Tiger Salamander, hlth.  – 9/29/07
<Hello "?". Andrea with you tonight. The Shift Key for that pesky letter "i" is directly under Caps Lock on the left.>
I am having problems with my Tiger Salamanders and Water Dogs.
<Bummer. They are always so cute. Lets see if we can help.>
They are getting white spots all over there bodies and are dying. I tried to separate the sick ones from the ones without spots. The next day some of the ones I separate now have the white spots. I don't use tap water I have a water well. It seems to be coming in from in from the wild ones collected from only one pond. Is there any type of medicine I can use to cure this? It seems it is only a day or two after they get the spots that they die. Please help here is my email address xxxx@yahoo.com. Thanks for the help.
<Wow, sounds like ich, HOWEVER, amphibians cannot get Ich and Ich meds CAN harm many amphibs. It is hard to tell from what you are telling us, but if you could send a picture, that would help a great deal. Are the spots small or large? Are they fuzzy looking, flat, open, raised? Any more detail you can give would help a great deal.
In the meantime, here is a great link on amphibian disease on WWM. Read it, and the linked files at the top. You just might find an answer on what it is, and how to treat it. Until then, I'd stop taking pets out of that pond.>
<You're welcome?>
<Andrea>
re: Tiger Salamander – 9/29/07
Andrea
<No problem. Can you please do me a favor and edit this with capitalization and such so we can use it on our site? We post these on our site, and can't edit them all. Thanks so much, and no more ich medicine. A picture will really help. Also, read those links!
Andrea>
thanks for answering me. the spots are small and white and start as only a couple and within 24 hours the hole body is covered and there is no slime feeling on the dead animal.
and it seem to spread very quickly. i took all the animals out of the tank and bleached it out and it did not make any difference. i took a couple of the sick animals out and tried some ick medicine with no luck. i will try and get a picture for you. i deal with alot of different reptiles and have never seen this before if i find some thing out that takes care of this problem i will let you know and we are not taking anymore animals out of this pond. thanks again for your response

Sick Frog, Frog With Fungus 7/13/07
Hello, I am very concerned. This morning I woke up and my African frog was sick. He had weird foam type stuff around his head.
< Probably a fungus from a trauma to the area.>
I had never seen this before. I immediately took him out of my aquarium, and placed him in an isolated tank. I was wondering what the frog had, if it was a disease or virus, and if I should be concerned about the rest of my aquarium. I have a 55 gallon. If you have any ideas I would be glad to hear about them. Also I do not know how to treat the frog. Thank You Derek. Also, if you need pictures I can send some.
< Photos are always helpful but I think I have it figured out in this case. The frog probably went after a food item a hurt itself on a rock or a piece of wood. The damaged area has become infected and a fungus is feeding off the damaged tissue. I would recommend keeping the water very clean with water changes and treating the tank with Nitrofuranace. This antibiotic works against a wide range of bacteria and fungus.-Chuck>

Fire Belly Toad With Infections
I have a fire belly toad with cloudy eyes and a swollen leg and have no idea what is wrong with him. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Sarah
<Frogs are very susceptible to infections when the water is not kept perfectly clean. Start by doing a large water change, vacuuming the gravel and cleaning the filter. If things don't get better in a couple of days then try treating the tank with Myacin.-Chuck>

Firebelly Toad Changing Color   3/21/07
Hello! I am writing to you because I have a firebelly toad in my kindergarten classroom. I have two frogs in the tank, one of which was adopted from our local petstore because he was born with only three legs. Normally his color is green, but today we noticed that his coloring is much darker than usual and the frog is not as active as usual. Could it just be an off day or could something be wrong?? Thanks!!
< They do shed their external skin so this just could simply be a case of a toad getting ready to shed. Just in case do a water change and clean the filter to see if he perks up.-Chuck>

Axolotl hlth., no useful info. – 03/18/07
Hi
  I have an axolotl  he has been vomiting all day no its more like dry reaching because nothing comes out All my water levels are fine
<Data, not subjective evaluations>
I have large rocks on the bottom but I'm thinking maybe he has swallowed one what are the changes that he has.
<Possibly>
He also goes up for air and then tries to vomit again I have owned axolotls before and I've never seen this. Any advice would be appreciated
Therésè
<You've presented no useful information... on system, maintenance, water quality, foods/feeding... Can't read minds (that well)... Bob Fenner>

Re: axolotl  3/19/07
My ph is siting at 7.4 My ammonia levels are at 0 nitrate is at 0.05
<Good>
He is feed every 2 days aqua master axolotl food about 5 pellets we had feeder fish in the tank
<A very poor idea. Not suitable prey, and carry disease...>
but he took no interest in them so they were removed my tank is 600mm by 300 by 400 just over half full  I'm using a crystal clear aquarium 380 filter  with 3 stage filtration at 100 litres an hour his water is changed at 1/3 every 10 days I'm using A.C.E ammonia chlorine eliminator
<I would stop using this product (used to contain Formalin... toxic), and just let new water set about for a few days ahead of use>
and aqua plus water conditioner all my rocks are the size of a 50c piece or bigger there are no plants in he tank he has one round barrel to hide in I don't use a light and I have no water temperature gauge hope that is enough information for you
Therésè
<Other than doing away with the "treatment" above, I would try more "lively" foods... Worms of appropriate size, and insect larvae... e.g. Blackworms (Ambystoma means "cup mouth"; they scoop up their food), earthworms, mealworms... Bob Fenner>

