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How Big Does An African Dwarf Frog Get? (Average Size & Growth)

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By Lindsey Stanton

african dwarf frog diving

The African dwarf frog is a fairly small frog, as implied by its name, one that has its origins in equatorial Africa. They come from forested parts of Africa including areas in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and occasionally in the Congo, too.

They were not always popular pets, but recent years have seen a surge in their popularity. The African dwarf frog is fairly easy to take care of and they make for good pets. People have been asking us how big does an African Dwarf frog gets, so we are here to answer and provide some helpful tips along the way. The African dwarf frog will grow to around 3 inches in length or about 7.5 centimeters. They usually grow to around 2.5 inches in length, but never any more than 3 inches.

aquarium plant dividerAfrican Dwarf Frog – Average Size

As you can probably tell from the name of this animal, it is a small frog, one of the smaller ones on the planet. No, it is not as small as some other species, but it is certainly no bullfrog. The African dwarf frog weighs no more than a few grams. You will barely be able to feel the weight of these creatures when lifting them. The African dwarf frog is indeed a very small creature.

If you are wondering how big an African dwarf frog tank or terrarium needs to be, a single one can easily be in a 3- or 4-gallon tank. Two African dwarf frogs need around 5 gallons, even 6 or 7, but no more. However, if you plan on having any more than two of them, it would be wise to get a 20-gallon tank, as they do require a fair bit of space.

african dwarf frog swimming
Image By: Charlie Tyack, Shutterstock

Ensuring Healthy Growth Of The African Dwarf Frog

Just like with any other creature on this planet, including ourselves, some factors contribute to how fast and big the African dwarf frog can grow. Treat them right, feed them well, and give them a good clean home, and the chances of them reaching their maximum potential size are greatly maximized.

So, how do you ensure that an African dwarf frog gets as big as can be?

  • Feed them a good varied diet with lots of nutrients. You can go with special frog food pellets, preferably those that sink to the bottom of the tank, but they do need to be of high quality.
  • Feeding your African dwarf frogs things like frozen or freeze-dried daphnia, brine shrimp (be careful housing them with shrimp), tubifex worms, and blood worms is a good idea too. They like eating insects and insect larvae, so those are a big must for healthy growth as well. The point here is that feeding your African dwarf frog lots of nutrient-rich foods will help it grow big and strong.
  • While there is at this time no solid empirical data to back this up, as history has taught us, many animals will only grow so large as their environment allows them to. Therefore, if you want your African dwarf frog to get as big as possible, make sure to provide it with ample living space.
  • Another thing that is very important to keep in mind is lighting. They need at least 10 hours of light per day. Furthermore, ensuring that the water temperature is around 74 degrees (roughly 23 Celsius), will ensure proper metabolic and organ function.
  • Finally, be sure to have a good filter and always maintain a high level of water quality. Making sure that all of these factors are taken care of will help your frog be as healthy as can be, thus allowing it to grow to its maximum potential size with ease.

If you need some tank mate suggestions then we have covered our top 10 over in this article.

aquarium plant dividerConclusion

So, if you are worried about not having enough space for your African dwarf frog, don’t worry because they do not grow too large at all. They make for fairly convenient house pets that save space and aren’t too hard to care for.


Feature Image: Dan Olsen, Shutterstock

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