# African Underwater Frogs



## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

One of my frogs, an albino has grown from a teeny, tiny little guy to w/i 3 months is now approx. 3" of huge froggie body. He's in a 29H aquarium. How big are these guys suppose to get? He looks like a tick about to bust.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Haha, that's about the biggest. Good to know I'm not the only one with those lil buggers on here


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## The-Wolf (Mar 15, 2007)

oh dear
I'm afraid that you have an African clawed frog (ACF) _Xenopus laevis_
they get as large as a mans fist and eat anything they can fit in their mouths (several reports of them eating young turtles),
fish are speared by their huge claws and thrust into the mouth.
they are a great predator but not one that should be kept with fish, or anything else you prize.

btw Xenopus means strange food, a reference to their eating habits.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Male ones get about 3", the females are the ones that get like 4-6"


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

Yes, I know what kind of frog he is. I just can't get over the unbelieveable growth. His friend, who is the same type, but, a different color, is no where near the size. Neither one of them touches or even goes near my catfish. And, the minnows are the only other fish in the tank and they represent meal time. 
One other question for anyone out there. The palms of Fred's hands have turned a really dark brown. It slowly started happening as he started growing. Am wondering if this is normal for the albino's.
Thank you for any information.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Yup, they'll get black and "sticky". They're called nuptial pads and they're for holding onto the female (annexing) when she spawns.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

*African Underwater Frog*

My poor baby. He'll be waiting a LONG time...........cuz, I am NOT getting him a girlfriend! Do you have any idea how long this tank (29H) will support him and George?


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

It should house them just fine for their lifetimes.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

*African Underwater Clawed Frogs*

Yes, I need help, again. Does anyone know where I can find ANY information re:my frogs? I can't find anything, anywhere. I know that I should NOT have gotten them, if I was clueless on their care. However, I do have them and they are growing nuclear and I don't know if I'm even feeding them correctly. They are consuming approx. 50 sm. rosie reds/week w/tubifex worms and those floating green logs (food). I need to know about their feeding needs, their ideal habitat, et.
Any help would be most greatly appreciated. 
P.S. They ARE extremely happy, fat, cute little guys. OK, not little.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Try this link:
http://aquaticfrogs.tripod.com/


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

LOL, they eat a lot IF you let them, they don't actually need to eat that much though. As I'm sure you've found out by now, you should not be feeding any kinds of minnow or goldfish because they have serrated spines that can harm them.

You sound like you're doing good with them besides that little problem, you have a big enough tank for them, just follow the feeding guidelines and you should be ok. Consider setting up a breeding tank for feeder guppies too.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

Thank you so much for the advise. I have heard mixed reviews re:rosie reds & goldfish. In my area of Northeast Ohio, I can not find any store that sells feeder guppies. I have an extra 10 gal tank that would be perfect for that, too. I'll keep looking; but, I might have to resort to the fancy guppies; unless, there is another fish that would work.
Yeah, I know that I don't have to feed them as much as I do; but, they are so pathetic when there isn't a bunch of swimming food. They seriously hang at the front of the tank and stare at me w/their cute little faces.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Yeah, they're just so darn pathetic aren't they? Ya gotta learn to resist it tho  Anyways, all you need a trio cuz anything more will overcrowd your tank after a while and and extras from the trio you might be able to sell to the LFS. Just find a couple that have some ugly colors or not very long fins and use those.


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## Seamoe (Jun 2, 2008)

I love these little frogs. I had an aquatic frog a few years ago I kept in a small tank. I started the tank with fish, but over time he became the lone inhabitant of the little tank. I alter realized the tank was just too small to house any more critters.

Now I have a new ten gallon tank and I definitely want to have another aquatic frog in there along with a companion frog this time so he doesn't get lonely. But, provided that I want to have two frogs in there, what other fish and critters can I put in there? I'd also like to have a shrimp or two. I haven't decided about the fish yet except that they will not be goldfish.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

If you want the african clawed type they're technically 10 gallons a piece, and you can forget having any fish since they WILL get big enough to eat em


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## LJean (May 31, 2008)

My daughter had the dwarf clawed frogs in a 10g tank. I think there were 4 of them and some guppies. Sometimes the fish would pick on the frogs.


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## Seamoe (Jun 2, 2008)

Flashygrrl said:


> If you want the african clawed type they're technically 10 gallons a piece, and you can forget having any fish since they WILL get big enough to eat em


The one I had was small and stayed small, so I'm taking a gander that there are smaller aquatic frog species. Any recommendations?


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

*African Underwater Clawed Frog*

I wanted to get a female for my 2 boys; but, can't find one whose big enough to be loved and NOT eaten.
Got another froggie question.......Fred's back feet are getting a pinkish/red w/the veins really turning a darker red. Is this normal? (He's the albino one, but, his back feet have really become pronounced)


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Seamoe said:


> Flashygrrl said:
> 
> 
> > If you want the african clawed type they're technically 10 gallons a piece, and you can forget having any fish since they WILL get big enough to eat em
> ...


