Now for something completely different, we’ll have a look at a species from the amphibian world, the African Dwarf Frog.
These make unique and interesting additions to freshwater aquariums, and these small, fully aquatic frogs make it quite easy for the hobbyist to incorporate into their community.
Their peaceful behavior makes them a welcome change for some and adds some neat diversity to your burgeoning ecosystem.
As their name implies, they are from Africa, and there are four species involved who are collectively referred to as the African Dwarf Frog.
The only main difference between them is their original locations in the wild. They may be sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic. Other than their origin, there is little to distinguish each species from one another.
These Dwarf Frogs are also often mistaken for the African Clawed Frog, which, truth be told, do look similar, but the latter is larger and also has an aggressive attitude best left to experts in the field.
Why are they such a popular addition to tank communities? We’ll delve a little deeper as we go through this article.
African Dwarf Frog Behavior
In the wild, these little frogs are nocturnal and are only ever observed when conditions permit, and there is enough natural moonlight to allow.
These frogs are, therefore, still going to be nocturnal when kept in captivity, so observation will be most interesting after dark. During the daytime, their activity is kept to a minimum, but they will still need to surface to breathe as they do not have gills.
They are quite social and enjoy being in groups.
When being active, they will need to breathe and so gulp air from the top of the tank. They will do this by speeding to the top of the tank and then just as quickly diving back down. Blink, and you’ll miss it!
Strange behaviors abound for these little frogs, and this is what makes them so much fun to watch, whether experienced fish keeper or casual observer.
The males can occasionally be heard ‘singing.’ They will do this when ready to mate, and this is a low buzzing sound that is meant to attract receptive females.
They can also be spotted floating in the tank at the surface, which can be understandably disconcerting for their owner as they will appear dead. However, this behavior is quite common. They will have their limbs all stretched out, and they will remain motionless, floating, and looking rather relaxed. Don’t worry if you see this!
Another point to note is that because they are truly fully aquatic amphibians, they do not survive for long if they manage to exit the tank and are out of the water. At a maximum, you would be lucky to find them survive 15-20 minutes on land. Rapid dehydration is the enemy here, so it must be avoided at all costs.
African Dwarf Frog Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your African Dwarf Frog, you could expect them to live for up to 10 years, which a considerable amount of time to commit to. The average lifespan is probably closer to 5 years, although research on this topic does provide varying information.
There is some specialist knowledge required to keep these frogs healthy, and a lot will also depend on the condition of the frog you acquire at the start.
It must be said that there are a lot of unscrupulous suppliers of these little guys, and often they are bred and kept in unsuitable environments conducive to a healthy start in life.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
African Dwarf Frog Appearance
The African Dwarf Frog, in all four of its iterations, can range from olive green to a brownish-green in color. All of them will have distinctive black spotting present on the torso.
There is sexual dimorphism present, and males are the smaller of the sexes. Females are a bit bigger and have a more obvious distinction which is that they have an ovipositor near the base of their underside at their noticeably larger tail bud.
Males have special glands that are visible to the naked eye on the back of both front legs.
Their feet are all webbed and assist their eating as they lack both teeth and a tongue. Another point to note is that they do not have particularly good eyesight, so care must also be taken to ensure they feed properly.
The webbing on feet is what can help you be certain that you are not acquiring the often mistaken African Clawed Frog when you want an African Dwarf Frog. The Clawed variety does not have webbing on its front legs. In addition, Dwarf Frogs have eyes positioned on the sides of their head, whilst the Clawed Frogs have eyes on top of their heads.
Good points to keep in mind, so you don’t end up with an aggressive frog in your community!
At full maturity, they will reach about 5 cm in length.
African Dwarf Frog Habitat And Tank Requirements
For the healthiest community possible, all aquarists should aspire to recreate their natural habitats as best they can.
In the wild, they prefer freshwater creeks, ponds, streams, shallow rivers, and even flooded areas during the wet, rainy seasons.
Although small, they should not be kept in inadequate space. Far too many people keep them in insufficient space all alone as a single frog, which is far from ideal and a health risk. They should be kept in groups of three minimum.
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed to provide these little amphibians with a great quality of life that best suits them for optimum health.
Tank Conditions
First and foremost, frogs enjoy a lot of space. That’s the first reason we want to avoid commonly seen tiny tanks that some owners of these frogs persist using.
With substrate, they like sandy bottoms. You will ideally want to avoid having any small gravel that they can ingest accidentally since frogs like to dart at their food swiftly. They can consume substrate that is small enough to get in their mouths while eating, and if it’s sharp, it can cause serious damage.
Knowing that these frogs require oxygen from the air as opposed to water to respire, they must reach the surface frequently. You should take good care to have a covered tank to avoid any overenthusiastic leaping or jumping behaviors that could lead to them flying out of the tank to certain death.
We mentioned that it can take as little as 15 minutes out of the water to cause a fatality with these frogs, so every precaution should be taken to prevent an accidental exit from happening in the first place.
