African Dwarf Frogs are small, fully aquatic frogs with lots of personality. These tiny frogs quickly learn their keepers and will beg for food and attention. If you're considering welcoming these charming amphibians into your home, it's essential to understand their specific needs to ensure they thrive.
This comprehensive guide covers everything from setting up the perfect aquarium to maintaining optimal water conditions and providing a balanced diet.
Getting to Know Your African Dwarf Frog
African Dwarf Frogs come from western Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjacent Republic of the Congo. These tiny frogs have claws on their hind feet but lack tongues and teeth. Instead, they use their front feet to bring food to their mouths.
Like most other amphibians, African Dwarf Frogs do shed their skin regularly. Typically, they do this in patches so you may notice small pieces of whitish skin floating near your frog. This is normal and often the frogs will eat their shed skin.
African Dwarf Frogs also have lungs, not gills so they need to surface to breathe. In their natural habitat, the water levels will rise up to 24” but these frogs really do prefer shallow water where it’s easy for them to surface to breathe. When choosing a tank, a shallower tank with more floor space will be preferred by these adorable frogs.
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These curious frogs may attempt to explore outside of their tank, but they cannot survive long outside of the water so a tightly fitting lid is important! While they may look fun to hold, they’re very delicate and it’s easy to injure them. Avoid handling African Dwarf Frogs unless absolutely necessary.
Always be prepared to move a fish or frog if needed. Not sure which species get along? Our Fish Compatibility Guide can help you choose compatible tank mates. It can also be helpful to rearrange/add décor to create more territories and hiding places.
Live plants help maintain water quality and provide hiding places for fish and frogs. Often, the more plants and décor, the more you see your frogs! A tank with lots of variety in plants and décor is more interesting and less stressful for your frog, a bit like offering new toys or beds to your dog or cat!
Setting up an EPIC aquarium for African dwarf frogs!
African Dwarf Frog Facts: Size, Lifespan, Tank Setup, and More
Here's a quick overview of essential facts about African Dwarf Frogs:
- Name: African Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus curtipes)
- Lifespan: 5-8 years, potentially longer in ideal conditions
- Water Temp: 73-79° F (23-26° C)
- Habitat: Natural sand and décor. Lots of live plants are preferred. They need to surface to breathe so providing decorations they can rest on near the surface is important.
- Schooling: Yes, best kept in groups of at least 2 or more of the same species.
- Community: They do well with peaceful fish too large to fit into their mouths. They may prey on shrimp or small fish.
- Diet: They thrive on frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp daily. High quality, small carnivore pellets can be offered.
Ideal Water Parameters
Maintaining the correct water parameters is crucial for the health of your African Dwarf Frogs:
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African dwarf frogs, also known as dwarf clawed frogs, need to be kept in aquaria that provide at least 2 gallons of water per frog.
A heavily planted tank or lots of decorations near the surface offers lots of resting places for your frog. African Dwarf Frogs also like Indian Almond leaves or other aquarium safe botanicals on the bottom of the tank. They appreciate a few small caves to retreat to when not lounging on plants or décor near the surface.
Small sections 1 inch diameter PVC pipes are simple caves but not particularly pleasing to see. You may also use submerged logs, caves of stone, or aquarium-safe decorations to provide these hiding places.
The water temperature should be 78-82°F and never allowed to go above 85°F or below 70°F.
Substrate can be bare bottom or aquarium gravel. But you will need to clean it every two weeks. DO NOT use large marbles, river stones, etc with the dwarf frog. Dwarf frogs can easily get wedged underneath a large stone or marble and not be able to reach air or get crushed.
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Plants offer a natural environment and a sense of security for dwarf frogs. Real or artificial plants can be used. Dwarf frogs can be kept with any type of living plant. The smaller types of anubias plants work really well with dwarf frogs.
Hiding Places are a must for dwarf frogs. variety of places to retreat too. Small terra cotta pots turned on their sides look beautiful in a natural tank. thick clumps of anubias nana to hide in. Anything that a little dwarf frog can get into will make a great hiding place.
