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African clawed frog or dwarf frog info?

taxidermynerd

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I've been thinking about getting either an African Clawed Frog, or an African Dwarf Frog. However, before I jump in, I want to make sure I've done my research.

Most things I've read say that a clawed frog can live in a 10 gallon tank. Is that accurate? It seems small, because of how big they can get. I know dwarf frogs are much smaller, so they might be a better choice for a 10 gallon.

I also wanted to ask, is there a preferred pelleted food for aquatic frogs? Or any other dietary items? Should I skip substrate? Any other important things to know? I am familiar with caring for fish and inverts, I know how sensitive frogs are, and I know that African Clawed Frogs are legal in my area (Illinois and Indiana).

I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I've found a lot of conflicting information on the internet for both species. I also don't know who to tag here, I don't know who our aquatic frog folks are!

I'm not bound to either type, but i do know my local fish store has clawed frogs, unsure if they have dwarf frogs as i haven't been there since December lol.
 

Ali

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I know dwarf frogs are much smaller, so they might be a better choice for a 10 gallon.
I read two to three in a ten gallon.


is there a preferred pelleted food for aquatic frogs
Not sure. I know they enjoy bloodworm though.

That's all I have and I don't know who to tag either. Sorry I'm not much help!
 

Destiny

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Are you planning on keeping any other animals in the same tank?

The dwarf frog can be kept in a community tank with most community fish, but the ACF will get much larger and is not going to be compatible with other tank mates, if they will fit in its mouth (and most aquarium fish will fit easily). They should be kept in a single species tank for safety.

The tank size depends on your setup. I've seen the larger African Clawed frogs kept in ten gallon tanks and it was very sad. I do not recommend it. They are really big frogs. I would consider a 20 gallon long as minimum size. Even bigger would be better, especially if you are keeping multiple frogs. They do well in same species groups so long as they are similar sizes. Expect cannibalism if you put small frogs together with larger ones.

For the dwarf frog 10 gallon is fine. They love bloodworms and they are fun to watch. I recommend them.

...

Also, if you do get African Clawed frogs, please be very careful to not allow them to escape into the wild. They are illegal to own in many states because they are a potentially devastating invasive species. They eat almost anything and can do a lot of damage to native wildlife in local waterways if they are released.
 
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taxidermynerd

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Are you planning on keeping any other animals in the same tank?

The dwarf frog can be kept in a community tank with most community fish, but the ACF will get much larger and is not going to be compatible with other tank mates, if they will fit in its mouth (and most aquarium fish will fit easily).

The tank size depends on your setup. I've seen the larger frogs kept in ten gallon tanks and it was very sad. I do not recommend it. They are really big. I would consider a 20 gallon long as minimum size. Even bigger would be better, especially if you are keeping multiple frogs. They do well in same species groups so long as they are similar sizes. Expect cannibalism if you put small frogs together with larger ones.

For the dwarf frog 10 gallon is fine. They love bloodworms and they are fun to watch. I recommend them.
I was planning on a species-only tank. Yeah, I thought the 10 seemed small for a clawed frog- I read they can get up to 5 inches, way bigger than the dwarf frogs. I'm not about cramming critters into tiny tanks, I gave my pacman frog a 29 gallon terrarium lol.

With dwarf frogs, do I need to have them on substrate, or would barebottom be better? Is there also a staple diet (ie pellet or other packaged food) for them, or would it just be bloodworms? And do I need to do any filter modification (like baffling the intake)?

I had a dwarf frog when I was 13 or so. Unfortunately I don't think he got the best care, as I didn't have access to accurate information. I'd like to do it right this time.
 

Destiny

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Yeah, I can confirm that ACFs are big frogs. They require both hands to hold properly. The dwarf frogs are tiny by comparison. Think tree frog vs bull frog sized.

I had dwarf frogs long ago, so I'm afraid I would need to research your questions to confirm. From what I recall, bare bottom tank should be fine. Substrate isn't required, unless you want it for aesthetic reasons. When I had frogs, live or frozen blood worms were the preferred food, but they were pretty new to the pet scene. Wouldn't surprise me if they have frog pellets available now. In theory, a quality pellet would be better. But some frogs might not go for the pellets. If it was me, I would offer both. If I was doing a frog specific set-up, I would use a filter designed for a turtle tank or a sponge filter. If you have a standard aquarium filter, protect the intake with coarse foam or netting to keep little frog legs or toes safe.
 
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taxidermynerd

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There seem to be a few, I'm not sure what is best- I know omega one is a good brand, thats the brand I buy for all the other aquatic critters. Also, filter noted- do I need to worry about the flow being too strong?

And I've read that the vibrations of the equipment can bother them, and that you need to put a layer of something (like foam or carpet padding) between the stand and the tank, or between the filter and tank. Do you find this to be true, in your experience?

JurassiPet JurassiDiet Newt & Aquatic Frog Food, 2.1-oz jar - Chewy.com

Omega One Frog & Tadpole Sinking Pellets Food, 1.2-oz jar - Chewy.com

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...ALkD_FURq0EiUb6dAZdhwL9E6Cva5Qb4aAlm_EALw_wcB
 
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Love My Zons

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African claw frogs can get big, really big. Voracious appetite. Will eat anything pellets, freeze dried tubifex worms etc.

I saw one with a 4 inch catfish in it's mouth at a store I worked at long time ago lol.

Better off with the dwarf species.
 
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taxidermynerd

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I ordered a nice tight fitting hood for the 10 gallon! I know they're supposed to be fantastic escape artists. And I ordered new thermometers for all of the tanks as well.

I'm not sure if my local fish store has ADFs but I'm pretty sure even if they don't, they could get some in for me.

Are there any decorations or fake plants you find yours have liked? Would it be a good idea to have an item near the surface of the water so they can sit just below the surface?
 
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Ali

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I ordered a nice tight fitting hood for the 10 gallon! I know they're supposed to be fantastic escape artists. And I ordered new thermometers for all of the tanks as well.

I'm not sure if my local fish store has ADFs but I'm pretty sure even if they don't, they could get some in for me.

Are there any decorations or fake plants you find yours have liked? Would it be a good idea to have an item near the surface of the water so they can sit just below the surface?
Heavy duty plants (not the right word but hay ho) to let them climb to the top and sit there.

Little caves(s) maybe one small cave per frog so they can hide away. They can be quite shy
 

riddick07

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When I was like 10 or 11 I had a 50 gallon that I populated with live bearers so I could have lots of baby fish all the time. Went to petsmart and got a ‘dwarf’ frog because it was so cute...turns out it wasn’t :rofl: I started noticing my population decreasing and no bodies....eventually I found the ‘dwarf’ who wasn’t so dwarf anymore. The 2 angel fish were about the only ones left alive. Apparently a diet of lots of fish turns them huge quickly when they aren’t actually the dwarf species lol. So just make sure it’s labeled correctly is the moral of this story haha
 
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Destiny

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My mom had a similar tale of woe, except it was a single Oscar added to her tank full of guppies. She was only a kid and nobody warned her that Oscars are a type of cichlid that will grow over a foot long and eat anything smaller than them.

Needless to say, she ended up with one big Oscar and no guppies. She was not happy about it.
 
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