How many African Dwarf Frogs in a 20 gallon?

I am working hard to get my ADF tadpoles to adulthood (so frustrating) and I am trying to think longterm to do with a bunch of froglets.

I have a VERY planted 20 gallon long, and I am willing to give the current residents the boot for the frog babies (when they're old enough of course).

The frog parents are in a 6 gallon cube with no filter and lots of plants (Walstead tank) and are thriving. I would plan on removing the filter for the 20 gallon long, as the vibrations from filters and airpumps only seem to have stressed out my frogs in the past.

My question is, how many frogs can live in a 20 gallon long aquarium longterm. I am less concerned about the bioload, and more concerned about comfort and swimming space. My current frogs spend a lot of time tangling themselves in plants and hanging around, not really swimming, so I don't think they need a ton of space. However, I don't want to crowd them.

Can anyone say how many frogs would be happy in this setup?

 

I am not really an "expert" but I do keep 5 ADF in my tank currently and started the hobby with keeping ADF. If you are doing a species only in a 20 long, I would say maybe 8 max in there.

 

Oh dear. I am really hoping to fit at least three times that amount, at a minimum.

 

I would agree with 8 maximum in a 20 gallon, possibly less if you are not planning on using a filter.

 

Out of curiosity, what are you basing this off of?

If purely for the bioload, I would think my tank can handle at least 20 frogs. I base this off of its current inhabitants, and the fact that I have 0-0-0 readings consistently, as the plants pull all of the nitrogen.

 

The general rule for stocking ADF is 2.5 gallons per frog. Most people would agree with 2 frogs in a 5 gallon or 4 frogs in a 10 gallon.

 

Right, I understand that is the general rule. As general rules go, it is a good one. For people who are just coming into the hobby, or don't have a very established planted tank, and don't feed exclusively live foods, bioload is a big issue.

But I am unconcerned with the bioload. Even without a filter. I have been monitoring my ADF nano tank, and my 20 gallon for a while, and I am confident that the BB can handle A LOT of frogs.

My real question is, liveability-wise (swimming space, crowding, etc) how many frogs can live in a 20g? Maybe the answer is still 8, but I need to have an idea, since I will need to rehome a lot of frogs.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to all my questions.

 

I would still go for 8 just so they have enough space however you could be ok with a couple more if you are not at all worried about bioload. Personally though I would stick to 8.

 

Thanks! I will plan on around 8-10 then. Giving up my frog babies seems unavoidable. My local pet store is not kind to their fish, so I am unwilling to rehome them there. I am not sure what I will do with a bunch of froglets.

 

If you have any local groups, offer them up free or cheap there. You could always buy more tanks too

 

If you have any local groups, offer them up free or cheap there. You could always buy more tanks too

I'm afraid at 1 tadpole per 2 gallons, I do not have nearly enough space to house 50 tadpoles.

I probably will be giving them away to local enthusiasts.

I should edit myself, I currently have 50 tadpoles in 4 gallons of standing water. It's the frogs that I don't have room for.

 

Not an expert, but have enjoyed keeping many ADFs for about 15 years. These are just my observations, which don't always square with the limited information available out there.

Swimming activity is usually of the vertical variety, but for just getting around the tank they prefer to crawl, so swimming room isn't an issue. Nor are they territorial like fish (food excepted) and will often eat or sleep piled on top of each other. Since they're not big waste producers I'm in "the more the merrier" camp and have kept a dozen or more in a 20 gallon without a problem, but always with a filter or two. I've heard that they're sensitive to vibrations, but the most popular sleeping spot is under an air-driven sponge filter, so I'm not sure about that. Good luck on your grow-outs and keep us posted!

 

I would call you an expert!

The parents showed visable signs of distress to a spongefilter, which is why I removed it. I wonder if I could 'train' my froglets to be desensitized to the sounds and vibrations of an airpump, since yours seemed to not mind it.

I will likely upgrade them all to the 20g, then get rid of them as they grow out and keep as many as will 'fit.' I hope the parents stop laying eggs soon. This has been an ordeal, if a happy one.