Badis Buddy Diet

[RainboWBacoN420]

So I've had my Scarlet Badis (Dario Dario) for about a few months now, and overall he seems to be doing okay. The concern I have though is his diet. As I mentioned in the post when I first got him, I tried feeding him flightless fruit flies, but I couldn't tell if he would eat them. He seems to stay low near all the foliage in the plants and hangs around the driftwood. This is where he eats, but not the fruit flies I had mentioned. He seems to pick off little grey micro crustaceans that seemed to have colonized all over the piece of driftwood  I have, and hunts down any nematodes swimming freely in the water column. I have witnessed both of these events many, many times. So I know he's eating, but should I really rely on these grey crustaceans and random nematodes as a sustainable diet for my little badis? He's awfully tiny, and usually picking off the driftwood most of the day. He looks good most of the time, but some days he looks just a bit pale or dull. I'm not sure if it's normal for him to be pale or dull like that, he's still very active, his pectoral fins are always fanned out and he seems to be breathing normally. I'm just wondering if I should try to feed him mosquito larvae? Something I can place in the water unlike the fruit flies that'll just float at the top and goes unnoticed by him. The only problem is, it's a pretty large tank for just this little guy, and I'm worried the larvae will just go undetected and get lost in the tank. 
 
Should I try something like the larvae or just let him continue to munch on the little crustaceans and nematodes? As there is an abundance for them in the tank. One thing I've had in mind is collecting any nematodes I see and try making a culture of them to feed him, but I'm not sure how exactly that'll go.
 
Thanks~
~Dylan

 

[Jeremy180]

Just speculation on my part, but If he's eating nematodes, then maybe he would find vinegar eels similar enough to be an acceptable food?

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Just speculation on my part, but If he's eating nematodes, then maybe he would find vinegar eels similar enough to be an acceptable food?

I'll look into that and see if I can buy a culture. I do want something wormy, something that can easily be noticed. I have pipettes I can use to introduce them in a direct spot where my badis is, I hope that would work.
 
Thanks!

 

[*pete*]

These are great little fish, Ive had my pair for two weeks now, mine feed well on microworms, I also tried them with live dapnia but they only feed on the very smallest ones.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

These are great little fish, Ive had my pair for two weeks now, mine feed well on microworms, I also tried them with live dapnia but they only feed on the very smallest ones.

I used to have a pair, but the female came down with the whirling disease. So now it's just been little Kylo in the 15 gallon with one cherry shrimp who disappears and reappears from time to time. 
 
I like that he feasts off the nematodes, but ever since he's been hunting them down, they're not often seen swimming around anymore. I want him to get more than just nemas and teeny tiny grey things.

 

[Jeremy180]

If you are able to get a few more cherries, and get them breeding I think he would be able to eat the shimplets, but not enough to wipe them out, maybe.
 
Have you tried "newborn" brine shrimp?

 

[Munroco]

I use micro worms for feeding fry but most of my smaller fish eat them. Very easy to culture too.

 

[benthyer]

This is very helpful for me to. I tried feeding some frozen food but it was all too big and even though they went mad for the smell of it they just swam past it.

 

[*pete*]

This is very helpful for me to. I tried feeding some frozen food but it was all too big and even though they went mad for the smell of it they just swam past it.

Here's an old thread of mine I posted when I got my first Microworm culture, some great advice from other members...
Theyre easy peasy !!! http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/428702-microworms/
I use the Ready Brek/milk culture for best yield.

 

[Munroco]

Being Scottish, I use porridge

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

If you are able to get a few more cherries, and get them breeding I think he would be able to eat the shimplets, but not enough to wipe them out, maybe.
 
Have you tried "newborn" brine shrimp?

What's funny, is my girlfriend suggested this right before I read this comment.
That's not a bad idea.

I was thinking of throwing in a pond snail or two from my 55. They seem to be appearing more and more often. There might be eggs somewhere. I hope it doesn't turn into an infestation like what happened in my 15 long ago when there were no fish present. I mean I have tetra and shrimp that would most likely eat all the little snails.
I don't know if my badis would be able to keep up with the snail population if I were to go this route.

I could try cultivating the nematodes, I have a small 1 gallon tank I could use for them.