What Do African Dwarf Frogs Eat?
Aaron Boyd
African dwarf frogs are little aquatic frogs that are loved by fish keepers. They prefer keeping them with fishes to create an attractive community tank. Yes, these frogs are unique and the way you need to take care of them is also different.
If you have adopted an African dwarf frog (ADF) for the very first time there must be many questions running in your mind.
The most important one being, what do African dwarf frogs eat? Well, we shall learn about it in a bit, but before that, there are two other important things that also deserve your attention.
Table of Contents
How Often And How Much Should You Feed The African Dwarf Frogs?
Different people have different answers to these questions. Some prefer feeding their frogs until they are completely full on every alternate day.
Others feed their frogs every day but never so much that would fill them up completely.
It will be even better if you feed them on alternative days starting from Monday until Friday (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). And then, do not feed anything on Saturdays and Sundays.
There is a reason behind following this schedule. Frogs are believed to be programmed to keep eating until they are fully satisfied. So, the suggested feeding schedule provides them with this chance.
But if you feed them every alternative day then your frogs may start appearing overweight. If you skip Saturday and Sunday, you will notice they look just perfectly healthy.
One more thing to remember is that you need to get rid of the uneaten food from your tank after about 20 minutes of adding them. This is to make sure the uneaten remains do not begin decomposing and make the tank water unhealthy.
You will also want to learn how much to feed them. If you are following the thrice-weekly feeding schedule then offer them as much as they can finish off within 20 minutes. Remember, this is the most ideal schedule to follow, though you can still learn more from your own experience.
Do not worry, this may sound confusing now but gradually you will understand things better. Eventually, you will see there are hardly any leftovers and it is then that you have learned to make the right judgment.
What do African Dwarf Frogs Eat?
Now coming to the most important question, what do African dwarf frogs eat? We are providing you with a list and you can choose among these.
Brine Shrimp
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ADFs love brine shrimps, frozen as well as fresh. Brine shrimps naturally are present in saltwater that is distant from the ocean. You will easily find shrimps available in both frozen and fresh varieties in many pet stores. The half-inch crustaceans prove to be perfect treats or healthy meals for the dwarf frogs.
You can follow the turkey baster method or use a syringe to capture and collect live brine shrimps. Thereafter, you can add them to the tanks for your frogs to eat.
In the case of frozen brine shrimps too, you need to follow the same method though capturing will not be needed. Do not add frozen brine shrimps in excess as the leftovers will only dirty the tank.
If your ADFs do not live in a fully aquatic setting then you can offer them live brine shrimps in some shallow water dish. If your frogs do not eat any shrimps immediately, they can still keep swimming until it is time for the next meal.
Tadpole Bites
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Tadpole bites are yet another type of food for African dwarf frogs. Though some frogs may love them, a few might not eat them at all.
Tadpole bites are a nutritious pellet that sinks to a tank’s bottom where completely aquatic frogs live.
Tadpole bites generally contain fish oil, fish meal, beet powder, dried brewer’s yeast, rosemary extract, wheat flour, starch, gluten, and various vitamins and minerals.
Worms
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You can also choose to feed your ADFs a variety of worms and they will surely appreciate it. Frogs like nightcrawlers, bloodworms, and earthworms. Though they love the fresh varieties you may even store some to feed them later.
You can also easily find frozen worms in pet stores. Make sure to chop night crawlers or earthworms into bite-size pieces and then offer them to the frogs.
Do not offer live bloodworms. There are little hooks present on the mouth of these critters with the help of which they can hang on to any predators so that they themselves are not eaten.
But when these bloodworms are frozen, they cannot anymore use their hooks and are then safe.
Frozen Beefheart
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Frozen Beefheart is simply frozen cattle heart. It is rich in protein and is a perfect treat for frogs. ADFs absolutely love these frozen treats.
Just make sure to not feed these treats more than one time a week as it is high in fat and may result in premature organ failure.
Gammarus
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Gammarus are amphipods that reside in marine waters but some species also live in springs, brooks, ponds, streams, and freshwater lakes. They stay at the bottom of the water source that they are present in.
It will be best to place them in some shallow water dish and offer to frogs that live in a completely aquatic environment. You can get Gammarus from pet stores as larvae that you may hatch, and also you get them in adult form.
Conclusion
So, your question, what do African dwarf frogs eat has now been answered. Also, you have learned how much to feed and how often. It is really important that you follow these suggestions properly. You must do so if you are truly concerned about the health of your frogs.
One thing you must remember is to never overfeed the frogs. These frogs love eating whenever they see food and hardly know when to stop. This is why you need to know when to stop feeding. Else, your frogs may feed themselves to death.
So, make sure you always offer your frogs the right food, and feed them in the right amount and at right intervals. Your ADFs will then surely always be healthy and you always happy.
