Scarlet Badis Not Eating

Mental_Butterfly

Mental_Butterfly

Small Fish
#1
May 15, 2009
37
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#1
In my effort to slowly restock my 10 gallon I picked up a pair (male/female) of scarlet badis a few days ago. I've had them under observation; the male is doing very well and eating anything that has the misfortune to float by his face but the female will not eat anything. I know they like to stake out territories, so I gave them a bit of driftwood and a carved tufa rock cave under which to hide. The male has staked the driftwood out as 'his space' but the female hasn't chosen a territory of her own, could this be making her too nervous to eat? (I don't think they like the rock because of its light color, so I'm taking it out.)

I know they have a reputation for fussiness about food, but the shop at which I bought them fed them flake food with no issues (I asked the Head Fish Guy there). I've also been tempting her with live brine shrimp which she picked at but didn't eat. Does anyone here have experience with badis? How can I get her to nosh like a good girl?
 

Mental_Butterfly

Mental_Butterfly

Small Fish
#3
May 15, 2009
37
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#3
Newman said:
are you sure that you have a female? because they are supposed to be very hard to get.
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Yep, I found some photos on SeriouslyFish and Future-Digital, and she's definitely a girl - almost colorless, and a bit smaller than the male. My local fish guy was surprised he even had a female in stock; they were the last badis he had. She did finally start eating for me once I replaced the tufa rock with a second piece of driftwood and she had a home to call her own, so I hope they settle in well. They're fun little fish.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#5
Feb 27, 2009
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#5
They are not Scarlet Badis, but Dario dario. If you were able to get a female, you got lucky. Most breeders are culling females still so as not to allow hobbyists to breed them. I've tried for almost 3 years with no luck.
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#7
Feb 27, 2009
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#7
Kiara1125 said:
How do you know that they are Dario dario?? I've looked it up and for some reason all of them say Scarlet Badis Dario dario. Why??
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They were moved from the Badidae family tree in 2002 by Kullander & Britz, and made their own species called "Dario dario."

Before that time, they were scientifically called "Badis badis bengalensis," and "Scarlet Badis" is just a name that has stuck as a common 'trade' name.

The Badis species are cave spawners, with the males tending the eggs when laid, and caring for the fry until free-swimming. The Dario species is a egg scatterer (among plants, on the gravel, driftwood, etc). The male defends a territory but does not tend the eggs nor care for fry.
 

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