Fungusy Firebelly  3/12/07
Hi,
<Hi, PufferPunk here<
I had wrote to you before regarding my firebelly toad that has a fungal problem, I think. You had told me to use erythromycin in the water and it has not helped at all. His upper lip is red and he still has the discolored skin near his eye and around his mouth. He is not very active and is always hiding his face or has his head way down to the ground. Any other suggestions?  Thanks
<Try adding Melafix & Pimafix, in addition to the antibiotic already recommended, for an added boost.  Be sure to keep it's water clean. ~PP>

Sick Clawed Frog  2/28/07
I have a clawed frog, who has stopped eating for the last 3 days. She is only 2-3 years old. I have changed her water and put her into a clean tank. She is listless and will let you pick her up, but she can still swim away. I have tried to open her mouth gently to put food in, but she won't open her mouth and take food. She frequently lets out bubbles of air, she spends her time floating on the surface. Her skin has gone very mottled and saggy. Have you any ideas what is wrong with her??? I really would be upset to lose her!  Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks Jill
<These little frogs are actually pretty tough, but can be sensitive to chemicals in the water. Try keeping the water very clean and offering some life foods such as washed earthworms and crickets. I suspect that their may be an internal problem with the lungs since you are seeing bubbles. Try increasing the water temp to 80 F and see if that helps. On Kingsnake.com you may be able to find a vet that can be of more help.-Chuck.>

Re Sick, Albino Frogs Not Blind   3/1/07
Hi again, Thank you for you're advice, she is now eating a little bit of food, 2 small pieces of pork fillet.. We changed some of her water and made it water warmer. However, she is still just floating in the corner and very lethargic. She is normally very active and gets very excited when she spots a human i.e. it means food! Thanks again, Jill
P.S: are albino frogs almost blind?
< Because they have no pigment, their eyes might be more sensitive to bright light. But they are not blind or else they would not be able to find their food.-Chuck>

Sick Albino Xenopus Frog Success   3/2/07
Hi, I am happy to report that she loves live earthworms and eats them so fast you miss it if you blink.  I've only been giving her small thin ones as I haven't wanted to overdo it but she is putting on weight again, her skin looks healthy and the red dots have disappeared.  She's also back to moving around and lurking behind things in case any more of those wriggly worms come her way.
So, thanks for your advice.  Have been keeping water super clean with new filter, and increased temp etc. (Its been very cold here this winter)  These frogs are sold everywhere here in England and with little or no advice on their care, except they eat Bloodworm or Daphnia. (available frozen)  We were surprised how quickly she grew and how much fun she is.  Very friendly (or hungry) and if you put a finger anywhere near the water you end up with a frog hanging off the end of it!
So thanks for the advice and I hope she continues to improve.
Regards, Jill
< Glad to hear that your frog is getting better.-Chuck>

Firebelly Toad With Infected Eye     2/23/07
Hi. I have 2 fire bellies and one  I noticed awhile ago had what looked like a scratch near his eye and it was red. After a bit then it looked like it was starting to heal. It was as though new skin was growing but it is like a clear, cloudy skin. Now though it is going down towards his mouth. He is still eating but he does not like to be touched near that area and he is usually hiding and always has his head way down. Any idea of what that could be?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
< Your fire belly toad probably has an infection near his eye due to some trauma to the area. Keep the water very clean and try some Erythromycin in the water.-Chuck>

Getting Erythromycin For Infected Toad  – 2/25/07
Can you tell me where I can find erythromycin?
< Any good tropical fish store will have this or a derivative.-Chuck>

Tadpole With Cloudy Eyes    2/16/07
First off let me say you have a REALLY good website, and seem to have helped a lot of people. I hope that you can help me, my daughter and her tadpoles!
:-)
Santa brought my youngest daughter (almost 5 years old) an Uncle Milton's Planet Frog for Christmas!  My daughter was ecstatic and couldn't wait for her tadpoles to arrive.  Unfortunately, when they did arrive 1 was very close to death with a distended belly (appropriately named Bubbles for the large bulge in his belly), but the 2nd (named Psycho Waddles for her swimming techniques of occasionally jumping out of the water, and making a big splash) seemed fine.   The problem is that the 2nd tadpole's eyes have become cloudy!  They were blood red for a few days, then the redness went away, one eye went back to normal while the other clouded, but now both eyes are clouded.  (Also since her eyes clouded, she has stopped growing.  She doesn't seem to be getting any longer, or making any strides toward becoming a froglet. I would assume that this is because her body is busy trying to fix her eyes, or fighting an infection. What do you think?)
The "tank" that came with the kit seemed very unhealthy and too small for 2 tadpoles, none the less 2 frogs that are going to be around 3" at the their largest, so I spent a ton of $$ to make a nice vivarium for them in a 20 gallon tank with a filtration system (waterfall), a ramp to help them get out of the water , and a house for when they are frogs. but now I am starting to worry that Psycho won't make it. I really will do anything I can to help her, but I am unsure of what to do!  (I called a vet's office, and they told me it was just a tadpole. I should just replace it!  I don't want to. I would never, and I don't want to teach my daughters to just throw away a life because it is sick. you do all you can before you put something to sleep!)
My question for you is this. what can I do to clear up this little girl's eyes?  I am using spring water in her tank, and cleaning 1/2 of it a day, and feeding her the supplied food.  For now, she is in the supplied tank from Planet frog, as I didn't want the replacement tadpole (Bubbles 2) to catch anything should she be contagious. My daughter thinks she is blind, if in fact she is blind, will she be able to catch food as an adult frog?  Can blind frogs feed. I mean they do depend on their sight to see food and know when to stick out their tongues, right?
P.S.  Just incase she is okay, and I can put her back in the vivarium with the other tadpole.. Are Leopard Frogs the type of frog that emits a chemical into the water when they have started (or is it finished???) their metamorphisms that tells all of the other tadpoles to stop their metamorphosing?  Or will Bubbles 2 eat Psycho if she is smaller and less advanced than him?
P.P.S.  I really think those grow-a-frog kits and Planet Frog  (and others like them) should be outlawed. the tanks are too small and not healthy!
<Tadpoles are actually very easy to care for. In the wild they are found in little streams and creeks that quickly dry up. Keep the water very clean and treat bacterial infection with erythromycin from the tropical fish store. Hopefully the eyes can be saved. They eat algae at this stage. Adult frogs eat moving insects. Blind frogs don eat at all. Larger frogs will eat anything that moves, even other frogs.-Chuck>

