prettiest Badis badis...

[Magnum Man]

saw this picture on Dan's tonight... not sure where this picture came from, and or how highly filtered it is, but I've never seen one like this...

I've never had a badis before are they like a wimpy cichlid, more like a barb, or???

 

[Magnum Man]

https://dansfish.com/product.detail/6817/Other-Live-Fish-Other-Live-Fish-Badis-badis-(Badis-badis)

... and yes I did see the 2nd picture, nothing like the center fold picture above

 

[GaryE]

I had them for a while. They are tiny - that's the biggest thing to know. They are active, very territorial, and a bit like tiny Cichlids. I took a piece of driftwood and drilled holes through it, which they held as territories. The large chunk of wood was an apartment complex for six of them, and they rarely wandered far.

If I got them again, I would use a 15 or 20 gallon tank, single species, well planted and full of hidey holes with openings at both ends. I would consider live food to be essential. When I had them, I didn't, and I'd consider my set up to have been unsuccessful as a result,

 

[Magnum Man]

they are listed as getting 2 - 2.5 inches, so similar to dwarf cichlids in size... I believe they are from India??? not sure if they thrive in hillstream conditions, or prefer warmer quiet waters ???

 

[GaryE]

Quieter waters. Not huge tanks or they vanish. Mine stuck very close to home and didn't range about. Again, I don't think this fish should be kept in a community.

 

[Innesfan]

Yes, they are subcontinent fish--India, Bangladesh etc, and as @GaryE stated, still water preferred and best kept alone. I'd add they greatly prefer live foods and often refuse anything dried. The less colorful one on the photos you linked to is female. They used to be called "chameleon fish" due to their rapid color changes. Here's Innes's famous color plate that relates to this:

 

[Gertrudae]

still water preferred and best kept alone.

Alone means a single species tank? I've learned they are best kept in groups with at least 6 individuals. More female than male.
Live food ist mandatory, best kept with Neocaridina as a permanent food source. Adult shrimps should survive but you have to restock them on a regular basis .

 

[Innesfan]

Alone means a single species tank?

Species tank, yes. As opposed to a mixed community.

 

[GaryE]

Beyond the fact they'd vanish in a community, they'd also not thrive. If they were community fish, we'd see these beauties in every fish store. Small, colourful...

I don't think neocaradina breeding alone would provide enough food.

 

[gwand]

I prefer the rapper fish- Badass Badass!

 

[Mr Limpet]

They’re cave spawners like dwarf cichlids; males embrace females during spawning like anabantoids. Single species tanks are necessary for breeding, but they can be kept with other small species that won’t outcompete them for food, such as small rasboras or killies. They’ll take frozen as well as live food. They’re rather easy to breed, and the fry can grow up with their parents in tanks with a dense growth of Java moss.
Did I mention that they’re one of my all-time favorites?

 

[Back in the fold]

Believe it or not my local LFS had Scarlet Badis in last month . I never ever saw them before that . They were really cool I thought . I didn’t know anything about them so I passed . They only had three anyway and I couldn’t see any sexual differences .

 

[Innesfan]

Believe it or not my local LFS had Scarlet Badis in last month . I never ever saw them before that . They were really cool I thought . I didn’t know anything about them so I passed . They only had three anyway and I couldn’t see any sexual differences .

I've never kept Scarlet Badis (D. dario), just B. badis. But I've never seen females of D. dario among those for sale in shops, Just on line. The situation is similar to that of Dwarf Gouramis (T. lalia). If you want females of that species, you pretty much need to get them on line.

 

[Back in the fold]

I've never kept Scarlet Badis (D. dario), just B. badis. But I've never seen females of D. dario among those for sale in shops, Just on line. The situation is similar to that of Dwarf Gouramis (T. lalia). If you want females of that species, you pretty much need to get them on line.

They really were pretty little fish and from the way @GaryE and @Mr Limpet described them they should certainly be interesting aquarium fish .

 

[Innesfan]

Single species tanks are necessary for breeding, but they can be kept with other small species that won’t outcompete them for food, such as small rasboras or killies.

I never tried this but was tempted when at an AKA convention someone mentioned keeping B. badis with the smaller Aplocheilus...A. blockii or A, parvus, which are also subcontinental fish enjoying the same conditions. And. now with the ever-expanding array of dwarf 'rasboras' available, there are some really nice combinations to consider.

Did I mention that they’re one of my all-time favorites?

You have good taste, whch is to say, similar to mine. Laetacara, Badis, Black-banded Sunfish...