Betta Fish and African Dwarf Frog Can Live Together?

Betta Fish and African Dwarf Frog (wikipedia – CC BY-SA 4.0)

Do you have any idea that a frog can be a tank mate to your fish? It may sound unrealistic to have a frog and a fish sharing the same space in an aquarium. The good news is, frogs especially the African Dwarf frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri) can coexist with your Betta fish in the same tank environment.

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by Fabian

Updated: July 4, 2019 / 8 mins read

Fabian is the dedicated Chief Editor at Aquarium Nexus. From a young age, he was captivated by the vibrant world of aquatic life, leading him to accumulate over 20 years of experience in keeping and breeding various fish species. The fulfillment derived from the aquarium hobby has remained a constant throughout Fabian's life. As an expert in the field, he finds great pleasure in imparting his extensive knowledge and personal experiences to both seasoned aficionados and budding enthusiasts.

This statement may have taken you by surprise but just think how different aquatic animals relate to each other in the wild and reflect that relationship to when they are both in captivity.

Generally speaking, Betta fish and African Dwarf frog make good tank mates although there are precautions to be taken into consideration. That is why some observation should be made earlier to help you understand better the behavior of these two freshwater animals prior to bringing them together.

But one thing remains certain when it comes to African Dwarf frogs. These frogs are quite interesting tank mates for your Betta fish simply because they possess legs and lungs, unlike most other tank mates.

Cohabitation is a common thing between the African Dwarf frogs and Bettas. As such, it is of great importance to know that their cohabitation depends solely on their temperament besides other factors. Find out more about the compatibility between Betta fish and African Dwarf frog in the following sections of this article so you may know how you to handle them when they are tank mates.

Dwarf Frogs and Betta Fish Good Tank Mates?

As stated earlier, African Dwarf frogs can cohabit with Betta fish with experiencing major problems. The tank where the two types of animals live should be large enough to accommodate them. Naturally, African Dwarf frogs are known to be quiet and peaceful animals that keep to their lanes. On the other hand, Betta fish are a little bit pesky and somehow aggressive but with time they get along with Dwarf frogs.

The introduction of a new aquatic animal into the aquarium with already existing fish can be a challenging idea and a daring move. Obviously, other animals in the tank will exhibit their characters of being territorial especially when introducing frogs to their habitat.

Why choose African Dwarf frogs from hundreds of other species in the wild? The answer to this question is simple and clear. The African Dwarf frogs are funny little creatures that coexist perfectly with Betta fish even in captivity. As a matter of fact, these two aquatic creatures are likely not to create disharmony between them because each one of them tends to mind their own business.

The second reason why you should put the African Dwarf Frog and Betta fish in the same tank is that the former is partially blind. Probably, you were not aware of this interesting fact about this little amphibian. And maybe your next question is how these animals move around.

The fact that the African Dwarf frog is partially blind doesn’t mean other remaining organs are equally impaired. These frogs move from place to place through their sense of smell. This is quite interesting and intriguing at the same time. Their strong sense of smell enables them to acquire food and do other things that keep them alive. Therefore, the frog will not interfere with their tank mates, especially Betta fish.

Sadly, the opposite could be true. Betta fish are aggressive by nature and they are likely to be hostile towards the frog in the initial stages of their interaction. With time, the two creatures will eventually get along with each other pretty well. Or the Betta fish will finally get bored and shift their attention to other things around them.

How Many African Dwarf Frogs Can Live with a Betta Fish?

In their natural habitat, African Dwarf frogs prefer living alongside other frogs. This means that when you introduce an African Dwarf frog to an aquarium ecosystem, you should ensure that it is accompanied by another frog. This way, it will make the two frogs to enjoy each other’s company all the time.

The addition of more frogs into the aquarium means that you need to make some crucial adjustments to the tank size and its parameters as well. In this case, you should be aware that for every one African Dwarf frog, you need to have 3 gallons of aquarium space. That is the main reason experts recommend acquiring at least a 10-gallon tank as the optimal size for both your Betta fish and a handful of African Dwarf frogs.

Aggression Between Betta Fish and African Dwarf Frogs

It is extremely rare for a conflict to occur between Betta fish and an African Dwarf Frog. Perhaps this is attributed to the fact that the African Dwarf frogs are partially blind hence the reason they are calm and peaceful.

On the other hand, Betta fish are fully aware of what is going on around them and can easily wreak havoc to their tank mates when they feel threatened or their territory infringed. In fact, they can display their aggression by poking on the frogs to see their reactions. Contrary to your expectations, Betta fish will not fight their neighbor (African Dwarf frogs) despite being too pesky in most cases.

These fish come in different personalities that make it difficult to fully understand their aggressive behavior. Some of them are very aggressive and territorial while others are just calm. All these different personalities depending on the type of Betta fish in your tank.

Male Betta fish are more aggressive in comparison to females. Therefore, you should consider acquiring female Betta fish if you feel that the males are too aggressive to coexist with the African Dwarf frog. In the end, you will not get worried about the chances of conflicts arising between your Bettas and African Dwarf frogs.

Betta Fish and African Dwarf Frog are Not Getting Along

Chances of your Betta Fish and African Dwarf frog not getting along are very minimal although it can happen. To prevent such cases from occurring, you need to observe the aggressiveness of your Betta fish towards other creatures. If you discover that your fish is more aggressive, you should not proceed with your plan to introduce an African Dwarf frog to the tank to be its mate.

When it comes to purchasing Betta fish to become tank mates with Dwarf frogs, it is important that you settle for the females because they are less aggressive compared to their male counterparts.

In case you come to find out that there has been a conflict between your Bettas and African Dwarf Frogs, you need to look for a working solution as soon as possible. The first thing you should do is to ensure that there are more plants in the aquarium in addition to looking for a larger tank to accommodate these two types of creatures at the same time. When your tank has enough room and plenty of plants, you can sit back and relax knowing that your frogs and fish will have some places to hide or make their own spaces.

Feeding African Dwarf and Betta Fish

Keeping your Betta fish and African Dwarf frog in the same tank is a task of its own but feeding them is yet another exercise of its kind. Feeding them is an important part of keeping these animals in your home aquarium because it ensures that they become strong and healthy throughout their lifetime.

But the real challenge comes about when feeding multiple species living as tank mates. And one of the major problems you will have to tackle is making your Betta fish eat the same type of food like that for the frog. Even though they share the same diet, feeding them at once can be a daunting task for most of the aquarium hobbyists. In addition, it can be difficult for the frog to feed properly given that the Betta fish can see the food first and go after it before the frog makes any move.

Despite numerous challenges when it comes to feeding your African Dwarf frog and Betta fish, you can always find a possible solution to this problem. To begin with, you may look for a bigger tank that is enough to accommodate both the frog and fish. The advantage of keeping these aquatic animals in a larger tank is that each species will have its own place and space to feed. So, if you have a smaller tank, then you should think of acquiring at least a 10-gallon tank that can hold several frogs and Betta fish.

Another helpful trick is to place food near your frogs to help them see it first. This way, you will have eliminated the problem of your Betta fish finishing the food before the frog can eat. But always remember to provide your Betta fish and your African Dwarf frog with the right amount of food they can eat in a matter of a few minutes.

Final Thought

African Dwarf frog and Betta fish can live side by side in the tank as mates provided that you know how to handle them. While the frog is peaceful and calm, the fish is somehow aggressive and pesky but with time they both get along very well.