Oh, you have the dwarfs. You can have anything that won't pick on it or get aggressive about it's food.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

*Re: African Underwater Clawed Frog*



GrandmaLisa said:


> I wanted to get a female for my 2 boys; but, can't find one whose big enough to be loved and NOT eaten.
> Got another froggie question.......Fred's back feet are getting a pinkish/red w/the veins really turning a darker red. Is this normal? (He's the albino one, but, his back feet have really become pronounced)


Just keep an eye on his legs to make sure they aren't swelling. I can see the veins pretty good in my male frog's feet too.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

How big is your frog?


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## LJean (May 31, 2008)

I just took a look at my albinos. At least two of them have the veins showing and red between the toes. They are all healthy.


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## LJean (May 31, 2008)

*Re: African Underwater Clawed Frog*



GrandmaLisa said:


> I wanted to get a female for my 2 boys; but, can't find one whose big enough to be loved and NOT eaten.


I got my frogs at different times so I would put the babies in a ten gallon tank until they got big enough to be put in with the others.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

I've never really bothered to measure him, but he's full grown.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

I looked for my question and can't find it.  Anyway, I'll put it up again. My male frogs are startint to get aggresive w/each other. Would it be wise of me to get a couple of females, put them in their own tank until they have grown close to my males and then introduce them to my males? I don't know what else to do. The boys, for the most part, get along beautifully. They are constantly holding on to each other, which leads me to believe that they need a female.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Hmmmm...depending on your filtration and water change schedule it's probably possible to have 4 albinos. Females are bigger than males when full grown and eat more so they also make more of a mess.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

I'm in the process of purchasing a 55 gal setup for the frogs. If I can't find a couple of adult females; then, I'll get a couple of small frogs from my LPS & hope that I got at least 1 female. I have read on other websites that the adult males sing. I have never heard mine do that. I wish that they would. It sounds nice.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

They do sing, I'm surprised you haven't heard yours since you don't have any females. When you do have females, they will breed twice a year and not really call out much until it's time to breed again. When you go to get the frogs, look at them and see if they have protrusions between the back legs. Those are usually female.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

Yeah, that I knew; but, with the ones that I have to choose from at my LPS, they all look like males. I was assuming that they were too young for correct identification. Am I wrong on that? Could it be that they are all males? 
Also, I want to thank you for all of your help over the past few months. I'd be lost w/o you.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Hmmm, not sure on that. When we got ours they were tiny but I think the female still looked like a female. I guess my best advice would be to not buy one unless you see one that is for sure female.


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## LJean (May 31, 2008)

I was wondering how things went with your trying to find some females. I lost the link and have been busy so haven't been able to post for awhile.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

Hiya LJean:

I can NOT find any females to save my life. They have to be fairly large in order to determine whether or not they are females; otherwise, they ALL look like males. All I can find is teeny tiny to almost there sizes. I'm at my wits end. And, my boys aren't too happy either.

Lisa


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## LJean (May 31, 2008)

Sorry to hear that Lisa. I wish you luck finding one.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

OK, the person that does this website might be able to help you. Just send them an email, tell them you are looking for two females but you have no intent to breed (you don't, do you?) and they might be able to help you.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

I would love to send them an E-Mail; but, I don't know who they are. And, NO, I have no intention of breeding. Just looking out for the needs of my boys.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

lol, there's a text link hidden in my previous comment  Look for the blue text.


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## Deku (Aug 24, 2008)

The-Wolf said:


> oh dear
> I'm afraid that you have an African clawed frog (ACF) _Xenopus laevis_
> they get as large as a mans fist and eat anything they can fit in their mouths (several reports of them eating young turtles),
> fish are speared by their huge claws and thrust into the mouth.
> ...


hmmm i have one of those and i keep it with my turtle...surprisingly and i have no damn clue why but they get along!!! O.O and yes they do eat alot ._. it ate my tadpole!! i pulled it out of his mouth and then he swallowed it back in ._. i was mad...


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Not sure, but I think wolf was talking about those itsy-bitsy baby ones.


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## GrandmaLisa (Jan 23, 2008)

*Escapee*

Hello All........

I have to share this w/you. This morning (4am), I was doing my every morning routine before work and went to refresh the dogs water bowls and found one of my african clawed frogs in the bowl. Neither one of them has ever escaped before and I'm thinking that the only reason George did was because I am in the process of converting from gravel to sand and the 3 heavy ground plants that I have are at the moment floating. And, my fat little friend used them as a launching point. I can't believe that he survived. He not only had to get down from an extremely high point to the floor; but, then, get across the living room and dining room and FIND the water dish and jump in. 
Has anyone ever heard of anything like that?

Lisa


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Yup. I've heard of one getting dried out but as they were finding a box to bury it one of them saw the nose twitch just a tiny bit. They stuck it back in the tank, it dehydrated and recovered just fine.

Moral of the story: Do not leave a single inch available for them to get out!!!!


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