African Dwarf Frogs Do Need Friends, Heres Why

Last Updated on April 6, 2022 by cmoarz

If you’re thinking about buying an African dwarf from and you’re wondering are African dwarf frogs social? Can live alone or if they need to be in a community tank with other ADF’s, This article will tell you exactly what you need to know.

Can African dwarf frogs live alone?

African dwarf frogs can not live alone and do not thrive when alone. As communal friendly social amphibians, ADF’s need a minimum of 2 frogs per tank. 2 frogs can happily live in a 10-gallon tank, but adding more, or having fish, should increase the tank size to 20 gallons.

ADF’s do not have any aggression towards the same sex or opposite sex. Female and female, male and male, and male and female pairs can cohabitate together in perfect harmony and can safely share the same space.

Substantial research has been done on the social habits of African dwarf frogs, and it is clear that they can NOT live alone. They have a very strong desire to be in groups and as such need larger tanks if kept with other AD’s. 

The more the merrier when it comes to ADF’s, so adding more and more can increase the amount of fun, excitement, and entertainment in your home or office and for the frogs themselves.

Just remember tank size requirements for your adf’s will go up as the population increases.

Two frogs can happily live in a 10-gallon aquarium, but once you start adding a 3rd or 4th it’s time to upgrade to a 20 gallon or more.

This especially rings true if you are adding docile and passive fish as tank mates to your ADF pairs as well.

How many African dwarf frogs in a 10 gallon tank?

When it comes to stocking a tank, African dwarf frogs are relatively low-impact animals. A 10-gallon tank can comfortably accommodate 5 frogs, while 10-15 frogs can be housed in a 20-gallon tank.

It is important to make sure the tank is not too full if you opt for a 20 gallon, as the frogs need adequate space to move around and access the surface to breathe.

Decorations and plants should be used as well as strategic placement to help the frogs get to the surface for a gulp of air.

When can you put African dwarf frogs together?

You can pair up African dwarfs at any time. Whether they are adults or itty bitty tadpoles. As none aggressive amphibians, there shouldn’t be an issue, But like anything, it’s always better to add them at the same time so they grow up together.

Can I have just one African dwarf frog Anyway?

Absolutely, But it won’t be happy. You can try your best to find other compatible tank mates to try and meet your frog’s needs, but it simply won’t be as happy and healthy as a frog can be when it’s with others of its species.

Living in groups is instinctual for African dwarf frogs, so they can get lonely if kept by themselves. A lonely frog is prone to stress, weight gain, and even death.

In the wild, you can find thousands of tadpoles together living in harmony with other thousands of tadpoles. Why would we expect anything less from our pet frogs?