Apistogramma Cacatouides and African Dwarf Frogs??

[kribensis12]

While I have never kept A. Cacatouides with frogs, I can attest that they will not bother them whatsoever unless they are breeding. I would suspect with the tank being that large, you would be fine. Ultimately, you just won't know unless you try.

 

[Ellie Potts]

Aquatic frogs should not be mixed with fish.

Compatibility wise there shouldn't be any problem due to the tank size, and the Apistogrammas aren't aggressive. However, as others have said, it is preferable not to mix frogs and fish due to health reasons. But if you are happy keeping frogs and fish together, then there should be room in the tank for the Apistogrammas.

About 10 or 12 years ago I read that frogs were good tank mates for bettas so I bought 2.

The first problem I had was trying to feed the frogs. Bettas are pigs when it comes to food. ADFs are almost blind and find their food by smell. The betta found the frog's food before they had chance to even sniff it. Bettas are also flexible fish. I constructed a frog feeding station from a terracotta plant pot. I cut a frog sized hole in the rim and put it upside down, then but a stone over the hole which I used to drop the food through, then put the stone back quick. I reckoned without the betta which managed to wriggle sideways through the frog sized hole then couldn't get out.

But the thing that made me set up my quarantine tank and move the frogs was the day I walked past the tank and saw the betta frantically swimming round the tank with a frog clamped onto his tail. As I said above, ADFs are almost blind, and it saw something moving nearby and lunged for it. I managed to get the frog off but he lost a chunk of tail which took ages to regrow.



That wouldn't happen with short tailed fish, but I still wouldn't recommend it - feeding the frogs was so much easier when they were on their own.

And there's also the problem that frogs cannot cope with fish medications so if the fish ever get sick, they can't be treated with frogs in the same tank.

Huh, everything else I've read suggests that as long as you make sure they're getting food it's fine. I feed them frozen brine shrimp and live baby brine via turkey baster and have never had issues with concave bellies (on top of the random fry and shrimp babies the dudes suck up). Currently, my other fish don't even notice my feeding the frogs as they're wayyyy too focused on the food at the other side of the tank. Are there any other risks I should be aware of? I'd love to hear it as, although I haven't seen any issues, I certainly don't want to lose the little guys nor put them in danger.

Aside from medication concerns, I very rarely use it (I honestly don't think I ever have used something other than aquarium salt but, if I did, it would be in a hospital tank) and, as I mentioned, I quarantine fish for at least a month on top of the medicating done by my local fish store before adding them into my 55. Please let me know if I'm unaware of some health concerns.

 

[Ellie Potts]

While I have never kept A. Cacatouides with frogs, I can attest that they will not bother them whatsoever unless they are breeding. I would suspect with the tank being that large, you would be fine. Ultimately, you just won't know unless you try.

Compatibility wise there shouldn't be any problem due to the tank size, and the Apistogrammas aren't aggressive. However, as others have said, it is preferable not to mix frogs and fish due to health reasons. But if you are happy keeping frogs and fish together, then there should be room in the tank for the Apistogrammas.

Thanks! This is the response I was expecting; I'll probably try it out with a cycled tank on standby. Unless, of course, I'm completely missing something about the frogs being kept with fish that someone's about to point out. In that case, I'll temporarily move them into my quarantine tank or something.

 

[kribensis12]

@Ellie Potts

I would caution you to pay close attention.

In my experience, A. Cacatouides mind their own business and should not both them. They are substrate feeders - and I have 4 in a 10g (hoping to pair them off) with a small, 1/2 baby bristlenose pleco. The swim/hover right next to him and do not pay him any mind.

That being said, my experience may not end up being yours. I would advise close observation the first few days/weeks to make sure that the mix does not become problematic. In the same way, A. Cacatouides are pretty sensitive fish due to inbreeding (which is how the amazing colors have been developed). They do not handle stress well so I would also make sure that the frogs are not bothering them.

I think, as long as you have plenty of caves for the fish, you should be fine.

 

[Ellie Potts]

@Ellie Potts

I would caution you to pay close attention.

In my experience, A. Cacatouides mind their own business and should not both them. They are substrate feeders - and I have 4 in a 10g (hoping to pair them off) with a small, 1/2 baby bristlenose pleco. The swim/hover right next to him and do not pay him any mind.

That being said, my experience may not end up being yours. I would advise close observation the first few days/weeks to make sure that the mix does not become problematic. In the same way, A. Cacatouides are pretty sensitive fish due to inbreeding (which is how the amazing colors have been developed). They do not handle stress well so I would also make sure that the frogs are not bothering them.

I think, as long as you have plenty of caves for the fish, you should be fine.

Alright, maybe ill try to add some next weekend when I can spend a few hours at the tank observing. I have 3 apisto caves in the tank right now. If there's any signs of stress by either frog or apisto one will be removed asap.