Scarlet badis is a sturdy fish that does well in heavily planted tanks where it can find a multitude of hiding places. In a tank, it will appreciate the dimly lit regions at the bottom of the tank, or around floating plants. They can be a picky eater, and will not always accept non-live food. Even if they do, it is recommended to supplement their diet with live food like Daphnia or Artemia. Males can be aggressive amongst each other. In a large enough tank with enough decorations to create broken lines of sight, multiple males can be kept together. In smaller tanks, one male can be kept with a small harem of three females. Otherwise, scarlet badis is a very peaceful, or even shy fish that should not be kept with faster, more boisterous tankmates. They can be successfully kept in community tanks with other small and peaceful fish, like small rasbora species. The water parameters for scarlet badis are 18-26°C (64.4 - 78°F), pH range 6.5 - 8.5 and hardness 3 - 15°H.