# African Dwarf Frog



## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

I went to my LFS today and got myself a African Dwarf Frog, it is soooooooo small, probably less than 2cm in size. But have an observational question.

It swims up to the surface every 20 minutes or so to get some air but it dive bombs at extreme speed to the bottom of the tank crashing into the gravel then it bounces about and exhales a bubble then its all calm and says motionless till its next airgulp.

Why does it have to dive bomb as quick as possible to the bottom?
Does it hurt itself?

Its quite graceful swimming up to the surface but makes an absolute mess of going back down, is that just what they do?

Is the size of mine a baby still or is it fully grown?

Here are some pics.


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## DanMarion (Apr 13, 2010)

Your ADF is still young, expect it to get around 5 cm (2 in) or so. I have noticed that mine always do the same thing unless they are coming down amongst some of my thicker plants. Maybe it has to do with feeling vulnerable in the open water?

African Dwarf Frogs like to be kept in groups. I always try to keep at least 4-5 of them together. The more you have together, the more of a personality you will see from these little guys.

Also, make sure that there are some caves or other dark hiding places for your ADF. They are nocturnal, and like to spend the majority of the daytime hours hiding in a darkish place.


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## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

DanMarion said:


> Your ADF is still young, expect it to get around 5 cm (2 in) or so. I have noticed that mine always do the same thing unless they are coming down amongst some of my thicker plants. Maybe it has to do with feeling vulnerable in the open water?
> 
> African Dwarf Frogs like to be kept in groups. I always try to keep at least 4-5 of them together. The more you have together, the more of a personality you will see from these little guys.
> 
> Also, make sure that there are some caves or other dark hiding places for your ADF. They are nocturnal, and like to spend the majority of the daytime hours hiding in a darkish place.


I had a guess it was a young one, pity have no idea how old it really is. I was planning on getting two of them but they only had one in stock.
After reading they are hard to feed, it would make it harder if had a few of them as you would never know what ones have eaten and what has not.
Just a pity its so young, would love to have heard it sing!

Here is pics of my tank with plants and wood etc, would think there is enough places to hide!.


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## DanMarion (Apr 13, 2010)

Feeding them is actually alot easier than people make it out to be. Get a turkey baster, soak some food in tank water for a bit until it sinks, and then squirt it directly at them with the baster. Works really well.


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## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

DanMarion said:


> Feeding them is actually alot easier than people make it out to be. Get a turkey baster, soak some food in tank water for a bit until it sinks, and then squirt it directly at them with the baster. Works really well.



dont have one of them well not yet anyway.
no idea when it was last fed so will probably be starving when i feed it, right not it is sitting under the end of the log


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## DanMarion (Apr 13, 2010)

Try feeding after the lights have gone off for the night. Wait a half hour or so for your fish to calm down and bed down for the night, and then throw in food for your ADF. The fish won't see it, but the ADF will find it. It hunts by scent, so the lack of light won't hurt.


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## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

DanMarion said:


> Try feeding after the lights have gone off for the night. Wait a half hour or so for your fish to calm down and bed down for the night, and then throw in food for your ADF. The fish won't see it, but the ADF will find it. It hunts by scent, so the lack of light won't hurt.



I did not want to feed it the fist night so waited till today, did a water change and fed the fish then unfroze the blood worms and put it near the frof but it just would not get the hint i was trying to feed it, waited till it moved again to a corner and droped food right on its nose and it finally ate a tiny worm, it only ate one worm but as its so small thats probably filled it.
I did notice that all the other fish dont like frozen bloodworms, they spit them all back out and ignore them after that.

was certainly a challenge!


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## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

*Here is an image of the ADF after I finally found it, took me 2 hours including a water change to discover it










Here it is eating a frozen blood worm, its first meal.









*


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I just want to add mine did the mad diving thing until they got use to how deep the tank is and I added some floating plants which seem to make them feel safer they actually like floating at the top on the plant sometimes when they feel like being really lazy that way they don't have to swim so much to get air. LOL As for the feeding give him a couple days to get settled in then he will eat more and don't feed everyday just every other day or so.


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## gordonuk (Nov 30, 2010)

does anyone know its its male or female, or how old it is? have some detailed graphic images of it here
Picasa Web Albums - 0166 0166 - ADF Eating

ps
I now have 3 of them, got two friends earlier today.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

How to sex an ADF...

Males have little white nodes behind their armpits.

Females have little tiny tails. 

Odd that the chick has the tail, but it is what it is. lol

Not all ADFs get 2 inches. Some stay only 1 inch (like mine), others can hit almost 3 inches. Generally they are about 1.5-2inches full grown. 

Feeding advice is to get Repto-Min...its for ADFs and they sink, and other fish wont eat it. My ADF has never had any issue eating, I feed daily. Of course feeding one in a 5 gallon is a lot easier than a larger tank, lol.

Good Luck.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

From the pics, yours looks female, but I cant be sure from the pics.


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## the gourami guy (Jan 19, 2021)

Frog still alive??


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