American bullfrog in a 30-gallon aquarium?

[Wayfarin]

Hey folks!
We were thinking of updating our red-eared slider from her tank of about 30 gallons to a 55-gallon tank.
Does anyone have any suggestions on stocking this tank? Would a 30-gallon be enough for a bullfrog, or something similar?
I guess this does depend on the size of the bullfrog. I can't imagine that an 8" long bullfrog would be happy in such a small tank, but a 4-6" bullfrog might be able to handle it. The tank would probably be something close to 90% water, about 15-20" deep, with only a floating platform for land.
The recommended tank size for a bullfrog seems to vary based on opinion. Some say that the minimum is 20-gallons, while others say they need as much as 75-gallons!
I would probably NOT cohabit the bullfrog with another frog, but maybe with small fish or snails. However, I would not go through all of the trouble of buying a 75-gallon tank to keep one, unless I already possessed one and didn't want to give it up.
Likewise, can bullfrogs eat pacman frog food bites? I'm not too squeamish to feed frogs live insects, but it would be useful if they could eat non-living food, since it's much easier to store.
I would NEVER feed a frog, or snake, or tarantula, or ANY animal for that matter, live rodents. I'm a guinea pig lover, so that just wouldn't be my nature.
If a bullfrog is a bad idea, then are there any better ideas?
Any input is welcome.
Thanks! God bless!

 

[viper69]

Too small in my opinion

 

[me and my Ts]

I would say 40 gallon tank

 

[Wayfarin]

Too small in my opinion

Doesn't it kind of depend on the size of the frog? Bullfrogs can pretty much grow anywhere from 3-8 inches long, which is a pretty drastic size variation. I don't have a large frog at the moment, so it's not out of desperation, it's out of the possibility that I might find a frog closer to the 3-5" end of the spectrum.

Also, could a bullfrog be content in a tank with 15-20" deep water with only a floating platform for land, something like what a turtle would have? Or do they depend on shallow water transitional areas?

 

[me and my Ts]

not sure whether you’re talking about African or American bullfrog but these are both good videos for how to setup an enclosure for them

 

[Wayfarin]

not sure whether you’re talking about African or American bullfrog but these are both good videos for how to setup an enclosure for them

I'm talking about American bullfrogs, which seem a little more adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. Correct me if I'm wrong?
It would probably look something like that, but not quite as luxurious. Only 30 gallons with the water being a little deeper, but with floating logs to allow for "basking" and resting. I could make the water shallow, but the frog would have more space to stretch and move if the water was deeper.
It's not a "long" 30 gallon tank, it's a deep one. It's not vertical or anything like that, but it's made for deep water.
The water would not be deep enough for the frog's feet to touch the bottom, but there would be hornwort and stuff to bring the frog closer to the surface.

 

[me and my Ts]

I believe they prefer shallow water, I’ve never seen them leave the shore. But what you could do is slope the substrate so that they part of the substrate is high enough for them to touch the bottom

 

[Wayfarin]

I believe they prefer shallow water, I’ve never seen them leave the shore. But what you could do is slope the substrate so that they part of the substrate is high enough for them to touch the bottom

I could have a flat underwater decoration for the frog to stand on to make it shallower, but the tank isn't really long enough to make a full slope that leads to land.
What exactly is a frogs definition of shallow? Shallow enough to stand?

 

[Westicles]

I personally would go with a bigger sized tank. American bullfrogs are common where I live and I don't see too many small ones. Keep in mind too, these guys are messy, and you'll be doing water changes frequently

 

[me and my Ts]

I could have a flat underwater decoration for the frog to stand on to make it shallower, but the tank isn't really long enough to make a full slope that leads to land.
What exactly is a frogs definition of shallow? Shallow enough to stand?

