Two ADF's In The Same Tank - 04/04/2007
Hey Guys, My boyfriend has 2 African dwarf frogs that coexist with a black
skirt fish. He has had them for maybe 3 months now? We feed them sinking shrimp
pellets (the fish gets tropical flakes), one or two pellets at most every day or
every other day. One of the frogs is big and fat, not bloated, and the other is
tiny and skinny! The smaller one is probably half the size of the other. We
were thinking that the smaller one might not like the food, but haven't tried
anything else yet, or that perhaps there is some competition going on, where the
bigger one isn't letting the smaller one eat? We want to make sure they frogs
are both healthy, but their opposite extremes are worrisome. Thanks for any
insight you can offer!-Kamielle PS: I know you post faq on the website, and I
assume you email responses too, but I just want to double check that I can get a
response in email because I don't check your site all the time.
<Not all frogs adapt to eating pellets. Try offering some small
Tubifex/blackworms from the local fish store. Very small washed earthworms could
be offered at the end of a pair of tweezers too. If a few get lost in the sand
they will stay alive and the frogs will get to them later.-Chuck>
Dwarf African Frogs Don't Eat - 02/22/07
I'm worried about my two African Dwarf Frogs and appreciate any help. The
tank is a 2.5 gallon, with rocks and two small ornaments, all levels check out
ok, temp is right on. One of the frogs has a big tummy, he eats everything and
always seems hungry. We have curtailed his diet and waiting for his tummy to
shrink before indulging him more. The other frog doesn't seem to want to eat.
He is much skinnier and it didn't appear as though he was eating at all, so we
put in him a little holding tank in the same tank to monitor if he eats. It's
been at least a week under observation and he has eaten. The contrast in
behavior worries me, is this sort of thing normal? Thanks for any help!
< Only feed your frogs if they are moving and in search of food. Too many times
frogs are over fed and the food rots in their stomach and causes gas and other
digestive problems. Offer them a washed small earthworm. make sure it is alive
and wiggling. If they don't eat that then they are not going to eat. Keep the
tank clean and increase the water temp to 80 F and see if that makes any
difference.-Chuck>
Feeding Firebelly Toads Bugs from The Garden 2/18/07
My name is Daniel and I have a firebelly toad.
I (accidentally, had alot to do that week) didn't feed him in around
4-5 days. When I realized this at 9:30 p.m., my pet store had already
closed.
When I went to check on him and he didn't move, so I tried pouring
water around him, still nothing. Finally, I slightly moved him, and his
eyelids opened, and within the next couple minutes he started moving.
Thinking he was very hungry, I went outside to find bugs. I was able
to find a grub worm, and I gave it to him. I an sure there's nothing wrong
with that, but I was just wondering is it bad for firebelly toads to eat
grub worms?
Just wondering. Thanks,- Daniel
<Most insects are harmless and are actually very good food for your toad.
You only need to worry if you have put out some poison that may have been
ingested by the bug and carry the toxin to your toad. I have kept toads
alive for years in Sothern Calif . just by catching my own bugs and a few
worms now and then.-Chuck>
Feeding Aquatic/Terrestrial Frogs 1/28/07
A work related friend asked me a question concerning two frogs his young
daughter bought from Wal-Mart or some place like that. They will not eat, and
of course Wal-Mart has no suggestions. All she knows is that they are white
with black polka dots. I know little or nothing about frogs, except how to
catch tadpoles with a jar:):) Any help would be appreciated.
<Most frogs only eat like moving prey. Offer some like black worms and I am sure
they will gobble them up. Get some from a fish store and rinse them very well.
Get some tweezers or feeding tongs and place a small clump of worms in front of
their mouth. If they are terrestrial frogs then they will go after live insects
like crickets and mealworms.-Chuck>
Blind Frogs Don't Eat 2/18/07
You say that blind frogs don't eat at all... then there are no blind
frogs and they are all dead????
< Frogs that cannot see cannot capture any live prey. They will starve to
death.-Chuck>
Feeding ADFs 1/23/07
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
My dad bought me a African dwarf frog but didn't buy any food. I don't live in a
big town so there are no pet stores around and the next time I go out of town
is in February. I have sinkable beta food and fish food but that's it. What
should I feed him?
<If your frog isn't interested in the pellets of flakes, you can try feeding
tiny pieces of fish or shrimp. Try not to overfeed or you will pollute the
tank. ~PP>
Starving Frog 1/24/07
Hi Pufferpunk!