HELP!!! Sick maybe injured ADF  2/5/07
I have 4 ADFs in my tank along with 6 platys, 2 mystery snails, 2 ghost shrimp and a pleco. I have 1 teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water.
<... frogs, the snails... don't "like" salt...>
I originally had one frog and it seemed to do ok with the salt and everything else, so I decided to get the other three. I have had the others now for about 2 or 3 months. We just noticed yesterday that one of the newer ones looked like he was shedding.
<Mmm, Hymenochirus do this...>
We have seen them shed before so we didn't think anything of it, except that it wasn't trying to get it off of himself like they normally do. Then he started swimming up and we noticed that he has some kind of injury on the underside of him. Almost the whole right side (left side to us when we are looking at it) is sunken in. Almost like he was crushed. We had to run some errands and when we got back we could see the stuff that looked like his shedding skin was gone, but it looks like he has a fungus growing on his back. It looks kind of lumpy, too. I searched your site and found some stuff dealing with the fungus, though I'm not sure if that's even what is on my frog, but I didn't find anything like the injury so please if you could help I would appreciate it. Also, if I have to I would like to know of a good humane way to euthanize him if I can't nurse him back to health. Thank you in advance.
<I would start to dilute the salt/s in the water... and look into "Sulfa" drugs (see WWM re this term... the search tool)... 250 mg./ten gallons... Bob Fenner>

Can African Dwarf Frogs Get Ich?  1/29/07
<Hi Betty, Pufferpunk here>
I'm a beginner with aquatic pets, so I need all the help I can get.  It all started when my little terrier got hit and killed by a car last March.  
<Awww... that's so sad.  #1 cause of doggie death is getting run over.>
That left me pet-less for the first time in 16 years.  So for my birthday last June, my co-worker gave me a male Betta (named Flash) which I keep in a 2 1/2 gallon aquarium with some gravel and a few live plants.  A few weeks later, I was in the pet store asking what I could put in the tank with Flash to keep him company and the store worker suggested the ADFs.  That sounded good to me, especially since I have a particular affection for reptiles and amphibians.  
<Not really enough room for more animals in there.>
So I bought a couple of tiny ADFs (named Slim and Chance, because that's what I thought the odds were of them staying alive under my care).  But when I put them in Flash's tank, he started nipping at them, so I quickly removed them and put them in their own tank.
<Good>
They now reside in a five-gallon aquarium with a Whisper filter, a few plants, a couple of "houses" and a smooth pebble substrate.
<Perfect size for just the 2 frogs & nothing else.>
But I couldn't leave well enough alone, so a few weeks ago, I purchased a couple of serpae tetras to try with Flash, with the same results, so I put them in with the frogs.  
<Opps!>
One of the tetras started bullying the other tetra, so I sent the bully back to the pet store.  Anyway, that's when I saw the neon tetras, and they looked so pretty, I ended up getting two of those and putting them in with the frogs and the serpae tetra.  As it ended up, I think one of the Neons was sick when I got him, so I removed the two tetras from the frog tank and put them in a bowl.  The next morning I had a dead neon but the other neon looked OK, so I went to a different store and bought a replacement neon.  Then the second neon started looking like it had ich (based on what I was able to learn about it from the Internet) so I put it in its own bowl and started treating it with Quick Cure.  I also took the serpae tetra and the latest neon and put them in a separate bowl.  Both the Neons ended up dying, which left the serpae tetra, who now looks like he's got ich too.  I've started treating him but I don't hold out much hope of curing him the way my luck is running.  I can handle losing the tetra but I'm really attached to Flash, Slim and Chance.  Flash appears to be doing fine, especially since I've stopped trying to find buddies for him and so far Slim and Chance look OK but I'm scared to death they'll get ich and die.  
<They don't get ich but can be affected by ich meds.>
They've been doing great for months, and I've discovered Slim is male and Chance is female, so that's kind of neat, although if they mate, I hope they eat their babies before they leave the egg stage.  I hope that doesn't make me sound cold; I just don't want more frogs.  
<I don't blame you.  My girlfriend's did spawn & they eventually ate all the tadpoles.>
So please let me know if Slim and Chance could get ich.  I do frequent water changes like I'm supposed to.  I don't know what else to do besides worry and pray that they make it.
<Sounds like they'll do fine.  Just don't add anymore fish to that small tank, especially Neons.  They are a difficult fish to care for.  ~PP>
Betty Williams

