HELP! African Dwarf Frog Care?

[beachbumm]

I just got two little African Dwarf Frogs and theyre in a 2.5 galleon tank. The lady at the petstore said to clean them once a week or so. Its been a little under a week and boy do they SMELL. It happened over night. One night no smell, the next BOOM gag-inspiring stench. Well the thing is.. I DONT KNOW HOW TO CLEAN THE TANK :confused: Could somebody, ANYBODY, please give me a quick and easy guide to tank cleaning?

Also, does anybody know how often the little critters eat or how often I should feed them? I can't seem to figure it out. Some times there is NO food left and sometimes they barely touch it at all. (I feed them once in the morning and once at night currently)

Thanks so much!

[That_girl]

haha, welcome to the world of owning frogs! They aren't the cleanest animal.

For amphibians, DO NOT use any type of cleaner. Only flush with water. Amphibs skin is so delicate.

What are you feeding these guys?

Have you been doing your research on these guys? I am sure there are care sheets all over the web. If not, your best bet is to join a frog forum. Not many people here keep frogs.

[beachbumm]

for the record, i have done my research
every website contradicts the other
its messed up :(

and ive been feeding them frozen bloodworms

[That_girl]

for the record, i have done my research
every website contradicts the other
its messed up :(

I hear that! Same thing goes for geckos. Anyway, All we ever do when we clean our frog tank is syphon (sp?) out all the water, rinse with clean water, and put fresh water in.

Have you found any good frog forums? There are a few members on the gecko site I frequent http://www.forums.repashy.com/cmps_index.php that keep a variety of frogs. Someone there might be able to help you out better. :)

[catlady2006]

I have been debating as to whether or not to get one of these african dwarf frogs. My daugther will be turning 11 in November & really wants one. I've been doing some research myself. One of the websites said to use a turkey baster to suck out the waste.
One website said they don't make too much of a mess, another said they do. One website said they can live up to 18 yrs, another said 2 to 3 yrs. I already have 2 cats. Do I really
need a frog who can live to be 18 yrs old? Another thing she would take care of it at first & then probably lose interest in it, just like the betta fish she begged for, who is no longer alive. Not sure I want to be on frog duty for 18 yrs. Hopefully she will soon forget this frog business. I don't mind taking care of the two cats. We've had them for four yrs, & she does help out with them. Feeding them & refilling water dishes & playing with them. I'm usually stuck with litter box duty. I got the cats for both of us, not just for her.

[GeorgieGirl]

I had these little guys and yes they are smelly! I cleaned mine every 4 or so days when they started to smell. I agree with the no cleaner comment. I used a white paper towel and hot water to clean the tank they were in.
Like Goldfish, I myself found that they did well with a filtered tank as opposed to just a bowl. When I cleaned my frog tank, I used filtered water. I know that there are other ways of treating the water, but at the time where I lived, the city water was so bad it would take me more time and money to get it right then just using filtered water.
But, if you use tap water you must get a water treament additive like Amquel. They do make some specifically for reptiles and amphibians, but since I also eventaully had fish with them, Amquel worked for me. Another way to treatwater is to fill a container and let it set for 24 hrs. This naturallay allows the harmful chemicals like amonia and chlorine to dissipate. When you do a water change you ideally want to change no more a 10 to 20 percent change. This means you take a percentage of the old water and replace it with new fresh water. To do this, you can purchase a gravel vacuum from a fish/pet store or a turkey baster might work-it's worth a try. I like the vacuum.
My frogs lived about 2-3 years ate flake fish food (tropical) and they liked algea wafers.
Not sure if this helps you out but that's what I did. Best of Luck with the froggies!

