Can African dwarf frogs eat shrimp pellets?

Last Updated on January 29, 2021 by cmoarz

An African dwarf frog is a bottom feeder like some fish breeds reared in an aquarium. If you visit an aquarium to buy shrimp pellets for your fish and check the label of some brands, you will notice the word ‘bottom feeder’ common in many of these brands. This does indicate that your African dwarf frog will eat shrimp pellets when it is feeding time. A shrimp pellet, however, poses some challenges for your frog.

The biggest challenge with shrimp pellets.

The biggest issue with shrimp pellets is that they can create quite a mess in the tank.

Since they mostly settle at the bottom and do not stay afloat for long, they tend to get into gravels. This leads to the formation of fungus on the gravel and subsequently contaminates the tank. In such cases, you might need to replace the gravel, which is extra expenditure and hassle.

From the experience of few people who feed their aquatic pets shrimp pellets, it has been observed that the pellets turn fuzzy and sticky stuff in around 24 hours.

Sometimes, this could happen due to overfeeding when you drop in more pellets than required. However, fungus formation has been reported even in the case of even one pellet.

Feeding the right size and amount of pellet.

The right amount of pellets per African dwarf frog is 3 to 4 pellets. The other factor to consider is the size of these pellets. Just like how fish have pellets, there are pellets specifically made for frogs. These are generally the micro pellets. If you were to buy pellets for frogs, you would notice that they are clearly mentioned in the label.

Read: Can your frog eat beta food?

Use a petri dish for your frog.

Taking out leftover pellets from between gravels is not easy. To ensure easy cleaning of your tank and prevent contamination, you can try putting the pellets in a petri dish and placing it at the tank’s bottom. It would help if you opted for fast sinking pellets to ensure they stay put in the petri dish. It’s important to put this dish on the bottom of the tank and not on dry land.

Types of pellets to consider.

As African dwarf fish are finicky and slow feeder, you could perhaps start with just one or two pellets to find out if your frog digs into it.

There are three different types of pellets available:

Floating pellets.

These pellets are light and buoyant, and they stay suspended in water for a longer time. While they might be ideal for top or mid feeders like the betta fish, they are not suitable for African dwarf frogs.  

Slow-sinking pellets.

Slow-sinking pellets are ideal for a community tank as your pets can move around and feed at their own pace instead of worrying about feeding at the bottom. They are suitable for mid-feeding fish. In the case of a smaller tank with a few frogs and fish, the slow-sinking pellets can be considered.

Fast-sinking pellets.

Fast sinking pellets are denser and ideal for your frog as they are bottom feeders. They are also packed with nutrition, hence ensuring your frog remains well-fed, healthy, and happy.

The key to getting it right is to start with just a pellet or two and observe how your frog responds. Another critical factor, of course, is to use pellets that do not quickly dissolve in water.  

Read: How often do AFD’s eat