Cloudy Eyes on Fire-Belly Toad  1/16/07
Hi!
<Hi Sue, Pufferpunk here>
I enjoyed reading through other amphibian owners' questions but am still unsure of what to do for my daughter's fire-belly toad. Both eyes are very cloudy and have been for some time. I think I see a little blood around the edges too but that may be irritation. He/she is still feeding normally but seems to be in discomfort and is significantly less active that when his/her eyes were clear.
After reading through questions and responses, I'm pretty sure it is a water quality issue. We can take care of the water quality by cleaning the 10-gallon tank and changing the water more frequently but I would like to get advice on treatment, as the irritation or infection looks pretty severe and I would like to keep the poor toad from going blind if possible.
<Since these animals eat, sleep & drink in water that they poo in, water quality is definitely important.>
I noticed that one Crew member's advice to one owner was to put one drop of MelaFix in each eye daily but that was an Asian bull frog. In answer to another question relating to cloudy eyes, a different adviser suggested sulfa drugs in the water. Could you please help?
<Actually I was also thinking of using Melafix for the eyes (I believe that's what you meant?)  Worked for some of my frogs.  Be sure to dechlorinate the fresh water, after cleaning the tank.  ~PP>
Thank you so much!! Sue W.

Damaged ADF  1/10/07
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Your website is very helpful :)
<Thank you, we try!>
I recently got a dwarf African clawed frog. He was fine when I bought him but I think I might have somehow injured him when I moved him into the tank or something. He is missing most of one of his front feet. It looks a little red...and there are small pieces of the fingers left. I  read that frogs will often repair themselves but I wanted to make sure this didn't sound like a bacterial infection.
<Yes, should grow back.  Treat with Melafix in the water & keep the tank clean.>
Also, I don't know if he is behaving normally. He floats around a lot on the top...and then swims back down to the bottom for a bit...is it normal for them to hang out at the top so much? I had a couple frogs in the past and they liked to stay at the bottom and then come up for air every once in a while. Do you think something may be wrong?
<Could be difficult to swim, due to the hurt foot.  It should be fine after treatment.  ~PP>
Thanks SO much for your help :)

Axolotl - damaged limbs   1/6/07
Hello Crew at WWM. I have a sad but true story, and am hoping that you may have some advice to help. We have an adult female Axolotl which was attacked by an Australian Bass that was temporarily placed in her tank.
<A mistake>
Her hind feet are now gone, as are most of her front legs and a large part of her tail. She now remains in one spot in the tank, but on the very odd occasion will try and move (with difficulty), and her frilly gills still 'wave' every now and again. She hasn't eaten for 5 days now.
I wasn't sure of the likelihood of her regenerating the limbs and tail given the extent of the damage and her age?
<Mmm, one can only do their best, be patient, and hope>
The damaged limbs and tail turned white and eventually the white part 'disintegrated' over the space of two days. Is this what usually happens to damaged limbs in water or could it have been some sort of bacteria?
<Yes>
I have done a water change and am monitoring the water to keep it as clean as possible to give her a better chance of recovery.  I have heard that salt baths can assist with some Axolotl infections, though wasn't sure if it would do much good given the extent of her injuries in this case?
<I would be careful re the amount of salt administered here... Perhaps a level teaspoon per ten actual gallons of system water>
My main concern is that she is not interested in her food. She is hand fed, usually frozen blood worms, and she normally loves her food. Since she was attacked, I have literally been holding food right up to her mouth, but she turns her head away. Is there something else I could feed her or place in the water at this time to help her eat?
<Perhaps some live (other) insect larvae and/or freshwater worms (tubificids)... an occasional earthworm/nightcrawler of small size... I would administer a vitamin/food stimulant product (these are packaged/sold for aquarium use... either marine or freshwater, doesn't matter here... And I might consider adding a source of useful iodine/ide... to possibly aid repair, conversion...>
If you have any other suggestions that would help in regards to her comfort or the healing process I'd be grateful. Thank you.
<Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Bloated Frog   1/3/07
My albino African claw-toed frog, Bridezilla, is normally quite large. However, she is now quite swollen with what appears to be fluid (she ripples when she swims). She is otherwise engaging in all her normal behaviors, eating, swimming, snuggling with one of the koi in the tank (they are buddies) and taking food from Frogzilla, a regular African claw-toed male, who is much smaller than she. I am very fond of my frogs, so am trying not to panic about her water retention. Help! Thanks, Sharon Kaczorowski, Delaware
< These things are almost always diet related. Food sits in their gut and bacteria break it down instead of the frogs digestive fluids and cause gas. Try raising the water temp to increase the frogs metabolism. Then go to Kingsnake.com and try to find a frog vet that can give you more specific recommendations such a medications.-Chuck>

Rubber Eel Amphibian With Internal Infection   12/24/06
Hi There, I came upon your webpage hoping to find an answer to my question.  I have a Caecilian (rubber eel) in a 10 gallon tank with a small Cory fish.  I've had it for about 4-5 months and it was doing fine.  Recently, I've been observing erratic behavior:  it floats motionless on the surface, just hanging, or it lets itself get sucked onto the filter.  Before, it would burrow or curl around a rock or the one small plant in the tank. Other behavior includes, what seems like, the amphibian contracting its entire body and gaping its mouth wide open and sinking to the bottom of the tank.  It then frantically gulps and repeats to contract and tighten its entire body and gape its mouth. It also has been gulping for a lot of air at the surface and has stopped eating (I've been feeding it live bloodworms).  I don't have a heater for the tank, and I know they should be kept at 74-78 F.  It was fine during the summer, but now it is considerably colder.  I hope you can help me with this, since information on these creatures is scarce.  Thanks,
Lidia
< Tropical amphibians need adequate heat to properly digest their food. The food is rotting in his gut and the bacteria are causing this gas/bloat problem. Heating up the tank to 82 F should get the digestive juices going and start to retard the bacteria in the stomach. In the future if you are going to keep him cool the stop feeding him when the weather starts to cool.-Chuck>

