mercurybebe

Okay, about 10 days ago, I sent my partner to Petsmart for cat food and she came home with 2 african dwarf frogs! The guy at the store told her that they'd do fine in a community tank and she put them in our 30g "zen garden" tank. He also told her to feed them bloodworms, tropical flakes and algae wafers.

We didn't see much of them in the few days before we left on vacation, but when we got back on Sunday I was HORRIFIED to find one of them dead and partially eaten!

The remaining guy still hides most of the time but he came out for a while last night during the water change and was being very cute...although I didn't see him eat.

Anyway, I just read the ADF Care Sheet and it sounds like I have been doing everything WRONG!

I really don't want this guy to die, and I am worried that the 30g tank is way too big for him, that the cory's are not good tankmates...not to mention the platies, mollies and DG! I am also worried that he is not getting the proper nutrition for a frog, and worse, what if he isn't getting much of anything at all!?!?

My options are this: I could move him into my 55g tank but that has a CAE and tons of other fish so I dont think he'd fare well. I could move him into my daughter's 20g tank but that has cories and guppies: again, may not find food. I have a 10g fry tank, but obviously that wouldn't work well for the fry! My other home tank is for 2 HUGE Black Moors and it isn't heated, so no good.

That leaves my 5g hex at work which currently houses my one-eyed betta Indigo. I have no idea how he would react to a frog...he flared up like mad at Fishi-Tres when the tank was divided and does flare at my finger from time to time. His tank has the large river rocks/pebbles instead of gravel and lots of plants and a cave....minus the betta it sounds like it would be a great frog home!

I also have an ***empty*** 10g at home that I was going to use for my "teenage" fry. I could set it up and cycle with filter media from my established tanks, and put him in there, but is that too big for him? Also, would he be okay with some teenage fry or is that too risky?
I would consider making that tank a frog-only tank if it isn't too big for him, do they do better with other frogs or on their own??

Thanks so much for your help, I really want to give this guy a good life and I hate not knowing what to do for him!

Lucy

I'm really sorry about your frog. It's possible he passed while you were away and the others took advantage of easy food.

IMO a hex isn't a good home. They like to stretch their flippers for a horizontal swim and hex's are taller. ADF's need to be able to get up for air. That would be tough if he's a young frog. he could tire out quickly.
I would be worried about Indigo and a frog since he was flaring at Fishi-Tres. Also, I know Indigo hasn't been feeling very well. One of our members just had their ADF grab their bettas tail. ADF's will lunge at movement, thinking it's food since their eye sight isn't that good.
With ADF's and Bettas, they're like corys and otos, some times it'll work, sometimes it won't.

In a community tank, you might need to spot feed him to be sure he's getting food before the fishies get it all.

Personally, I like a species only for frogs. In a 10g you could have 4.
But be aware, if you want to get more, the Q time for ADF's is 2 months due to the prevalence of Chytrid Fungus.

I love ADF's they're so darn cute and funny.
Good luck!

mercurybebe

I was thinking the same thing about the Hex tank. The height problem is another reason I am worried about him being in the 30g tank...although I've watched him dart to the top for air and back down again!

Indigo has been sick and is plain tempermental, not to mention half-blind, so I agree that it isn't a good option for Kermit (of COURSE that is what the kids named him!)

I may just go ahead and set up the 10g for now and buy him his own 5g tank soon. Would he be happy on his own? Don't really have an extra tank to Q another frog in for 2 months...but I want him to be happy and do right by him.

How would I spot feed him in the 30g tank? He hasn't eaten anytime I've attempted to put food near him. But I can try the frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp that I have....that may entice him!

Lucy

He'd be fine on his own.
Something you can check out. If you go to the LFS that you got them from and they haven't had any new deliveries of ADF's (same stock as 2 weeks ago) you might be safe getting another with out Q'ing it. Depends on how trust worthy the people there are.
I used a little 1g hex as a Q for my second one. Not ideal, but it worked for a few months.
I'm sorry, I made a mistake about the Q time, it's 3 months.

What have you been feeding him?
Frozen blood worms and HBH frog and tadpole bites are a good diet for him. Mine mainly gets frozen blood worms.
Lure the fish to one side of the tank for dinner and drop worms to him one at a time. He'll quickly get used to what time dinner is.
If the fish finds it quicker you can use blunt tongs and dangle the worm right in front of his nose.
You can get the tongs in the reptile section of the store.

mercurybebe

I have to go get cat food tonight (not sending my partner anymore!) so I will ask if they have the same frogs or not...I know they get deliveries on Fridays so there has only been one delivery since we got Kermit, and there were a TON of frogs in his tank when we got him. So we might get lucky and find him a friend or two. If not, I am glad he would be okay on his own for the time being.

I will pick up some of those frog pellets too, and the second I get home I am busting out the frozen bloodworms! I know I have huge cooking tongs somewhere, or even tweezers if need be. My fish are fast and always starving! LOL

I will also set up the 10g tank tonight regardless of if I find any "safe" frogs or not. All 6 of my filters are stuffed with extra media because I found a ton of it on clearance for next to nothing, so there shouldn't be a problem with having to cycle it (right?).
So at the very least he will have time to eat without competing with my PIGGY fish by later tonight...