Facts About African Clawed Frogs

African clawed frogs can live longer than you average dog or cat. They can live to be well over ten years old in captivity. These frogs are a good choice for somebody who is a beginner in the pet hobby. They are easy to care for and they aren’t as touchy as some other pets. You will need at least a ten gallon tank for one african clawed frog because they can get fairly large reaching about six inches or more in length. These frogs do not need a land area but about five inches of the top of the tank should be left empty because these frogs love to jump to try and escape their tanks. It’s a really good idea to keep a secure lid on the top of the top in case the frog manages to try and escape. The frog also needs to be able to come up for air, so you cannot fill the tank completely full of water.

You should use some type of rock that cannot be eaten by these frogs. When they try to eat their food in the tank, the rocks can accidently get sucked in and stuck in their mouths. You will want to purchase some types of decorations such as plants for the frog to hide in or behind. These frogs like to have a sense of privacy and they can get stressed out without any decorations in their tank.

The water in the tank should be kept at a steady temperature between 70 to 75 degrees. It water should be free from cholorine and you can purchase a chemical known as reptisafe which is designed for aquatic frogs and it removes all of the metal and chlorine from the water. These frogs are very sensitive to cholorine and metal. You should never place anything metal in the container such as coins, spoons or metal parts.

You can use an underwater filter for these frogs but some frogs are very sensitive to sound and the sounds amplifies in the water. If you do not have a filter on the tank you will need to change the water at least every two weeks and refill the water adding reptisafe as needed. I would also suggest rinsing off the decorations because they tend to get full of algae. You can also use a siphon tube to clean the rock on the bottom of the tank.