So I Rescued a Frog...

Met someone today to buy a hexagon fish tank for $40. He said it was 35 gallons. Sweet deal, right!?

It's a twenty gallon.

And there's a frog in it.

My husband and I both felt super bad for the frog and even though we probably shouldn't have, we bought the tank and frog from the guy for $30 and are bringing it home until we can rehome it.

Apparently it's a Northern Common green frog, but I don't know anything about frogs or water quality or anything, I could really use some help. He came with freeze dried food but yeah, I just don't know what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Do I dechlorinate it's water? Do I do water changes, what do I do?

 

I have kept common frogs in the uk for years from frogspawn to frogs.
For water I collect rainwater but tap water left out for a few days or even just mixed with some pond or rainwater is fine, best thing would be to go to a stream or pond nearby and grab some water.I added duckweed and lilypads. It keeps water clean and means far less water changes, only topping up on evaporation. I used some large stones through the terrarium and a coconut cave. Some soil in one part and spread dried leavs/ dry grass or small twigs on the base. I have 1 large branch across the tank they love to sit on. I feed live food. Most frogs will only eat live food. They will eat slugs and worms but my ones loved brown crickets just make sure they are small enough! Good luck!

 

Definitely dechlorinate the water and do water changes. Most frogs will take like worms as food or crickets

Not sure where you are but where I live there is a museum of natural history and they will take in some animals.

Also something to check out is if you are legally allowed to have one as a pet. I know where I am a lot of Native species are off limits as pets unless you have a permit.

 

Can you share a picture of the frog and the set up?

I haven't personally kept frogs or toads long term but I do know most of the basics:

Assuming it really is the frog you mention then I don't think a 20 gallon hex is a very good option. Ideally you'll want a tank that's longer than it is tall and for about half of it to be land. A 10 gallon tank is okay for a single frog usually if you have a spare one. The water portion of the tank doesn't need to be any deeper than 4 inches.

As for the water care you will want to do basically the same as you would for a fish. I know they make dechlorinaters specifically for reptiles and amphibians but I am unsure of any major differences- you will need to dechlorinate it though. Ideally you'll want a filter and to change the water at least once a week. I wouldn't do full changes because frogs are also pretty sensitive- maybe about 50%.

A UVA/UVB light to bask in will help make sure he gets enough vitamin d3. Make sure it isn't too bright though because it can stress frogs out and make them hide all day. Usually 10-14 hours of light is the go to. Your little friend won't need any fancy heating or cooling assuming you don't have a particularly cold or hot house.

As for food freeze dried is ok but definitely not ideal. If you can get your hands on some live meal worms or crickets that would be great. Earth worms are also a good option and some people even feed their frogs small fish. It would be a good idea to look into different powder supplements to dust onto food- things like ReptiCalcium with D3.

If you end up keeping the little guy for a longer period of time I would highly recommend looking more into the feeding specifically. Many people gutload their feeder insects and have a varied routine of foods.

 

It was kind of you to take the frog. Good luck.

They're not native to Idaho, according to my brief google search. I wonder where they got it. Is there a LFS that might take it?

 

If it's a green frog he probably wants more land than water.

 

If it's a green frog he probably wants more land than water.

True, you could buy a reptile water bowl in any pet shop to be his water and fill in the rest with soil and leaves wigh some big branches reaching across and up the tank
A picture would help us help you better with better ideas

 

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions. I took some pictures of the tank and the frog. I think it's a female.






I already figured that the tank was way too small for the frog, I have a 20 tall that I can put her in. I'm pretty sure she's a female. so here was my idea, I was thinking about using my pool filter sand mixed with soil as a beginning substrate, filling the water about 4 in from the river, putting a big rock that she already came with into the tank that she can climb onto, and for now it's just going to have to be fake plants and I have a Tetra whisper filter that's for a 10 gallon that I could use. Again thank you guys so much for your help! Any more suggestions? We live in an apartment so I am not planning on keeping the frog, I feel like I'm already pushing it with four fish tanks. But, I can house the frog temporarily until I can either find a better home for it, or I can find a fish store that will take it.

 

It was kind of you to take the frog. Good luck.

They're not native to Idaho, according to my brief google search. I wonder where they got it. Is there a LFS that might take it?

I have no idea if anyone would take it yet, I'll check tomorrow when stores are open. I picked the tank and frog up in Washington while visiting my family today. I feel so bad for that frog, the guy said if no one took the frog he "would feel bad if he had to kill it." Just that threat made me feel icky. It also had sea shells in the tank. I removed those as soon as I saw them, they were the pointy kind.

 

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions. I took some pictures of the tank and the frog. I think it's a female.


I already figured that the tank was way too small for the frog, I have a 20 tall that I can put her in. I'm pretty sure she's a female. so here was my idea, I was thinking about using my pool filter sand mixed with soil as a beginning substrate, filling the water about 4 in from the river, putting a big rock that she already came with into the tank that she can climb onto, and for now it's just going to have to be fake plants and I have a Tetra whisper filter that's for a 10 gallon that I could use. Again thank you guys so much for your help! Any more suggestions? We live in an apartment so I am not planning on keeping the frog, I feel like I'm already pushing it with four fish tanks. But, I can house the frog temporarily until I can either find a better home for it, or I can find a fish store that will take it.

