Platinum African Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri)

Choose a platinum African dwarf frog for a frog-first aquarium

The Platinum African Dwarf Frog is a pale, captive-bred colour form of Hymenochirus boettgeri, a small, fully aquatic frog in the clawed-frog family Pipidae. In place of the usual mottled olive-brown, its rough, granular skin is ivory to pearly white with a faint pink flush, and its eyes stay dark. The species is sold under several names: African dwarf frog, dwarf clawed frog, Congo frog, Zaire dwarf clawed frog and Boettger's dwarf clawed frog all describe this frog or its very close relatives.

In the wild, H. boettgeri is recorded from southern Nigeria and Cameroon through the Congo basin to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Frogs in the hobby are bred in captivity; OATA notes that most aquatic frogs found in the trade are captive bred. Pipidae.org, which documents this family in detail, points out that the classification of Hymenochirus is still unsettled and that some pet-trade dwarf frogs cannot be matched with confidence to a described species, so treat the scientific name as the best available label rather than a guarantee.

"Platinum", "leucistic" and "blonde" are all trade names for pale dwarf frogs. We have found no authoritative genetic definition that separates them, so we describe this frog by what you can see rather than by a genetic claim. Its care is identical to the normal-coloured frog's.

Check it is a dwarf frog, not a clawed frog

Young African clawed frogs (Xenopus) are sometimes confused with dwarf frogs, and pale or albino clawed frogs make the mix-up easier. The two need different set-ups, so check these features, taken from OATA and Pipidae.org, on any small aquatic frog:

If you want a larger pale frog, our Albino African Clawed Frog is the clawed species. It grows far bigger and must never share a tank with dwarf frogs, which are small enough for it to eat. Browse every frog, newt and axolotl in our aquatic amphibians section, or compare all our Hymenochirus dwarf frogs side by side.

Know exactly what you receive

• One live Platinum African Dwarf Frog per purchase, supplied at a medium grade. It is a young frog that has not yet reached its adult size of up to about 4.5–5 cm.
• Sex is not selected. Males and females can only be told apart reliably once they mature; the breeding notes below explain the differences.
• Pale frogs vary: some look whiter, others creamier or pinker. The photographs show the colour form, not the individual frog you will receive.

Plan the group before you order

OATA advises keeping aquatic frogs in small groups of at least four, all of a similar size, because frogs kept singly or in groups that are too small often become stressed. To start a group, choose a quantity of four or more. You can mix platinum frogs with our normal-coloured African Dwarf Frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri) or the Gold African Dwarf Frog, provided they are a similar size; colour makes no difference to their care.

Before ordering, read our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information and have the aquarium running, matured and tested. The delivery day is not the time to discover that the tank has no lid or that ammonia is still present.

Size the aquarium for a small group

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 50 litres for a small group of African dwarf frogs, and advises buying as large a tank as you reasonably can, because bigger volumes keep temperature and water quality more stable. The frogs breathe air at the surface, so a long, wide tank with plenty of surface area suits them better than a tall, narrow one of the same volume. Our tank volume calculator turns your tank's dimensions into litres.

Dwarf frogs live entirely underwater but breathe with lungs, so they swim up for every breath. Fit a cover: OATA advises one to stop escapes, and Pipidae.org warns that frogs which get out dry out quickly. With a tight lid, OATA suggests dropping the water level slightly so there is always an air gap between the surface and the lid.

Use a set-up checklist

Check every gap a frog could squeeze into. Pipidae.org advises that the gap between the glass and a filter should be either less than 2 mm or more than 5 mm, because a small frog can wedge itself into a gap of 2–5 mm and become trapped.

Furnish the tank for slow, bottom-walking frogs

Dwarf frogs spend much of their time walking slowly over the floor and resting among plants, then rising to breathe. OATA recommends either a bare floor or a layer of sand so the skin is not scratched, and plenty of cover from pipes, caves, wood and large, rounded pebbles. Pebbles must be too big to swallow. Plants are welcome but should be fixed to décor so the frogs cannot uproot them.

Divide the footprint by function

Pipidae.org mentions Anubias barteri var. nana as a plant that gives the frogs hiding places, and floating Najas as one they like to climb in. Keep rockwork stable: the frogs dig, and a stone that shifts can crush them. OATA recommends relatively dim lighting, because bright light can stress aquatic amphibians; if your plants need more light, make sure there are dark refuges as well.

