Wow! Thank you deb18 for your detailed response! my gut instinct was that no living creature could be happy in such a small cube of water that supposedly didn't need to be changed but three times a year!

Yes, I know about those frogs. In the ball environment where the manufacturer claims they will be content - they will only live about a year. They feed off the vegetation in the ball and as long as they are not set in the sun, they should last that long. My friend bought one, immediately took them out of the tank and put them in a far larger one. They lasted 10 years!!!

Shame, shame, shame on Hallmark!!!!!!

I was tempted to get one and move them to a larger container. I think they were $29.99 plus stand and then I saw them at Petsmart for $4.99. I nixed the idea because I thought they'd be too much trouble. I have a betta to watch.

I saw them at Brookstone at the mall--the place with the vibrating chairs, etc. It's really surprising that frogs can live in such a teeny tiny space with so little care. It seems cruel to have them in such a tiny container.

I had African Dwarf Frogs in a nice big aquarium. They are fun to watch - they need to be fed worms (dried or fresh), and they learn to get their handouts quick...Cutest little things

Stuffing them in a tiny container and only changing water 3 times, that is cruel. Maybe their metabolism allows them to linger longer in horrible conditions before they die and that is what Hallmark is banking on. That is wrong.

My daughters came home with these frogs from Hallmark and the water level is getting low. We have a goldfish in a larger tank and I was wondering if they could all live together? Tank is nothing fancy but does have a filter. Any thoughts???

Heather,

Below is some basic info on keeping aquatic frogs. If you do a search you will find other tidbits of info. Take note that you should make sure their water has no chlorine in it and you should avoid large substrate such as marbles or stone. Frogs can become wedged between them and die from drowning and injury.

You may be able to put the frog with your goldfish but it depends on the size/depth of the tank and how large your fish are. The goldfish may end up picking at the frog and eventually killing him.
Also, be sure to provide him with lots of hiding places!

Here is a link that might be useful: frogs

I've had the frogs as well as goldfish, but wouldn't keep them together--a goldfish in a healthy environment will be big enough to eat the frog in under a year. Goldfish are very mouthy! If it fits in their mouth, in it goes. The frogs do better in a heated tank, so if you do put them together temporarily (which might not be a bad idea), have a heater for the tank, and start looking for a second tank.

I would call the SPCA for cruelty!

I agree that frogs shouldn't be kept with goldfish for all the reasons mentioned. One other reason is that frogs have poor vision, so it's difficult and takes time for them to locate their food. The goldfish would likely eat all the food before they found it and the frogs would starve.

As far as I am concerned, the frog in a cube is no different than a fish in a bowl or a bird in a cage. Animals are not supposed to be constricted like that. What are you teaching a child when you have a 'jailed' pet?

I bought these Frogs at Hallmark and they are quite fun. I have had them for over a year now and they trive very well in the environment they came with. Feed them 2 pellets every other day and change the water partially every 4 months. They are quite hardy and expected lifespan is 6 years. They live longer I am told in this envoronment than they do in the wild.

my frogs are fighting nearly every time I feed them. what could be the problem?....I seriously love them and I don't want them to kill each other....

I have two of these frogs. They seem quite happy in their little cube. They don't seem depressed or stressed or anything, they just swim around and hang out. They don't die within a year, they can last quite a while, I actually had two others for 7 months and they were quite happy, and then I accidentally killed them by overheating them when it got suddenly warm outside and my house wasn't as cold. You change their water 3 months and feed them each one pellet twice a week. I don't find it cruel or anything, if they seemed unhappy I would, but they do quite well in their little environment.

One reason small containers are bad is that they are subject to extreme temperature changes. Some people might think it IS cruel to boil a frog and instead of learning, get another and keep it in the same environment that killed the first.

What does a happy frog look like, anyway? Not dead?

I was thinking the same thing..just what does a depressed frog look like?,. I think it's cruel and as much as I think they're cute, I wouldn't get one.

Just because they can survive in a cube doesn't mean that they should have to. They should have at LEAST 2.5 gallons to swim around in and do much better with even more room. Imagine living in a 5'x 5' room for years. You could survive if some one provided you with food and water but you wouldn't be very happy or mentally stimulated.

Geez, PEOPLE. This is like the cutsie thing going on a couple of years ago with the poor beta in a vase with a bamboo shoot. "It's all they need."

If it's aquatic, go stick your freakin' head in a river (hopefully, for about 15 minutes) and see how they REALLY live.