Their tropical origins mean that they are used to a highly humid environment.
They are not keen on much active water flow, so water movement should be minimal.
In terms of vegetation, these frogs enjoy swimming actively throughout plant life and enjoy weaving in and out of densely planted areas. They may even perch on top of floating plant life or rest gently half in half out of the water if plant tops are close enough near the surface while they breathe.
Great plants to include in your setup are Java Fern, Hornwort, and other rooted plants suited to a sandy, silty substrate.
Provision of places to hide is a must, and caves or driftwood work well to this effect.
Filtration isn’t necessary but is recommended to keep the tank water in the best quality possible. The best types to use are sponge, canister style, or hang-on back (HOB) filters.
Water changes will need to be at least 15-20% at least two times per week minimum to maintain adequate gas levels. If you don’t think you can stick to such a schedule, then it’s best to leave African Dwarf Frogs to other keepers who can. Their skin is also highly sensitive to gas changes and chemicals.
Lighting should be on a timer to encourage circadian rhythm, but regular lighting will do.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6.5-7.8
- Water hardness between 5-20 dGH
- Temperature between 72-78ºF (22-25.5ºC)
- Lighting can be kept median
Tank Size
The minimum tank size needed is 5 gallons per frog ( 19 L).
Since the recommended minimum grouping is three, then effectively, you will require a minimum tank of 15 gallons (57 L).
So size and grouping matter if you plan on having this species for optimum health and growth.
Another point to note is that the tank should be shallower than it is deep to allow for frequent breathing. As they swim and peruse the tank floor, you do not want to have it so deep that breathing becomes difficult to achieve regularly.
They need a lot of active swimming space to thrive and prevent stress when they become active nocturnally. Keeping them interested and engaged is important for their health.
Choosing Tank Mates For African Dwarf Frogs
When it comes to finding friendly species for your African Dwarf Frogs to cohabit with, there is quite a lot of options.
Any tropical freshwater fish that are suitable non-aggressive or who are large enough to predate on these frogs is fair game for your tank. That is if you keep everyone in your tank appropriately well-fed and monitored for any nippy or harassing behaviors.
Some excellent fish tank mate pairings for African Dwarf Frogs are:
These species are suitable but should only be added if they are fully matured and full-size. Juveniles of these species will almost certainly be considered a food source to a mature African Dwarf Frog:
Feeding African Dwarf Frogs
With poor eyesight, these frogs don’t always see food sources readily in the tank. It may be that you need to visually watch them feed, and it has been suggested that a successful way to feed them is using a turkey baster to deposit their meals directly in their vicinity.
The baster is also a great way to siphon up unfinished food as this will contribute to poor water quality if left behind. Care should be taken not to inadvertently scoop up other small creatures in your tank like fry, ghost shrimp, or other small fish when doing so.
They should ideally eat about 3 times per week, and those who get used to regular feeding directly can get a little greedy and overweight, so ensure you measure a healthy amount of recommended food sources.
They enjoy a meaty diet, although omnivorous, and eating fish fry, mosquitoes, bloodworms, krill, earthworms will delight their appetites. Pellet-style food supplies ensure well-rounded nutrition, which includes some plant-based material.
Common Health Issues Of African Dwarf Frogs
A word of warning to would-be African Dwarf Frog owners: the frogs themselves have a lot of bacterial matter on their skin and feces that are not ideal for you to come into contact with. Salmonella is the most dangerous culprit that they tend to harbor.
They should never be handled without an aquarium net, and as they are very delicate, ideally not with your hands at all, even with gloves. We would still recommend gloves be worn as extra protection for your skin in case of splashing and water transfer from the netting.
Finally, you should always wash your hands both before and after handling/dealing with these frogs or even doing water changes because of the bacteria they coexist with.
Dropsy is one of the most well-known afflictions for Africa Dwarf Frogs. There are unfortunately a wide variety of causes for this, and it is usually fatal. It often presents as bloating, and your frog will look visibly distressed.
Because not all causes of dropsy are fatal, it is still worth checking with your vet to see if it is treatable.
They are also susceptible to a highly contagious fungus (Chytridiomycosis), and if spotted, then they must be isolated, and any treatment should apply to your population as chances are if one has it, they all do.
How To Breed African Dwarf Frogs
Mature adults ready to breed will do so by direct contact. If you observe a male perched atop a female, chances are they are mating. They will remain in the embrace position for several hours as he fertilizes each egg upon release.
Adults will consume their own fertilized eggs, so they should be kept separate, and you should expect to see tiny tadpoles hatch from 2-5 days. Metamorphosis will occur in 6-8 weeks after hatching and is one of the most exciting things to observe for the hobbyist.
Conclusion
African Dwarf Frogs are a fascinating addition to your fish or other crustacean species in your tank. Their completely different amphibian lifestyle and breeding cycle make them interesting to watch and should be a pleasure to care for as an aquarist.
