Scarlet Badis

[Byron]

Any chance I could put the Dario2, (Scarlet Badis), and Lollypop, my (Glo-Zebra)Danio together with a couple of male guppies in the 5g? I jave really been admiring guppies lately. I would consider going for those as far as getting more fish.

No, this willnot work for a couple of reasons. First, the Scarlet Badis is not a community fish in the sense that it needs carefully choosen tankmates and active swimming danios are not they. And the guppies too. Plus the water difference, Badis is very soft water.

In the photos in post #1...are the Scarlet Badis two different fish or the same one? The first photo shows this fish rather beaten up.

 

[vanalisa]

No, this willnot work for a couple of reasons. First, the Scarlet Badis is not a cummityy fish in the sense that it needs carefully choosen tankmates and active swimming danios are not they. And the guppies too. Ples the water difference, Badis is very soft water.

In the photos in post #1...are the Scarlet Badis two different fish or the same one? The first photo shows this fish rather beaten up.

 

[vanalisa]

Two different fish.
I actually thought at one point the pale fish was getting bullied because of the red part of his "cheek." But they both have that.
Also at first I thought the pale one was a female.
I certainly hope this isn't the case.

Feeding time went better last night, resulting in lots of extra food in the tank, though, which make the Nerite happy, but nonetheless is a problem.

 

[vanalisa]

I guess I will check water in 5g in preparation for...something...

 

[Byron]

Two different fish.
I actually thought at one point the pale fish was getting bullied because of the red part of his "cheek." But they both have that.
Also at first I thought the pale one was a female.
I certainly hope this isn't the case.

Feeding time went better last night, resulting in lots of extra food in the tank, though, which make the Nerite happy, but nonetheless is a problem.

Male Dario dario are territorial. I have read of dominant males attacking other males, not sure about females. Males have seven dark scarlet vertical bars along the sides; on females the stripes are either absent or indistinct. Males may be aggressive particularly in small tanks. In a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium either a pair or one male with 2-3 females is recommended, and in larger well planted aquaria a group of males/females. The males will form small territories, and plants and pieces of bogwood should be placed so as to provide suitable territory boundaries.

 

[vanalisa]

At first I thought I was getting what was a male and a female. As it turned out, I had a very dominant male and not so dominant male.

the strange thing was that as the sub-dominant male started gaining color the dominant male started losing color.

Indeed the dominant male at first tried to keep the other one from getting at the food.

I knew about them being territorial so I set up several areas were they could kind of claim for their own and since they weren't competing for a female and they wouldn't have to compete for food I thought that it would be okay to just have two of them.

I really did try to make everything compatible for them when I put them in with mr. Luna, as you can see in the picture of the full tank.

In reflection now that I look back at it maybe the sub-dominant one got stronger because Mr Luna didn't notice him and maybe mr. Luna, as his eyesight was coming back due to the introduction of bloodworms, was picking on the dominant male who would have been more visible and more assertive?

The more I ponder this the more I think that Dario1 the original brightly-colored dominant male had really started to be less visible the past few weeks and only stayed in one part of the tank, whereas Dario2, the pale one didn't seem to have any problem being right up next to Mr. Luna

(I really was worried about that one in the picture who is cheek was so red,Dario2, but as I mentioned that's just their coloration but I was alarmed at one point). But do you still think it looks as if Dario 2 was being picked on?

It's too late to do anything about Dario 1, unfortunately. Now I have to solve the problem at hand.

 

[Byron]

At first I thought I was getting what was a male and a female. As it turned out, I had a very dominant male and not so dominant male.

the strange thing was that as the sub-dominant male started gaining color the dominant male started losing color.

Indeed the dominant male at first tried to keep the other one from getting at the food.

I knew about them being territorial so I set up several areas were they could kind of claim for their own and since they weren't competing for a female and they wouldn't have to compete for food I thought that it would be okay to just have two of them.

I really did try to make everything compatible for them when I put them in with mr. Luna, as you can see in the picture of the full tank.

In reflection now that I look back at it maybe the sub-dominant one got stronger because Mr Luna didn't notice him and maybe mr. Luna, as his eyesight was coming back due to the introduction of bloodworms, was picking on the dominant male who would have been more visible and more assertive?