A platform might work, but from what I understand they do enjoy having a land section that they can dig in a little bit. I would use like 12 inches of water or less. I agree with @Westicles the bigger the better. If you could get a 75gallon tank for them when they’re an adult that would be ideal

 

[Wayfarin]

A platform might work, but from what I understand they do enjoy having a land section that they can dig in a little bit. I would use like 12 inches of water or less. I agree with @Westicles the bigger the better. If you could get a 75gallon tank for them when they’re an adult that would be ideal

If I could get a 75-gallon tank, I would move our red-eared slider into it. 75 gallons would be even better than 55. In that case, I would only get a bullfrog if it could cohabit with her, but with turtles being the way they are... maybe or not. Has anyone cohabited sliders and bullfrogs with success? Maybe if I fed her every day?

I personally would go with a bigger sized tank. American bullfrogs are common where I live and I don't see too many small ones. Keep in mind too, these guys are messy, and you'll be doing water changes frequently

I'd be willing to siphon some of the water weekly if needed. In a 30-gallon tank, there would be less gallons to siphon out, so unless there's a real advantage to keeping the frog in a larger tank, I don't see the point.

 

[Westicles]

I'd be willing to siphon some of the water weekly if needed. In a 30-gallon tank, there would be less gallons to siphon out, so unless there's a real advantage to keeping the frog in a larger tank, I don't see the point.

The biggest point is to minimize as best you can it smashing it's snout against the glass. Also, the bigger the enclosure, the more you can create a proper setup. These aren't pyxies or ornates that just sit there. They're highly active and need room. That's simply my opinion.

 

[Wayfarin]

The biggest point is to minimize as best you can it smashing it's snout against the glass. Also, the bigger the enclosure, the more you can create a proper setup. These aren't pyxies or ornates that just sit there. They're highly active and need room. That's simply my opinion.

Well, I don't currently possess a bullfrog, so if they really need a lot of space, I'm gonna have to do something else with the 30 gallon.

 

[Westicles]

Well, I don't currently possess a bullfrog, so if they really need a lot of space, I'm gonna have to do something else with the 30 gallon.

Luckily you have lots of options with a 30 gallon. I just personally wouldn't put a bull frog in it.

 

[me and my Ts]

Well, I don't currently possess a bullfrog, so if they really need a lot of space, I'm gonna have to do something else with the 30 gallon.

Dart frogs could be a good option, maybe a budget frog, fire bellied toads, lots of options

 

[Wayfarin]

Dart frogs could be a good option, maybe a budget frog, fire bellied toads, lots of options

Would it be acceptable to cohabit a (single) green anole and a (single) green tree frog in a 30-gallon? Their requirements seem to be almost the same, except for the heat lamp.

(The little American frog, not the big Australian one.)

 

[me and my Ts]

Would it be acceptable to cohabit a (single) green anole and a (single) green tree frog in a 30-gallon? Their requirements seem to be almost the same, except for the heat lamp.

(The little American frog, not the big Australian one.)

I would think so as long as you make sure the frog doesn’t cook itself in the heat lamp which the anole will need. I’m sure you can find plenty of info on the subject. In fact when I looked it up I saw an arachnoboards thread on it come up

 

[Wayfarin]

I would think so as long as you make sure the frog doesn’t cook itself in the heat lamp which the anole will need. I’m sure you can find plenty of info on the subject. In fact when I looked it up I saw an arachnoboards thread on it come up

Yeah, the tank will probably be tall enough to prevent that. It is a 30-gallon, after all. The frog will probably sleep on the dark side of the shady corner all day and then wake up at night when the anole is sleeping.
People seem to have had more success cohabiting green anoles with green tree frogs than any other interspecies attempt, even cohabiting green anoles and brown anoles, which we had already done in the past. We've never cohabited anoles and tree frogs before, but we did put a green tree frog in an anole tank after the anole died without cleaning it out or rearranging anything. We think that frog escaped an died in the house, though, so we never really knew the outcome of that.
That was in a 10-gallon tank. I personally would not attempt cohabitation in such a tiny space.

 

[me and my Ts]

Yeah, I cohab vampire crabs and mourning geckos and it works pretty well

 

[Wayfarin]

Yeah, I cohab vampire crabs and mourning geckos and it works pretty well

Crabs and lizards? Certainly an interesting idea!