Can I keep other aquatic life with my ACF?

In Depth Information on Common Aquatic Clawed Frogs

Can I keep other aquatic life with my ACF?

Xenopus Laevis

Under most circumstances NO.

African Clawed Frogs are aggressive predators. They will consume or attempt to consume all other tank mates (including themselves sometimes! Adult frogs will eat froglets)

Most small fish such as tetras, barbs and live bearers are easy snacks for frogs. You will quickly notice your fish disapearing if you try to house them together. If you love fish and love frogs then keep them seprate.

Some fish such as cichlids (and any other agressive type) can attack and kill frogs. They will bite off their limbs and terrorize the frog, they should never be kept together.

Sometimes fish and frogs can get along OK. Some species of tetras can be kept with frogs because they are so fast that they are able to stay away from the frogs. I have had one black skirt tetra (Marley, my roommate's fish) in my frog tank for three years now, he hasn't even a bite out of his fin. I am amazed that he hasn't been eaten, so there are always exceptions.

Froglets can be raised in community aquariums and are too small to eat the fish for the first 7 months. But once they start to grow they will begin to eat the fish.

This ACF is finishing off an expensive Clown Knife

Drummer the ACF

This ACF had his hand bitten off as a result of being housed with large fish as a small froglet

Fish that should NOT be mixed with frogs

PLECOS, CORY CATS, CATFISH, or any type of fish with spines or barbs on its fins or body.
LARGE fish (Goldfish, Angelfish, Gouramis, etc.)
AGGRESSIVE fish (such as cichlids)
Crayfish
Newts, Salamanders, other amphibians of diffrent species, etc.
Turtles

1. These fish are DEADLY for a hungry frog. Frogs who try to swallow these fish have their internal organs stabed by the spines for barbs, which kills them. Even if you think the fish is too big for the frog to eat, the frog will try to take a bite. Plecos have spines on their fins and one bite in the wrong place from a frog will result in the frog being stabbed through its mouth or stomach.

2. Fish that are too large can choke a frog that tries to eat it. Some frogs will take on more then they can handle and kill themselves trying to swallow a large fish. If an ACF tries to swallow a fish that is too big it will choke and drown. They wont go to the surface to breathe while they are swallowing.

3. Aggressive fish are known to attack the frogs. Cichlids are very territorial fish and should never be mixed with any aquatic frog.

4. Crayfish will eat young ACF and will seriously injure adults. Injuries will become infected with bacteria and fungus and the frog will suffer and die.

5. Keeping these frogs with other amphibians is asking for trouble. Diffrent species of amphibians carry disease and can infect eachother, and the results are fatal. No amphibians of diffrent species should be housed together in aquariums.

6. Turtles such as painted, red sliders, sliders, etc. will EAT these frogs and seriously injure them. Turtles prey on small aquatic life such as frogs, fish, etc. These two should never be mixed.

Fish you can try and keep with frogs

small, fast fish such as tetras

Small fish pose no threat to a frog eating them. They are also cheap to buy and replacable (because you will be replacing them often). They have a little bit better chance of escaping an ACF's jaws then slower fish species such as livebearers.

I suggest :

Black or White (Skirt) Tetras - no longfins!

SNAILS

Snails are not algea eaters, but are excellent scavengers. One large apple snail will help clean up left over food from ACFs (but are known to munch on your live plants too). They usually are not attacked and eaten by ACF, but my get kicked around a bit. (Although some frogs will eat snails)

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