African Dwarf Frogs in a 2 gallon?

[Nina7777]

Hi All-
Currently I have a betta at work in a 2 gallon tank. Well he is a rather active little guy, so I have bought him a 10 gallon tank and will be taking him home tomorrow.

Now I need replacement in the 2 gallon tank which is at work.

Can I keep 2 ADF's in this, or is that cruel?

It has a light and an undergravel filter with air pump. The temp stays at 77 degrees consistently.

It has a few plants and a big cave.

All responses are welcomed, even if they are just to say I'm crazy!

Thanks!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Nina7777,

That sounds like a wonderful idea!

A two gallon tank would be a mansion for two little frogs! There are only two things you might need to add to make it safe an homey for them. First, be sure it has a good cover, since all frogs like to jump and second, add a little cave for them to go in. With a little imagination, you can make or find one that will let you see inside to watch them, while making them feel secure at the same time.

Now, take a little while to click on the link in my signature and do a little reading about them. You will want to be especially sure that you can tell them apart from their relatives the African Clawed Frogs.

Oh, and btw,

 

[dark_tyger]

Yes, you need good cover. I had one of my frogs jump out of the tank while I was on vacation. Not a fun thing to come home and find one of your frogs dried to the carpet

 

[Pugwinkle]

Nina, I would have to disagree. African Dwarf frogs need at least 2 to 2.5 gallons each. I would not put them in anything smaller than a 5 gallon tank. This way the tank can also be cycled. These frogs cannot handle ammonia or nitrites any more than a fish can.

If you would like further info on the African Dwarf frog I would be happy to send you a wonderful care sheet I found on the net. Actually, I believe I posted it here on this forum. Have a look for it. The thread is called African Dwarf Frog Care Sheet - Great Info! or something along those lines.

 

[Pugwinkle]

Nina, I just looked for the care sheet and it's now on page two here on the forum. I will copy and paste some of the info below for your information.

While African Dwarf Frogs can be kept in small aquariums you should never use less than a 3 gallon (11.36 liter) aquarium and in my personal opinion should have at least a 10 gallon (37.85 liter) aquarium. There are a number of reasons for not using an aquarium of less than 3 - 10 gallons (11.36 - 37.85 liter) for African Dwarf Frogs.
1. African Dwarf Frogs are social amphibians and do best in groups of three or more. Following the one inch of aquatic animal at the size they can potentially achieve per gallon of water rule which is the standard for fresh water aquarium inhabitants. In order to keep three frogs we would need at least 7.5 gallons (28.39 liters) of water without the plants or decorations.
2. African Dwarf Frogs require a stable warm environment 72 - 82F (22.22 - 27.78C) and with smaller aquariums room temperature fluctuations will greatly influence the water temperature in the aquarium causing them to become to cold or to hot. This problem is lessened proportionately as you increase the size of the aquarium, For example; a 3 gallon aquarium might take 1 hour for the temperatures to rise to 95F if the surrounding room temperature rises to 95F but a ten gallon might take 3 hours.
3. Another reason for using at least a 3 - 10 gallon (11.36 - 37.85 liter) container is maintaining proper water quality. ADFs of course must be fed which means not only the production of waste but also a build up of uneaten food. These waste products quickly begin to rot and release ammonia into the water and ammonia is not only toxic to the fish but it also can cause any number of health problems that will permanently affect the fish if it survives them. Ammonia also breaks down and produces another toxin, nitrite, which eventually will become nitrate. In order to prevent the build up of these toxins in the aquarium the aquarium must be have an adequate filtration system and should be properly cycled. Aquariums of less than three gallons cannot be properly cycled.
4. As mentioned above an appropriate environment must be properly cycle. This cannot be done with smaller bodies of water. Cycling is just a process whereby we establish the proper bacterial agents in the aquarium environment to break down the above mentioned toxins more quickly so they do not harm the inhabitants. This should be done well in advance of purchasing your African Dwarf Frogs.

 

[Nina7777]

First of all: Thank you Inchworm for the happy birthday!

Second: I would just like to say WOW! Those are two very different replies.

If I were to go for the first reply, I would like to say that the two gallon has a full cover plastic lid with a feeding hole as well as a lighted Full hood. Oh and it also have a cave.

Unfortunately I am very confused now.

However I suppose it is just the same for betta's. Some people say a 1/2 gallon bowl is fine, while others say they need at least 5 gallons.

Has anyone successfully kept them in a 2 gallon tank?

I'm not ignoring what you are saying pugwinkle and I appreciate the article. I just am surprised by the two very different replies, Also inchworm has always given me great advice.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

When I did a little research on ADF's, I found a site that stated that people buy these frogs and don't know how to take care of them properly. Out of 10, the difficulty rating for caring for these guys was a 7. I'm not sure why this was so, but one of the reasons might have been stated in Pugwinkle's post. My ADF's doing fine, so I don't know what makes them so hard to keep.

I myself, would only be able to offer an opinion. I'd suggest not adding another frog and to do a little independent research as well to make sure you make the right decision.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Nina7777

I've kept a pair of ADFs in a gallon jar for a long time. It does seem to be like bettas; people can't agree.

To support my earlier statement I did a bit of research. Here are two sites that agree that you have plenty of room in your betta tank:

http/allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwarfs.html

http/www.flippersandfins.net/BetaFrameset.htm

Surprisingly, most sites seem to avoid the issue of quantity and emphasize water quality. I agree with this approach. If your tank is uncycled, it will need greater and more frequent water changes than if it is cycled. It's basically the same as keeping a betta, or any other fish.

