Scarlet Badis - OK for a 3 gallon cube tank?

[Aqua67]

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.

 

[Lcc86]

Realistically no fish should be in a tank of that size. I have kept scarlet badis before and they are very active so a 3 gallon would not meet their needs. Yes they are tiny little guys but they do get around a lot, I had mine in a heavily planted 6 gallon and tbh it was probably too small so yes I would agree with those who have told you a 10 gallon is more suitable.

 

[GaryE]

You've started out defending the tank like you expect people to say it is a bad tank size for Badis. You're right.

It's too small for fish, in my experience with scarlet and blue badis alike. They are busy little fish with a rough and rowdy social life. As social animals, they shouldn't be kept alone except as ornaments. They don't like each other, but their interaction with their own species is their appeal. They make their lives complicated, but they seem to like that.

I use my 3 gallon tanks to hatch out fry and raise them for the first week, after which they go from the container to a tank. I haven't bred Badis though. I tried but they didn't cooperate. I kept them in very carefully scaped 10 gallon tanks. Badis in a 3 will kill each other.

From the phrasing around the question, you're going to put one in solo anyway, and are hoping at least one person will check in and say it's cool. That'll probably happen. You can do it. The fish may stay alive for a long time, if that's the goal.

 

[Aqua67]

Realistically no fish should be in a tank of that size. I have kept scarlet badis before and they are very active so a 3 gallon would not meet their needs. Yes they are tiny little guys but they do get around a lot, I had mine in a heavily planted 6 gallon and tbh it was probably too small so yes I would agree with those who have told you a 10 gallon is more suitable.

Thank you so much for replying to me poking around online. I did see one person who kept theirs in a 4 gallon tank, but it might’ve been a rectangular tank and not a cube tank. I do know that a larger footprint is often more beneficial. I’ve always been drawn to these little fishes and maybe one day I’ll have one but now just might not be the right time. Thank you so much for your reply.

 

[Aqua67]

You've started out defending the tank like you expect people to say it is a bad tank size for Badis. You're right.

It's too small for fish, in my experience with scarlet and blue badis alike. They are busy little fish with a rough and rowdy social life. As social animals, they shouldn't be kept alone except as ornaments. They don't like each other, but their interaction with their own species is their appeal. They make their lives complicated, but they seem to like that.

I use my 3 gallon tanks to hatch out fry and raise them for the first week, after which they go from the container to a tank. I haven't bred Badis though. I tried but they didn't cooperate. I kept them in very carefully scaped 10 gallon tanks. Badis in a 3 will kill each other.

From the phrasing around the question, you're going to put one in solo anyway, and are hoping at least one person will check in and say it's cool. That'll probably happen. You can do it. The fish may stay alive for a long time, if that's the goal.

Thank you for your reply Gary E. I’m going to refrain from acquiring one for now. If the 3 gallon ended up being too confiding for the little guy, I could move him to a larger aquarium, but not while I have a betta in my 38 gallon, and not into my 29 gallon with one full grown angel fish. Well, I do have several colonies of amphipods going which could make for a fine hunting experience for any little Dario Dario, I think I will wait until I have an alternate location available just in case it’s needed. I do have a spare 10 gallon aquarium, but I like to save that for a hospital tank. I don’t really want to put amphipods in my 3 gallon aquarium just in case I want to go back to shrimp in that tank one day. I’m going to hold off on this little fish for now.

 

[GaryE]

Or buy another tank... that's what I've generally done in these situations.

 

[GaryE]

With Badis badis, I found a chunk of driftwood and with my drill, made a series of tunnels through it. There were several more tunnels than there were fish, and watching their activity with territories and such was fun. The group are tiny fish, but they have big fish ways.

 

[Aqua67]

Or buy another tank... that's what I've generally done in these situations.

I don’t have anywhere to put another tank. Even if I could figure out where to put one, I think my husband would have a fit. I’m lucky to have the 6 currently. The hospital tank gets set up on the kitchen counter, when needed, and that pushes it all as far as possible at my house.

 

[otterblue]

I have a group of scarlet badis in a 40 gallon. They breed regularly and are a great, interesting fish. I think ten gallons would be the minimum but for only one male - the males are territorial and will chase males (and sometimes females) from their territory. I think a single badis would lose much of it's charm because their interactions are so interesting.

 

[Aqua67]

Thank you so much. Perhaps I can think about one of those when my alien betta is no more in my 38 gal nano fish aquarium. There is a long established amphipod colony already thriving in that aquarium too.

 

[Lcc86]

Thank you so much for replying to me poking around online. I did see one person who kept theirs in a 4 gallon tank, but it might’ve been a rectangular tank and not a cube tank. I do know that a larger footprint is often more beneficial. I’ve always been drawn to these little fishes and maybe one day I’ll have one but now just might not be the right time. Thank you so much for your reply.

I would definitely recommend them at some point in future if you can make it work. They are fantastic, so tiny but so sassy! And so pretty. In hindsight I would use a bigger tank if I wanted to keep one again. They are very fussy with food but as long as you can get live food you should be fine.