That tank is pretty bad, but that frog looks so good you may want to try kissing it.

Here's what I would do, create a hybrid aquarium terrarium. Fill a tank half with water, run a minI submersible filter. Create a cool aquascape with your rock, a big hunk of wood and maybe build up a little shore for the frog. As for stocking it I'm not sure what the frog wouldn't eat...but hopefully someone has kept a frog can chime in.

 

That tank is pretty bad but that frog looks so good you may want to try kissing it.

Here's what I would do, create a hybrid aquarium terrarium. Fill a tank half with water, run a minI submersible filter. Create a cool aquascape with your rock, a big hunk of wood and maybe build up a little shore for the frog. As for stocking it I'm not sure what the frog wouldn't eat...but hopefully someone has kept a frog can chime in.

Thank you for your advice! I just got her set up in my 20 gallon with an old filter that had dried bacteria on it. Hopefully somehow (but I doubt it) it's still activated. I matched the temperature and got her in for now, the guy didn't even give me a real frog light. I put an LED light I have on her for now and put her rock in, and stole some Driftwood out of my betta sorority and stuck it in there with java moss and pond snails. I didn't know if I should acclimate her so I put her on the rock and she's sitting there so hopefully she'll be enough out of the water she can ease in and acclimate herself. I used Tetra aquasafe dechlorinator for the water for now since I didn't have time to go down to the river tonight since we got home late. I read that since just normal aquasafe has no stress coat on it, that it's frog safe. I hope that's true...

Here's hoping she's doing okay tomorrow! Gonna buy a proper light and food for her. Here's her setup. It's only temporary until I know everything she needs to be happy and healthy.

 

Thank you for your advice! I just got her set up in my 20 gallon with an old filter that had dried bacteria on it. Hopefully somehow (but I doubt it) it's still activated. I matched the temperature and got her in for now, the guy didn't even give me a real frog light. I put an LED light I have on her for now and put her rock in, and stole some Driftwood out of my betta sorority and stuck it in there with java moss and pond snails. I didn't know if I should acclimate her so I put her on the rock and she's sitting there so hopefully she'll be enough out of the water she can ease in and acclimate herself. I used Tetra aquasafe dechlorinator for the water for now since I didn't have time to go down to the river tonight since we got home late. I read that since just normal aquasafe has no stress coat on it, that it's frog safe. I hope that's true...

Here's hoping she's doing okay tomorrow! Gonna buy a proper light and food for her. Here's her setup. It's only temporary until I know everything she needs to be happy and healthy.

Looks good, I'm betting if you build up one end with smooth large gravel and some moss that frog will be in heaven.

 

What a cutie, I'm so glad you were able to give her a new home even if it is just temporary. That set up looks great so far and I'll bet she feels a lot better in it!

 

Thanks everyone for your help! This morning I posted a picture of the frog on my local aquarium group and several people commented that it's an American bullfrog, which is illegal to own in the state of Idaho. So I called fish and game this morning and sent them some pictures and told them for now I'm just going to feed her until they get back to me and tell me what they want me to do. Again thanks everyone for your help! I super appreciate it!

 

Well, fish and game called me back and confirmed she's a bullfrog. They then informed me I have two options, they will let me keep her if I'm the only one who keeps her or I have to kill her since she's an invasive species.

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So how does everyone like Charlotte's new home?

 

Thanks everyone for your help! This morning I posted a picture of the frog on my local aquarium group and several people commented that it's an American bullfrog, which is illegal to own in the state of Idaho. So I called fish and game this morning and sent them some pictures and told them for now I'm just going to feed her until they get back to me and tell me what they want me to do. Again thanks everyone for your help! I super appreciate it!

Out of curiosity does the frog have two dorsal ridges on its back?

 

Out of curiosity does the frog have two dorsal ridges on its back?

You mean like this?


I took this last night

 

You mean like this?
View attachment 668481
I took this last night

Hard to tell but I don't see ridges like this:

 

Hard to tell but I don't see ridges like this:

Yeah no, she doesn't have those. She's definitely a bullfrog.

 

Yeah no, she doesn't have those. She's definitely a bullfrog.

LoL yup, when I was a kid we would catch both, but more often than not the bull frogs would be bigger, fatter, wider head and I think it was the males that had a yellowish throat. You really didn't have to look at the ridges when you caught a big fat bull. I also use to catch tadpoles and raise them into frogs and toads and then release them when I was a young kid. When you got bullfrog tadpoles they were huge compared to the others.

Well congratulations on the new pet, glad you didn't have to kill the little lady. They eat like pig's, I remember one time giving one 4 or 5 crickets, turning my back and they were all gone.

 

Good job that tank looks so good