Xenopus Express Husbandry

Housing
Tanks can be either glass or rigid plastic. Xenopus should have 2-5 gallons of non chlorinated and chloramine free water per adult. Allow them to have places to avoid light if so desired. Frogs do like to bask if allowed to do so. Keep water level so frogs cannot escape or use a soft top enclosure with good ventilation.

Filtration is strongly recommended for ACF African Clawed frogs unless you want to do manual water changes after feeding. Contrary to what you may have read...Tetra Whisper brand In Tank Filters 20i and 40i are very quiet since the motor is under water and do not disturb the frogs. They mount inside the tank so you can have a secure to prevent escapes. For smaller tanks the Hagen Elite Mini underwater filter is a good choice. These have all been tested and recommended by the most experienced Xenopus hobbyists.

Feeding
Feeding ideally should be done daily. Animals should be fed as much as can be consumed in about 15 minutes. Xenopus should be give a nutritional high quality balanced diet such as Xenopus express' exclusive sinking and floating frog foods. Tanks should be cleaned after feeding to remove uneaten food to prevent bacterial outbreak. This can be done using a siphon or even a turkey baster. Other options include live prey such as gut loaded crickets and red wigglers. Feeder fish are not recommended as they are a source of disease unless you breed your own feeders.

Temperature
Xenopus Laevis should be housed at 18-22 C (64-72 degrees F).
Xenopus Tropicalis should be housed at 23-28 C (74 -82 degrees F).
If the water temperature is sub optimal... frogs will not eat and their metabolism and immune systems will be depressed. Xenopi cannot raise their body temperature by producing metabolic heat. They must rely on external heat sources. Tanks in cool rooms should provide a heating source. Low wattage rare earth phosphorous bulbs are useful and prevent burns. Submersible heaters can be wrapped in plastic mesh to protect frogs from burns. Xenopi are sensitive to temperature changes within the room as well as the temperature changes of water.

Water Quality
If using tap water, it is necessary to let the tap water sit for at least 24 hours to allow dissolved gases and some chlorine to dissipate before the water is used. This also allows time for the water to adjust to the current room temperature to reduce stress to frogs. A de-chlorinizer / water conditioner should also be added to water. If de-ionized water is used...be sure to verify a correct pH range (6.5-8.5). Water that is over saturated with dissolved gases can cause gas bubble disease (bubbles under the skin and in the webbing of frogs).

Recommended Water Hardness

A GH of greater than about 200 ppm works fine for increasing oocyte firmness and normal embryo development rates. 200 ppm (mg/liter of CaCO3) and alkalinity > 50 ppm (mg/L of CaCO3).

Effect of Water Hardness on Oocyte Quality and Embryo Development in the African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) Earl W. Godfrey, PhD and George E Sanders, DVM

Lighting
10-12 hours a day of indirect UV lighting is recommended however not necessary. Photo periods can be achieved with an automatic timer. Black lights and rare earth phosphorous bulbs are useful when wanting to view animals at night time without disturbing them.

Xenopus Enrichment
We use at our facility and now offer Xenopus Tubes and Floating Lily Pads. These are enriching and comforting to your frogs. Xenopus sp. naturally like to hide and Silurana sp. love to bask on pads.

Click here for Xenopus Tubes and Floating Lily Pads

Housekeeping
Cleanliness is the key to healthy and productive animals. Cleaning should be done a couple of hours after feeding. When changing the water or handling animals you should wear gloves. Traces of soaps, hand lotions, colognes and ointments which remain on the hands can be harmful to Xenopus. Frogs have permeable skin and are very sensitive to toxic substances.

New Arrivals
Our frogs are shipped in sealed eps foam containers with damp sponge to prevent drying out and to cushion any bumps during transit. Our shipping containers provide appropriate temperature, space and oxygen. Frogs should not be left in warm areas like loading docks. They should be promptly unpacked.

We recommended if possible, that new arrivals should be housed in separate holding tanks and should have separate nets for quarantine animals. Frequent hand washing procedures and glove changes between tanks of different shipments and between individual frogs.