dwarf frogs and filters

H

hazee

Medium Fish
#1
Jun 29, 2005
83
0
0
60
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
#1
What do most people use to cover the large holes in the filter so the frogs don't get sucked up into it?

I've had one sucked completely in and one sick one that got stuck to it and died.

I've taped up all openings in the top of the tank. Do you guys retape everytime you change water? Is there any other way to do it?

I can't believe the LFS's don't tell people about the filter problem with dwarf frogs and advise taping the top of the tanks. Seems pretty simple.
 

Balloon Fish

Balloon Fish

Elite Fish
#2
Jul 6, 2004
3,025
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34
San Antonio, Texas
balloonfishy.tripod.com
#2
what are you talking about? and what tape are you talking about? what kind of filter do you have? the hole on a filter isn't suppose to be big enough to suck up a whole frog... if it is then your going to need to replace the piece or get a prefilter with smaller holes or get some filter floss and cover the prefilter part. The frog that died and got sucked onto the filter isn't the filter's fault cause the frog alrady died and the filter was doing its thing and sucking on everything and didn't cause the frog to die...
 

H

hazee

Medium Fish
#3
Jun 29, 2005
83
0
0
60
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
#3
I have a small filter on my 5g tank. It sucked in one of my dwarf frogs and i had to take out the charcoal and the bio bag or whatever you call the other part and fish him out of this tiny space under all the actual filter material.

The part of the filter that sits in the water and has small vents in it to allow water to be sucked up but large debris to remain in the tank had holes big enough to allow a frog to be sucked into it. So i guess you answered my question. I'm not sure what filter floss is but hopefully they will know at my LFS.

I've read the entire dwarf frog faq and it talks about dwarf frogs being sucked into filters as though this is not an unusual occurence. It says they can suffer broken legs and all sorts of other horrible things not to mention how scary it must be. I'm lucky he didn't die i'm guessing cause there is no way to get air in the small space he was stuck in.

I know the filter didn't cause the other frogs death but if i'm going to find a dead frog i'd rather not think he spent his last few minutes on this earth with his hind legs trapped in a filter. I know he probably wasn't dead right away because i could see he was too weak to avoid being drawn towards the filter before i went to bed. I didn't know what else to do with him so i put him in a larger tank that had no other fish or frogs where it appeared he could rest on the plants and not be sucked in by the filter before he died.

The dwarf frog faq also talks about it being necessary to tape all open areas of the tank top to prevent the frogs from accidently propelling themselves out of the tank when they come speeding to the surface for air. Was just wondering if others have been doing this and what with etc.
 

Leopardess

Leopardess

Superstar Fish
#5
May 3, 2003
2,362
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Seacoast Area, New Hampshire
Visit site
#5
You can use a filter sponge (its like a regular sponge that goes onto the intake) to prevent arms and legs from getting inside. If you still see frogs sucked to that, then they are sick and it isn't the filters fault. However, sometimes even a healthy frog can get a little hand or foot stuck inside the vents in a regular intake. I've never had it happen, though. A sick frog getting sucked up is not uncommon (for healthy ones, it is quite uncommon..unless you're running a massively overpowered filter!). When you get a new frog that may not be in the best condition, putting on a filter sponge and/or turning down the power of the filter (if possible) for awhile can help prevent anything.

What kind of filter is it? Is it inside the tank or does it hang outside the tank on the back?

As for taping the top, is there some way you can open the tank without having to move the back panel or filter?

I'm glad you've read the FAQ!
 

Balloon Fish

Balloon Fish

Elite Fish
#6
Jul 6, 2004
3,025
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34
San Antonio, Texas
balloonfishy.tripod.com
#6
On my 40g i've always had frogs in it and i've never had a problem, even now i'm running an emperor 400 which is going 400gph and my frogs have never hurt themselves with it. But there was this one time when my frog was just hanging out on top of the filter inlet, i guess it was bored or something cause it was laying its whole body across it and i thought it died but it was just too lazy to get off and when i turned the filter off it decided to float down and swim away. In my opinion the whole filter thing is exagerated a lot but it could happen, just not something that will happen that often unless your frogs are really unhealthy... or like what leopardess said, your filter is overly powered.

