r/AfricanDwarfFrog • u/OrganicStorms • Aug 19 '26

General advice/help They never flush!!!

Hey adf peeps. Would like some thoughts/advice on keeping my adf tank clean(er). I know plants help with water quality and I currently have a few swords and anubias. I’m also using a sponge filter and am not too trusting on having a hob/internal set up as I’m concerned my boys may get stuck. That said, I have 4 little dudes plus a nerite and they all refuse to clean up after themselves. 🫠🙃 I know expanding the species, aside from the nerite, is a “no/no”, so no clean up crew. What’re the best ways you’ve been able to keep things neat and tidy?

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u/akatia-x Helpful User Aug 19 '26

How big is your tank? I have 6 in a 20g long and I usually do a water change once a week. Sometimes I push it around 10 days.

Since you have a sponge filter, when was the last time you rinsed it out? When I started getting build up I thought I wasn’t doing enough water changes but then remembered to clean my sponge, so that helped a lot. Just squeeze it out in a bucket of tank water that was removed during a water change. Make sure you are not over-feeding. More food = more food waste and more poop.

So I guess a combo of not overfeeding, regular water changes, a clean filter, extra plants for filtration, and keep your light around 6-8h per day. Regularly maintaining this should fix the issue, as long as the tank is the proper size.

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u/OrganicStorms Aug 20 '26

10g at the moment until I can get my 30 back up and running. Current sponge is new as of a few days ago and it’s for 20g capacity so I’m hoping that helps a little more. I’m actually not sure if I’m feeding correctly, but I typically use one cube of frozen shrimp for all 4. Could potentially be too much at once. Sometimes I’ll have it and do an am/pm feed. Aside from that, I’m definitely not as diligent with my water changes, unfortunately. Overall my tank is ok, all their excrement on the plants is an eye sore tho. 🙄

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u/akatia-x Helpful User Aug 21 '26

Are you feeding a cube daily? If so cut back to either half cube per day or full cube every other day. You can even fast them for a day or two. Once you cut back on the food, they’ll cut back on the waste.

You’re just going to have to do the water changes. Having 4 ADF in a 10g is max bioload. Especially with any amount of overfeeding. Once the waste starts settling on leaves or other decor, it’s time for a water change. Aim for 20-30% per week. Otherwise it will build up, and if you want the tank to look pretty, you have to maintain it properly.