Many people love to add different varieties of species in the same aquarium. Not only does this make the aquarium more unique but also more attractive. So one day I was sitting next to my aquarium, looking at my beautiful Neon Tetras and wondering if I could blend them in with some new African Dwarf Frogs. Is this possible?
Though it may sound strange, keeping Neon Tetras and African Dwarf Frogs together is actually possible. This is because they can adapt to the same habitat, environment, and temperature. This article will explain in detail how and why they can blend in together without any problems.
Know Little About Neon Tetra And African Dwarf Frog
Neon Tetras are the types you would want to keep if you own an aquarium that resides in your living room. These species are so colorful and vibrant, they will make your fish tank glow with them being the center of attraction. They are not very large or aggressive and do quite well in community tanks as long as their tank mates are not aggressive as well.
Frogs might seem to be quite an awkward choice for a fish tank, but African Dwarf Frogs are the best one if you want to make your fish tank look unique and alluring. These species are not entirely aquatic and do not need dry land. Amazingly, they do have lungs and are able to get all the air they need from the water surface. These cute little guys don’t grow very big which is why it can be the best tank mates for your fishes.
Are They Compatible?
The answer is yes! You can keep your Neon Tetras and African Dwarf Frog together in your fish tank. These two species can be the perfect tank mates to keep in your aquarium. Just make sure to keep an eye on your frogs and don’t make them starve so they won’t devour your fishes!
What Makes Them Compatible?
As for compatibility, the Neon Tetras and African Dwarf Frogs hold so much in common. Let’s see to know more!
Social Species
Neon Tetras and African Dwarf Frogs are quite interesting animals to observe. This might seem surprising but both of them are the kind of social species. Though these species don’t belong to the same class of vertebrates, they can coexist peacefully and do well in community tanks with their tank mates.
Non-Aggressive Nature
Unlike many other fishes, the Neon Tetras are peaceful and non-aggressive community fishes who spend the majority of their time swimming in the middle of the water column. The African Dwarf Frogs, on the other hand, are partially blind for which these species would not want to interfere with their tank mates. This might seem quite interesting as well as surprising at the same time. Thus, these little beings can make an amazing addition to your community tank.
Habitat And Tank Condition
Cohabitation is one of the common things between the African Dwarf Frogs and the Neon Tetras. Both of these creatures coexist peacefully in the same environment. As for the ideal water conditions for both of these species, you should keep the water temperature between 70°F to 81°F. Keep the pH level above 6.0 and below 7.0 and also maintain soft water not more than 10 dGH.
Diet And Feeding
The other thing that is compatible with the Neon Tetras and the African Dwarf Frogs is their diet and feeding. Both of these species are omnivorous which means that they will eat both meat and plant matters. Try to keep a different diet so that your fish and frogs get all the nutrients they need for a healthy life.
Keeping Them Together
While keeping the Neon Tetras and African Dwarf Frogs together in your fish tank, you must consider a few things like tank setup, substrate, equipment, and so on.
Tank Setup
You must know the size up to which your fishes or frogs can grow to determine the size of your fish tank. The Neon Tetras can grow approximately up to 1.2 inches, while the African Dwarf Frogs grow up to 1.5 inches in size. Also, the Tetras should generally be kept in schools with at least 15 members. You need an aquarium of at least 20 gallons to keep these species together. Also, make sure to keep the tank depth reasonable so that your frogs can get air when they need it.
Substrate
As long as the other tank conditions are perfect for your fishes and frogs, it doesn’t matter whether you are using gravel, sand, or bare-bottom for a substrate. But if you are using sand or gravel, make sure that your fishes and frogs eat all the food that you put in the aquarium, or else it would create a mess as the food particles may sink deeper into the substrate. Or, just add small tetras in your aquarium so that they could eat the food particles in the substrate.
The African Dwarf Frogs and the Neon Tetras love planted aquariums; whether living or artificial. You can see your frogs sitting on the leaves for a swim break. As for the Tetras, they love swimming around in the roots of the floating plants and hang down the water column. Make sure that you replicate the natural environment of these species into your home aquarium.
Note: Frogs are super delicate and sensitive to even the mildest cleansers, soaps, and detergents. Make sure that you don’t use any of those in the things you put in your tank.
Equipment
One of the most important things that you should consider in your fish tank is getting a filter that is rated for the volume of your aquarium. For this, look for the GPH (Gallons per hour) rating and make sure it is 4 times higher than your aquarium size. This way, it should have enough capacity for the beneficial bacteria that process ammonia.