Dumpy Tree Frog Peeling   12/21/06
To whom it may concern. I'm beginning to freak out! My 7 month old white dumpy tree frog seems  to be peeling! I took him out of the tank take a closer look and it seems that he is a bit bloated and has a bump (or just a new bump) under his mouth. It also looks like he has "left-overs" around his mouth, as if its peeling there too, but its a much darker color (looks blackish, kind of like if something had been burnt). I don't know what to do, I've searched the web but can't seem to find my specific answer questioned. Please help! I appreciate anything. Sincerely,
Nina Morato
< Assuming that everything else is normal and as it should be, it sounds like your frog has been poisoned. As you place live insects in your terrarium not all of them get eaten. The ones that live may be eating some of the terrarium plants which may be harmful. When they get eaten by the frog they carry the poisons from the plant. The "leftovers " may be the result of your frog trying to vomit the poisonous item out. Go to Kingsnake.com and look for a reference to a vet in your area. I would say for now get him into a very clean and very damp container so he does not dry out. Used cool distilled water to spray him often so his skin does not dry out and get infected if he survives.-Chuck>

Bloated African clawed water frog   5/8/06
Hello:
I appreciate any help you could give me. I have a 15-16 year old African clawed water frog named May.
<This is an unbelievably "ripe old age" for Xenopus>
She is 6 to 8 inches long. She has been very hardy and healthy. I have never done anything special for her. She eats Reptomin pellets. That's all she has ever eaten except when I once made the mistake of putting goldfish in her tank. She has lived through several near disasters. I haven't been diligent about cleaning her water. She has tolerated the lack of good care all of these years. Now she is bloated horribly. But she acts normal, still wants to eat, moves around, comes up to the surface. She has been bloating slowly for several months, maybe up to six months. I have had personal crises so I haven't been able to focus on her.
I have read online that I could maybe use Maracyn 2, maybe aquatic salt, melafix, stress coat. Her water had a lot of "stuff" on top of the surface recently. My daughter recycled her water, using Genesis in the tap water she added. We have always used Genesis to remove the chlorine.
What is the best way to treat May?
<... I'd go with the Minocycline... the Maracyn2 product>
How much longer can I expect her to live? We have never used soap to clean her tank, but is there something I can use to disinfect it since she might be suffering from some bacteria?
<Mmm, best to just use clean water, rock salt...>
If I use Maracyn, how do I know what dose and how long to treat her?
Thank you for any help.
Maria C.
<Three treatments, change water and re-administer every three days. Bob Fenner>

African Frogs Died 11/01/06
Hi, I had three African Dwarf Frogs, they just died. They were fine last night and when I returned from work today they were are all the bottom of the tank covered in some sort of grey mold.
< This is a fungus that feeds on dead tissue.>
I checked the pH of the water and it was neutral.
About a month ago, I introduced a fourth frog and two weeks ago, I noticed it was missing. I still haven't found the fourth frog.
I was just curious if you had any idea as to what this could be or why they may have died. Thanks, Clio
< The fourth frog probably jumped out on is dried up on the floor somewhere. The others probably died from poor water quality. Frogs don't really care about pH, but the are sensitive to poor water quality such as water with high nitrogenous waste. Check the ammonia, nitrites and especially the nitrates.-Chuck>

Fungusy Frog  10/10/06
Hey there, I'm writing again! I just wanted to say thanks for all your help first--this website is great.
<Thanks, Jess!  Pufferpunk here>
My question is concerning one of my African Dwarf Frogs. I bought 2 of them about a month ago, & they've been doing extremely well in my tank (active, eating well, clear eyes, etc.). However, about a week ago I noticed that the color of one of my frogs was lightening. When I bought it, it was brown & speckled, but now it's a light, grayish speckled color. It's still eating normally, & it's still pretty active, but I've also noticed about 2 days ago that there's 1 or 2 little cotton-like & cloudy growths coming from its
lower abdomen/leg area. I'm not really sure if the frog's just shedding or something, but I'm worried because its eyes are slightly cloudy (though I wasn't sure if that has something to do with it changing colors). Should I treat the tank (which also contains livebearers, tetra, & a Gold Inca Snail) with some kind of anti-fungal or anti-bacterial treatment? & if it does have some kind of bacterial infection, does that have something to do with its transformation of color over the last week or so? (It started transforming colors well before the cotton-like growth appeared.) & one last question: My other frog remains completely normal at this point. Is it going to be okay if something is wrong with frog #1?
<Frogs can change from light to dark & they do shed.  It couldn't hurt to try using some Melafix in his water, just to be sure.  It's totally natural.  ~PP>
Thanks a lot & hope to hear from you guys soon!
--Jess

