Frogs are an interesting addition to your aquarium other than fish; aquarium frogs display a unique set of behaviors that can liven up your aquarium.
It will be nice to watch them swim about in your fish tank using their small webbed feet. They also periodically peep out of the water to take a breath.
However, aquatic frogs are not fish – you need to know how to specifically take care of these amphibians. In this post, we’ll answer the question are aquarium frogs easy to care for and other related facts.
Let’s get started.
How to Care for Freshwater Aquarium Frogs
The first thing you need to know is that not all frogs are completely aquatic – some require a bit of dry land, which means you need to set up a semi-aquatic tank.
If you only want aquatic frogs, your options are limited to African dwarf frogs, African clawed frogs, western clawed frogs, Surinam toads, and western dwarf clawed frogs.
The African dwarf frog is particularly popular as an aquarium pet.
Even fully aquatic frogs need to resurface to breathe, so make sure your tank isn’t too deep or overfilled with obstacles like dense vegetation that can make it difficult for the frogs to reach the surface.
Speaking of the surface, frogs are more than capable of staying out of water, unlike fish, so make sure you put a ventilated lid on top. If an aquatic frog stays out of water for too long, it could die.
Coming to tank size, small species such as the African dwarf frog require at least 10 gallons. Meanwhile, African clawed frogs and Surinam toad need at least 20 gallons. Of course, you need a bigger tank if you have existing fish or other animals.
Talking about water conditions, frogs are not that much sensitive to pH or water hardness; they are however very sensitive to ammonia and nitrate levels, so make sure you keep your tank clean with a powerful filter.
Freshwater aquarium frogs also like the water to be warm; aim for a temperature of 68 – 78 °F. Some even go for a dry basking area with a heat lamp, but this is not really necessary; it will, however, be a cool gathering place for your web-footed pets.
If you’re wondering what do aquarium frogs eat, you can feed them brine shrimp, bloodworms, earthworms, and fish fry. Sinking pellets are also suitable aquarium frog food; unlike fish, frogs dwell at the bottom, so the food must reach them.
Another thing you should mind is that frogs have delicate skin, especially in their underbelly, so make sure there aren’t any sharp edges in your aquarium. Get rounded gravel/stones instead of jagged ones and avoid decorations with sharp points or edges that could cut your frogs.
Lastly, frogs are social creatures, so make sure they have some company; getting male-female pairs is a good idea, especially if you’re hoping to breed them.
How Long Can a Frog Live in an Aquarium?
It differs according to species, but generally, frogs can live for an average of 5 years in captivity, while some are even known to live for 20 years.
The African Dwarf frog – a popular pet in the trade – can live 5-7 years.
The African Clawed frog, which almost looks like the African Dwarf frog but is larger, can live 10-15 years on average, while some can even reach 25-30 years.
Other favorite picks such as the Pacman Frog and Surinam toad can live 10-20 years and 8 years respectively.
Generally, if they are well-fed, taken care of, and the conditions are excellent, you can extend their lifespan significantly.
How Big Can Frogs Get?
Again, this depends on the species. The African Dwarf frog is one of the smallest frogs you can get –part of the reason for their popularity in aquariums; they just grow to 1 to 1.5 inches in length.
The African clawed frog, on the other hand, can get quite huge; they can reach a size of 6 inches and weigh about half a pound. This fact, along with their boisterous behavior, is the reason why they are not favored aquarium pets.
The Surinam toad is also large, with a size of 6-7 inches, but they have a flat body.
The Pacman frog has a length of 3-5 inches and can weigh up to 1 pound.
You must consider the size your pet frog will grow into to determine the suitable tank size for them. It’s not a good idea to overcrowd your aquarium with little room for the inhabitants to move about.
How Do Aquarium Frogs Breed?
Frogs need water to breed, even the ones that aren’t fully aquatic. Also, they like to breed in shallow water.
The first part of breeding is the mating process, during which the male will cling onto the larger female for an extended period of time.
After a successful mating, the female frog will lay jelly-like eggs on a surface inside the tank. In just a couple of days, the eggs will hatch and little tiny tadpoles will emerge. The tadpoles will still cling to the nesting site – they will only become free swimming after a week.
You can feed the tadpoles microworms, baby brine shrimp, vinegar eels, and daphnia.
The tadpoles (as well as the frog eggs in aquarium) can themselves become food for the other inhabitants in the tank, even their parents! So it is a good idea to separate them into a new tank. I know, frogs are not going to get the Parents of the Year award anytime soon.
Conclusion
As you have seen, taking care of aquarium frogs is not much different from taking care of fish, especially if they’re fully aquatic, although there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Getting frogs for fish tanks can increase the biodiversity of your aquarium, making it way more interesting.
You also have a lot of options; you can go for the popular African Dwarf frog, the Pacman frog – named for its similarity to the video game character – the African Clawed frog, or the Surinam toad.
Good luck keeping frogs in your aquarium armed with the knowledge we provided you.
Thanks for reading.