Except for the fact that they have fragile arms and legs, with delicate fingers, these little guys are tough.

 

[PETsMARTchick]

I currently have 2 ADFs in a Betta Tank, which is definitelty less than 2 gallons. I clean it once a week. They are doing just fine and they are very active. However, they are getting pretty big so I might put them in a 2g. Good luck on your decision!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi PETsMARTchick

Sorry to do this, but I have to ask if you're sure they are really ADFs and not African Clawed Frogs.

If they aren't you wouldn't be the first one to have bought mislabeled frogs.

Check the links in my signature to learn how to tell them apart if you're not absolutely sure.

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

I know nothing about frogs & I know this will sound really stupid but why can't a small tank be cycled?? )

 

[Pugwinkle]

First of all: Thank you Inchworm for the happy birthday!

Second: I would just like to say WOW! Those are two very different replies.

If I were to go for the first reply, I would like to say that the two gallon has a full cover plastic lid with a feeding hole as well as a lighted Full hood. Oh and it also have a cave.

Unfortunately I am very confused now.

However I suppose it is just the same for betta's. Some people say a 1/2 gallon bowl is fine, while others say they need at least 5 gallons.

Has anyone successfully kept them in a 2 gallon tank?

I'm not ignoring what you are saying pugwinkle and I appreciate the article. I just am surprised by the two very different replies, Also inchworm has always given me great advice.

Hi again Nina, yes there are always differing opinions, but I did a lot of research and did not rely on just one persons opinion or experience when I decided the best set up for my frogs. I suggest as one of the posters here mentioned, you should do some independent research and then make a decision.

Here is a another care sheet you can read that says exactly what I have said about the 2 - 2.5 gallons per frog. The care sheet discusses both the African Clawed Frog and the African Dwarf frog, so please scroll down if you don't have any interest in learning about the ACF.

http/www.aquamaniacs.net/aquaticfrogs.html

Also, I just checked out both of the links that Inchworm gave you and if you click on the care sheet on the second link this is a paragraph from the care sheet. Bigger really is always better when it comes to aquatic life Nina.

"*Use at least one gallon per frog & nothing smaller… frogs do need room to swim & don’t get lonely in a bowl/tank on their own but the interaction between 2 or more is delightfully more entertaining for you. The bigger the space to use those flippers, the better, so your frog will do better with 2 or even 3 gallons water per frog!"

 

[PETsMARTchick]

Hi PETsMARTchick

Sorry to do this, but I have to ask if you're sure they are really ADFs and not African Clawed Frogs.

If they aren't you wouldn't be the first one to have bought mislabeled frogs.

Check the links in my signature to learn how to tell them apart if you're not absolutely sure.

Inchworm- I'm sure they're ADFs. They're just growing from an inch to 2 inches and that's pretty big for a 1/2 gallon tank. I have some fry I saved from PETsMART in a 2g. So once I figure out what to do w/ them, I'll put the frogs in there.

 

[Nina7777]

Hi again Nina, yes there are always differing opinions, but I did a lot of research and did not rely on just one persons opinion or experience when I decided the best set up for my frogs.

Hey there everyone,

I too have done alot of research on them, as I had 3 in a five gallon about 5 years ago and I had them for three years before I had to give them away because I was moving. I was just brushing up on my knowledge. and I am not relying on just one persons opinions.

Bigger really is always better when it comes to aquatic life Nina.

Also I am not a little kid, and obviously I already know this, why else would I have upgraded from a 30 gallon to a 55 gallon and am now upgrading to a 180 gallon for my bala sharks.


Thanks for all the extra info everyone.

I really enjoyed the last link in Inchworms reply. Lots of good information. Also I have decided to get two for my two gallon at work. I do water changes every friday, and if they do get too large or look uncomfortable or not happy, I have the option to move them home to a spare 5 gallon I have.

Thank you for all the replys. And I will let you know how it goes when I get them.

 

[Pugwinkle]

Hi again Nina, yes there are always differing opinions, but I did a lot of research and did not rely on just one persons opinion or experience when I decided the best set up for my frogs.

Hey there everyone,

I too have done alot of research on them, as I had 3 in a five gallon about 5 years ago and I had them for three years before I had to give them away because I was moving. I was just brushing up on my knowledge. and I am not relying on just one persons opinions.

Bigger really is always better when it comes to aquatic life Nina.

Also I am not a little kid, and obviously I already know this, why else would I have upgraded from a 30 gallon to a 55 gallon and am now upgrading to a 180 gallon for my bala sharks.


Thanks for all the extra info everyone.

I really enjoyed the last link in Inchworms reply. Lots of good information. Also I have decided to get two for my two gallon at work. I do water changes every friday, and if they do get too large or look uncomfortable or not happy, I have the option to move them home to a spare 5 gallon I have.

Thank you for all the replys. And I will let you know how it goes when I get them.

Hi Nina, well you have made your decision and that is your right. I believe that you asked "everyone" here a question and I was just trying my best to give you as much information as possible so that you could make an educated decision as far as the frogs go. Good luck with the frogs. I hope they are healthy and happy in the two gallon. As you know I would have chosen to put something different in that two gallon.