African dwarf frog care
Hymenochirus boettgeri · Rivers and ponds of central Africa
African dwarf frogs are fully aquatic and breathe air at the surface.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 2 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.5 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 20 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep African dwarf frogs
African dwarf frogs are fully aquatic and breathe air at the surface. Keep two or more in a covered 10 gallon or larger tank that is not too deep, at 75 to 82 °F, with slow, calm tankmates; they are poor-sighted and slow to find food, so target-feed them.
Diet: Carnivore: frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, sinking frog pellets. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: All levels.
African dwarf frog tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Black neon tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 73–81 °F
Glowlight tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
Marbled hatchetfish
1.5 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Medaka
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 65–82 °F
Neon tetra
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 70–79 °F
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
Sparkling gourami
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 76–82 °F
Pitbull pleco
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: African dwarf frogs need 75 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Betta: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by bettas.
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by cockatoo dwarf cichlids.
Shell-dweller cichlid: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by shell-dweller cichlids.
American flagfish: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by American flagfish.
Pea puffer: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by pea puffers.
What an African dwarf frog tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon African dwarf frog tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon African dwarf frog tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
African dwarf frogs need 75 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding African dwarf frogs.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common African dwarf frog problems
- Starving among fast fish; feed with tongs or a feeding dish.
- Escapes through gaps in the lid end in drying out; cover every gap.
- Often confused with the larger African clawed frog, which eats fish; dwarf frogs have webbed front feet.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats amphibians can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Hymenochirus boettgeri. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Marbled hatchetfish Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Medaka Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sparkling gourami BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pitbull pleco Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shell-dweller cichlid Richard A. Ingebrigtsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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