# Fat Frogs!



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Can DAFs get too fat? Mine are a little on the plump side and I wonder if I am overfeeding them. I feed them tadpole/frog bites every 3 days. I usually put about 5-6 pellets on a little glass plate. I know the other tank inhabitants share the goodies, but ..... If they are too fat, is this dangerous for the little buggers?:frog-28492: PS. I have just 2 frogs!


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

They could either be bloated from overfeeding (bloating is a common issue with ADF's, it goes away easily when you feed a little less frequently), or they could be preggers. I've got a male and female and they get some froggy love going about once a week.


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Ah Ha! I, too, have a pair of lovers (cute aren't they when the hug) so preggers could be the cause. If I cut back on the feeding, what do you recommend?


----------



## joevw007 (Jul 6, 2011)

frogwings said:


> Can DAFs get too fat? Mine are a little on the plump side and I wonder if I am overfeeding them. I feed them tadpole/frog bites every 3 days. I usually put about 5-6 pellets on a little glass plate. I know the other tank inhabitants share the goodies, but ..... If they are too fat, is this dangerous for the little buggers?:frog-28492: PS. I have just 2 frogs!


a picture would be nice =D they could also be African Clawed frogs if its just their back legs that are chunky. I bought what was labeled as African Dwarf Frogs and they turned out to be ACF. no good =(


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Getting a picture would be impossible as they always hide in the "jungle". However, they definitely look like my avatar picture except their little bodies look a bit fatter. Before I put them is this tank I had them in a tank where I could clearly see them and I would stake my life on them being dwarf rather than clawed. Definitely don't want clawed! But, back to amount of food - frequency and amount? Fatness is not attractive on these little critters! (Not on me either, but that doesn't stop the occasional donut...)


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I feed maybe once or twice a week, and my ADFs are in a very crowded tank with a pleco, MTS, shrimp, and about twelve tetras.

Do yours croak at night? Might want to invest in a moonlight if you don't hear them and want to.


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

I have heard them "sing" to each other - croak, in other words. At first I thought it was an "electrical sound" (the tank was in the kitchen) and then I realized it was the frogs! I heard them singing in a video on utube. How cute is that! Thanks for the advise about feeding. I will cut back the feedings to twice a week for sure and see if that slims down their tummies. I did look at other frogs on the web and mine actually don't look any fatter than some of those, so maybe I am overreacting?


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Maybe. Mine are total fatties but I don't care.


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

PS: Gismo, good luck with the whirling disease! I will keep your fish and you in my "fish prayers"!


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Things seem to have stabilized. No further casualties in three days. Going to test the $%^&*@# out of my water this weekend and do some cleaning. We'll see where the chips fall when I have a more thorough head count.

Thanks for your concern


----------



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

They can get too fat if you're not careful, and that's not healthy. 

I've got one that's a big chunkier than the other (both males) but as long as they aren't bloated or have roles, then you're ok.

Try feeding frozen (thawed) blood worms as well. Feeding just the pellets can cause intestinal blockages. Mine also love frozen glass worms.


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Holly, I kinda thought fatness was detrimental health-wise, so I will cut down on the pellets and add the worms. Do you just drop them on the little plate with the pellets? I have never fed the worms so am not sure how to introduce them. Your advice is much appreciated!


----------



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

That would work. I wouldn't put them on the plate and then submerge the plate, as the worms will just float. Have the plate at the bottom and then use long tweezers or something like that, to set the worms down onto the plate. (Not sure what tank mates your frogs have... you may want to drop some worms in the water for the fish so they eat those and don't go for the ones on the plate.)

There's a member on here (Docpoppi I think) that has 4 ADF's, and they use a small empty mason jar, put it in the tank, then by hand (or with tweezers) put a bunch of worms into the jar, then lay the jar on it's side in the tank, that way the worms stay relatively contained. The frogs smell them and go in to eat them. Then, when they're done, you can take the jar out until the next feeding time. (Just dump the water back in the tank.)

You could even use the long tweezers to just wave the worms in front of the frogs, then they eat them right from the tweezers. (That's what I do.) I found 10" tweezers at my LFS.

How do you alert your frogs that it's mealtime? (Just thinking that the faster they get to the worms, the better chance they have at getting them before fish do.) I click the tweezers in the water, and also tap them against the glass and drift wood. The frogs hear and feel the vibrations and have learned it means "FOOD!" so they come out of hiding, looking for dinner... it's really cute!

You could always feed after lights out, and make sure there are no lights in the room - my fish use the lights in the room to see the food at the bottom, the sneaky buggers! 

I'll bet your frogs will go nuts over the worms! (You can try Brine Shrimp with your frogs - some people say their frogs love them. Mine don't like them, because they are salty. I've heard of people who said their frogs didn't like them, so they tried rinsing the shrimp in a coffee filter to get the salt off of them and then the frogs ate them, but I don't bother, lol.)


----------



## frogwings (Aug 26, 2011)

Holly! What great suggestions! I have a flat, round glass dish (actually a 3" candle holder) that I have put in the bottom of the tank in the center tucked half way under some plants. The edges are rounded and smooth, a little raised on the sides which helps hold the food on the plate. I drop the pellets on the dish and then turn the lights out whenever I feed the frogs. I have noticed the little neon tetras (those are my only other fish except for 1 otto cat) go after the pellets, but just poke at them. Will they eat the worms? I was really worried because I hadn't seen but one frog in weeks, so tonight I put the food out, left the lights on and within about 15 minutes, both frogs showed up! I was so excited and relieved that they both just fine, despite the fact they are plump. In the light, they actually don't look THAT fat, so maybe I was overly concerned. 

I don't really alert the frogs when I feed them but when I start feeding the the worms I will do as you suggested and try to signal them. I really like the glass jar idea so I might try that and I MUST get some of those 10" tweezers!
Fred and Willy appreciate all your suggestions as well! Thanks!


----------



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Lol, Fred and Willy - mine are Ricky and Carl.

You may find that the neons try to eat the worms... so you may want to try the jar thing, feeding by tweezers, or put the worms out after the lights go out.


----------