The more I ponder this the more I think that Dario1 the original brightly-colored dominant male had really started to be less visible the past few weeks and only stayed in one part of the tank, whereas Dario2, the pale one didn't seem to have any problem being right up next to Mr. Luna

(I really was worried about that one in the picture who is cheek was so red,Dario2, but as I mentioned that's just their coloration but I was alarmed at one point). But do you still think it looks as if Dario 2 was being picked on?

It's too late to do anything about Dario 1, unfortunately. Now I have to solve the problem at hand.

I never guess when it comes to fish things as that could make it even worse. But the two Dario dario together was a mistake, you now realize what is best. And a male Betta should never be housed with other fish, especially brightly coloured ones. It is impossible to say if the Betta is "threatening" the remaining Dario dario as this need not be physical aggression, it can also occur chemically and no signs be evident until it is too late.

 

[vanalisa]

I never guess when it comes to fish things as that cold make it even worse. But the two Dario dario together was a mistake, you now realize what is best. And a male Betta should never be housed with other fish, especially brightly coloured ones. It is impossible to say if the Betta is "threatening" the remaining Dario dario as this need not be physical aggression, it can also occur chemically and no signs be evident until it is too late.

I have seen some posts of yours and am fascinated by the facts you have about how fish have chemical reaction to other fish. I understand about pheromones, I just didn't know that it happened underwater, too!

it doesn't solve my problem though

Have you posted a brief overview of this topic somewhere that I could read?

I think it would be great for everyone to read, and a perfect topic for a "sticky thread."

 

[Byron]

I have seen some posts of yours and am fascinated by the facts you have about how fish have chemical reaction to other fish. I understand about pheromones, I just didn't know that it happened underwater, too!

it doesn't solve my problem though

Have you posted a brief overview of this topic somewhere that I could read?

I think it would be great for everyone to read, and a perfect topic for a "sticky thread."

I'm not sure I know what the problem is, now. Separating the Betta and Scarlet Badis has been recommended by myself and Naughts, and this is the solution to any aggression issues. If the problem is feeding the Scarlet Badis, not sure what to suggest other than live food. This species can be difficult to feed, some never will accept non-live food, some accept frozen, some apparently will accept dried food--have you tried Bug Bites? Many fish will readily go after these as they are actual "bugs."

On the other matter, thank you for your kind words. I have not written an article on this particular subject, but it does seem to come up a lot, primarily because so many in this hobby do not understand fish physiology and it is a very complex subject and one I have spent time researching over the past couple of years though my undertanding is still at the most minimally basic level. The incredibly involved relationship between a fish and its aquatic environment is unlike that of any animal on land; this is quite simply because of the chemical properties of water. But this relationship governs every aspect of the fish's life.

 

[seangee]

I recently tried this stuff. It was a hit with all of my fish (although mine do all take dried food). https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001B7XBJ8/?tag=

I'm not sure if its available in the US but my fish prefer this to bug bites
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B014BVYIRE/?tag=
It's essentially the same but much smellier

 

[vanalisa]

Someday I will figure out how to quote parts of posts to respond to but lacking that knowledge,

Dario2, the one I'm getting ready to take out of my betta, Mr. Luna's, tank won't take Daphnia, Bug bites, Flakes, pellets, or micro-pellets.

I feed him Frozen bloodworms. But, he rarely if ever will go after them and I lose a lot of them to the bottom of the tank which you don't have to tell me is a big problem for water quality.

He mostly seems 2 nibble on them for a second and then spits them out. This is if they are small pieces. I can clearly see that he is getting some of the blood, but I can't imagine any helpful bulk is digested.

(Which takes my mind tangentially to another topic which I will post on another thread).

If he gets a longer worm or a whole worm it looks as if he might choke, but he manages to get it down. He kind of munches on it and then spits it out a little bit and then munches more on it and then spits it out a little bit more until it is gone. It's rather disturbing to watch, and probably even more disturbing to him on many levels.

He also rushes to the top pretty readily when he sees me coming and looks frantically at me. Do blood worms usually hang out at the water surface in their natural environment?

All around it's a pretty stressful situation, and might be a matter of life and death for the little fellow.

I have posted a thread about live food trying to figure out what would be a feasible option.

Your welcome for the kind words I just calls it like I sees it!
Would you consider writing two or three paragraphs for the rest of us? I know you said it was complex but maybe just a brief kind of cautionary something?

Something simple, say 10-15 pages double-spaced with 1-inch margins no less than six sources?