Since African dwarf frogs are fully aquatic, keeping this unique frog safe is a hard responsibility. The first condition is to select a tank of appropriate size for your African dwarf frogs. If you don’t have many choices, you may wonder- can an African dwarf frog live in a 1-gallon tank?
One gallon tank is the least minimum space for an African dwarf frog. Your dwarf frog may survive in a 1-gallon tank with several drawbacks. Such as low levels of oxygen, toxicity, poor water quality, stress factors, etc. Hence, keeping an African dwarf frog in a 1-gallon tank will not be ideal.
Also, you may require to keep a filter, air bubbler, décor items, and other stuff in the tank. So, a 1-gallon tank becomes too small for an African dwarf frog to live happily.
In this article, I’ve eradicated the confusion about keeping an African dwarf frog in a 1-gallon tank, its drawbacks, and other additional information. So, you must not miss this article if you think about keeping your African dwarf frog in a 1-gallon tank.
How Much Space Does An African Dwarf Frog Need?
You might know that African dwarf frogs are social and active. These aquatic frogs tend to swim around the tank the entire time. But, these dwarf frogs come to the surface to breathe oxygen.
Since African dwarf frogs spend all their time underwater, you must ensure to provide a good amount of space for your dwarf frog. The required space is determined through some factors. Such as the number of African dwarf frogs you keep, the age of the dwarf frogs, the number of items kept in the tank, etc.
If you want to keep 1 or 2 African dwarf frogs, your frogs will need at least a 5-gallon tank. The minimum space required for each African dwarf frog is 5 gallons. You’ll need to bring a larger gallon if you add more tank mates of your dwarf frog in the tank.
Can I Put My African Dwarf Frog In A 1 Gallon Tank?
Some owners tend to keep their newly brought African dwarf frog initially in a small fish bowl. If you need some time to set up the aquarium for your dwarf frog, you can keep your frog in a 1-gallon tank temporarily.
But, keeping your African dwarf frog in a 1-gallon tank is not a good idea. Your dwarf frog may live in that small space. But, it’ll not live the best life in a 1-gallon tank.
Besides, African dwarf frogs grow up to around 2.5 inches. Since these frogs are playful, they need the least space of a minimum of 5 gallons. A 1-gallon tank is suitable for small aquatic living like shrimp, snails, etc.
Moreover, the 1-gallon tank becomes congested when you add essential things like plants, décor, filters, etc. Also, the water quality of such a small tank deteriorates fast. If you don’t have any other option, you must change half of the water in the 1-gallon tank twice a day.
How Deep Can A Tank Be For African Dwarf Frogs?
Although African dwarf frogs live underwater, these frogs need to reach the surface of the water every 10-15 seconds. Hence, you must ensure that the tank isn’t deeper than 2 feet for your African dwarf frogs.
You can also keep rocks in the bottom of the tank so that your frog gets support to reach the surface of the water. If the tank is too deep, your African dwarf frog may drown because of not being able to breathe oxygen.
Why Do African Dwarf Frogs Need Bigger Tank Than 1 Gallon?
You might be wondering about the necessity of keeping African dwarf frogs in a bigger tank. I’ve pointed out a few reasons why your dwarf frogs require more space than 1 gallon. Let’s check out the following factors.
1. Ensuring A Good Level Of Oxygen
Although African dwarf frogs come up to the surface to breathe oxygen, these frogs need a good level of oxygen in the water. Good water concentration is essential for African dwarf frogs to live happily.
For this, the oxygen saturation should be around 80%-110% in the aquarium water. On the other hand, the African dwarf frog produces waste continuously. So, the oxygen saturation tends to be lower in a small amount of water.
If you keep your frog in a bigger tank, it’ll ensure a good level of oxygen in the water. As a result, your dwarf frog will remain happier in a large space.
2. Enough Space To Swim
African dwarf frogs are friendly and playful. These frogs do best in groups too. So, you need to provide them ample amount of space.
Since you need to keep essential things in the tank, the space gets smaller. Your frog may live in the 1-gallon tank. But, these aquatic frogs will not be able to move freely. Hence, you must provide your dwarf frog minimum of 5-gallon space if you have only one frog.
3. Lesser Toxin Build-ups
When you keep African dwarf frogs and fish as pets, it’s pretty natural to expect their biological wastes. Your aquatic frog will produce feces and urine. Also, there might be leftovers in the tank.
If you have plants in the tank, the dead leaves will also add more waste. When these waste materials begin to rot, they will turn into ammonia.
The concentration of these toxic build-ups depends on the volume of water. If the dwarf frog aquarium has a larger amount of water, there will be fewer toxic build-ups. In the case of a 1-gallon tank, this formation of toxins is too fast.
4. Reducing Stress
African dwarf frogs get easily stressed in a small areas. A congested place triggers stress in your frog. Besides, the water quality deteriorates fast in a 1-gallon tank.
On the other hand, improper water parameters make African dwarf frogs stressed. So, it is essential to keep African dwarf frogs in bigger tanks than 1 gallon to reduce their stress factors.
5. Infrequent Water Change
The general rule for changing water is to change 15-20% of the water twice a week. But, it depends on the water quantity of the tank. If you keep your frog in a 1-gallon tank, the water will get polluted soon.
As a result, you’ll need to change water frequently to keep your African dwarf frog healthy. You will have to do an infrequent water change when you keep your dwarf frog in a bigger tank.
6. Low Risks Of Injury
In a 1-gallon tank, African dwarf frogs can not swim freely. If you fill the tank with other stuff, your frog will be bound to get hurt. To lower the risks of injuries, you should keep your African dwarf frog in a bigger tank than 1 gallon.
Final Words
I hope this article made you well understand that a 1-gallon tank isn’t ideal for your African dwarf frogs. If you want to keep your dwarf frog stress-free and happy, you should provide a larger tank with all advantages.
