L & H Frog Journal
African Dwarf Frogs -  Hymenochirus boettgeri
page 8

1-5-03 Upon resetting up our tank D with new gravel. We eradicated our leeches but decided on new gravel. H put the minnows pack in the tank and some time over the holiday. The cory catfish perished in quarantine. Tank temperature may have been the culprit, as the quarantine tank is unheated. We noticed a white blob on Jim's left front hand on the pinky finger. We quarantined him from the other frogs and went to the Pet Store for help. They suggested an antibiotic. We administered it as recommended.

1-7-03 After two days with Jim's fungus continuing to grow overtaking most of his hand, we gave up on the antibiotic last night and used info we found off http://www.pipidae.net/.   We are using Methylene Blue directly on his fungus and put a heater in the tank to help administer the medication. We noticed his trying to shed his skin as well. We are watching him closely hoping for the best. We are reassured by his use of his injured hand and his desire to continue to eat and hunt.

1-8-03 Twice yesterday and once this morning we used a q-tip soaked in methylene blue to treat his hand directly. This afternoon I noticed the white blob is gone. His arm is red I assume from blood and I can't detect any fingers or webbing, therefore, I assume parts of his hand are missing. He is full on shedding at this point. We're wondering if he shed most of the fungus and parts of his hand with it. Will they grow back? He's still with us and that's something to be pleased about. We'll treat his hand/arm again tonight. Herding him into the net and treating his hand are quite the operation. But thankfully, H is quite patient & gentle with Jim. - L

1-9-03 Jim's hand appears to be doing well. It's just a bit red and missing one or two fingers and the corresponding webbing. But Jim is swimming and using his arm & injured hand. We even noticed him singing! Being able to help Jim has really made us feel like better frog owners/lovers. We're pretty excited to see him recover let alone sing!

This is a photo of Jim when he was feeling better. - L

1-21-03 Jim seems to have recovered from his fungus. He does have a finger or two missing. The redness in his arm & hand are completely gone. He does have a white spot on his hip which we treated as well. It doesn't seem to be changing. He seems well and quite frisky. We put him back with other two frogs and he immediately began to embrace the nearest frog. He's been trying to cuddle with either of them pretty much since he was added back to the tank. Who knows maybe we'll have more eggs some time? - L

1-25-03 We discovered eggs this morning.

1-27-03 We spotted a single tadpole swimming amongst its parents.

1-28-03 We bought 9 feeder danios for the frogs. Oh, the excitement! They immediately started hunting and gulped down a few. To our amazement the two boys seem to be sparring or acting terroritial. We contemplate a larger tank.

1-29-03 We set up a ten gallon tank half full of water, a pagoda, a large fake rock [so they can rest at the surface], plants including duckweed, "smallworld" filter, a heater, and climatize the frogs & fish to it. Six feeder danios remain.

1-31-03 Five feeder danios have survived thus far. They swim quite actively. The frogs are trying to mate almost daily. Everyone seems happy. - L

3-11-03 We went to Kauai for a lovely vacation and returned to find all our pets doing well. We used professional pet sitters http://hometurfpets.com and are quite pleased.  Our male ADF's in our kitchen sing all the time. The same five feeder danios have continued to thrive in the tank with the ADF's eating their bloodworms and getting bigger every day.  We weren't not sure if they're too big for the frogs to eat now or if the frogs have just given up since they're such quick swimmers. - L

4-4-03 Just an update everyone seems happy, round bellies, frequent snuggling, and fish to knock around.  Added some new plants to all the tanks. Everyone seems to enjoy hanging out in the leaves. - L

4-25-03 We bought some feeder guppies and they seem to big for the ADF's. They've survived and school with the danios. They however have had babies that keep the ADF's on the prowl. It's the food chain right here in our kitchen. We feed the fish, they have babies, and the frogs eat the little ones. 

5-6-03 We can't find any baby guppies they all must have been consumed at this point. The danios and guppies seem happily swimming and the frogs seem active. Things look good except my new plants didn't survive because I keep seeing the fish nibbling on the plants I suspect.

6-10-03 We lots all the fish and frogs [two cardinal tetras, one otto cat, and two ADF's] in L's office tank over the weekend. It's been into the 90s here and we feel they over-heated. I'm thinking I'll take the tank home and not potentially subject any more critters to the heat there. Everyone at home is fat and sassy.

9-9-03 Frogs snuggling which is a good sign. Weather has been abnormally hot. 

9-11-03 Observed Jim shedding and another frog and the danios pestering him. Took a closer look and saw other frog & Jim get attached at the mouths and an aggressive almost fight looking behavior. Finally, Jim broke free and hid under the pagoda to shed in peace. I fed them some glassworms and every frog & fish came over to eat. Jim still had some loose skin on his foot. The two other frogs started going after it and Jim too. They were aggressively trying to eat the skin literally off him. Even though there was food present.  The danios took pecks at him as well.  This is a completely new thing for me to witness.

More froggie stories to come.... next page