<Sue>
Thank you so much for your reply. I have been using the Melafix for over a week
but since I started using it, the little toad hasn't eaten a thing. He/she was
skinny to begin with (probably a result of the eye problem and poor water
quality) but is now so emaciated that I'm afraid we will lose him/her. We had
always hand fed the toad crickets "dusted" with a supplement, so he/she isn't
used to any other food. Is there something I could try, like bloodworm or some
kind of mixture, that might be easier to digest and could tempt our little
friend to eat? I'm unsure of whether or not the toad can see, but I think he/she
can sense the food, as he/she turns
away when I put the cricket near his/her nose. Thanks for any suggestions you
can give me!
<You'll have to force-feed the lil guy. Get a syringe (no needle) & fill it
with Nutrical. It is a highly concentrated vitamin/molasses mixture. It may be
difficult to pry his mouth open--you may have to find a flat tool for this. Be
very gentle, do not break his jaw. Feed small amounts & try not to choke him
with it. Good luck. ~PP>
Sue
Frog ID And Care 1/3/07
Hi really hope you can help. I am totally new to keeping a tropical fish
tank and I have recently bought, what was labeled up as a Congo frog. When I do
a search on the net it points me to your website and African Dwarf frogs, are
these the same with just different names?
< Do a google search on the African Dwarf Frog. If it looks anything close then
that is what it is.>
The thing is I have had my frog for a couple of weeks and when I first put him
in my tank he didn't seem to move to much and just kept laying spread out face
down. I got him out of my tank into one on his own as I was unsure if he was
ill and if so did not want to spread it around my tank. He is still alive but
still not very active and his usual position is face down and he doesn't move
for ages. When I go to where I bought him and other places the assistants just
don't seem to know anything so you are my only hope, I don't want to be
unintentionally killing the frog and also can you tell me what is best to feed
him on too. Thanks for your help, I'm sorry I'm a complete novice. Jo
< These frogs, as are most, are ambush predators. They wait for prey to come by
and then suck it into their mouths. If they move too much then larger predators
may eat them. Make sure some small worms make their way down to him.-Chuck>
Frogs Are Real Pigs 10/26/06
Hi, I have a three year old African albino clawed frog in a twenty gallon
tank. I feed her goldfish, Repto sticks and shrimp pellets. She is a real
pig!
I purchased another frog. Same kind, same sex, both female. My frog is very
large, big as my hand. The new frog was just a little baby. I've been
raising it in a small fish bowl until I thought it would be big enough to go in
with my large frog, didn't want the big frog to eat the new little
frog!! Anyway
the new frogs body is about 2 and 1/2 inches long and about 1 and 1/2 inches
wide. We put the new frog in the 20 gallon tank with the adult frog last
evening. Now I was worried that the adult frog would eat the new baby frog, but
was surprised to find that the new baby frog actually tried to eat my adult
frog!! The little stinker wrapped its front legs completely around the adult
frogs
back leg and proceeded to then try and eat the adult frogs rear-end!! We let
this go on for a little while and the little thing was not going to let loose
of its big catch!! I absolutely did not want my adult frog harmed by this
little frog, so I managed to pry the baby frog off the adult frog finally with
the fish net. I then removed it from the tank and put it back in the fish bowl.
I am very unsure at this time how I will ever be able to introduce this baby
frog into my tank with my big frog. Should I let the baby frog get bigger?
Or should I maybe have just let them be and just let the little frog suck on
the adult frog? Can that hurt my adult frog? Can you help me with any advice
or suggestions please?? It would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely frog struck,
Kristy
< You will never be able to totally satisfy either frogs enormous appetite. If
kept together one will go after the other. I would plan on keeping them separate.-Chuck>
Sick African clawed frog 8/1/06
I love your website!! Unfortunately, I have a sick albino African clawed
frog, Piggy. She is probably about 5 years old and no longer wants to eat.
<This is a good old age for Xenopus...>
She lives in a 55 gallon aquarium with two goldfish and another African clawed
frog. There is a Fluval canister filter, a Fluval submersible filter, and a
"homemade" canister type filter on the tank. They have all been together for a
year or so. Water quality is fine--no ammonia, nitrites, ph 7.4 or so. No new
decorations or fish. About a month ago, I noticed she wasn't eating as much (the
frogs are hand fed)--maybe one or two Reptomin sticks per day. I didn't worry
too much--they do that occasionally. Then, she stopped eating completely. She
absolutely refuses to eat anything--not even her favorites--worms and flies.
