Twitching frog   8/1/11
Hi there,
My Albino Clawed frog just shed its skin and is has not stopped twitching since. Arms, fingers, toes, legs...pretty much anything that he can move is twitching. He is still swimming around just fine but he has never twitched (to my knowledge) before. I was nervous that perhaps his water was dirty and affecting his new skin so I changed out close to half of it.
I feel really bad for him. Is there anything I should do or is this normal. It doesn't look normal.
Thanks!
Emily
<Hello Emily. Sometimes frogs shed their skin more quickly than normal when there's irritants in the water. So check the water is clean (i.e., filtered) and that you're using water conditioner with each weekly water change (use a conditioner that removes not just chlorine but also Chloramine, ammonia and copper). Check that there's nothing "foreign" in the water, like a rusty nail, that might be producing toxins or irritants.
Finally, do make sure the diet is a good, balanced one. Frogs can get nerve damage from a monotonous diet, just like humans can. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
Short of all this, no, there's nothing specific I'd recommend beyond a good water change (50% perhaps) and a "wait and see" attitude. Cheers, Neale.>

African Clawed Frog Help, beh., dis.    3/10/11
Hi,
<LeAnna,>
I have had my clawed frog for a little over a year now and noticed yesterday that there is some white tufty material stringing off of his skin under his belly and on his sides and back of his head.
<Shedding skin in small sheets is not uncommon. This looks a bit like cellophane. Normal. No need to treat. If the Xenopus is shedding large amounts of skin, and in particular if it stops feeding and/or loses weight, that's something much more serious, for example Chytridiomycosis.>
It is very light and almost flows with the water when he moves. It is not cottony patches on his actual skin. If you looked at him quickly you wouldn't even notice it. It is only when you look up close in detail that you notice it. I am concerned that it is some type of fungus.
<Fungus is very specifically white, cottony threads. Red-Leg involves obvious milky white patches on the flesh itself, essentially dead flesh, and ultimately the red sores that give this disease its name.>
I read online that many frog owners use Maroxy to treat a fungus but I am unable to find this in the petshops. Most of the petshops say it is discontinued. Is there another product that is safe to use with this type of frog? Do you think that it is a fungus from what I describe? When I called Mardel Labs they said that Maroxy isn't safe for amphibians. Please help, I am very concerned.
Thank you!
LeAnna
<Do hope this is nothing serious! Cheers, Neale.>
Re: re: African Clawed Frog Help  3/11/11
Hi,
Thank you for responding. I do appreciate the help. So, last night I was watching Frogee (his name) and I noticed that it seemed that some of the white thin film had come off. Then, all of a sudden, a sheet of it peeled off and floated around the tank. It looked like he was clean of all of this skin/fungus or whatever it is. However, I noticed today that it seems that there are small sections that are back again. Does this seem normal for shedding skin and it is usually so constant?
<It varies. It shouldn't be constant, but if your frog seems to be shedding a lot of skin, review conditions in the aquarium. Among other things, be sure the water is clean (zero ammonia/nitrite), not too warm (around 18 C/68 F is ideal for Xenopus laevis); that new water has dechlorinator added, including ammonia and Chloramine removers); and that the pH and hardness aren't too extreme.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
Mixing with fish and other animals is generally a bad idea, too. Cheers, Neale.>