[Pet Pal]

Hi :)
Use a regular aquarium with a lid, allowing for no more than two frogs for every gallon. Overcrowding causes stress on the frogs and makes them smell. Start with a larger tank if frogs will share a home with fish. The aquarium top should not have holes in it, although air slits are OK. Remember, these are frogs, and frogs jump. Provide clean, de-chlorinated water for the aquarium. Let tap water stand for at least 24 hours to allow chlorine to evaporate, or use de-chlorinating drops available at the pet store. Frogs function best in water that is 76-78 degrees. If water temperature falls below 68 degrees, buy a tank heater. Change water as it becomes murky. If you want to decrease the number of tank cleanings or plan to add fish, you should have a filter. New fish should be kept in a separate ‘quarantine’ tank for at least a week as they can carry diseases that may infect your frogs. If you choose to add fish to your frog’s tank, be sure to use a filter and be extra diligent about water changes.
Feed your African dwarf frogs frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp from your neighborhood pet store. These frogs need protein. They also have to locate their food by sight, not smell, so make sure you drop the food near your frogs. Live bloodworms and brine shrimp are favorites, but messier than their frozen counterparts. You can also feed your frogs amphibian food pellets that sink to the bottom of the tank. An easy to grow bamboo plant in the tank offers nutrients to the frogs as well.
Watch your frogs swim. At times, they look like they are leaping around underwater. They do have their down time though. Look at the bottom of the tank as they blend in with their surroundings. Sometimes they float near the top. A slight tap on the glass will assure you that they're not dead.
Look for signs of illness. Cloudy eyes or a lack of appetite can be signs of problems. African dwarf frogs are hardy creatures, but sometimes bacteria or a low pH level can cause problems. Test the pH level occasionally. These frogs like it best between 7.2 and 7.6. Frogs do occasionally shed their skin. This is not a sign of illness, but a normal part of their development.

Tips & Warnings

* If you notice tiny black things swimming around your tank, your frogs have mated and given you some tadpoles. Separate them from the adults as soon as possible, in case the adults mistake them for food. Due to the small size of the tadpoles, it might be easier to move the adults to a different aquarium. Offer the tadpoles a protein powder made for fish or spirulina flakes. After they grow a bit, switch them to frozen bloodworms.
* You can mix your African dwarf frogs with non-aggressive freshwater aquarium fish like tetras and goldfish.
* Cover filter openings with clean hose or cheesecloth to prevent frogs from getting caught. They are attracted to the air current.
* If you have a joint fish-frog community, remove the frogs to a new tank when a fish dies. The tank must be cleaned before the frogs can join the fish again.
* Don't overfeed your frogs. Give no more than your frogs will consume in an hour or two; if food remains in the water, it will rot and cause disease. Never feed your frogs fish flakes that float. On the opposite end of the scale, African dwarf frogs sometimes become anorexic because they can't find their food, or fish in the aquarium eat it. If this happens, scoop your frog into a smaller container of chlorine-free water and leave it alone with food until it eats enough.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/fish/Frog_AfricanDwarf.pdf

Best of luck :D

[Keri_Ann]

I guess I need no replie seeing how beachbum's replies told me the answer to my question! But hey if you do use a filter I have read that they have drowned from being sucked into the filter!!! so be careful and goodluck, feel free to share any new info with me and I will do the same with you beachbum!! send me a yahoo messenger friend request and maybe we can help each other! my email is miss_keri_ann@yahoo.com

Thanks all,
Keri_Ann

[catlady2006]

I'm going birthday shopping for my daughter on November 6th & I'm going to get an african dwarf frog for her. I'm just getting one & it will be housed in a one gallon aquarium with a lid. Actually the frog will be for both of us. It will be interesting to see if the cats take an interest in the frog. I will be feeding bloodworms & freeze dried brine shrimp. Do the bloodworms have to be frozen. Are fish food flakes ok?

[MustLuvMutts]

They advise not to feed the frogs fish food flakes. Supposedly, they only eat from the bottom of the tank, and fish flakes float. The frozen bloodworms and freeze dried brine shrimp are best. Of course, I had several African Dwarf frogs many many years ago and was told to feed them fish flakes. They lived several years. In saying that, it's probably best to stick with bloodworms and brine shrimp. Don't forget to feed them every other day or so, not every single day.

[catlady2006]

For the record I'm getting the frog on Wednesday. We have no pet store in our small town. So we have to go to Petoskey, which is about twenty minutes away. I have to go to an appointment on Wednesday in Petoskey so I'm getting the frog then. The frog will be eating freeze dried brine shimp & freeze dried blood worms. Although I have a girlfriend who has had her frog Speedy for a year and a half & has been feeding tropical fish flakes every other day. I assume that blood worms & brine shrimp are probably a healthier diet for them. We've decide to name the frog Kermit.