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6K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  axmacedo 
#1 ·
Can african dwarf frogs live with fish and if so what kind? I wanted to add some to my aquarium. Also what do they eat? Any other helpful info would be greaty appreachiated.
 
#2 ·
I have two dwarf frogs that live with my betta now because my brother bought them thinking they were clawed frogs, then gave them to me when he found out they were the wrong thing. I kept them before with betta fish too. I would think that as long as you don't have really aggressive fish they would probably be ok. I know bettas are considered aggressive but they never bother my frogs - I keep the frogs in with the female.

I feed mine frozen bloodworms. They feed off the bottom, so you have to feed them something that will sink. Mine refuse to eat pellets as well, unless they eat them when I'm not looking. But they love frozen bloodworms - they eat those right away.
 
#4 ·
since they also feed on the bottom, make sure that the gravel you use is not small enough to fit into their mouths, as it will become logged in their intestines and die, also any 1-3 inch fish would do, even male bettas, gouramis, platties, mollies, danios, ect, just make sure they cant fit into their mouths...plecos can also do well, but i dont recommend them since they get huge quickly and are extremely messy
 
#7 ·
Yeah, African Dwarf Frogs can live with fish :). The key is finding fish that are non-aggressive and can't fit in the frogs' mouths.

They do best on a varied diet of frozen/live meaty foods. My own frogs are fed bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and krill. Pellets are fine as a supplement but I don't feel they should be the only thing fed.

African dwarf frogs, especially males, aren't always great at finding food. So you might have to use tweezers or a turkey baster to hand-feed or target-feed them. If your new frogs won't eat try frozen krill...that seems to be a favorite and very few frogs will turn it down. Live blackworms are another fave.

African dwarf frogs seem somewhat social and do best in small groups. So get at least two if possible. It's not necessary but they seem to enjoy hanging out with each other.

Be careful when buying your frogs and make sure you are getting the right species. Many petstores mix up African Dwarf Frogs and African Clawed Frogs. The latter get much bigger and will eat your fish. True African Dwarf Frogs do not come in albino and have webbed front and back feet. The Clawed Frogs do not have webbing on their front feet.

Be sure to provide African Dwarf Frogs with plenty of hiding spots...they love live plants and rock caves. Also be sure the filter current isn't very strong as they are poor swimmers. Unfortunately this means they can get caught in filters :(. I don't even have a filter in my frog tank...the live plants and clam provide filteration :).

Oh, and I just noticed your last post. No, you can't keep them with goldfish. Goldfish are coldwater and african dwarves are tropical. They will be lethargic and sickly if kept in cold water. African dwarf frogs like temperatures in the mid to high 70's.
 
#9 ·
Mousey said:
thanks so much. I was about to get the wrong frog. But now I know what to look for.
Yeah, petstores tend to label both species as African Dwarves :rolleyes:. Which is never good since then people assume the frogs will stay tiny.

But definitely only get one for a tropical tank. African dwarf frogs won't do well long-term in coldwater. The main issue, though, with keeping them with goldfish is the fact that goldfish need such strong filteration while the frogs prefer little or no current (similar to a betta).
 
#10 · (Edited)
oh I see. ok. Thanks. I guess I'll get one for my neice's betta tank are there any other ways to tell if the frog is actually an African dwarf frog?.
 
#11 ·
Well they do look slightly diffrent but I don't know if I can describe it good. My brother accidently bought dwarfs thinking that they were clawed frogs. I told him the dwarfs have webbed feet on their front feet and clawed frogs don't - but he said he couldn't tell either way. Comparing the clawed frogs with the dwarfs I have - the clawed frogs have fatter back legs and lighter colors when they are young. If it's an ablino frog, then it's definatly a clawed frog. Also the dwarfs just seem to have much skinnier legs, and more/darker pattern on them. Another thing you can do is read how big they will get on the sign. Because my brother got the ones that said they will only get to be about the size of a half doller, and those were the dwarf frogs. The clawed frogs get pretty big, I think on their tank it said up to 6 inches. In my experiences, more stores sell dwarf frogs then they do clawed. Because my brother wants another colored (not albino) clawed frogs and no stores around here have them, only albinos and dwarfs.

But anyways, don't always go by what the signs say for the name of the frog because when my brother accidently got dwarf frogs all the sign said was "African frogs". And for the clawed frogs it said "albino frogs''. They did at least get the sizes pretty correct on the signs, but I guess my brother didn't read those :rolleyes:
 
#12 ·
Mousey said:
oh I see. ok. Thanks. I guess I'll get one for my neice's betta tank are there any other ways to tell if the frog is actually an African dwarf frog?.
I would just look at the front legs since that's the easiest way. If the front feet are webbed it's a dwarf and if they aren't it's a clawed :). And like I said, the dwarves don't come in albino.

How big is the betta tank? Since african dwarf frogs can be a bit messy you definitely don't want to over-stock. I'd go with at least 2-gallons per frog. And that's in addition to the betta which is going to need around 2-gallons for themself.

Also keep in mind that keeping frogs and bettas together doesn't always work out so have a back-up plan. Usually they are great tankmates, though :).
 
#14 ·
Ok, that should be great :).

And kudos for keeping the betta in a decent-sized tank :thumbsup:. I wish more people would...I'm tired of seeing those stupid betta vases.
 
#15 ·
I second that kudos! I keep my bettas in at least a ten as well, I ve read that the dwarf frogs should also be kept in at least a ten gallon, they can live in smaller of course, but are happiest in larger tanks
 
#16 ·
yeah the frogs are kept in those betta bowls where I live it's so sad. And I too hate to see people buy bettas so they can live in a small house forever. But hey that's why I'm gonna adopt one some day when I can get time to get to the pet store!
 
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