African Clawed Frog itch ala Bob 12/08/09
Hello WWM,
<MN>
I've written in before and received very good advice about my cycling tank and African clawed frogs. But I'm having a bit of trouble now with an itchiness problem and hope you could shed some light.
<Let's try>
This itch came on while they're feeding. It grew more severe over days, happened to just one frog first, but later 3 frogs of the 4 frogs I have showed the same itchiness. It could send them to a fit of scratching, rubbing the legs and scratching arms and even the head, during and within some time of feeding.
<Ahh!>
There was also a bit of dark thing along their fingers (inside, not back of hands). It wasn't fluffy or cottony, looks just like a pencil line, and when that part shed the skin was dark. I guess they shouldn't be nuptial pads, because if I'm not mistaken, 2 of the 3 itchy frogs are females. The 4th frog, a male smallest in size, was pretty much unaffected - no itch, no dark thing. He's a loner and doesn't swim much. One more thing is that he refuses Reptomin.
<Picky feeder>
The first time I noticed this was Nov 19, about 10 days after my tank
was cycled. What I did was:
- a lot of 30% water changes
<Good>
- added back a new carbon filter (which I removed on Nov 10). This made a big difference.
<Very good>
- removed dubious items like spare sponge
- reduced feeding. This seemed to have helped too.
<Excellent>
By now the itchiness has been brought down to say 80% less, but it's not completely gone. The dark thing on the hands is still there, and it can seem lighter at one time and darker other times.
I would like to ask what this could be, and what I should do i.e. medicate or somehow troubleshoot further?
<I think this may be "just behavioral", but accentuated with water quality issues. How to put it; your frogs are "itching with anticipation" re their food, "scratching all over" at the prospect>
Here's a bit of details about my tank.
- 20 gallon (to be raised to 30 g)
<Good>
- frogs are a few months old, 2 boys and 2 girls
- pH 7.2, KH 4-5, GH 9, nitrate <10 ppm, no ammonia or nitrite, achieved by one-third of Rift Valley salt mix (though I skipped the marine salt i.e. Red Sea since the onset...should I be?)
<I would leave this out>
- diets include Reptomin, Hikari bloodworms, Hikari brine shrimp, and sometimes frozen krill, bits of salmon, dried Tubifex and gut loaded mealworms, daily feeding, skipping one day per week
<Sounds very good indeed>
- no supplements, yet
- regular, small water changes, daily debris cleaning
- no decoration, just a handful of plants and scattered pebbles from the start
- dechlorinator is AquaSafe
I'm very worried. In the past few months they've pulled through unfiltered tank and cycling, I just hope it's not some internal damages. I'm very much obliged to your help. Thank you.
Thanks,
MJN
<I think your frogs will be fine in time... They do shed their skin, and DO have claws... The itchiness will likely go with growth, improvement in their development. I would try not to be overly concerned here.
Oh, do read here for review:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
and the linked Xenopus files above.
Bob Fenner>

African Clawed Frog itch ala Neale  12/08/09
Hello WWM,
I've written in before and received very good advice about my cycling tank and African clawed frogs. But I'm having a bit of trouble now with an itchiness problem and hope you could shed some light.
<Oh?>
This itch came on while they're feeding. It grew more severe over days, happened to just one frog first, but later 3 frogs of the 4 frogs I have showed the same itchiness. It could send them to a fit of scratching, rubbing the legs and scratching arms and even the head, during and within some time of feeding.
<Have you checked the ammonia/nitrite levels? These sound like what might be called "irritation" behaviours.>
There was also a bit of dark thing along their fingers (inside, not back of hands). It wasn't fluffy or cottony, looks just like a pencil line, and when that part shed the skin was dark.
<Hmm...>
I guess they shouldn't be nuptial pads, because if I'm not mistaken, 2 of the 3 itchy frogs are females.
<Nuptial pads are distinctive, and look like callouses. Finrot (or Redleg as its called on Frogs) is very different.>
The 4th frog, a male smallest in size, was pretty much unaffected - no itch, no dark thing. He's a loner and doesn't swim much. One more thing is that he refuses Reptomin.
<I'd be offering more than just dried foods.>
The first time I noticed this was Nov 19, about 10 days after my tank was cycled. What I did was:
- a lot of 30% water changes
- added back a new carbon filter (which I removed on Nov 10). This made a big difference.
- removed dubious items like spare sponge
- reduced feeding. This seemed to have helped too.
<Good.>
By now the itchiness has been brought down to say 80% less, but it's not completely gone. The dark thing on the hands is still there, and it can seem lighter at one time and darker other times.
<Would check water quality and also water chemistry.>
I would like to ask what this could be, and what I should do i.e. medicate or somehow troubleshoot further?
Here's a bit of details about my tank.
- 20 gallon (to be raised to 30 g)
- frogs are a few months old, 2 boys and 2 girls
- pH 7.2, KH 4-5, GH 9, nitrate <10 ppm, no ammonia or nitrite, achieved by one-third of Rift Valley salt mix (though I skipped the marine salt i.e. Red Sea since the onset...should I be?)
<If you leave an ingredient out, it's not a recipe anymore, it's just a bunch of stuff...>
- diets include Reptomin, Hikari bloodworms, Hikari brine shrimp, and sometimes frozen krill, bits of salmon, dried Tubifex and gut loaded mealworms, daily feeding, skipping one day per week
- no supplements, yet
- regular, small water changes, daily debris cleaning
- no decoration, just a handful of plants and scattered pebbles from the start
- dechlorinator is AquaSafe
<Good.>
I'm very worried. In the past few months they've pulled through unfiltered tank and cycling, I just hope it's not some internal damages. I'm very much obliged to your help. Thank you.
Thanks,
MJN
<I'm not sure at all what's going on here. It is normal for Xenopus to shed a certain amount of skin. Xenopus are messy animals, and frequent water changes are important, especially if the filtration system is modest. Four Xenopus would be quite a lot of animals, and in a 20 gallon tank, I'd be using a reasonably robust external canister filter, something like a Fluval 105 or Eheim 2211. I certainly wouldn't rely on an air-powered sponge filter or some poky little hang-on-the-back filter. I'd be aiming for turnover rates around 6 times the volume of the tank per hour. I wouldn't medicate until I'd zeroed off all the potential problems: ammonia, nitrite, unstable pH. I'd stop feeding entirely, do a big water change (75% maybe) and see how things panned out over the next few days. If itching stopped, then you could be fairly sure the problem is a water quality one, and that would allow you to plan accordingly. Cheers, Neale.> 

