| Scarlet Badis | |
|---|---|
| Scarlet Badis | |
| Basic Information | |
| Lifespan: | 2-3 years |
| Size: | 0.5-0.8 in (1-2cm) |
| Diet: | micropredator |
| Tank Size: | |
| Shoaling/Schooling: | |
| Minimum Group Size: | |
| Water Parameters | |
| Temperature: | 65-78°F (18-26°C) |
| pH: | 6.5-7.6 |
| Hardness: | ppm ( dGH) |
| Behavior | |
| Compatibility: | |
| Temperament: | |
| Swimming Level: | |
Scarlet Badis (Dario dario)
Scarlet Badis aka Dario Dario are small micro predators that live 2-3 years originating from Bengal living in slow moving streams, lakes, and ponds with dense vegetation, small gravel substrate high pH, and some tannins, they get up to 0.8 inches in length and adult males have deep scarlet red coloration with gray-white vertical stripes going down to the caudal fin, males only have this red color while females have a silver coloration along with teal blue scales near the gills with gray stripes also going vertical down to the caudal fin, white mating, males will have a bright red coloration as seen in the picture and females will become an opaque light grey-white color with no stripes visible.
Keeping scarlet badis is fairly easy. With a minimum tank size of 10 gallons of footprint, they need clean, slow-moving water, so having a spray bar or some kind of flow diffuser is important. They also require high oxygen levels in the water, so investing in a bubbler is a good option. Tank setup is also easy; they prefer to have dense vegetation. I achieved this by using large bushes of pearlweed ( himanthius micranthemoides) in a heated tank at about 65–78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mating
When mating occurs, the female will make the male follow her to a secluded location where they may mate; if the male does not like this location, he will not mate. This following behavior is oftentimes mistaken for territorial chasing, as it looks almost identical. When the male finds the location suitable, he will wrap his body around the female, who goes vertical, much like a betta fish, and the female will drop eggs, and unlike bettas, these fish will either drop their eggs into the substrate or will have them attached to the underside of a leaf or some kind of vegetation.
Development of fry
The fry will hatch and will be stationary until they have grown to a size where they will be able to move away from threats such as hydra, copepods, and other small fish. As the fry grow, they will feed on the larvae of microorganisms, infusoria, detritus worms, and other small microorganisms living in vegetation. They will remain secluded until they grow into juveniles, where they will become more active (as a side note, the adults seem to not eat the babies but also do not take care of them)
Development of juveniles to adults
As they mature, they will begin to develop a social hierarchy toward each other; this usually results in the alpha male gaining the most coloration, while the sub-dominant males will become opaque, with little color visible. Sub-dominant badis juveniles also show interesting loose-shoaling behavior with others, most likely in order to prevent being harassed by dominant, alpha males. As the Scarlet badis grow older, it is more likely that the dominant males will find mates in the area while also staying hidden from larger fish and predatory insects.
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Male Scarlet Badis
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Female Scarlet Badis
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Baby Scarlet Badis
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Group of baby Scarlet Badis
