Scarlet Badis

[kwc1974]

Who here is keeping or has kept a group of Scarlet Badis (Dario Dario)

I really like these and want to use them in a nano. Would like to know experance with them, stocking recomendations, ect....

Thanks

[Tiapan]

i have had mixed results keeping these guys, they are very small so diet is a factor, but i think the ones i had got beat up. havent tried them since, they are kinda hard to find, and when you do all you seem to get are males, they will breed in captivity but not readily from what i have read. but i wish you luck if you do decide to get them, they are super cool looking.

[Mzungu]

Roujin is keeping them in a 10g planted...

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforums/showthread.php?t=30144&highlight=badis

[Complexity]

I got a pair awhile back from Fish Ranch II. Put them in my 5g planted. At first, they seemed to do well together, but then the male disappeared one night. Never found any trace of him, but the tank has RCS so I figured maybe they at him after he died.

At that point, the female was much more willing to swim around the tank so I figured the tank was just too small for the two of them. She seemed to do well, even ate frozen baby brine shrimp and daphnia (they prefer live foods). Then the darn tank sprang a leak. After changing the tank out for another one, the female died. I guess it was too stressful for her?

I had a very hard time finding either of them in the 5g because they are so tiny. So I decided they weren't worth the trouble, especially considering their feeding issues. They are really cute fish, though.

[Roujin]

I got mine from Fish Ranch II and now that they are settled and colored in I have identified mine to be Dario Hysginon, marketed in the trade as Red Flame or Red Melon Darios. Behavior would be similar to Dario Dario. Very finicky eaters. I've seen them take flake only a couple of times. I have a feeling they're subsisting on snail and RCS larvae. I'm going to try freeze dried Daphnia next.

Aside from that they are awesome! Wonderful coloration - Scarlet Badis would be more spectacular! They swim at all levels of the tank, go in and out of plants and stalk. Very entertaining. As for stocking, my 4 (2 males and 2 females) are the limit for my 10G. 2 in a 5G but that's it. They are territorial but not overtly aggressive. They like places to hide.

Invertz Factory has some for sale. http://www.invertzfactory.com/stocklist.htm

[Sea-agg09]

Roujin, your tank is very similar to something I am considering. Do you notice the badis being "intimidated" by the tetra's? I'm wondering if the faster, schooling tetra's are keeping the badis in the back, or hidden.

If I go through with this idea, I want my fish to be out, or at least visable.

[Roujin]

They're not bothered by my Neons at all. They'll come out during feeding time to see what is going on and watch the Neons feed. That is the extent of their interaction with them

I find that my Badis' rule the tank and go hang out where they please. They are naturally inquisitive so you won't see them from time to time but they all come out when they sense activity in the front or on the surface.

I see at least one of them at any given time.

[5thwardboy]

I bought two pair from Fish Ranch awhile back. Anyway, they turn out to be three males and one female. The two big ones color up good but constantly fighting each other. Then, the dominated one begin to chase everybody around even the tetras. So I decided to put a pair of small gold rams in there. Now, the gold ram chase the rest of them. All of these are house in the five gallons planted tank.

[Sea-agg09]

That may be because the tank is too small for all those fish. From my count that is 4 badis, 2 rams, and some number of some kind of tetra's. Rams alone are ganna freak out in a 5 gallon tank. In a 5 gallon tank I would keep the 4 badis and that's it.

[kwc1974]

Ok, so feeding seems to be an issue, what are you guys feeding them?

I am currently thinking about a pair in a 3 gallon tank with only a nerite snail and shrimp as company. This will be a fully planted tank...go figure.

[imagirlgeek]

Mine chow down on bloodworms.

[kwc1974]

Mine chow down on bloodworms.

Dried, frozen or live?

[imagirlgeek]

Frozen. I've never tried live or dried, but they come snatch the frozen out of my hand.

[Mzungu]

Not sure if this is still true, but I use Hikari's frozen blood worms as opposed to other brands, because they tend to be smaller. I think I remember the San Fransisco Bay Brand bloodworms to be pretty large. Too large for some of my smaller (read:tiny) fish. Traci, which brand do you use?

[imagirlgeek]

Traci, which brand do you use?

I also use Hikari frozen bloodworms. There's another food I sometimes use...it's a San Francisco Bay Brand frozen food called 'Freshwater Frenzy'. Each frozen cube is made up of Brine Shrimp, Bloodworms, Cyclops, Daphnia, and Watercress. And it really does create a 'Frenzy'. )