African clawed frog hlth., beh.    11/05/09
Hello my African clawed frog was pretty bloated but the bloat went away
<That was lucky.>
I have 2 questions he is still losing skin why?
<In very small amounts, this is normal. But if the frogs are constantly shedding, there may be a problem with diet or water conditions. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
Keep an open mind, and pay particular attention to water chemistry, water quality, and aquarium size. The fact your frog was bloated in one point strongly suggests an underlying problem.>
And please tell me why he is some of the time he is at the top of my tank with his head sticking out
<It is natural for them to rest among floating plants, basking under the sunshine. They will try to do the same thing in captivity. Cheers, Neale.>

Albino cave frogs, beh...  9/10/09
Hi I have 2 albino frogs, I have had them for about 3 years and have had no problems with them. Yesterday I found that one had escaped (the larger of the two frogs).
<They will do this from uncovered tanks. So be warned!>
I have no idea how long it had been out of the tank but it was covered in fluff from the carpet etc and where ever else it had been. I put it in a holding tank to try and clean it up, I then returned it to its normal tank
and made sure the lid was firmly shut.
<Good.>
The other (smaller) frog then swam and clung to the frog that had previously escaped, it remained holding on until I went to bed. I woke up this morning to find the larger frog on its back with the smaller one still holding on but to its belly. I thought the larger one was dead but its legs twitch every now and then, also they are making a weird sort of noise that I have never heard before.
<Sounds like amplexus, the mating "clutch" males do to hold onto females.
Males will indeed sing. Males are smaller than females, and males develop little rough patches on the palms of their hands for holding on tightly.
Xenopus breeding is rare but not unheard of if home aquaria (in labs it's stimulated with various chemicals).>
Any ideas, is one dying or drowning the other one?
Many thanks
Dave
<Cheers, Neale.>