Match the water values

African dwarf frogs are not fussy about water chemistry, but they need clean, warm and stable water. Our two main sources give slightly different temperatures, so the table shows both and the range where they agree.

Because OATA's range is medium-hard and slightly alkaline, tap water in many parts of the UK suits these frogs once it is treated with a conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine. Supplies range from very soft to very hard, though, so measure yours rather than guess. Our water matcher compares your readings with the ranges above, and our water chemistry guide explains what each test means.

Separate habitat values from waste readings

OATA stresses that aquatic frogs can be stressed by even small amounts of ammonia and nitrite, which can lead to disease. A tank can sit comfortably inside the pH range and still be unsafe if waste has built up, so test both kinds of reading every week.

Filter gently and keep a weekly routine

OATA treats a filter as essential in any aquatic frog tank: efficient enough for the waste produced, but without a strong current. Pipidae.org prefers air-driven filters for their gentle flow, and notes that some keepers run frog-only tanks without a filter, relying on large weekly water changes instead. We recommend the filtered approach, because it keeps ammonia and nitrite at zero between changes. Mature the filter fully before the frogs arrive; our guide to the aquarium nitrogen cycle explains how.

Follow a weekly maintenance sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness before you change any water.
2. Change about 25% of the water at least once a week, as OATA recommends.
3. Treat the new water with tap-water conditioner and bring it to tank temperature.
4. Siphon droppings and leftover food from the sand or bare floor.
5. Check the filter intake and flow, and rinse media only in the water you have removed, never under the tap, so the filter bacteria survive.
6. Count the frogs and check that each one looks and moves normally.

Feed measured meaty meals

African dwarf frogs are carnivores. OATA recommends small meaty foods sized to the frog, such as brine shrimp, bloodworm and other insect larvae, supplemented with specialist prepared pellets for balanced nutrition. Pipidae.org lists frozen bloodworm, water fleas (Daphnia, Cyclops) and brine shrimp (Artemia) among the foods they take best, and notes that flakes and freeze-dried foods are usually ignored. It advises against feeding living bloodworm and treats live Tubifex as a possible risk, so use frozen foods: our frozen red mosquito larvae, frozen Daphnia and frozen Artemia are all good sizes for dwarf frogs.

Feed once a day. OATA advises leaving the food for about 15 minutes, because amphibians need time to eat, and then removing whatever is left so it does not foul the water. Pipidae.org suggests thawing frozen food and rinsing it through a sieve before feeding, which keeps the thawing liquid out of the tank.

Build one measured meal

• Thaw and rinse: defrost a small piece of frozen food in a little tank water and pour it through a fine sieve.
• Feed in one place: drop it into the open feeding strip so it lands where every frog can reach it.
• Watch every frog: make sure each one finds food; a frog that stops eating is often the first sign of a problem.
• Clear up after 15 minutes: siphon or net out anything left uneaten.

Weaning onto pellets takes patience. OATA notes that amphibians may need frozen or live food alongside prepared food until they learn the pellets are edible. Never overfeed: rotting food raises ammonia faster than the frogs can benefit from it.

Settle new frogs in calmly

Have the aquarium matured, with ammonia and nitrite both at zero and the temperature steady, before the frogs arrive. OATA's floating-bag method suits frogs well: switch off the aquarium light, float the unopened bag for about 10 minutes so the temperatures match, then add small amounts of aquarium water to the bag over at least 30 minutes. Release the frogs with as little bag water as possible.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

New frogs often hide at first. A frog that rises to breathe, walks over the floor and takes food within a few days is settling normally. Add further frogs gradually rather than all at once: OATA explains that the filter bacteria need time to catch up whenever the population and feeding increase.

Choose tank mates carefully, or none at all

OATA says aquatic frogs are best kept in species-only aquariums. African dwarf frogs can live with some fish, but only fish that are not small enough to be eaten and not so large, nippy or predatory that they stress the frogs. Dwarf frogs are slow feeders, so active fish usually reach the food first; in a mixed tank you must check that the frogs actually eat.

Screen every companion the same way

Our tank mates tool lets you check a proposed mix before you buy. If you are unsure, keep the frogs on their own: a species-only group is easier to feed and to watch. You can find other unusual animals in our loaches and oddballs collection, but browsing them together does not mean they can share a tank.

