Sometimes while keeping pets, there might arise some troubles and odd behaviors from them which could break your heart and make you become worried. Can you imagine coming out of bed one morning and seeing your precious frog upside down at the bottom of the tank or at the surface? Well, I guess you’ll become very worried and want to know why it is acting that way. In this article, we will learn why frogs such as the African dwarf frogs and the African clawed frogs could act this way.
Why is my African dwarf frog upside down? Your frog could be upside down because it is starving, Abnormal Water Temperature and pH, there is ammonia or nitrate in tank water or it is sick.
These are some of the things that could make your pet frogs be acting in this manner, although I will explain them later in this article.
Related: Why African dwarf frogs seem to fight each other
African dwarf frogs and African clawed frogs can sometimes decide to float on water by staying motionless on the surface in their idle times, especially at night in order to preserve energy, but staying upside down at the bottom or surface is not ordinary, and some common causes of this are:
Ammonia and Nitrate:
These chemicals are harmful to frogs of all types, including many other aquarium animals.
They can form in water and would affect your Frogs negatively if left for a while in their tank.
These chemicals can cause your frogs to start behavior very strangely like staying upside down etc, so they should be always checked and when found, the water should be changed.
Ammonia should be less than 0.20ppm and nitrate should be 0.
So if your African dwarf frog or African clawed frog is staying upside down, then you might need to test your water for these two chemicals.
Related: Do Crabs Sleep Upside Down? 6 Reasons Why They Could
Water Temperature and pH:
Water temperature and pH could actually be the cause of this strange behavior of your frog.
As we all know, every living thing has a level of body temperature, either high or low temperature they can tolerate, including frogs.
The normal temperature for African clawed frogs and African dwarf frogs is between 78-80°F, and their normal water pH is 6.5-7.5.
Related: Why Is My Lionfish Swimming Upside-Down? 3 Reasons Explained
So anything other than these could not be suitable for their health and may affect their behaviors etc.
So water temperature and pH are very important, and so you should control them to match your pet’s health condition or nature.
I think a heater would be of help here.
Related: Why Is My Pufferfish Swimming Upside-Down? 3 Reasons Explained
Hunger:
Maybe nothing is necessarily wrong with your frog, only that it is starving and lack total strength.
Normally, frogs should be heavily fed at least 4-5 times a week.
By the way, why would anyone get a pet he can’t be able to take care of? If your frog is skinny and starts flipping upside down, then you need to check its feeding schedule and improve it because it’s starving.
Related: Why Is My Pacman Frog Upside Down? 7 Reasons Explained
Your frog maybe is sick Or dying:
As a pet lover, I know nothing scares pet lovers like telling them that their pet is dying. But it’s the truth.
Many times if aquarium animals are dying or dead, they will float upside down, or stay like that at the bottom of the tank.
If you are unlucky to find your frog in that position, then you need to check if it’s dead.
Related: Can hermit crab live with wrasse?
If it’s still alive by showing signs of movement, then I think you need to call your vet for proper medical advice and care etc. Because it’s probably sick.
Conclusion
I hope this article is helpful.
Always get a vet’s opinion if things get complicated with your pets.