Immediate help required please    9/20/09
Hi please please please can you help me
<Will try.>
I have 4 albino ACF and 1 brown oldest albino is 4 1/2 yrs next is 3 then others are 2 1/2
<Sounds like you must have the basics covered if they've lived this long already.>
Anyway about a week ago I noticed that one of my pleco`s had died 4 days later I noticed that the eldest froggie had started to shed her skin like mad (constant as soon as one layer had peeled another started to peel)
<It is normal for Xenopus to shed little bits of skin now and again. But if they shed a lot of skin all at once, that's usually a sign of environmental stress. Since Xenopus are subtropical animals, they shouldn't be in tropical tanks with Plecs anyway, so that was at least one mistake. Plecs also produce a lot of waste, and in tanks less than 55 gallons, can create very poor water conditions. As the catfish grows, it puts more and more strain on the filter, and the aquarium becomes less and less able to dilute ammonia and nitrite in the water. Eventually there's a threshold point where the Plec is so big and so messy the tank goes from being dirty to outright toxic, and animals start to die. Unless your tank is more than 55 gallons in size, then very likely this is the key problem. Review tank size, water quality, and the turnover rate of the filter. For a Plec, you'd need a filter rated around 8 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, i.e., for a 55 gallon tank, you'd need a filter rated at 440 gallons per hour.>
Due to this I started to notice that I could see her wee bones in her fingers and toes also she had gotten very lethargic during this time all the other albinos seemed as if they were desperate to escape the tank climbing on the filter and a platform trying to get out of the water
<Both, surely, good signs that water quality was very bad. Have you done a nitrite test? The decaying skin tissue is a prime sign of what we call Red Leg, and this can only be treated with antibiotics (as well as, of course, correcting whatever environmental stress there was in the aquarium). You will either get antibiotics from a pet store, ideally one catering to reptiles and amphibians (in the US), or from a vet (in most of the rest of the world). Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
It's almost certainly the case you'll need to move the frogs to a clean, well-filtered tank with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, and then treat them with a suitable antibiotic.>
I done a 50% water change using gravel filter as always I used aqua safe to remove chlorine. I also treated with melafix
<Largely useless, and certainly not a cure in this instance.>
The next day I saw a massive improvement the others had stopped trying to get out of the tank and my big girl (zebedi) had stopped shedding she still had her open wounds
<Melafix is a mild antiseptic. Also you have to remember that with the catfish dead, the pollution in the aquarium will have dropped considerably.
So these two factors can result in a (likely temporary) easing of symptoms.>
So kept on checking her 3 days later she started to act weird again along with another female so following advice from pet shop I gave them a salt bath for 1 hr each night for 2 nights
<Why? What made you think salt would help a bacterial infection?>
Again they picked up then on Fri I noticed that again they kept trying to get out of tank as if they were running from the water then zebedi again started shedding like mad so this time I removed all ornaments from tank air tubes and 80% of water I added some fresh water but am keeping the level low so they can reach surface easy
<You're doing a lot of stuff, but very little logically. Have you done any water tests yet? That's the place to start: Why are these animals sick?
What diseases cause these types of symptoms?>
Today Zebedee is looking a Little better why does this keep happening
<Almost certainly chronically poor conditions. Review aquarium size, filtration, water quality.>
I am changing water regularly I feed them a mixed diet of prawns, worms, slivers of trout (they love these) squid and wax worms they hate blood worms.
<Fine.>
My Pleco does not seem affected nor does my brown ACF for some strange reason she is 3 yrs and is what I call disabled he is about a third the size of her albino sisters she is defiantly not a dwarf. Please please help me they are in a 45 gallon tank
<Too small for 2 Plecs and multiple Xenopus frogs. Wrong temperature for one or other species, as well. While likely not something that would kill your frogs, the wrong temperature will make them more prone to trouble should something go wrong. Xenopus like fairly cool conditions, and an unheated tank is generally ideal in centrally-heated homes.>
with fine stones wooden log and bridge Zebedee is a tough frog and has survived numerous escapes over the yrs although tank is covered and all holes blocked I can not bear anything to happen to her please please please help me I have used Ur
<...your...>
site many times before for help but couldn't find answers to help me here
PS I also tried this Mardel Maracyn Plus thanking you mega much in advance
<Julie, since this is an emergency, I've replied back to your message, having fixed the lack of grammar, punctuation, and capitalisation. But please, "proper English" is our currency here, and we usually bounce back messages that aren't in reasonably good English. It's not a lot to ask. By writing more carefully, you're not only helping us help you, you're making it easier for others to read this message on the web site.>
Julie
<Cheers, Neale>

