# African Dwarf Frogs



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Hey there!

Not sure if this is the right section, but it seemed the most appropriate. 

I'm new to keeping African Dwarf Frogs, (ADF's). I've had 2 males for about 3 weeks now. They seem happy and content for the moment, but I have a question about feeding... *pc*

Is about 1/4 of a frozen blood worm cube every other day enough food for 1 ADF? (I cut one cube in half, {one half goes back into the freezer for another day}, the other half gets split in half again - hence the 1/4 cube per frog. I use 10 inch tweezers to give each frog their own 1/4 of the blood worm cube). A bunch of the blood worms come out of the tweezers once they hit the water, and a few float away when the frogs are trying to wrestle them from the tweezers, but they get most of them. I try to give them frog bites (pellets) with the tweezers... sometimes it works... not usually though, lol. On the days I don't give the blood worms, I drop a few pellets into the tank when I turn the light off at night. (They are nocturnal). I don't know if they sniff the pellets out, or if they just get lost in the gravel. They both seem happy and healthy, and I haven't noticed them getting skinny - they have skinny arms and legs, but round/pancake bellies. :krapel:

Do you think the 1/4 cube of frozen blood worms every other day is good enough? (I've heard people say they only feed their ADF's twice a week - seems kinda' mean to me). The last thing I want to do is starve them! (I know they should have other foods, but mine hate Brine shrimp, Daphnia is too small and I can't find glass worms.... that's why I drop a few frog bites in). :fish9:

Thanks for your input!! *c/p*


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

We have 4 and have kept them fat and happy for over a year, one of them is a hand me down, so he is over 2 (and the reason we have 4... they are fun!)
Anyway half to a 1/4 cube every otherday is ok, but you can do third days too.
I don't target feed mine, I provide them with an old spice jar that they go in and feed as soon as it's filled with food.
Here is my photobucket link and you can see how I do it.
<a href="http://s1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd452/PoppiDoc/feeding%20ADFS/?action=view&current=91895366.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd452/PoppiDoc/feeding%20ADFS/91895366.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Oops, that was the image... Try this, and check out ADF's folder

Mobile Photobucket


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Oh one more thing... After a good feeding they should have fat little bellies. And mine are active most all day. They are kinda like cats, taking naps all the time. Hanging out, floating like they are dead.... Wait till one starts to molt, very entertaining.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Your frogs are soooo cute!! (I am quickly becoming a HUGE ADF fan!!)

Every 3rd day? That would save on food expenses.... their bellies never really get fat after I feed them, but they are definitely not bony, lol. I like your jar idea and would do it but I have no floor space left in my tank.... 10g tank.  So, target feeding it is. It's kinda funny feeling how tough they are (vibrations up the tweezers) when they attack the tweezers. 

I've seen them shed their skin - the first time I missed it and just saw some gross *snot like* (sorry), stuff floating through the tank. I was like, "WHAT IS THAAAAAT??!!!" So I took it out with the tweezers. The second time, I saw one of the frogs using its back legs to scratch its head and body and I thought it was in some kind of death throe. I quickly realized he was shedding, and was quite fascinated by the little critters actions. 

Mine never seem to eat the shedded skin like the internet says they do..... I've even seen a perfect little arm and hand (with all the fingers) of shedded skin floating around, lol. I just end up taking it out as they don't eat it and it looks kinda' gross.... my shrimp may eat it, but not fast enough... it's gross looking, lol!

As for activity, they are definitely more active in the afternoons and evenings. Ours generally like to sit under a plant or half under a rock (to keep them there - the tend to float, lol). And will dart to the surface for air and then scramble back down to the bottom. They do float to the top and just hang out under the floating plants some times as well. 

Do yours sing? I have 2 males and in the evenings, sometimes when the light is on, but mostly when we turn it off, we hear their little buzz/hum singing. It's soooooooo cute!!! Happy little frogs!!


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## Rohkey (Apr 25, 2011)

I am looking to buy a few of these little guys for my tank and have a couple questions too..

I read somewhere that freeze-dried or dry pellets because it can lead to intestinal blockage and that they shouldn't be kept in high tanks. My tank is a typical 29 or 30g that is 16 inches high, will they be okay? And how true is the freeze-dried thing? I planned on feeding them freeze-dried Bloodworms.


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

One key to happy and healthy fish keeping is variety.
I switch up every now and then with freeze dried tubifex worms, and brine.
Some people feed their pets the same food all the time, with no variety and it works nutritionally... Imagine how you would feel...
Freeze dried will work. But every now and then use frozen.


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Yep, the molting is a trip. Ours eat it, or the fish do... usually picking it off, before it's shedded. The butt scoot is the best.
Have not heard any noises from them, course we have alot of tanks and live in a converted warehouse, so there's lots of background to drown it out. 
Ours tend to be over zealous when they dive back down after getting air, and bounce off the bottom...
Have fun!


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

*Docpoppi*: Lol, ours crash into the bottom too on the way back down. (Have yet to see the "butt scoot" but I'm sure it will be hilarious!!) How do the frogs know the food is in the bottle? Do you put the food in then put the bottle in the tank and they smell it? Really.... every 3 days is ok with just 1/4 a cube? That's fine, I just don't want to starve them - they're small, lol, not much to them.

Lol, I can hear them singing/humming/buzzing right now actually! It's adorable! Happy little frogs - it makes me smile. 

For *Rohkey*: I read (and noticed upon feeding freeze dried blood worms to my Betta) that freeze dried foods just float on the top of the water (and the frogs don't feed at the top). That's the reason I don't use freeze dried. I use frozen blood worms, and will use frozen mosquito larva (aka: glass worms) if the LFS can ever find them. I use the frog bite pellets as a supplement every other day. I drop a few in when the light goes out on the days I'm not feeding worms. I don't know if they're getting them or not..... I some times try to feed them the pellets with the tweezers but they end up spitting them out b/c they're too big and then the pellet gets lost in the gravel, lol. I have read that feeding an all blood worm died can cause stomach blockages or bloat, but mine won't eat brine shrimp and I can't find glass worms yet.... still trying all the LFS's. If they are actually getting the pellets or if they are getting stuck in the gravel, I don't know. I've had the frogs for 3 weeks to a month now, and they seem round and happy! (You'll know if your frog is healthy because they will feed with great vigor and swim about in the evenings.) Mine go nuts when I click the tweezers together in the tank. It's their 'dinner call.' They hear it and come to the front to get their worms. It's really cute. I've tried using a syringe to 'spray' the worms at them, but I found too many float away, lol - the frogs also got quite offended, backing away and looking at me like, "did you just spray my food in my face?!"

As for tall tanks, they are not good for ADF's. They swim yes, but are not strong or long distance swimmers and will drown if the tank is too tall. (When we move I will be setting up a 65g tank, but it's a tall tank, so the ADF's will have to stay in my 12" high 10g). I checked a bunch of sites on the net and they said that 12" is ideal, but they can live in tanks that are 16" to 18" tall max. (Tanks 20" and taller are NOT recommended). If you're really worried about it, you could always make the gravel layer a little thicker than you normally would.

ADF's are soooo much fun! You will love having them! They are adorable!


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