Can African Clawed Frog and Sturgeon Catfish Live Together?

African Clawed Frog is a semi-aggressive species (8/10), while Sturgeon Catfish is moderately assertive (6/10). This modest difference means African Clawed Frog may occasionally assert dominance over Sturgeon Catfish.

African Clawed Frog and Sturgeon Catfish both frequent the Bottom (Substrate) region of the setup. This overlap can increase competition for space, so providing ample room and cover is important to keep both species comfortable.

Worth noting: Sturgeon Catfish is nocturnal and will be most active after lights-out, naturally reducing daytime encounters. Also, African Clawed Frog is a known jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is essential.

The safe temperature window for both species falls between 22°C and 24°C. Aim for the midpoint of this range (around 23.0°C) for optimal comfort.

Both fish can tolerate a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Maintaining a stable value within this band is more important than hitting an exact number.

For general hardness, the shared comfort zone is 5–15 dGH. Regular testing will ensure conditions stay within this range.

To house African Clawed Frog and Sturgeon Catfish together, plan for an aquarium of at least 800 litres with a minimum length of 180 cm. This recommendation combines the stricter species minimums with a community-load allowance so the pairing has realistic long-term space and filtration headroom.

Because this pairing requires extra vigilance, include plenty of hiding spots — caves, driftwood, and dense plant clusters — so the less dominant fish can retreat when needed.

Specific environmental needs for this combination include: Smooth Gravel (Sensitive Barbels), Sand (Sifters), Driftwood (Digestion/Hiding). Meeting these requirements will help both species thrive.

African Clawed Frog prefers Low (Still Water) flow while Sturgeon Catfish needs High (River/Stream) flow. Consider positioning filter outlets and using baffles to create zones of different current intensity within the same tank.

This pairing usually fails when the tank is treated like a standard mixed community and the caution flags are ignored. African Clawed Frog and Sturgeon Catfish need extra room, more cover, and closer observation during the first few weeks so small aggression, feeding, or territory issues do not snowball into a long-term problem.