African Dwarf Frog help!!!!

frogger

New Fish
Feb 4, 2011
6
0
0
#1
i just bought 3 african dwarf frogs from petsmart and a 5.5 gallon tank with a heater and a filter(which i dont use anymore because my frog got sucked to it!). i bought them on feb. 1st and today is the 4th and they wont eat. i tried hbh pellets and frozen blood worms. also one of them is floating at the top alot and another is almost all the way out of the water on top of the suction cup to my filter. he is moving but has been up there all morning. is this normal? my water is also cloudy. i have an Anubis plant in there, sand substrate, and a cave. the water is set to 72. how high should the water level be? mine is almost to the top with 2 inches for them to get air.
 

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MdngtRain

Large Fish
Jan 9, 2011
288
0
0
New England
#3
I don't know much about adf's but it doesn't sound right that the little guy is sitting out of the water. to the best of my very limited knowledge, they are purely aquatic frogs... have you done a web search on adf care?
 

frogger

New Fish
Feb 4, 2011
6
0
0
#4
i have done research and everyone says they dont go out of the water but mine want to. i did see one out of the water at the petstore but the guy working their didnt have much to say about it
 

ryanoh

Large Fish
Mar 22, 2010
858
0
0
#5
Did you say you don't use your filter? I think you should be using your filter. Do you know if the tank is cycled yet?
 

Oct 15, 2010
181
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#6
About the floating frog: This is completely normal. They are just being lazy- it is called zen position. If you are ever worried about a frog doing this, GENTLY poke him with your finger, or the corner of a net.

About the frog out of water: I would provide a plastic plant, just left to float at the top of the tank. They do like to rest on theese sorts of things. For now, I would get the frog off of the filter, and turn it on again. If you are worried about the frogs getting sucked up, you can cover the intake piece with a sponge, or pantyhose. just cut a piece, and keep it on with an elastic.

Your tank must be cycled to run properly. The people at petsmart don't usually mention this to people newer to fish keeping. They say buy a fish or 2 for now, and in 2 days, you can come back for more. Dont do this. I would suggest reading this article: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/fre...questions/12326-guide-beginners-part-1-a.html

It explains cycling- the nitrogen cycle, and common problems beginners have. For now, I would turn on the filter, and peform a water change (explained online).

If the frogs are not eating the food that you put in, make sure that you take out whatever is left after an hour. Frogs are slow eaters, and do not have very good eyesight. They do, however have a very strong sense of smell. Give them a little while, because they will need to get used to the food you are giving them.

If you would like to get them eating, get an eye dropper, or a turkey baster, and suck up some bloodworms. Point the end of the baster, towards the frog, and when he puts his nose up to it, you can gently squeeze a worm or 2 out. He will have smelled the food, and will eat it once he can get to it. You will need to defrost the worms in a bit of tank water first. You can also do this with a clean, new pair of tweezers- just dangle the worm above his head. Try not to chase them too much, but follow them around if they move away. They will eventually not be able to resist the temptation- they love bloodworms.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them.
 

frogger

New Fish
Feb 4, 2011
6
0
0
#7
thanks i put a plastic plant under the filter and turned it back on. i was also told today at petsmart when i went back for the plant that they might be at the top for warmth so i set the heater to 78 and they are acting more normal. i also set a plant so they could climb on it as you suggested. i will try to feed them the bloodworms with tweezers tonight and see how it goes. i will also read the article on you listed. thanks for the help:)
 

Aug 13, 2010
870
0
0
Sicklerville, NJ
#8
ADF's are very sensitive to poor water conditions. If it is not cycled, which it does not sound like it is, you should consider changing 50% of the water daily until it is, about 6 weeks or so. As far as floating BL 22 stated, it is completely normal. ADF's are almost blind, so if the food is not in front of them, they will miss it.
 

Oct 15, 2010
181
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0
#10
Yes, thats right. I am definately for daily water changes until cycled. I would reccomend getting a test kit for Ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate- its a must for every fish keeper. If I were you, I would read some articles about the nitrogen cycle too.
 

achase

Large Fish
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#11
Here is a link about emergency cycling: Cycling

I was about to say that I don't have a PH test kit.....but then I looked and I do (I have a API Master Kit - I didn't realize that). :)
The most important test kits for you to have at this moment are ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.