Lighting is optional as well. But do turn out the lights for them at night, keeping lights on 24 hours is very unnatural and unsettling for them. African Dwarf frogs can be kept in a wide range of pH's. I keep my dwarf frog tank at a neutral pH of 7.0-7.2.
| Parameter | Ideal Range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 70-82°F (21-28° C) |
| Ammonia | 0ppm (mg/L) |
| Nitrite | 0ppm (mg/L) |
| Nitrate | Less than 20ppm |
| pH | 6.5-7.5 |
| Chlorine | 0ppm (mg/L) |
| Alkalinity | 75-150ppm |
Setting Up an Aquarium for African Dwarf Frogs
Tank care of African Dwarf Frogs is very simple. They do not need a heater as long as the water doesn't drop below 70. Don't put them in very high and deep tanks. Its hard on them to be straining to reach air.
Filtration keeps the water clean but a filter is not needed. If you have a very small tank (under 2 gallons, and smaller) i would not use a filter. Most small tanks that size come with internal filters powered by an airstone. This is a bad idea for dwarf frogs since they are sensitive to water vibrations. In tanks larger then 3 gallons i would use a Whisper powerfilter. I like these filters and has least amount of surface disturbance.
The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with gravel that is too large for the frogs to accidentally eat as they forage for food. The water should be filtered, using either a sponge filter, an undergravel filter, or canister filter, and at least 10 to 20% of the water should be siphoned out and replaced with dechlorinated water once a week.
Uneaten food, shed skin, and feces may be removed using a turkey baster or a dip net as needed so the filter does not get overloaded. These frogs need to have dimly lit areas in their aquarium so they are not in bright light all the time.
Typical African Dwarf Frog Aquarium:
- Hood or tank cover with light
- Décor for hiding and enrichment
- Live or artificial plants
Prepare your space: Place the aquarium on a flat, stable surface that can support its full weight - water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon.
Rinse and place décor: Rinse all substrate and decorations with tap water (never soap), then add to the tank.
Add water and conditioner: Fill with tap water and use a water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines. If your home uses a water softener, use a tap source that bypasses it.
Install and test equipment: Set up the heater, filter, and thermometer per manufacturer instructions. Add the hood and lighting and set lights on a 12-hour cycle using a timer for consistency.
Let the tank stabilize: Run the system for at least 24 hours to ensure all equipment works and the water temperature is stable.
Begin cycling the tank: Add a beneficial bacteria starter and introduce just a few hardy fish to start, or follow a fishless cycling process to reduce stress.
Monitor water quality daily: During cycling, test water regularly. Perform a water change if ammonia or nitrite is above 0 ppm or if nitrate exceeds 20 ppm. Always add water conditioner after each change.
Add fish gradually: Once your tank is cycled and stable, add compatible fish slowly and monitor for any signs of illness or stress.
Before adding other species, check our Fish Compatibility Guide to ensure a healthy environment.
Quarantine new additions: To protect your established aquarium, quarantine new fish for 30 days in a separate, cycled setup.
Learn more about fish-less cycling in Setting Up an Aquarium.
Feeding Your African Dwarf Frogs
When feeding African Dwarf Frogs, it can be helpful to use tongs to bring the food close to your frog. This helps build rapport and allows you to monitor your frog’s eating habits more closely and can also prevent food from being stolen by faster fish tankmates. Frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and sinking carnivore pellets are all great options for feeding your frog.
They thrive on frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp daily. High quality, small carnivore pellets can be offered.
Health and Safety
When should I test my water quality?
- Frogs are sluggish, near the bottom of the tank
- Frogs are at the top, breaking the water to breathe (frequent surfacing may also indicate low oxygen or poor water quality)
- Sudden behavior changes in your fish
PetSmart offers free water quality testing and one of our knowledgeable associates can help you get your system balanced.
When should I contact a veterinarian?
Contact an aquatic veterinarian if you notice the following signs:
- Thinness or decreased appetite
- Inflamed or discolored skin/fins
- Fins clamped to sides of body
- Scraping body on rocks (flashing)
- Visible signs of illness or recent fish loss
If your fish show any of the signs above, we recommend using the “Find Fish Vet” tool at fishvets.org or wavma.org to locate a qualified aquatic veterinarian in your area.
Safety tips for you and your pet:
- ALL ANIMALS can potentially carry viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases contagious to humans.
- Thoroughly wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after contact with any pet or its habitat.
- Adults should assist children with hand washing after contact with a pet, its habitat or aquarium water.
- Always add a dechlorinator or water conditioner and bacteria starter to tap water before adding it to the aquarium.
- Do not use soaps or detergents to clean aquarium or decor, since they are toxic to fish.
For more information, visit petsmart.com, cdc.gov/healthypets, or contact your veterinarian.
