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Scarlett Badis (Dario Dario)
Scarlett Badis (Dario Dario)
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$16.00 NZD
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$16.00 NZD
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Dario Dario, commonly known as the scarlet badis, is one of the smallest known tropical freshwater percoid fish species. Native to India and Bhutan, this vibrant micro-predator is popular among nano-aquarium hobbyists for its striking coloration and territorial personality.
Physical Appearance & Sexual Dimorphism
- Size. Adults typically grow to just 2 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1 inch) in length, though rare specimens can reach up to 4 cm.
- Male Coloration. Males display brilliant scarlet-red bodies accented by seven distinct vertical iridescent blue or silver bars. Their fins are prominent and often edged with bright light-blue highlights.
- Female Coloration. Females are noticeably smaller at around 1.3 cm and lack the bright red and blue markings. They have a subtle, translucent silver-grey or brownish appearance with faint vertical stripes, which often leads to them being overlooked by collectors.
Natural Habitat & Distribution
- Geographic Range. the species is native to the Brahmaputra River drainage system in West Bengal and Assam, India, and likely extends into Bhutan.
- Environment. In the wild, they inhabit shallow, clear, slow-moving streams with sand or fine gravel substrates. They rely heavily on dense aquatic vegetation for cover and hunting.
Behavior & Aquarium Care
- Temperament. Despite their tiny size, males are territorial and will flare their fins and spar with rival males. They are shy around larger fish and do best in heavily planted nano tanks (at least 30–40 litres) with plenty of caves, driftwood, and leaf litter to break lines of sight.
- Diet. As obligate micro-predators, they feed on tiny aquatic crustaceans, worms, and zooplankton. They routinely reject standard dry flakes or pellets, requiring live or frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, Daphnia, and Cyclops.
- Water Parameters. their native waters are around 26°C. In aquariums, they thrive in clean, stable, soft-to-moderately-hard water between 22°C and 28°C with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 and gentle filtration.
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