You don’t need any kind of fancy lighting for these two species. A simple low watt fluorescent light may work as well. Be sure that the light provides 2 watts per gallon. Also, make sure to give your frogs 8 to 12 hours of light to stimulate their natural environment.
As fishes and frogs are cold-blooded animals, they cannot control their body temperature which is why they become sluggish in cold temperatures. So, choose a heater that has a minimum of 5 watts of power for every gallon of water in the aquarium.
Note: Keep your fish tank someplace out of direct sunlight and away from drafty spots.
Sharing The Same Food
As both of these species are omnivorous, they share the same food. It’s on your personal preference whether you feed them a meaty diet or plants matter. The African Dwarf Frogs generally prefer a meaty diet. You can try keeping a varied diet for your aquarium animals so that they can get the required nutrients. However, their main diet consists of mosquito larvae, blood-worms, brine shrimps, and earthworms.
Note: Since the African Dwarf Frogs spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank, they aren’t going to swim up the surface to eat. So, try to feed them pellets as they sink to the bottom of the tank.
Warning About Keeping Them Together
Overall, we have figured out about the compatibility and possibility of the species staying together. Besides that, there are some important things to be considered before you can start making them share the same place.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the two neighbors coexist together.
Be Timely And Consistent In Feeding Your Frogs
Always make sure that you feed your frogs timely as hungry frogs may attempt to take a bite out of their smaller tank mates. Also, be sure that you don’t overfeed your frogs. Leaving behind uneaten food can lead to poor quality of water and stressed fish.
Make Hiding Spots
Hiding is a natural intuition for fishes and frogs. If you don’t give your aquarium pets someplace to hide, they might be stressed out. You can offer hiding spots for your aquarium pets to help them feel secure and calm. You can create hiding spaces using rocks, pots, pieces of driftwood, or other aquarium accessories as you want. This can help to decorate your aquarium too!
Watch For Disease
The Neon Tetras and the African Dwarf Frogs are both so defenseless and susceptible to a lot of health problems which is why you should always be prepared to diagnose a range of illnesses.
The Neon Tetras are affected by the Neon Tetra Disease. It is a common disease many aquarium hobbyists would encounter. This disease not only affects the Tetras but also their tank mates. It is caused by an internal parasite, Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. It may seem mild at first but then progresses quickly to become very severe. If your Tetras happen to be affected by this disease, you may see them losing coloration (Often in one part of the body). In advanced cases, the spine may also be curved. There is no known cure for the Neon Tetra disease, but the best you can do is to prevent it. Make sure that you maintain high water quality and select fish foods from respected sources. Also, if you ever happen to find your fishes affected by this disease, it is best to euthanize them to ensure all fish are not lost.
As for the African Dwarf Frogs, they generally experience bacterial infections that cause redness in their eyes and skin. A large outbreak of Salmonella, a bacterium, has been linked to contact with African Dwarf Frogs. This bacterium causes serious disease in people as well, especially the children and elderly ones with low immune systems. Other than that, your frogs may also experience fungal infections where the frogs might grow fuzzy patches of skin on their body. It is very important to seek veterinary care if possible. Also, make sure to change not more than 25% of the water in your aquarium every month.
Note: Be very careful with your frogs. Never touch your frogs with bare hands and always make sure you wash your hands after interacting with your frogs.
Conclusion
Neon tetras and African Dwarf Frogs are beautiful and unique from their own nature perspective and share so much in common. Both of them can adapt to the same temperature as well and they share the same food too. Plus, they cause less mess in the aquarium compared to how much a goldfish would cause. This saves up time for unnecessary tank cleaning and also ensures that the species remains healthy within!
What if the fish are half the size of the frog? This is not an issue because small fishes are faster plus there are hiding spots in the aquarium which protects them from the bigger species. So there is little or no chance of conflict.
So, considering all the facts and statements mentioned above in this article, it is safe to conclude that, while there are different species of fishes and frogs, Neon tetras and African Dwarf Frogs can be kept together.
Recommendation
Here are some recommendations you should see through –
- You should consistently guarantee to keep the space they live in as new and perfect as it could be expected under the circumstances.
- If you notice such an illness in one species, regardless of whether they might be immune, it is a superior decision to isolate the two for a brief time frame.
- Additionally, make sure to keep your recently bought species under isolation, before you blend them in with the tank mates.
Happy Tankmates, Happy Aquarium!!
