Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, so I ended up getting a couple of 'white' froglets from Grow-a-frog, which are now sharing one of the cubicles they can in.

I want to transfer them to a larger aquarium, but I was wondering what kind of sand would be safe to use as a substrate. I know I could order a bag from grow-a-frog, but I was hoping to avoid expensive shipping costs.

My question is, would calci-sand or similiar product be ok for ACF's? Would the colors dye the water? Anyone have issues of impaction using it?

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

First of all: LARGE TANK IMMEDIATLY! Don't just contemplate it either, those little cibucles will kill them.
The best thing on the bottom of a tank is either nothing and a dark cloth beneath the tank, or large river rocks. The frogs tend to kick of and swallow thinsg when they eat.
How big of a tank are you planning on getting? These two frogs will be needing a twenty gallon to themselves with a powerful filter and afew plants, real or fake.
Hope I helped!

I have a 20 gallon, with lid. I heard that having a filter bugs them too much? I have been changing the water every 2-3 days. Since their food sinks to the bottom, I worry that if I put large river stones in, the food will just settle between the cracks and they wont be able to get to it.

I didn't want to put gravel on the bottom, because I know they'd eat it on accident. I thought about having no substrate, but doesn't the bacteria need something to cling on? And hides and plants anchored down with it?

Thanks for your help!!

You can get plants that attach to decorations like java fern or java moss. That way you don't need substrate, and can move the plants around for cleaning.
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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.0.1 Uromastyx Dispar Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

That tiny cubicle for clawed frogs is like putting you in an elevator, your entire life!

Xenopus will not do very well in 20 gallons. I had two clawed frogs for six yeras (that recently passed away and they both died of too high temp and unstable water quality.

Most people forget these frogs get quite large and are more athletic than other anurans. I would stretch the rule to 20 gallons per frog, or you will have to do a lot more cleaning. Plus, that gives them much more room to swim around, or they will constantly charge into the walls. Make sure the temperature stays below 78 degrees, as they are prone to getting dropsy. Info on Xenopus has changed, they like COOLER water, not warm water, ideally 65-76 degrees. In fact clawed frogs will even tolerate near freezing temperatures for short periods of time. South Africa is NOT tropical. It is similar to mediterranean, warm, dry summers, and cool, wet winters. Xenopus come out from estivation when cool weather comes.

Other clawed frogs are found in the highlands of the rainforest.

Calci sand is safe, but it is very expensive. A better alternative is to buy the largest kind of gravel possible. If you are using food from xenopus express, they sell a larger floating food. Reptomin sticks are also pretty large, so I wouldn't worry about it getting stuck underneath.

Some people also use a plastic dish at the bottom of their tank and train their frogs to eat out of it. Clawed frogs are not stupid. They have bad eyesight, but with patience, you can very easily train them when feeding time is. I used to turn my filter off, and tap the glass, and they'd come rushing to the top of the tank for hand feeding.

You can also try making your own bottom, using Great Stuff and epoxy paint for a naturalistic looking rock wall and bottom, but that can be expensive and time consuming.

Thanks for all the input! I've seen pictures of them in people's hands, and it looks to be a pretty good size. Though, compared to my burm, they're uber tiny =)

I have so many left over aquariums, that it's no problem to switch them out to a 55 or larger. I just keep hearing 7-10 gallons per frog over and over, and I figured a 20 gallon long tank would be great - easier to clean than a 55!

I'm all for giving them the best I can, if I couldn't afford it I wouldn't have gotten them. They are so funny! When they see me bring out the can of food, they do a "happy dance" of sorts =).

And just an update, they are now in a 20 gallon long, no substrate, a whisper filter and some terracotta pots (on their sides) that I silliconed to the bottom (aquarium grade, of course). I think they'll be ok for now, as they still are really small. I will switch them out to a larger one in a couple weeks, as I assume they'll grow quite a bit in that time.

Thanks again for all the input,
-Jackie

The true problem with the 10-20 gallon rule, is the fact that is DENSITY. Most people forget that. Each individual frog needs a lot of space. So basically, it is foolish to keep a single frog in say, a 40 gallon breeder (as they need about that much space individually) than to keep 3 more with them.

For instance, my sister has a room like 12 x 12 feet wide. She needs that much space individually, but I'm always hanging out in there. If I lived in there all the time, or if she had a twin, it would get TWICE AS MESSY. Therefore, my sister doesn't need half a room to live in.

Have fun with clawed frogs. I cried pretty hard (and so did my mom) when my two xenopus, Fudge and Skippy, died a few weeks ago. They were over six years old. You will learn that clawed frogs are a bit more intelligent and actually will play somewhat, and therefore they need a lot of space.

1.0.0 D. tinctorius
1.1.1 M. betsileo
1.0.2 E. tricolor
2.0.0 B. orientalis

Soon: five wc lineage Xenopus laevis