Scarlet Badis

[SpaceFish42]

I've been hearing some good things about scarlet badis on this forum, so I did some research and fell in love with them. So now I'm wondering, since I can't get any new tanks, could I put a pair in the 5 gallon currently housing a colony of RCS and a nerite snail? Are they fine in that size tank? Are those species compatible? Thanks in advance!

 

[TheresaM]

Awesome fish...monster cichlid personality in a tiny colorful package

If you're getting a pair make sure you definitely don't have 2 males; most people can't find females in lfs.

I have 9 in a 5g, at least 3 are males. I have 2 3" cholla wood logs in the tank, they've used those to set up their territories.

Mine live with a bumblebee nerite, MTS, and RCS. They will literally stare down the shrimp, sometimes stalk them but never attack. I do occasionally see shrimp fry but for the most part I think the badis take care of them.

Some people have trouble getting them to eat. Mine are wild caught but will eat frozen or go after a clump of tubifex stuck to the glass. I'm also starting a few colonies of scuds for them.

 

[Eggheadfish]

Dear Theresa,
I want all of your fish. That is all.

 

[TheresaM]

Dear Theresa,
I want all of your fish. That is all.

Very much enjoying nano fish...kind of funny considering years ago my two favorite fish were my 10" sev and 12" oscar!

 

[RevLine]

picky eaters.. mine doesn't take freeze dried daphnia, flakes, or freeze dried worms. she does explore the entirety of my 3 gallon though and i see her pick at things in my driftwood and plants for small live food. threw in some hitchhiking scuds from a plant in hopes they make little scuds for her to hunt. occasionally i see her suck up a detritus worm swimming in the water column, and these very tiny white round things which i believe to be seed shrimp sticking to stuff.

got her about a month ago and she's actually living with a betta and bumblebee nerite.

 

[SpaceFish42]

Thanks for all the replies! Do they seem to prefer any specific setup, other than males having their own territories?

 

[TheresaM]

Thanks for all the replies! Do they seem to prefer any specific setup, other than males having their own territories?

Can't think of anything specific. Personally I'd suggest a dark substrate, seems to show their colors better.

 

[SpaceFish42]

Unfortunately, I am not able to change the substrate right now...

 

[SpaceFish42]

Okay, I just did some major re-planting, and this is the result! (It's nowhere close to some of you more experienced people's tanks, but I'm rather proud of it...)

 

[SpaceFish42]

Oops! The pictures aren't working!

 

[Brookster123]

Psst.. forgot the pics!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[SpaceFish42]

Img_1514.jpg

 

[SpaceFish42]

Finally, I can upload the pictures!

I just had to upload that last one, it's adorable!

 

[rakizta]

I loved it the first time I saw it in my LFS. I bought one and put it in my a 7.9 gallon planted tank. Mine is a picky eater and it only eats live food and won't take any dried or freezed food. So every once in a while I buy live brine shrimp and he loves it. I just hope he would learn to eat other food though

 

[RevLine]

Your tank's got some nice colors! =)

 

[TheresaM]

Finally, I can upload the pictures!

I just had to upload that last one, it's adorable!

Looks good Still thinking about getting them?

 

[SpaceFish42]

Absolutely.