanted to emphasize is the necessity of keeping track of the temperature of the water. You need it in the range of 70-78 degrees--no higher and no lower. Too hot, and it puts a lot of strain on their bodies, too low and their metabolisms will slow down.


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## zelilaa (Jul 31, 2010)

_*Too simplify~ 
*_
Housing~ 
2 gallons per frog
2.5 gallons minimum

Feeding~
Once a day
Varied diet of live foods, frozen foods, and/ or hbh frog pellets
Hand fed in same spot


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Once again, thanks for all the great info everyone! I wanted to make this thread because the internet is so sketchy about their care needs!  Thanks again!


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