Help- African dwarf frog with curled toes. Nutritional deficiency likely    10/3/06
I am very impressed with your site.  I would appreciate some help if you can.  I've had my African dwarf frog for about a year.  It's fingers and toes have been slowly but severely curling.
<Interesting...>
  It looks as if it is holding a small ball in both hands. The back feet look as if they were holding a pencil.  The frog can still swim just fine, but it can't straighten it's fingers or toes at all anymore.
<Am wondering what would cause such a "clubbing" of feet?>
It lives in a 5 gallon tank with goldfish.
<Oh...>
  I feed it tadpole bites
<...>
and it also eats the fish's flake food.  Wouldn't want to have an uncomfortable frog-any ideas?   Thank you, Jennifer
<Likely a nutritional deficiency at play here... need more (animal source, Tryptophan, Lyseine, Threonine...) source protein, and vitamins than the foods you've supplied. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibfdgfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Bloated Newt  - 09/13/06
My sister has 3 Firebellied newt's.  Just before we went on holiday about 10 days ago we noticed that one of them was looking a bit fat.  A friend has been feeding them while we were away.  They will only eat bloodworm.  When we came back yesterday he now has bloated up to about 3 times the side he normally is.  I read one of the other posts on your website where it said that you just need to let is run it's course but he just looks so big around that neck that looks like it will choke him.  How long do you think that it will take to go down?  We have now separated him off into a tank with shallow water on his own as he just floats in deeper water.  Thanks, Sarah
<Your newt may have eaten some decaying food that is rotting in his gut. The bacteria is multiplying and producing gas that is causing the boat. Usually they are able to vomit up any bad food. Sorry don't have a solution but I would suggest you check out some newt/amphibian websites. Start with Kingsnake.com and see if you can find a chat group or communicate with a vet that may be able to help.-Chuck.>

Medications With Snails And Frogs  9/9/06
Dear WWM Crew, Want to first say what a great site you guys have, and the patience you have for all the numerous questions you guys answer! I have tried looking through the google search and forums regarding my  question, and wasn't able to find my answer, so I am asking you. My first question is regarding my black mystery snail.  I recently  gave it a soft leaf vegetable (Chinese vegetable called Xiao bai cai  which literally means small white veggie) and it is consuming the  entire thing.  I was wondering if you can actually overfeed a  snail, or will they stop eating once they are full?
< They are exposed to all kinds of veggies in the wild and I am sure they quit eating when they are full.>
My second  question is regarding the medication I have been applying to my fish  tank for fin rot.  I checked the applesnail.net site, but their  link to fish pharmaceuticals led to a dead link.  I am using  Melafix (active ingredient is Melaleuca) from Aquarium Pharmaceutical  Inc., and was wondering if it will affect either my black mystery snail  or my African dwarf frog? Thanks a bunch!  And keep up with the awesome work! Anson
< Invertebrates and amphibians really don't like medications. Melafix would not be my first choice to treat fin rot. Stronger medications may harm them. I would treat the sick fish in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace of Kanamycin.-Chuck>
I have a male Bristlenose catfish, two years old he is four and half inches long. He is in a 300 litre tank, he used to be kept with Neons, glowlights and platies. He was very happy, I fed him on catfish pellets, algae wafers, bloodworms, brine shrimps and daphnia. Now he is living with tinfoil barbs.
he's not as happy and hides under the filter, he is only getting the catfish pellets and algae wafers, as the tinfoil barbs eat everything else first, I have noticed that he is not cleaning the tank as well for the past week. And he has a lump on his snout in front of one eye, I have telephoned all my local aquatic shops, no one seems to have heard of this before, I'm very worried, to me is looks like a cyst, apart from this his colouring and general condition is very good. I hope you can help me, as the children are very fond of catty! Wait to hear from you, Sue
< As your Pleco roots around for food he probably injured himself on a piece of wood or rock. The area may be infected. I would recommend treating him in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace or Kanamycin as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Fungused Frog  9/7/06
I am incredibly irritated with Petco right now.  After going through the archives on your site (your suggestion was correct, nearly all of my questions had been answered and more) I discovered that not only can my African Dwarf frogs not tolerate aquarium salt (which I specifically asked the attendant at Petco about--not wanting to hurt either my Betta, Chester, or the frogs) they can also not really be around my Betta.  Which was very confusing as several Betta enthusiasts have suggested this type of frog as a good bottom feeder to compliment Betta fish.
<I have had good success keeping these together.  As long as they are the DWARF species & not the CLAWED species.>
Chester is in general much more passive than my other male Betta (obviously in another tank) and snapped a little at them but seems to get along well with them right now.  
I noticed a cottony growth on one of my ADFs (Bender) right before searching on ways to fix this.  Promptly afterwards I found out he couldn't handle salt so I did an immediate water change and then came back to look at more things for fixing this.  I planned on getting a quarantine tank soon.  I don't want to do so many changes because stressing him out won't help any, but are there medicines that are safe for other fish and can he be by himself?  
<Melafix>
Will he spread this infection to Fry (the other frog) or Chester?
<It's possible.>
I don't want him to be lonely in a quarantine tank (even if he doesn't seem to really give a flying hoot about Fry).  Would you suggest getting a one gallon or so to move them both into permanently?
<Not necessary, if they are OK with the Betta.>
You are one of the most knowledgeable sites I've come across for pets of any kind and if anyone can help me out, I hope it's the team at Wet Web Media.
<Awwww,... shucks, happy to help!  PP>
Thank you,
Meghan R.

Re: Fungused Frog  9/8/06
I'm positive they're Dwarf Frogs but thank you for clearing up the confusion.  
<Sure>
Shortly after I sent you an email, I went back to look at Bender again and discovered that it seemed like the whole cottony growth had come off of him, it was floating around the tank before I sucked it up and got it out.  Is it possible he was shedding his skin?  What does that look like?
<It's possible the shedding skin could've fungused but it looks like shedding skin, not fungus.>
And thank you so much again, your response was quick and the answers helped a lot!
<I'd still add the Melafix.  ~PP>
--Meghan R.