I haven't seen these in Hallmark but, if I did, I'd suddenly trip on something and destroy the entire display. (Of course, having a backup for the frogs and figuring out where the heck I'm going to buy special cards)

I received these as a gift and they are in my classroom. Lately, when I feed them, one attacks the other. I can't stand it anymore that is how I wound up doing a search. i am afraid one will kill the other. What should i do?

I'd get a small aquarium and put in some plants (and a heater and gentle filter) and if they still fight, put in a divider--you can make one from suction cups and that plastic used for needlepoint.

This is a letter to all of the people who have mentioned one frog attacking the other during feeding. Separate them quickly! My son received these little frogs as a birthday gift in April from a friend. I honestly could not get myself to look at them as they made me too sad in that little tank, so I just made sure he was feeding them on time and keeping tank clean. I watched him feed them twice and did not like what I saw. "Bob" was a pig and would pull on "Joe's" legs to try to get all 4 pellets of food instead of just his 2. This disturbed me, but I had no options as to how to free them. At that point I stopped looking at the frogs altogether. I continued to make sure they were being fed and cleaned but basically turned my back on them and let my son be the sole caregiver. What a mistake. It ends up that Bob has been getting all of the food and Joe has been starving to death. My husband noticed something wrong when he fed them this week for my son. Joe is 1/4 the size of when he came and Bob is double. I almost died when I saw him. It has now been 3 days of my son crying hysterically and me trying to save Joe's life. I have separated the frogs and Joe is hanging on by a thread. I am not sure if he will make it but we are trying everything. On top of everything, it appears as though both of Joe's legs are damaged I am assuming from Bob torturing him to get to the food. I am horrified for so many reasons. In hindsight I am kicking myself for not seeing that this was happening. I left my 8 year old in charge and he did not realize what was going on. I am also sickened by the fact that Hallmark and the toy stores and Value Drugs in our town all sell these. When I called them to explain what was happening they said they had no extra tanks but if frogs died and a tank became available they would call me. Disgusting! This is all hitting the same chord that was hit last year at a Firemen's Fair when I was on a ride with my son and the girl in front of us was swinging around a plastic bag of water that contained a goldfish she had just won. My heart sank then and it is sinking again now for Joe. This cruel behavior towards these little animals needs to be stopped. In the meantime separate your frogs and say a prayer for Joe that he begins eating again. I am blaming myself for what has happened to Joe, but please don't get these little frogs as gifts for kids....obviously from reading so many stories like mine, these little tanks are torture chambers for so many frogs.

Thanks for posting this. I feel the same way about the goldfish at carnivals. I have pet fish in ponds and they are feeling creatures. The Hallmark frogs are animal cruelty at it's best.

I contacted Hallmark about this awhile back and got a very snotty response about how all Hallmark stores are independently owned. Duh, really? Seems to me they still have the Hallmark name tho. Why is that? I've stopped buying Hallmark products.

Hi, I have the same problem......one fat frog that eats everything and one skinny one. Makes me sick. Does anyone have a little terrarium that they would like to get rid of so that I can separate them? and.....where do I buy more food? THANKS, momma

oh gosh, i've always wanted one of those. the frogs are adorable and the little cube is cute as well. the only thing is, it IS a living creature that shouldn't be trapped in there and sold. it's extremely cruel. don't do it. it's not fair for the frogs...

Sounds as cruel as the betas you see in a PET SHOP of all places!!! in a cup of water. Gosh, I don't know how they get by with that. Cruelty at its worst. There should be one male in every large tank and no more in those little containers.

I feel the same way about the bettas as the frogs. I always have a betta, and when my cat ate my last one(Guessing because he was gone after living in the bowl for 3 years), I purchased another. I always feel like Free Willy when I bring him home and release him from his tiny container into this huge bowl where he swims and swims all day. .

I have two of these frogs also and noticed the fighting. I now seperate them with the lid that pops off their cube while feeding. I seperate them for about an hour as it takes a long time for them to eat. It seems to work well. I also wanted to move them to a larger fish tank but have some fish in there and am worried the fish will eat them.

You're right, keeping them in these crappy little tanks is cruel. Buying them and supporting this business is also cruel. You're not saving frogs, you're condemning more by allowing this practice to continue. DO NOT BUY THEM. ADFs need heated and filtered tanks, absolutely no smaller than 5 gallons for a pair. If you can't provide that, please don't buy them