Badis

Care at a glance

Overview

Badis are peaceful but shy and territorial, so they do best as a single fish or a small group in a quiet, well-planted tank with calm tankmates. They hang in the lower and middle levels, near plants and cover. Keep the water at 15 to 25 C and pH 6 to 7.5. They are picky eaters that usually refuse dry food, so plan on live or frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp.

In the wild

Badis live in slow, shallow water across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, in streams and ponds with sandy or muddy bottoms and heavy plant growth. Give them a well-planted tank with driftwood and caves so each fish can claim a spot. They like cooler, slightly soft water, so this is a good fish for an unheated or low-heat setup.

Good to know

This is a small fish in the family Badidae, reaching about 6 cm. It has a stocky, laterally flattened body and shifts color with mood and breeding state. It is a cave spawner: the male guards a chosen cave and tends the eggs and fry. Wild populations are listed as Least Concern.

Did you know

They are sometimes called chameleon fish because a single individual can run through a wide range of colors and patterns within minutes. The change comes from pigment cells in the skin that the fish expands and contracts.

Related species

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  Burmese Badis

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• 

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• 

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• 

  Bleeding heart tetra

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• 

  Guppy

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