The African dwarf frog is incredibly cute and the perfect size to keep as a pet, whether for new or seasoned keepers. These small amphibians spend their entire lives underwater and thrive in well-maintained and fairly spacious aquariums. If you’re thinking of getting an African dwarf frog as a pet, they’ll require an aquatic environment, a heater, and a filtration system to get started. To help you raise a healthy pet, we delve into the top six care tips for African dwarf frogs.
1. Understand the African Dwarf Frog Habits
Before you bring your tiny pet amphibian home, it’s important to know their behaviors so you can provide the best habitat. The African dwarf frog is found in the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, and Nigerian river basins. They prefer slow-moving water and shallow ponds, where they spend most of their time on the bottom, only coming up to catch their breath. Amazingly, African dwarf frogs can sing! While it’s not a pretty chirp, they make a buzzing sound that can be heard outside the aquarium.
These water-dwelling creatures have clawed back feet to help them move along the bottom of rivers and ponds. Despite the odd appearance of their webbed claws and gold to brown coloring, the African dwarf frog has a curious personality. They’re mostly active at night and will swim about the tank exploring every crevice or relax by floating in the water.
2. Feed Your Dwarf Frog an Omnivorous Diet
African dwarf frogs enjoy a plant and insect-based diet, making them omnivores. They thoroughly enjoy bloodworms that you can find in frozen packs at your local pet store. Simply thaw a bloodworm and serve a pinch per frog at room temperature. You can also provide brine shrimp, blackworms, and tubifex worms. Introduce pellets formulated for dwarf frogs because they contain the correct balance of minerals to support healthy growth and activity.
Feeding every alternate day prevents overfeeding and spoiling the water. Uneaten food will settle on the bottom of the tank and can increase ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels. African dwarf frogs are sensitive to changes in these parameters, so remove food they haven’t consumed within two minutes to avoid spoilage.
3. Get a Spacious Aquarium Tank
Despite African dwarf frogs only reaching 2.5 inches in length, they need a spacious aquarium where they can swim and stretch their legs. Your dwarf frog needs a 10-gallon tank with places to hide and explore as they would in the wild. The tank should have a secure lid to prevent escape attempts. They can have tank mates, such as corydoras, coolie loaches, tetras, and goldfish. You can introduce shrimp (but only adult shrimp, as juveniles will be seen as a tasty snack).
If you add fish, stick to species around two to three inches long, and don’t overcrowd the tank. The more aquatic life, the more water changes are needed, and your frog friends won’t thrive with poor pH levels. Be sure to add a substrate consisting of fine sand. The smooth and gentle surface won’t irritate your frog’s skin as they sift through the substrate searching for food.
4. Maintain Balanced Water Parameters
African dwarf frogs are a freshwater species, making them inexpensive and easy to keep for many aquarists. They must have chlorine-free water, which means you can add spring water or a dechlorination product to eliminate the chlorine. These tiny amphibians are sensitive to changes in parameters such as temperature, pH, and overall water quality, so you’ll have to pay close attention to these numbers. The water temperature must remain between 72℉ and 82℉.
Around 25% of the water should be replaced every two weeks, and replace the filter media when the sponges are frayed. A consistent pH level of 6.5 to 7.5 is recommended in addition to moderately hard water of up to 15 dGH.
5. Use Filtration to Mimic Their Natural Habitat
A filtration system is a must for the African dwarf frog. A proper aquarium filter will maintain clean water but also create gentle movement. While some frog keepers argue against the use of a filter, without one, you would have to perform daily water changes to maintain quality parameters, which is impractical. A filter will help you manage good water conditions, creating a healthier and more stable environment for these sensitive frogs.
Avoid getting a filter that’s too strong for your aquarium, as these tiny frogs can get trapped on the intake valve. These frogs live in water, but must come up for air, and if they get stuck in the filter, they’ll drown. To prevent a devastating situation, you can add thin mesh to the filter to stop the frogs from being sucked in. If they are adult frogs of a fair size, you may not need the barrier, but it’s a must for juveniles. The mesh can always be removed when they’re older and larger.
6. Provide Enrichment for Your African Dwarf Frogs
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the African dwarf frog. These little creatures might spend their days floating and cruising in the water, but they need enrichment in their environment to be stimulated. You can create a beautiful interactive environment with live aquatic plants, ornaments, branches, and hiding spots. Most importantly, provide an area such as a stack of rocks allowing them to climb out of the water to catch a breath. African dwarf frogs enjoy logs and rocks that replicate their natural habitat.
Caring for a pet African dwarf frog is easy if you maintain the water, provide a nutritious diet, and enrich their tanks. Happy dwarf frogs will be active, particularly at night and if you’re lucky, you might even get to hear them sing.