Firebellied toad hlth.  - 09/01/06
Hi.
< Howdy! >
  I recently bought two young fire-bellied toads.  I have had  them for about one week, and they seem to be doing fine.  But today one of  them has started making weird faces and rubbing his front feet over his head and  kicking his back feet around as if he were in pain or something.  I can see  what looks like loose skin clinging to his sides and am wondering if he is just shedding?
< Sometimes these guys are affected by excess metals and minerals in the water. Have you tested the hardness of the water? They are also affected by improper water quality: excessive ammonia and nitrites. Last, but not least, air-borne pollutants and contaminants can have this reaction as well. Aerosols, room fresheners, carpet fresh, etc. will cause chemical burn. >
  He is even opening his mouth and making faces, and I wonder is  all this normal behavior just to shed his skin, or might there be something else  going on?
< Possibly shedding, but more likely a chemical reaction. >
Could he have swallowed a pebble or something and maybe it has  nothing to do with the shedding skin?
< I hope not, pebbles can be hard to pass! >
  Any advice you could give would be  greatly appreciated.  I've never had any type of frogs before, only fish  and turtles.  
Thanks.
< I hope I helped some. RichardB >  
Paula

Re: Firebellied toad   9/11/06
Richard, thanks so much for responding.  Believe it or not, I think he  was just shedding after all.  After he got the loose skin off, he resumed  acting normally.  A little later, I was looking through a book from the  library on frogs and toads, and there was a picture of a toad doing exactly what  mine was doing, and it said that he was shedding his skin and eating it and that  this was normal frog behavior.  So I think he's OK!  He's eating and  acting completely normal now.  Thanks so much for your response!
< You are very welcome! RichardB >

Sick African clawed frog   8/1/06
I love your website!! Unfortunately, I have a sick albino African clawed frog, Piggy. She is probably about 5 years old and no longer wants to eat.
<This is a good old age for Xenopus...>
She lives in a 55 gallon aquarium with two goldfish and another African clawed frog. There is a Fluval canister filter, a Fluval submersible filter, and a "homemade" canister type filter on the tank. They have all been together for a year or so. Water quality is fine--no ammonia, nitrites, ph 7.4 or so. No new decorations or fish. About a month ago, I noticed she wasn't eating as much (the frogs are hand fed)--maybe one or two Reptomin sticks per day. I didn't worry too much--they do that occasionally. Then, she stopped eating completely. She absolutely refuses to eat anything--not even her favorites--worms and flies.
<A very bad sign...>
She ate nothing for three weeks-I noticed she started to get smaller. She doesn't swim around as much as she used to and sheds more than usual. How long can they go without food??
<Perhaps a few more weeks>
She has no other physical symptoms--no injuries, red leg, fungus. I decided to force-feed her and see if it helped. I've been able to get several earthworms into her over the past week.
<Good>
I only force-feed her a few pieces every day or so (whenever I can catch up with my brother who is good at holding her and opening her mouth while I shove a worm piece in). She doesn't seem to have anything caught in her throat or mouth--we can see almost down into her stomach when we get her mouth opened sometimes. She doesn't spit the worms back out once we get them in her and she definitely swallows them. Since feeding her, she has gotten more active and not as skinny, but she still refuses to eat on her own. Can anyone help?
<Mmm...>
I've tried Maroxy and salt in the water, but neither seemed to help. I've read about all sorts of medicines to treat bacterial, fungal infections, but I don't' know if I should try something else or just wait. Maybe she has a blockage and needs Epsom salts???
<Doubtful, but as a "last ditch effort" worth trying>
I can't tell if she is pooping or not. I have read that a Chloramphenicol bath may also be effective, but for how long???
<I myself would not use antibiotics here, but a 250 mg capsule dissolved in one gallon of water for about five minutes is about right>
A bath for a few minutes or hours?? I work in a lab and we use Chloramphenicol on fish eggs to prevent bacterial/fungal contamination. Or would an antibiotic from a pet store be better?
<These are identical to human use... though often "post-dated", old>
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've had many of these frogs over the years and just love them. They are so personable.
<I suspect this frog is "just old"... cumulative heritable defects... doesn't "feel like" going on. A hard issue with our beloved pets, life around us. Bob Fenner>

Cuban Frog - Damaged Leg - 07/18/2006
Hi Bob,
<Actually, Sabrina with you, tonight.>
Here at work we have a Cuban frog that has taken up residence outside. He seems like a friendly fellow, however, this morning when I saw him, apparently the lawn person had cut off the frogs rear foot with the weed eater.
<Ouch!>
It looks like a clean cut, but can you tell me if the foot will grow back or have problems healing?
<It will probably grow back.  Frogs are pretty resilient animals.>
Is there anything I can do to help? I would be open minded to setting up a terrarium for him if you think the frog would do well in captivity or make a good "pet". If you think so, then could you recommend set up and food options?
<Mm, sadly, I don't know a huge amount about frogs and amphibians....  but do please take a look here:  http://talkto.thefrog.org/ and here:  http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/cubantreefrog.html .>
Thanks so much for your help! Love the website!
<Thanks for these kind words!>
Kimberly Searles
<Wishing you and your amphibious pal well,  -Sabrina>

