What did I do wrong with my African water frog?

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi Jedediah!  This morning I lost my little African water frog, "Jeremiah!"  I am very sad and disappointed!  I bought him at Walmart, and have had him for two years!  Started him out in that little "Betta tank" you can puchase...and later found a beautiful glass fish bowl at Goodwill about the size of a basketball.  He loved it!!!  He(or she) grew very quickly and was pretty good size and very healthy!  I changed his water regularly(aspecially when I noticed a "green scum" starting to appear on his rock, and shells, etc!) Used spring water.  Fed him brine srimp(frozen) alternating with freeze-dried blood worms.
Over the last couple of weeks..he shed his skin!!!  Unbelievable!!!  I knew they did this...but in the two years I have had him..I never witnessed it!!!  He was very quiet..and hid under his rock until this event took place!!!  Then he promptly "ate" the skin(yewww!)  About a week and a half- two weeks later...he shed somemore..and again he ate it!  Was very happy this week..swimming around vigorously...but I noticed he wasn't eating!!!  Then over the last couple of days..he has just been "floating on top" of his bowl!  NOT EATING!  Not moving too much..until I noticed when I woke up this morning...he was nose down at the bottom...dead!!!!

Please...I would so appreciate a response to this email!!!  I have an extreme love for all animals...but live in an apartment, and only had Jeremiah, and my parakeet!!!  I am very upset and unsettled thinking there was something I did, or did not do!!!!  My husband couldn't believe how Jeremiah responded to me!  Coming over to the bowl..."standing" on the bottom with his long legs looking out at me when I was in the kitchen!  Poking his nose out of the surface of the water when I "talked" to him!!!

Help!!!!  I am heartbroken!!!  I may or may not get another to replace him!  I just want to know if I did anything wrong!  Do they require a pump/filtration system?  Was it enviromental?

Please reply asap!!!!  Thank you!!!!

Diana
Answer -
Dear Diana,
thank you for your question.
There are two kinds of frogs that are usually sold as African Water frogs, the African Clawed frog Xenopus laevis (grows up to 5 inches) and the African Dwarf frog Hymenochirus boettgeri, who stay a lot smaller. The Clawed frogs need a filter, the Dwarf frogs don't. But since you used spring water and changed it regularly, I don't think that was the problem.
I think Jeremiah died from some kind of illness, maybe parasites. Frogs usually have a small amount of internal parasites and they are fine with it, but if they are weak for some reason the parasites can multiply uncontrollably and kill the frog. I really cannot say anything definite, but as far as I can see, you haven't done anything wrong. If you want to know for sure, let a herp vet do an autopsy. Here you can find herp vets:
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html

In case you get another frog, please consider getting a ten gallon tank instead of the bowl. Frogs as well as fish (and birds) prefer  rectangular enclosures because it's easier for them to orientate themselves. Some plants as hiding places are also important. Here's some mre info on the little guys:
http://www.allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwarfs.html

I'm sorry that I can't tell you much. But I'm sure it wasn't your fault. There is a chance that he was from a bad breeder (I don't think Walmart chooses the breeders they buy from for quality...), too. I hope your next frog will be with you for a long, long time .)
Jennifer
Hi!!!!  This is my followup.....
He was the dwarf kind!  Was it normal for him to eat his skin?  Because it seems like he had not eaten any food since he shed and ate his skin?

Also...if there was green "skum" on various things in his bowl....does that mean he needed to be cleaned? ***Note***  About every other day...I would "ladel" out some water...and replace some clean.

Also...if he seemed very active just two days before his death....why was it he just seemed to die so suddenly?  Is it necessary to have live plants for their survival?

Thank you, Diana

Answer
It's normal for all frogs to shed their skin, but most times you never notice it. With dwarf frogs, it can sometimes look as if they loose limbs. They eat their skin to regain minerals and nutrients. Shedding is often a stressing process.
I really cannot say why he was so active before his death, it's very hard to tell what makes an animal do something without seeing it and I'm no vet.
The green scum were probably algae and you can either put some snail or fish in that will eat the algae or you clean everything out at regular intervalls. Snails tend to multiply and fish might nibble the frog, so I recommend doing some research on this before deciding.
Water plants are not necessary per se, but they make the frog feel comfortable because he can hide. Plastic plants are an easy alternative.
I hope I was of some help
Jennifer