Watch health and keep good hygiene

Aquatic amphibians have delicate, scaleless skin and, according to OATA, are prone to fungal infections. Learn how your frogs look and behave when they are healthy, so you notice changes early.

Pair each sign with an action

OATA advises that amphibians are sensitive to aquarium treatments and that half doses should normally be used unless the manufacturer says otherwise. Do not reach for a medicine first: test the water, because poor water quality is the most common cause of trouble.

Good hygiene matters too. In the United States, the CDC linked an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in 2009–2011 to African dwarf frogs, with 224 laboratory-confirmed human cases, most of them young children, and concluded that contact with water from the frogs' tanks was the most likely route. It advised that children under five, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems avoid contact with frogs and their tank water. OATA recommends washing your hands before and after working in any aquarium and never starting a siphon by mouth.

Recognise the sexes and breeding behaviour

Pipidae.org describes small glands behind the front legs, the postaxillary glands, as the best way to recognise a male. Females are plumper and about 5 mm longer than males. OATA adds that males develop rough nuptial pads on their forelegs in the breeding season and are slimmer than females. Pipidae.org gives about six months as the age at which frogs begin to mate.

Males court females by "singing". The pair then swim up to the surface and back down while the female releases eggs, which the male fertilises. OATA warns that the adults eat the eggs and tadpoles, so eggs must be moved to a separate tank, where the tadpoles need microscopic live food such as infusoria once their yolk is used up, followed by larger foods as they grow and change into frogs.

Answer platinum African dwarf frog buying questions

What is a Platinum African Dwarf Frog?

It is a pale, captive-bred colour form of Hymenochirus boettgeri, a small, fully aquatic frog from Central Africa. It has ivory to pearly skin with a faint pink flush and dark eyes, and its care is exactly the same as for the normal-coloured African dwarf frog.

How big does a Platinum African Dwarf Frog get?

Up to about 4.5–5 cm. Pipidae.org gives up to 4.5 cm from snout to vent and OATA up to 5 cm. Females are about 5 mm longer than males.

How many African dwarf frogs should I keep together?

OATA recommends small groups of at least four frogs of a similar size, because frogs kept singly or in groups that are too small often become stressed. One purchase is one frog, so choose a quantity of four or more.

What size tank does an African dwarf frog need?

At least 50 litres for a small group, with a secure lid, an air gap above the water, a gentle filter and a heater. A long, wide tank is better than a tall one because the frogs breathe at the surface.

What water temperature does it need?

OATA gives 22–25°C for aquatic frogs and Pipidae.org 24–26°C, so 24–25°C suits both. Keep the pH at 7.0–8.0 and ammonia and nitrite at zero.

What do African dwarf frogs eat?

Small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and Daphnia, with specialist pellets once they accept them. Feed once a day, leave the food for about 15 minutes, then remove anything uneaten.

Can African dwarf frogs live with fish?

Only with fish that are too big to be eaten and not large, nippy or predatory enough to stress them. OATA says species-only tanks are best, and dwarf frogs must never share a tank with African clawed frogs.

How do I know it is a dwarf frog and not a clawed frog?

Dwarf frogs have webbed front feet, eyes on the sides of the head and rough skin. Clawed frogs have free front fingers, larger eyes on top of the head, smooth skin, and grow to about 15 cm.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to care for aquatic frogs & axolotls (Sept 2022) — UK group guidance on water values, tank size, group size, identification, feeding, introduction, maintenance and health.
• Pipidae.org: African dwarf clawed frog tank set-up — temperature, cover, filter gaps, planting and lighting.
• Pipidae.org: Feeding African dwarf clawed frogs — preferred foods and foods to avoid.
• Pipidae.org: Determining the sexes — postaxillary glands, size difference and age at first mating.
• Pipidae.org: African dwarf clawed frog or African clawed frog? — identification features and adult size.
• Pipidae.org: Hymenochirus boettgeri — subspecies and the unsettled taxonomy of the genus.
• Pipidae.org: Hymenochirus spec. "Pet Trade 2" — an example of a pet-trade dwarf frog that cannot be assigned to a described species.
• Amphibian Species of the World: Hymenochirus boettgeri — authority and natural distribution.
• CDC MMWR (2011): Salmonella Typhimurium infections associated with aquatic frogs — the 2009–2011 outbreak and hygiene advice.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.