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REcently i have become intrested in ADF. Could someone give me some information about these guys? Could you keep them with fish? What kind of stuff do you have to feed them? DO they need access to land? What is their minimum tank size? Do they need to be kept in pairs or can you keep them by themselves?

Well, you get the message. I would really like to know that, but any other useful info. would be appreciated, but not about breeding, because i would really not like loads of tiny frogs hopping around for my cat to eat.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for asking so many questions in one post ( I am doing it again. But without questions, you don't learn!)

I bought one ADF two years agoand he is doing just fine.
Yes you can keep him in with the fish they are totally aquatic and will not survive long out of water to the best of my knowledge. (They still breath air and will visit the surface periodicallynot often)
Initially I bought some frog/tadpole food from my LPS
but he seems quite happy with the regular flake food. he likes blood worms also.


the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.

try this link
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwarfs.html

I have always found that keeping them in pairs spells disaster. It always seems that one becomes very dominate and the other dies...I've tried it in aquariums of all sizes and one always dies and the other lives...it's odd...They "shouldn't" ever get out of the water. They will die. On the other hand, they like to jump out...

Hope this helps a little bit

-Josh

Thanks, so minimum tank size??? And can they be kept with slightly aggrressive fish(ie. Betta?)
Thanks

I've had them in 10 gallon tanks up to 55 gallon tanks and the betta's don't pay him no mind.

BlackNeonFerret,
In my experience, ADFs are a nice addition to a community aquarium. I've kept them with a betta, a pair of altisinosa, and a school of tetras (different aquariums), and had no problems. They are actually quite comical little creatures. Mine are all male, and they are constantly "mating" or as my coworkers describe it, hugging. Currently i'm housing my five ADFs in a 10 gallon with a couple of corydoras panda, and they are all doing fine. The only problem i've had with keeping them is feeding. Mine will only eat frozen foods (brine shrimp and bloodworms), and they only recognize the food if it is dropped directly in front of their nose. They don't usually search the substrate for food, so anything they don't eat usually just sits there. My corydoras usually take care of this, but if they don't the excess food really increases my NO3 levels.
Hope this helps.

I have 4 in a 5g without problems but there are no fish in this tank only snails and shrimp. Many sites say 1 per gallon but I'd suggest 1 per 2gallons especially if your keeping them with fish. My 5g is also heavily planted.

They are terrible at finding food so if you have fish in the tank you will probably have to target feed the frogs. I take a dropper and suck up some thawed bloodworms or squid and then wiggle it in front of the frogs with the food just sticking out. Even when it's right in front of their nose they miss a few times while snapping at the food. Mine will also eat sinking shrimp pellets but it takes them half a day to locate all the pellets in the tank. Usually the snails and shrimp have to clean up bits of food that were never found.

Do not keep them in a tank that is too deep(~18" or higher) or without space at the top for them to get air. They are fully aquatic but must be able to touch the surface for breaths of air. I have heard of frogs getting tangled in stringy plants and drowning. My tank is mostly broader leaved plants like crypts and swords. Also they will jump out if the tank isn't completely covered.

Would 3 be ok with a male Betta in a 10g? I am also interested in them BNF...and I almost bought one earlier today...but didn't.



*Kristin*

you gould have like 10 with a betta in a 10 gallon
and a bn's a bad idea, too much waste

What are BNs?

BN=Bristlenose

BNF=BlackNeonFerret...that's what I meant in my post.

Don't know about 10 ADF's. I think I'll try 3.

How about you BlackNeonFerret...have you decided on them yet?

(didn't want to steal your post)

*Kristin*

Don't worry girlie, i don't care as long as people listen to me too.

I would absolubtly LOVE an ADF, but my only tank at the minute (6 black neons, 3 albino bronze corys, 2 male plates SOON TO BE MOVED) is a 15. I don't think i could fit one in there, COULD I??? I am also replacing the Albinos with some Dwarf corys soon. However, i am also considering a few Ottos..........

