The Budgett's Frog Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognook honest amphibian care · bognook.com 
Budgett's Frog — Care Cheat-Sheet Intermediate A grumpy aquatic 'hippo frog' — simple care, but a solitary, hungry, bitey loner.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Aquatic 20 gal / 18×18×12 (1 only — cannibal)
- Temp
- Warm 75–82°F (a gentle heater)
- Water
- Shallow — about the frog’s own height, so it rests with eyes & nostrils out; a spot to climb out · dechlorinated, gentle filter
- Food
- Worms, pellets, the odd fish — do NOT overfeed
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years reported by keepers (one documented at 18)
✅ Simple, shallow-water care and loads of personality — a real conversation-piece frog.
🛒 Before you buy
- A shallow aquatic tank with a heater + gentle filtration (they are messy)
- To house it ALONE — they eat each other
- The knowledge it grows big (females ~5 in, males ~3 in) and will bite
- A varied diet with strict portion control (they overeat)
A healthy one: Wide, flat and well-muscled (not an obese dome) · clear eyes on top · alert · strong feeding response.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Bloating or "dropsy" (fluid build-up — linked to kidney disease in Budgett frogs)
- Not eating, or weight loss
- Red skin, or a mouth injury/infection
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Housing two together (cannibalism)
- Overfeeding (obesity)
- Cold or filthy water
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