Albino African Clawed Frog swimming upside-down - 07/13/08 I have three African Clawed Frogs in a 29 gallon tank. They share the space with two spotted Rafael's. In the last two weeks my Albino ACF started acting weird and started swimming a little weird. I was away on vacation for the last week and changed 1/3rd the tanks water before leaving. Upon coming home I found my Albino friend upside-down on the bottom of the tank. I grabbed a net to take what I thought was my dead frog out of the tank only to find that my frog was very much alive. <Well that's good news at least. In any event, your first stop here would be to test the water, at minimum the nitrite level. Almost all "sudden disasters" in aquaria come down to water quality, and if you've been away, there's every possibility that something went wrong in this regard, and the livestock got sick. I'll put aside for now my general observation that fish and amphibians don't mix.> Watching her over the last day I see that she still has a lot of energy and a very strong kick, but she has trouble swimming right-side up. <Not really a symptom of any one thing.> My frog spends a lot of time in the corner wedged between a gravel filter tube and the side of the tank. I'm thinking she is doing this so as to breath air without trying to figure out which way is up. I also sometimes still find her upside-down on the aquarium bottom. I'm pretty sure she is not eating her regular diet of live crickets and recently added freeze-dried tube worms (with no luck either.) <Do remember that these animals won't thrive on a single food item. Frozen bloodworms and live earthworms would both make excellent additions to the diet of these frogs. Freeze-dried foods are, in my opinion, a waste of money. Moreover, not all animals eat them (and none of mine ever seemed to enjoy them).> The other two ACFs, a male and a female, both seem fine, as do the spotted Rafael's. The only major tank change I made before heading out on vacation was taking old plants that looked like they were dying, and replaced them with new ones. (The kind of live plants that come in a plastic container with a gelatin in the roots that keeps them alive for a while. <Never seen these. Must be something particular to your country. In any case, being protein-based, gelatin decays under water and adds to the nitrogenous wastes in the system. Could very easily have caused an ammonia/nitrite crisis in your absence.> These plants have not shared space with any other water animals.) I have two filters running. The pH is often high and I find I am regularly using pH Down to bring the pH level more in line with where it should be. <Arggghhh!!! Lesson #1 - Don't change the pH unless you also change the hardness. One of the most common mistakes inexperienced aquarists make is to assume that a fish "wants" a certain pH. They do not. Fish don't really care about the pH. What they need is for the pH to be stable. Beyond that, most freshwater species will adapt to anything within the range pH 6-8. What fish DO care about is hardness. So when you have an Amazonian fish and you read it comes from "soft, acidic water", that means your job is to reduce the hardness. Do that, and the pH will go down by itself (sort of, anyway). Change the pH using buffering potions without changing the hardness and all you're doing is creating an unstable environment. No fish wants to live in hard but acidic water overloaded with buffering agents. Blech! If your water is hard and alkaline (basic), then don't worry, you're fish don't care. I think the reason inexperienced aquarists change the pH is because it seems easy to do, especially when compared with softening water using rainwater or an RO filter. But that easiness is illusory! By the same token, this is why so-called soft water from a domestic water softener is bad for fishkeeping -- it's chemical composition is all wrong for most fish, despite the fact it is called "soft water" and so sounds like the stuff you get in the Amazon. It most certainly IS NOT like the stuff in the Amazon!> I also changed another 1/3rd of the water in the tank yesterday just in case. <Change more. After a crisis, change 50% immediately, and then another 50% 6-12 hours later.> My Albino friend is about 2 years old and does not have any skin problems, bloatedness, or red anywhere on its body. I've also heard that female frogs sometimes swim upside-down before laying eggs, but I don't think this is the issue. Do you have any suggestions as to what the problem is and how I can help my small friend? <Almost certainly either water quality or water chemistry issues. Check these and act accordingly. My prediction would be that if you [a] stopped feeding for a few days and [b] did dechlorinated tap water changes to remove all traces of the pH buffer, the aquarium would quickly settle down. Use your test kits to check this.> I'm also heading away again for a number of days and could bring a separate small aquarium with me to monitor any progress but am wondering if it's best to leave her be. Thank you for any insights. <Hope this helps, Neale.>

