2006 FAAS Publication Awards

Badis ruber "A small fish with a BIG attitude!" by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

he family is made up of small These fish are cave spawners, and prefer freshwater fishes that are closely related to a dimly lit tank. Therefore, I was never able to Tthe leaffishes (family: ). Both witness the actual spawning ritual. I only know families are often classified as a "labyrinth fish" that spawning did not occur until after the (refer to Aqualog: All Labyrinths!), even though dominant male had disposed of all his rivals. My their member lack a labyrinth organ. ruber spawned in a tank having a few small However, it is generally believed that they share a caves, a sponge filter, and without a separate common evolutionary ancestor with the "true" heater. Therefore, the tank water was room labyrinth fishes (bettas, gouramis, snakeheads, temperature, generally ranging from 70°F to 76°F ctenopomas, etc.). In 2002, Drs. Sven Kullander (Baensch recommends a considerably warmer (Swedish Museum of range of 79°F to 82°F). Natural History, My tap water is soft and Stockholm) and Ralf neutral, and I slightly Britz (University of lowered the pH in their Tbingen, Germany) tank to about 6.5 by the revised the family occasional addition of Badidae, and added a blackwater extract. new , Dorio', While I have Since then, more species read accounts of have been added to each aquarists who have been of the genera Badis and able to get these fish to Daria. eat flakes, I have never been able to get them to (formerly known as accept anything but live Badis burmanicus, or by food, generally adult the common names brine shrimp and small "Burmese Badis" and blackworms. When I "Burma Chameleon Fish") is native to the slow noticed fry in the tank, I added microworms and flowing streams or ditches in southern daphnia to the feeding regimen (but I suspect that (formerly known as Burma) and the middle the fry would have done just fme for quite a while ~ Mekong River drainage in . by grazing on the microorganisms that naturally They are a relatively small fish (both develop on the surface ofthe sponge filter). males and females rarely reaching 2.5 inches total For small fish, they are surprisingly tough, length), with a big attitude (in fact, the Badis were requiring little more care than live food, frequent originally thought to be cichlids!). They can be water changes, and spawning caves. I highly very territorial among themselves, with males often recommend them. fighting to the death. While the Baensch Aquarium Atlas states that this is a "Peaceful fish, it is even 'Schafer, Frank, All Labyrinths (Aqualog Reference less territorial than badis'" this has not Books), VerlagA.C.S. GmbH, 1997. been my experience. Of the Badis and Daria species I have kept, I would say that males of this 2Kullander, Sven 0., and RalfBritz, 2002. "Revision of species are among the most aggressive towards the family Badidae (Teleostei: Perciformes), with description of a new genus and ten new species." other male members of its own species. Because Ichthyological Exploration ofFreshwaters, 13: 295-372. of their small size, they can be kept in relatively (www.bollmoraakvarieklubb.org/etc/badisabstract.htm) small tanks, but it is important that the tank have hiding spaces and enough plants and caves to 3Baensch, Hans A., and Riehl, Dr. RUdiger Aquarium provide multiple distinct territories. They will stay Atlas - 2, Tetra Press, 1993. in hiding most of the time, generally in the lower third of the tank, coming out only to eat.

4 May 2006 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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