Can African Dwarf Frogs Live With Goldfish?

Last Updated on January 29, 2021 by cmoarz

African Dwarf Frogs (Or ADF for short), and goldfish make an excellent pair in captivity. Given their water temperature needs, they can both live comfortably in the same tank.

A goldfish requires 70-78°F and an African Dwarf requires 65-75°F. So meeting in the middle at 70°F is the perfect temperature when housing both these species together.

Given African dwarf frogs are completely aquatic, unlike other frogs, only coming up for air, and requiring no land to rest on, they make ideal tank mates with goldfish who require a fully submerged tank.

Keep in mind it’s not ok to have a small perch your frogs may be able to climb up on, such as a branch or a tank decoration that protrudes out of the water. It’s not recommended as the African dwarf frog is highly sensitive to drying out in low humidity environments. This can easily cause a quick death.

Given a goldfish has no specific requirements for substrate, it also allows you to more adequately set up an environment for your ADF’s without causing issue to your other aquarium fish (goldfish in particular).

A soft, small substrate should be used, such as sand or very fine, smooth gravel. This will prevent the frogs from hurting themselves when they inevitably jump out of the water and dive back in.

This is especially important if you’re tank isn’t especially deep. A shallow tank could make dwarf frogs prone to injury. So it’s best to avoid anything too big or rough.

The most important aspect to keeping these two species together is the temperature. Goldfish and African dwarf frogs are very sensitive species and the slightest issue with the temperature being too hot, or too cold, will kill them quickly.

The latter, being too cold, Is the most common point of failure for keeping afd’s alive. A single day going by with a broken water heater could be the end of both species. That’s why we recommend having a backup, or an active temperature monitoring system that will send alerts to your pc or mobile.

The faster you deal with these types of problems, the better it will be for your tank.

Can goldfish and frogs live together in a pond?

Having frogs in your goldfish pond isn’t a big deal if the goldfish are larger than the frogs. If the goldfish are smaller than the frogs, there is a chance they will eat them.

However the same is not true in the opposite. If a frog is smaller than a goldfish, it is unlikely to attack the frog. The exception being when the frogs are just tadpoles. Goldfish tend to enjoy a fresh tadpole snack on occasion.

African dwarf frogs are a good species to add to your goldfish pond, But you should avoid other species such as bullfrogs. Bull’s will eat your goldfish depending on the size of the two. Goldfish getting eaten isn’t the only concern though, As bulls will also eat any turtles, koi, or anything else you have in your pond that will fit in their mouth.

It’s not ideal. The bottom line is some frogs are fine to be in your pond with your koi or goldfish, such as ADF’s, But others should be avoided, such as bullfrogs.

What do pond frogs eat

Pond frogs in general will eat just about anything you give them. This includes any leftover goldfish or koi food. Depending on the location of the pond, they may also find sustenance in various bugs and small fish such as minnows and shrimp.

Because of this, Frogs really make a pond ‘complete’ in the sense that they do have so much to offer. From best control to fertilization, they make an important part of a complete pond ecosystem.

Tadpoles also play an important role in the health of your pond by consuming vast quantities of algae. These little vacuums suck up tons of the stuff because they need it to grow and develop into our little hopping friends. Their usefulness and efficiency shouldn’t be understated.

Aside from bugs and algae, a pond frog’s diet consists of small animals like worms and sometimes, even small birds. Not likely from a tiny African dwarf, however. Overall you can expect far fewer insects and other pests around your pond due to frogs eating habits, Which to us, Is a good thing.

How to get rid of frogs in fish pond

If you decide you no longer wish to have frogs in your goldfish pond, Catching and removing them is relatively easy. Going in with nets to catch as many adults as possible and relocating them somewhere else is pretty effective.

As for the tadpoles, your fish should be able to take care of most of them on their own, but there are a few other options you can consider to remove them.

Another thing you will need to do is prevent more frogs from coming. Assuming your pond is relatively open to wildlife, You should consider pruning back vegetation such as tall grass.

Removing Lilly pads and other floating vegetation is also a good idea. Frogs won’t want to hang around if the environment isn’t frog friendly.