Question About Adf's...

Hey all!

I recently caved and purchased 2 african dwarf frogs from PetSmart because I looked into them and got really excited and interested by them! I wanted them because according to every source I looked into, they would sing at nighttime if you got a partner for them! Very eager for some soothing froggy music and reminiscing about my old tree frogs, I went out and bought a pair! They're currently living in my 30 gal and it's been about a week since they've been added in. The parameters seem fine (ammonia 0, nitrate 0, nitrites usually low and around 0 bc I do water changes weekly). I'm currently bumping up the pH little by little from 6.2 to around 6.8. The temp is around 78 most of the time but my small heater will sometimes lag behind cold weather and it'll be around 74 for some time. Is there any other reason why these babies won't sing? Do they need to reach a certain age before they do? TIA, just want to make sure they're happy and that I'm not doing something wrong

 

I had 2 ADFs and they never sang, but I probably didn't get a male and female. However, one would occasionally make a cute noise or two.

As for you, if you do indeed have a male and female, they may need more time to get settled in, or they may not have reached maturity yet.
I'm no professional with ADF's, I just do lots of research

 

Hi!
I don't really have an answer other than the male will sing to attract a mate. Not always, of course.
Mine usually sing at night after lights out.

 

They are much more quiet than tree frogs or firebelly toads. Also, they are more likely to vocalize in the Spring/Summer, rather than winter.

At least mine are, at any rate.

 

Here's my experience, limited as it is...
I got my male about 7 weeks ago. He sings in bouts, or phases, regularly since then. Some nights, all night long, into the morning coffee hours. If the TV is on, I can barely hear it, but if room is quiet, it's just a simple clicky/buzzy nail-along-comb type of sound. bzzzzt-bzzzzzt-bzzzzzt.
Do you know how to tell males from females? There's good info/pics out there, but the best sign is white lumps behind front arms. A frog at the lfs (or in your tank, if new) with no lumps could be female, or male that has not yet developed them. A frog with them will definitely be male. For myself, when I bought my male, I went hunting through lfs tanks for a sure bet. When I saw one that had another frog in a reverse headlock (amplexus, but backwards), I knew I'd found what I was looking for.
ADF's are great, they add fun, interest and diversity to your tank(s).