Help!
I probably wont get teh ottos, but i might get a betta, but...

Well, with 6 black neons and (3 Albinos and 2 male platies albinos to be traded for dwarfs, platies going soon. Probably to fishy heaven) Could i fit an ADF. If not i'll try and pursuade my mum to let me get a little 2.5 for a betta and an ADF

I don't see a problem with adding the frog to your current setup. they're fairly small and your tank isn't overstocked.

I have one in a 2.5 with a male betta, they get along well

So, would it be safer not to get a frog until i had 6 Black Neons and 4 Pygmy Corys? The thing is, i also want a Betta, and i know it's one or the other (at least i think) I have also decided that as we can't get the bigger tank yet, i am going to have to trade the corys in at my LFS.

Would this be ok?
6 Black Neons
6 Pygmy Corys
1 Male Betta
1 ADF

I have an AquaClear 50, as well as a stingray filter, and i do weekly water changes. (tank is a 15 US. About 12.5 UK)

Thanks

I've had 2 ADF's in a 10g for about 6 weeks, except for a couple weeks when I removed them to a separate tank b/c they just weren't competing for food! Their tankmates are 6 very piggy zebra danios and 2 corys. I even tried sinking their food in a small glass jar turned sideways. The danios quickly figured this out but the frogs were too dumb. Except for the feeding problem, they get along fine. So be careful that they do get enough to eat.

After they were in solitary for the 2 weeks and their weight was better, I put them back in the 10g. One has figured out how to eat anything/everything I put in there and is now alarmingly fat. I know why now; the other night I saw him pigging out on a Hikari wafer after lights-out. The other one just doesn't eat well; he is so skinny again that I took him back out yesterday. I feed them frozen bloodworms and "frog pellets"; they definitely prefer the former.

I don't know if this is true, but I had a guy at the LFS tell me that I shouldn't put pygmy cories with the ADF's b/c the ADF's might fight with them. They do fine with my larger cories though.

Min tank size from what I've read is 2 gal. When my 2 were in solitary they were sharing a 1 gal, and they did snap at one another. So they are territorial.

Ah, well, i don't want the pygmys to be hurt.

Well, i talked to my mum about it, but the frogs in my area always seem to be VERY unhealthy, so i decided to go with a male betta instead. Thanks for the help though.

Ultimately that was probably a very wise choice. Good stuff. Dwarf frogs are fantastic in species tanks but they can really suck when combined with fish, It really depends on the specimen, but generally they do better without fish, and with live food. They hunt more by detecting vibration than by sight, so it helps if the prey actually moves.

People have all sorts of experiences with them, some positive , some quite the reverse. The bottom line is that these are not species that like disturbance , and many specimens never take to artificial foods. There will always be tougher than average specimens, but the fact that many , many, people fail to keep them in full health, without stress, and to full potential longevity is down to the fact that they insist on having them in community. These frogs dont like bright lights, and having fish rush past them every 5 seconds upsets their hunting technique, and more often than not they feel very exposed , even if they arent actually attacked. Some learn to compete, but a great many more stress out and die.In nature these frogs will avoid fish in large expanses of water, the only interest they have in fish is at the most taking the odd tiny fry opportunistically.

Think of the situation as being equal to that of goldfish who are kept in aquaria instead of ponds. Less than perfect conditions mean deaths. As water quality is important to goldfish, a quiet life is important to a dwarf frog.In the same way as joe public doesnt want to hear that goldfish dont belong in bowls, aquarists dont want to hear that dwarf frogs dont belong in community with anything less than the most peaceful of fish, with places they can get away from the fish, the lights and the stress, and feed normally without intense competition and in fairly still water.

As a herpetologist , hammering that into your average fishkeepers head is proving somewhat difficult. Conversely , a lot of reptile and amphibian keepers tend to understand it more readily, but may not believe you on the goldfish front. Its very , very , frustrating.

Personally I cant wait for the day that peoples knowledge bridges the gap between the aquarium hobby and herpetology a little better.