Blue Badis (Badis badis)

Remarks:  The blue badis (Badis badis) is a beautiful and secretive species of nano fish. These micropredators rarely exceed two inches in length and get their other common name of chameleon fish from their remarkable ability to change their color and pattern surprisingly quick. At rest, mature males have a reddish-tan body with iridescent blue fins and vertical stripes. However, when courting a female or sparring with another male, the body of the male can turn black in the blink of an eye making their blue coloration all the more dramatic. The more plain females and juveniles, who lack the male blue badis' iconic blue color and are usually are a mottled tan or green, are also capable of fast changes in their pattern for better camouflage. Females can further be identified by having shorter, more rounded bodies compared to males which is a good indicator to go by as stressed or immature males can be just as dull as females. 

  In the wild, blue badis are known to be found in shallow, slow-moving bodies of water in the Ganges River drainage in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The habitats these small, colorful fish live in are soft, acidic, full of leaf litter and other organic debris, tannin-stained, clear, lush with plants, and teeming with micro-organisms and insect larvae. This type of environment allows the blue badis to hide from predators as well as sate its fast metabolism by feeding on tiny crustaceans and insect larvae. To have the best chance at the blue badis thriving within your aquarium as well as show the best coloration, it is highly recommended to replicate its natural habitat. If kept in too bright of light and not given enough hiding spots, they can quickly become stressed. It should also be noted that these fish can be jumpers so a tight fitting lid will be needed. Feeding should take place 1-2 times a day and should mostly consist of live and frozen foods as they rarely take to prepared foods like flake or pellets.

  Due to their small size, a single or pair of blue badis can be kept in a tank as small as 10 gallons. However, if planning to have more fish, a tank of 20 gallons or more is ideal. They can be kept with a number of other nano species that are as docile as they are and prefer similar parameters such as small rasboras. Other badis species should be avoided not only to prevent hybridization, but also because while blue badis are mostly timid and docile, they can get very territorial with conspecifics. With how shy they can be as well as how slow they eat, tankmates that are overly boisterous and might bully the blue badis away from food should be avoided. Lastly, while the blue badis is small, it naturally hunts shrimp in the wild so great caution should be considered if planning to keep them with small shrimp like Neocaridina davidi.

  The blue badis has been bred in captivity though it is not the easiest project to undertake. Males are territorial and it can be difficult to sex young fish. It should be noted that lip-locking occurs both during sparring between males and when a male courts a female. Conditioning a pair will also take some careful monitoring of water parameters and plenty of live foods such as moina. Since they spawn during the rainy season in the wild, small, daily water changes with RO water can help induce spawning. Once conditioned, a pair will select a cave, spawn, and then the male will chase the female out as she might eat the eggs. To avoid the male attacking the female, it is ideal to remove the female from the tank or at least ensure there is enough space and hiding spots for her to retire to. The male will guard and tend to eggs and freshly hatched fry, but he also might feed on his young once they are free swimming. For this reason, newly hatched fry should be kept in a tank separate from the parents. Blue badis fry are extremely tiny so they must be fed tiny foods such as paramecium and microworms before they are large enough for baby brine shrimp.