Frog With Respiratory Infection  7/15/06
Hi, my frog has gotten sick about 3 days ago and I was wondering if you all could help me. My frog is doing some thing really strange, he is not really swimming he is just floating above the tank and doesn't move when I come to him. He just stays there. He also shrivels up at times and opens his mouth  up really wide. He won't eat much either but he does eat a little when I am  not looking. I feed him gold fish flakes and he had no problem eating them  before.
Also, he sometimes turns with his belly up when he is trying  to swim, when I think he's dead I flip him over and he moves. I have been  keeping him in a small tank with about 5 inches of water in it because he  cant swim back up to the surface when he is not floating, and I have been  boiling and cooling our city water to get all of the chlorine out. What else  should I do.
From, Tina, 14 yrs old
< Your frog sounds like it has a lung infection. The lungs fill up with fluid and your frog floats all the time. He stays at the surface and tries to breath through his skin. If this was a turtle I would say to heat him up. A turtle would go up to a basking site and the heat would inhibit the bacteria. At this point I would try to elevate the temperatures slowly to 82 F. Keep the tank clean and the water well aerated. At this point I think you need to take your frog to a vet for antibiotics.-Chuck>

African Dwarf Frogs and fish medications    7/13/06
Hello, my name is Robin.
I have a 45 gallon tank that houses one African Dwarf Frog, 4 Ghost Shrimp, and 12 Bronze Cory Catfish.  
Yesterday I noticed that some of the baby (I say baby, my original three bred successfully in my aquarium about four months ago) Corys have fuzzy fungus  
growth. I have Applus+  Anti-Fungus Fungus and Fin Rot Treatment, whose  main ingredients are Malachite Green and Hydrochloride.
<Toxic to your Frogs and Shrimp>
I wanted to check before I add anything to the tank, because I'm concerned about the frog and the shrimp. Will I have to move them to a different tank while treating the catfish?
<Yes... and do check your water quality... The Corydoras would not "get" a fungal/bacterial infection if all was well here>
Is there a more "frog friendly" treatment for the catfish? I know that the Anti-Fungus treatment is potentially harmful to scaleless fish, and frogs absorb things through theirs, so I don't want to  poison the frog.  
Thank you very much.
Robin
<You need to separate the non-fish. Bob Fenner>

Frog Damaged   7/7/06
Please help any one out there. It is 2:00am Chicago time and I don't know what to do. I was just awaked to a large rumble, so I start to investigate when I find my 3 year old frogs body hanging limp from the back of a box fan on the floor. I pulled him out and thought he was dead but decided to give him a chance and put him in a quarantine tank (about 2 to 3 gallons) put water in it. Still no movement. By the way he is severely hurt a part of his lip or mouth has been cut off, and still attached and hanging from the rest he is bleeding and I really can't tell if his eye is hurt or not its covered in blood. Well so I decided to put some MelaFix, PimaFix, and ick away in the water and he started to move and hope around again. I dont know what else to do please help me. I want him to suffer to much any info you may need just ask. Thank you in advance.
< The MelaFix and PimaFix were good ideas. Frogs don't like the dyes like the malachite green in the ick medication. Keep the water clean and watch for infection. If any cloudy areas appear on the frog then that is a fungus and needs to be treated with Nitrofuranace. Lots of water changes will help. That is just about all you can do except take him to a vet for a more precise diagnoses and treatment.-Chuck>

Frogs hopping mad about ammonia 7/30/05
I currently have a twenty-nine gallon tank with three African clawed frogs.
I keep about twenty-five gallons so they don't jump out.
<Good idea>
  My problem is my ammonia is through the roof.
<Toxic...>
I switched to a canister filter about a month
ago.  It is keeping the water remarkably clear.  I have in the media baskets
the foam filters, pre filter (inert ceramic rings,) a carbon bag, an ammonia
remover bag, and the media growing rings.  I had been doing one third water
changes every week, now I am doing two thirds.  I am also switching the
media every two weeks.
<Shouldn't switch...>
Two of the four sponges, carbon, and ammonia.  I am
staggering these out, so I don't disturb the beneficial bacteria.  I
expected an ammonia spike with the initial set up (the tank is about six
weeks old,) but it seems I can't stabilize the tank.  When I had a hang on
the tank filter, my ammonia was close to nil.
<Should have left the hang-on on during this transition to the canister... or used both even better>
  Granted the water was nasty
(ACF's are pretty gross little beasts,) but I didn't have this problem at
the time.  I have no live plants in the tank and I have about twenty-five
pounds of sand.  I am currently using ammo-lock to make sure my frogs aren't
harmed.  I have also monitored their eating habits and they are eating what
I feed them.  There is very little food left after they eat.  The frogs
don't seem to be suffering any ill effects at all.  The ghost shrimp that I
put in (as a snack and to help clean are literality jumping out of the tank
when I put them in. Any suggestions for me?
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Frog Problems 8/2/05
Hope You can help us we are trying to start a African dwarf frog tank, with no luck. we have a small 5 gallon acrylic bow front tank with a corner bubbler type canister filter, all the water conditions are fine i.e. ammonia, nitrates, ph.... it is NOT heated , the water stays around 72 degrees, the tank has been running for about a month ,MT,  we have tried twice to add frogs (4 young about 1 inch each time) but both times they all died with in a week or two. We are feeding them HBH frog and tadpole bites. We have no problems with our other 3 tanks (thanks to your GREAT help) , 55 Gallon Cichlids tank , 30 gallon GSP tank (soon to upgrade) and a 25 gallon community tank. We have read your forums and seen to have the tank set up right, Caves to hide in, Low water movement, i.e. the canister filter, broad leaf plastic plants (no live plants)  HELP why are we always committing Frogicide? Thank You, Mike
< Many frogs are held at wholesalers and retail stores and never seem to get enough to eat. If would recommend that you get a few frogs and feed them Calif. black worms. Just throw them in the tank and the frogs will find them and fatten up. Once they are eating then you will be on your way.-Chuck>