<A very bad sign...>
She ate nothing for three weeks-I noticed she started to get smaller. She
doesn't swim around as much as she used to and sheds more than usual. How long
can they go without food??
<Perhaps a few more weeks>
She has no other physical symptoms--no injuries, red leg, fungus. I decided to
force-feed her and see if it helped. I've been able to get several earthworms
into her over the past week.
<Good>
I only force-feed her a few pieces every day or so (whenever I can catch up with
my brother who is good at holding her and opening her mouth while I shove a worm
piece in). She doesn't seem to have anything caught in her throat or mouth--we
can see almost down into her stomach when we get her mouth opened sometimes. She
doesn't spit the worms back out once we get them in her and she definitely
swallows them. Since feeding her, she has gotten more active and not as skinny,
but she still refuses to eat on her own. Can anyone help?
<Mmm...>
I've tried Maroxy and salt in the water, but neither seemed to help. I've read
about all sorts of medicines to treat bacterial, fungal infections, but I don't'
know if I should try something else or just wait. Maybe she has a blockage and
needs Epsom salts???
<Doubtful, but as a "last ditch effort" worth trying>
I can't tell if she is pooping or not. I have read that a Chloramphenicol bath
may also be effective, but for how long???
<I myself would not use antibiotics here, but a 250 mg capsule dissolved in one
gallon of water for about five minutes is about right>
A bath for a few minutes or hours?? I work in a lab and we use Chloramphenicol
on fish eggs to prevent bacterial/fungal contamination. Or would an antibiotic
from a pet store be better?
<These are identical to human use... though often "post-dated", old>
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've had many of these frogs over the
years and just love them. They are so personable.
<I suspect this frog is "just old"... cumulative heritable defects... doesn't
"feel like" going on. A hard issue with our beloved pets, life around us. Bob
Fenner>
Food For Tadpoles 5/31/06
Can you tell me how long it takes for a tadpole to become a frog and what I
would feed the little fellows? I tried fish food...they all died
but one. How about Hermit Crab food? Any other tips? I think this would be a
great learning experience for my little girl.
PS...thanks for your advice on the Hermits and Turtles....all are alive and
well! God Bless You!
<Tadpoles eat algae. The higher the water temp. the quicker they transform. Feed
them Spirulina flakes and keep them at room temperature and they should
transform into little frogs/toads in 4 to 6 weeks. Frog tadpoles are green, toad
tadpoles are black, at least around here in CA.-Chuck>
Help! My Lunch Is Stupid! - 04/04/2006
My fire belly frog is eating.
<Uh, good!>
i
<Oh my. PLEASE capitalize your "I"s. For one, it shows some healthy
self-respect in your writing, and for two, we really haven't the time to correct
these....>
bet your wondering why I'm writing.
<Indeed I am.>
the
<Ack! The beginnings of sentences too, please?>
problem is his silly food! I get him crickets and they just dive right in the
water and decide to go swimming!
<Hey, I would too! I love to be in the water.>
And then I end up spending 20 minutes trying to save the dumb crickets but they
just keep jumping to their death.
<They really are NOT the brightest, are they?
By the time its all said and done my poor frog eats 1 and the rest are dead!
<A sad waste. I can't tell you how many stupid gray/feeder crickets I've
met. I don't know how the species continues to live....>
I recently bought him ghost shrimp but he my frog didn't even know they were
there. They ended up living together and he wont eat them.
<Neat!>
I don't know what to do because at this rate I'm going to the pet store
everyday! My poor frog eats the crickets that don't end up jumping to their
death. I'm at my wits end and don't know what to do. I need an easier option on
what to feed him.
<A couple of options. The best, and healthiest, is to keep the crickets in a
separate container and only feed him a couple at a time. In the separate
container, you can feed them ("gut load" is one term for this) a high-quality
fish food and give them a piece of fruit for water. This will make them better
for your frog to eat and keep them alive until feeding. Optionally, you can
give them something in the water at the surface that they can climb out on and
not drown; a floating plant (real or fake) may do the trick.>
PLEASE get to me quickly......
<As quickly as we could.>
Thank you so much,
- Needing a Resolution
<All the best to you, -Needing a Nap (Sabrina)>