Do we have anyone here who keeps scarlet badis (dario dario)? Are these fish known to be jumpers? Please let me hear from those who keep or have kept this fish and not from helpful others who google tank size and then come at me saying 10 gallons is the recommended minimum.
Dan's Fish has some and I really wanted to pick one up. I am aware of their feeding requirements and I am OK with that.
Respectfully, in the past I've heard from people who told me a betta can't be happy in a 2.5-gallon aquarium. I have one there for about a year and yes, he's fine. I've heard people tell me that a betta can't be happy in a 38 gallon aquarium filled with nano fishes and a huge 24-inch by 24-inch java fern bush, plus other plants. I have another betta there for over a year, and yes, he's also fine. I am interested in hearing from others who have kept this fish though, regardless the tank size the fish has been kept in.
I currently keep 6 aquariums, and one of my 3-gallon cube tanks used to be home to some jade green neocaridina for the past couple of years so the tank is well established and has long been cycled. I'm down to just one shrimp left in there, along with some ramshorn snails that have not become overpopulated (I love the snails and keep them in all of my aquariums), so I am considering obtaining a scarlet badis. They will be anywhere from 0.3" to 0.5" when shipped, and they're not expected to get any larger than 0.5" when fully grown. The tank is 9" square and is well-planted (anubias, java fern, buce, and dwarf water lettuce), has driftwood pieces arranged into caves and tunnels, and has a piece of cholla wood. I've attached pictures of the little aquarium from various sides for scrutinizing.
I know the java fern may eventually need to be moved to one of my other aquariums, but I have window containers with baby java ferns, mosses and guppy grasses going all of the time, so a new one will be glued to another driftwood chunk and added when the time is appropriate.
I have an imported smaragdina betta that lives in a 2.5 gallon well planted aquarium, along with ramshorns, and that tank remains balanced to the point that after 2 months without a water change the nitrates are still registering 0. Yes, I use the liquid API Master kit, but I also use test strips and my TDS meter. Before people debate the usefulness of the TDS meter with me, it does tell me when the TDS rises and that tells me that "something" extra is in the water. The TDS meter is instant. Then I can dip a test strip if I want and wait 60 seconds for a result. If nothing shows there either, I can pull out my liquid Master Test kit to determine if the rise in dissolved solids requires a water change which may take 10 minutes, more or less. I do still have a shrimp only tank and I use the TDS meter for that. Also, I am on well water here at my house so I buy RO water and remineralize for all of my 6 aquariums. I remineralize to the TDS between 180 and 200 which I hear is also fine for Scarlet Badis.
I also have a 5.5 gallon betta tank with a lot of plants, and that one also is well balanced to the point where water changes can be done monthly or longer. I will say that normally I will change water in any aquarium at least monthly whether the testing shows a water change is necessary or not, just to replenish the minerals which plants and animals use for their biologic processes. My thoughts are that some minerals may be used while at the same time other dissolved solids rise, and that may appear that my TDS is holding steady. Anyhow, keeping excellent water parameters, even in small aquariums, is not a huge challenge for me.
So now that we don't have to discuss plants that outgrow small tanks or the challenge of keeping excellent water parameters in smaller aquariums, or the usefulness of a TDS meter to fishkeepers/shrimp keepers, would anyone here who actually keeps this fish be able to confirm that my 3 gallon cube aquarium could make a fine home for one single badis fish who will only grow to 1/18 the size of the tank.
Thanks in advance.
Dan's Fish has some and I really wanted to pick one up. I am aware of their feeding requirements and I am OK with that.
Respectfully, in the past I've heard from people who told me a betta can't be happy in a 2.5-gallon aquarium. I have one there for about a year and yes, he's fine. I've heard people tell me that a betta can't be happy in a 38 gallon aquarium filled with nano fishes and a huge 24-inch by 24-inch java fern bush, plus other plants. I have another betta there for over a year, and yes, he's also fine. I am interested in hearing from others who have kept this fish though, regardless the tank size the fish has been kept in.
I currently keep 6 aquariums, and one of my 3-gallon cube tanks used to be home to some jade green neocaridina for the past couple of years so the tank is well established and has long been cycled. I'm down to just one shrimp left in there, along with some ramshorn snails that have not become overpopulated (I love the snails and keep them in all of my aquariums), so I am considering obtaining a scarlet badis. They will be anywhere from 0.3" to 0.5" when shipped, and they're not expected to get any larger than 0.5" when fully grown. The tank is 9" square and is well-planted (anubias, java fern, buce, and dwarf water lettuce), has driftwood pieces arranged into caves and tunnels, and has a piece of cholla wood. I've attached pictures of the little aquarium from various sides for scrutinizing.
I know the java fern may eventually need to be moved to one of my other aquariums, but I have window containers with baby java ferns, mosses and guppy grasses going all of the time, so a new one will be glued to another driftwood chunk and added when the time is appropriate.
I have an imported smaragdina betta that lives in a 2.5 gallon well planted aquarium, along with ramshorns, and that tank remains balanced to the point that after 2 months without a water change the nitrates are still registering 0. Yes, I use the liquid API Master kit, but I also use test strips and my TDS meter. Before people debate the usefulness of the TDS meter with me, it does tell me when the TDS rises and that tells me that "something" extra is in the water. The TDS meter is instant. Then I can dip a test strip if I want and wait 60 seconds for a result. If nothing shows there either, I can pull out my liquid Master Test kit to determine if the rise in dissolved solids requires a water change which may take 10 minutes, more or less. I do still have a shrimp only tank and I use the TDS meter for that. Also, I am on well water here at my house so I buy RO water and remineralize for all of my 6 aquariums. I remineralize to the TDS between 180 and 200 which I hear is also fine for Scarlet Badis.
I also have a 5.5 gallon betta tank with a lot of plants, and that one also is well balanced to the point where water changes can be done monthly or longer. I will say that normally I will change water in any aquarium at least monthly whether the testing shows a water change is necessary or not, just to replenish the minerals which plants and animals use for their biologic processes. My thoughts are that some minerals may be used while at the same time other dissolved solids rise, and that may appear that my TDS is holding steady. Anyhow, keeping excellent water parameters, even in small aquariums, is not a huge challenge for me.
So now that we don't have to discuss plants that outgrow small tanks or the challenge of keeping excellent water parameters in smaller aquariums, or the usefulness of a TDS meter to fishkeepers/shrimp keepers, would anyone here who actually keeps this fish be able to confirm that my 3 gallon cube aquarium could make a fine home for one single badis fish who will only grow to 1/18 the size of the tank.
Thanks in advance.
