All fish / Badidae

Scarlet Badis

Dario dario

Also known as scarlet gem badis, scarlet badis, dario badis, badis bengalensis, badis badis bengalensis, scarlet dario, red badis, バディス・バディス・スカーレット, スカーレット・バディス, 猩红鲈, 红玫瑰鲈

A tiny micropredator where males show bright scarlet bodies crossed by vertical red bars, with blue-white edges on the fins, while females are plain silvery grey. It is kept for its striking colour and interesting behaviour in heavily planted nano tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

2 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a larger planted tank for several males

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp, grindal worms and bloodworm; often refuses flakes

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India (West Bengal and Assam, Brahmaputra basin tributaries)

Breeding

Males claim small territories and spawn with females among plants or moss, laying a few eggs at a time with little parental care. Breeding is fairly easy in a dense, species-only tank, though the fry need very small live foods such as infusoria at first.

Good to know

Males fight each other in small tanks, and the species is too shy and small for busy community setups; it often needs live or frozen food. Fancy-dyed or mislabelled badids are sometimes sold under the same name.