As for the cover you could always get a small piece of plastic that covers the whole nicely and lay it on top, i'm sure the frogs dont have enough strength to push it aside if its on there snuggly.
 

FisheyLisa

FisheyLisa

Large Fish
#7
May 9, 2005
128
0
0
47
West Haven, CT
#7
filter and adf's

If you had the filter that I had on my 5, I had fish get suked into it...living! It was a mini whisper with adjustable flow. If you can't find sponges there are bags that are mesh that work well too.

I have a whisper 30/60 running on nearly high blast and I leave the bag off the whole day I do water changes because it helps suck up debris and detritus that gets around...the mesh doesn't let that stuff gte sucked in. I have seen my weakest little dudes around the filter and they don't even raise up with suction toward it. the 2$ bag gives me a whole hill of piece of mind though. Then again, I feel really bad when there is aquatic death at my hands when I knew the solution to prevent it.

I am thinking that if you do have the mini whisper, I don't know if the typical sponges will fit over the intake, because it is a box and not a tube...
 

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H

hazee

Medium Fish
#8
Jun 29, 2005
83
0
0
60
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
#8
Thanks everyone. Lots of good ideas. Lisa that was probably the same situation my frog was in when he got sucked in... small 5g tank with mini filter and perfectly healthy living frog. For some reason the openings on are bigger than the larger filters on my 20g and 55g.

All my filters are hang on the back kind.
 

CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
#9
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
39
Cape Cod
#9
I've got a whisper hang-on-back 10 gallon filter on my 2.5 with my frog. I jammed a piece of sponge (normal scrubby sponge that was brand new) down into the bottom of the intake. There's no way a frog could fit past it, and I think it slows the water flow into the intake (that was my goal). I've had 2 dead frogs not sucked against the intake, and it rests right on the gravel (a bit tall for the tank).

I cut a piece of plastic needlework canvas to fit the top of the tank, with holes just large enough for the filter and heater, so the frog couldn't escape. It just peeled back for feedings/maintainance. Then I forgot it when I took the tank back to school, and the frog didn't even try to escape. I've got plexiglass on top to keep the light dry, but there's a good 2 inch space all along the back that a frog could escape through if he wanted to. When that frog died (unknown causes?), the new frog also hasn't tried to escape through the major gap.

Lil shez... You might be able to check first to see if they are legal in Australia. I found out they're illegal to sell in Maine (not illegal to own, though), mostly because of fear clawed frogs will be released and harm stuff. Also, read the labels on tanks... frogs tend to be hard to see in tanks. If the label says there are frogs, there probably are, just well hidden. You can also try asking the employees if they sell frogs, if the tanks aren't well labelled.
 

SoleilReine

SoleilReine

Medium Fish
#12
Jan 19, 2005
69
0
0
41
Mesa, Arizona
#12
ShivaHaze said:
I am sure they dont want another disaster like the goddamned cane toads.
Click to expand...
ROFLMAO...oh god...I can't breathe right now but it's totally worth it...

My husband used to work at a local library and brought home a video one night that someone had donated but the library didn't want:

Cane Toads

My life has never been the same since. I wish there was a soundtrack to this brilliant piece of work...

Anyway, now just the mention of cane toads puts me in stitches.

Sorry to get so off-topic :)
 

lordroad

lordroad

Large Fish
#13
Sep 2, 2004
989
7
0
43
Shelby, NC
www.joshday.com
#13
Thank you, Soleil. I'm going to have to buy this movie now. I love things like this... and when I followed your link, it was clear in about 2 seconds when I saw the video box I had to have this "documentary."

Another apology for venturing off topic.
 

lordroad

lordroad

Large Fish
#15
Sep 2, 2004
989
7
0
43
Shelby, NC
www.joshday.com
#15
:eek:

I ordered this "absolute delight" off Amazon just a little bit ago. Should be here by Friday, I hope.

That frog is nearly half the size of that little girl... I can only imagine the story behind the movie's cover.

This is going to be right up there with Jessico White: The Dancing Outlaw and Hands on a Hard Body.

If anyone ever took me seriously for even one second, this new avatar will put an end to it once and for all :)
 

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