African Clawed Frog

African clawed frogs are voracious carnivores that take earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms, chunks of raw fish or shrimp, and sinking carnivore/frog pellets. They'll eat anything that fits in their mouth — including smaller tankmates — and are prone to obesity, so feed adults just 2–3 times a week (juveniles more often) in measured portions. Use feeding tongs or a stick, as they snap hard at movement.

Big, hardy, fully aquatic frog and an indiscriminate predator — it eats any tank mate it can cram into its mouth and shreds larger food with clawed hind feet. Strong, messy, and long-lived, it churns substrate and uproots plants, so it needs robust filtration with gentle outflow, a tight weighted lid (a powerful escape artist), and a deep tank. Nearly blind to still objects, it finds prey by smell and by sensing vibrations through the lateral-line stitch marks along its body. Keep it alone or only with other similar-sized African clawed frogs.

Easily bred and a classic lab animal — historically used for pregnancy testing because human hCG hormone makes females ovulate. Cooling then warming the water triggers breeding; the male clicks an underwater 'mating call' and clasps the female, who scatters hundreds to thousands of sticky eggs on plants and glass. Remove the adults, which eat the eggs. Tadpoles are filter-feeders that hang head-down and strain suspended food (green water, fine powdered fry food). Never release this species — it is invasive and a carrier of chytrid fungus.