A great frog for beginners is the dwarf clawed frog. The most common species found in pet stores is Hymenchirus boettgeri.
- Size: Between one and two inches long when adult.
- Color: Most often light brown/grey with darker spots. Sometimes light in color.
- Feet: Front feet are webbed. (Larger clawed frogs do not have webbed front feet.)
- Life span: Average life span is five years.
You don’t need a huge tank to keep dwarf clawed frogs. Figure on about a gallon of water/space for each frog. Dwarf clawed frogs can live in groups and/or with community fish that are approximately the same size. If the fish are too small, the frogs may try to eat them. If the frogs are too small, the fish may try to eat them! Just be sure you’ve got enough room for whatever else is living in your tank.
Your frogs will need to surface in order to breathe — so be sure there is a pocket of air between the top of the water and the lid of the tank. Yes, a lid is important — these frogs will try to escape. Try to avoid tall, deep tanks; these can make it difficult for the frogs to reach the surface to breathe.
The water in the tank needs to be dechlorinated, as dwarf clawed frogs (and all amphibians) have very sensitive skin. You can condition the water using drops found at your local pet supply store. The water doesn’t need to be filtered if you keep only frogs in the tank and perform partial water changes on a regular basis. However, if you want to keep fish in your tank as well, you will need to filter the water. Try to pick a filter that disturbs the water very little; frogs prefer still water. Also, make sure the frogs can’t get into the intakes or get stuck behind the filter. Keep the water between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius).
Dwarf clawed frogs do like having hiding spots. Live or silk plants and other aquarium decorations are a good start! Just make sure any decorations are smooth so they won’t damage your frogs’ delicate skin. You don’t need to provide a land area; these frogs are completely aquatic.
Feed your dwarf clawed frogs foods that sink, as they are bottom feeders. Try bloodworms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp, blackworms, and/or chopped up earthworms. Your dwarf clawed frogs probably won’t eat flaked food, but might eat pellets.