Scarlet badis care
Dario dario · Streams draining into the Brahmaputra in West Bengal and Assam, India
Scarlet badis are among the smallest perch-like fish, under an inch: males are bright red with blue bars, females plain and smaller.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one male per tank)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 0.8 in (males; females about 0.5 in)
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep scarlet badis
Scarlet badis are among the smallest perch-like fish, under an inch: males are bright red with blue bars, females plain and smaller. Keep one male with two or three females in a planted 10 gallon or larger tank with leaf litter and slow flow. They pick small live and frozen foods off the plants and bottom; most never take flakes, and fast fish beat them to the food.
Diet: Micropredator: live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops and grindal worms; most refuse flakes. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Scarlet badis tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Chili rasbora
0.8 in · 5+ gal · 72–82 °F
Kubotai rasbora
0.8 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Phoenix rasbora
0.8 in · 5+ gal · 74–82 °F
Celestial pearl danio
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–78 °F
Pygmy corydoras
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Flame tetra
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Spotted blue-eye
1 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Ruby tetra
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; scarlet badis grow to 0.8 in.
Paradise fish: Adult paradise fish eat fish under about 1.2 in; scarlet badis grow to 0.8 in.
Bumblebee catfish: Adult bumblebee catfish eat fish under about 1 in; scarlet badis grow to 0.8 in.
Golden wonder killifish: Adult golden wonder killifish eat fish under about 2 in; scarlet badis grow to 0.8 in.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
What a scarlet badis tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon scarlet badis tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon scarlet badis tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Scarlet badis need 72 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding scarlet badis.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common scarlet badis problems
- Males fight each other; one male per small tank.
- They starve among fast eaters; keep them with slow, small tank mates or on their own.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Dario dario. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Scarlet badis ATuin-hek, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Chili rasbora JoKrimmel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kubotai rasbora BottomDog, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Phoenix rasbora Andrewbogott, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Flame tetra Igor Balashov (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted blue-eye Der Regenbogenfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ruby tetra Thomas Siems, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bumblebee catfish CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black ghost knifefish Vassil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Senegal bichir Zhyla at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Elephantnose fish Jutta234, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African butterflyfish Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_edit.jpg){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