Ingested Pebbles in The Stomach, ACF sys., beh.   3/14/08 Hello, I have adopted 2 African Clawed frogs last Winter. They are doing  fine, except I noticed one of the frogs has ingested some of the pebbles on the bottom of the tank. <Does happen...> The other frog seems to avoid ingestion . They are both eating well. I noticed this belly full of pebbles months ago. At first I thought she was pregnant. The other day I put them in the tub for some playtime & extra room as I cleaned out their tank. I saw that the frog with the pebbles had expelled some of them! Oh how great I thought. Perhaps it is the extra exercise. I repeated this procedure of putting her in the tub , and again she expelled more pebbles. As I write this I have her in the tub, she has expelled another pebble. Is this the only way to do this without taking her to a animal clinic. Can she live with the pebbles in her stomach if they are not expelled? She seems quite happy & otherwise healthy. <Mmm, I'm concerned that the pellets might get "too far" down the digestive tract for expulsion... causing a gut blockage problem... I would not try a laxative, other measure> Oh, I have since taken all the pebbles out and replaced them with much larger stones. <Ah, good> Thank you. Having a new appreciation for frogs, Sherry <I do have hopes for the continuation of Amphibians on our planet... many are going... due to too fast changes in environments, pollutants of various sorts... Bob Fenner>

African Clawed Frog Can't Move   5/5/07 About a week and a half ago I came into my African clawed frogs room to find one upside down on the bottom of the tank. I thought she had past away but when I went to pick her up she moved a little. I put in a shallow pot of water and found out that she can not move her waste down and I decided to keep her in shallow water since she can't move I am scared she will not be able to get air and drown, she wouldn't eat anything so I tried aquarium salt and gel Tek (neomycin) but no change she wouldn't eat it so I tried melafix and after a couple days she got sores on her back that wasn't open they just looked like big bubbles so I talked to the pet store and they  gave me tetracycline she is on her fifth day of treatment and all her sores have cleared up but one. She still will not eat and is losing a lot of weight and her skin is loose and shedding a lot. I have tried feeding her the usual feeder fish and nothing I have also tried crickets, ReptoMin, and sinking brine shrimp pellets but she shows no interest I am very concerned I don't have a clue what is wrong with her and why she can't move she does move her front but she only has one front leg (since she was a baby) and it doesn't help her get around at all. Please help me I don't know what I would do if I lose my little froggy. She just had 50 tadpoles which now have sprouted legs. I would be very grateful for any advice. oh sorry by the way my name is Tricia.   < Sometimes these little frogs make mad dashes to the surface for air. If the gap between the water and the top of the tank is close they might hit their head on the top of the tank and cause some trauma to the spinal cord. I don't think it is a disease but can't be sure. I would keep the water as clean as possible and offer some brown worms sold at the fish store for tropical fish. frogs have a difficult time refusing  live food if they are hungry.-Chuck>

Why is my African frog losing its skin? <Mmm, they do shed their skin quite a bit... if yours is eating, otherwise well, I would not be concerned. Do take care if you intend to add other life with it, and beware of adding chemicals to its water. Bob Fenner>

Clawed Frogs Hi again!   <Ello.> I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago with questions about my newly acquired African clawed frog. I have more questions now that he and I have bonded a little!  My questions pertain to his senses... mostly his sight and sense of smell.  I drop pellets in (one at a time) and if they don't land on his body, he doesn't seem to see them and I don't think he knows that they are there. <This has been my experience as well, and unfortunately I am no expert on these frogs so cannot say for sure.> What is his vision like?  I am guessing it isn't too great. <My guess as well, if I ever do set up a tank for these little fellas again, it will be species only, the fish seem to out compete them for food.> Should I have an over tank light?  I guess it doesn't need to be UVA/UVB since I don't think it could penetrate through the water. <A full spectrum florescent would be good.  I am not sure on your tank setup, but a Vitalite might be a good idea> He loves worms and when I drop one in and he feels it on him, he tackles it and rolls all over like he is going after an alligator!!  And to watch those little alien fingers shove it in his mouth is so delightful! <Everybody loves worms, I might have to try one myself some day.> I wish there were more books about these guys...instead of just a page or two in a book about amphibians! Thank you for your insight!  All your information has been helpful! <I'd be willing to bet if you searched enough online (starting with google.com or some such search engine) you could find a site, for forum, or maybe even a club (or you could start one) related to these frogs, they are pretty popular and the information out there on them is not as vast as other aquariums species.  You should definitely document your experiences to share with others.> Joan and the still unnamed little frog guy <I vote for Frogger.  Best of luck with your new buddy -Gage>