Chameleon fish or badis-badis. Chameleon fish - peaceful, small, rare Add your comment

Badis badis (Badis badis) or chameleon fish is not very common in amateur aquariums. It's a pity, because in addition to the bright color, it is also small in size and suitable for keeping even in nano-aquaria.

Badis badis belongs to the Nandidae family, in which it is the only representative. Three subspecies are currently described: B. b. badis, B.b. burmanicus (Burmese), and B. b. siamensis (Siamese). They differ in color, two are bluish-gray or brownish, and B. b. burmanicus reddish.

However, it is not for nothing that badis is called a chameleon fish, it is able to change color depending on the environment.

Habitat in nature

It is believed that the Nandidae family used to be distributed throughout the world, but now its representatives live in Asia, Africa and South America.

For many years they have been considered a widespread fish in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Badis are widespread in the Ganges and its numerous tributaries.

In nature, they live in slow-flowing streams and ponds with stagnant water. They are masters of disguise, and spend most of their lives hiding under fallen leaves and snags at the bottom of ponds.

All representatives of the badis family are able to change their color, mimicking the environment. To find it in nature, you will have to try very hard.

Badis males grow up to only 5-6 cm in length, and females are even smaller.

B. badis will thrive in an aquarium as large as 40 liters, with a sandy or gravel bottom and plenty of hiding places. The ideal is to create a biotope. Many types of plants are suitable, but those that can be added to the decor are especially good.

For example, Javanese moss, anubias or Thai fern. Driftwood, branches, dry leaves will create a more natural look in the aquarium, provide shelter, make the water more similar in parameters to the one in which badis live in nature.

This fish does not like bright light and open spaces, so it is better to put floating plants on the surface of the water, and put coconuts and pots in the aquarium.

By the way, good conditions for them will be: pH 6.0 - 7.5 and medium hardness. As for water temperature, chameleon fish live in a climate where air temperature changes throughout the year and are able to tolerate temperatures of 15 - 25 ° C and above, but for a short period.

Usually, when the temperature rises, they begin to spawn, and if there are shelters in the aquarium, they can do this in general.

Compatibility

Members of the Nandidae family are usually slow-moving and are protected by the ability to change color and hide.

Small and timid, badis feel best in a separate, biotope aquarium, where no one will disturb them. However, fry and shrimp such as cherries, they can eat.

Intra-general aggression is also expressed, and it is better to keep one male and several females, or a couple. The problem of aggression can be solved with the help of a large number of shelters and a large aquarium.

Sex differences

It is very easy to distinguish a male from a female, females are smaller, paler in color, and noticeably fuller than males.

Unfortunately, more often males are imported, as they are bright and sell better.

Feeding

In nature, badis eat worms, aquatic insects, larvae, and other zooplankton. In the aquarium, they can refuse artificial feed, although in most cases they get used to it over time.

In any case, they need to be regularly fed with live and frozen food - brine shrimp, daphnia, coretra. The more varied and nutritious the food, the brighter the color of the fish. They are shy and cautious, it is important to pick up neighbors who will not take food from them.

They are prone to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, and it is better to exclude food such as tubifex or bloodworms from the diet, or wash them very well.

Breeding

Badis spawn in shelters, and it is not difficult to breed them in a community aquarium. It is better to remove other fish at this time if you want to raise the fry as much as possible, but in an aquarium with a lot of hiding places, the survival rate is usually quite high without this.

Badis can spawn both in pairs and in groups, but each male needs a separate shelter that he will protect. The water parameters are as usual, and a slight increase in water temperature serves as an incentive for breeding. It also stimulates reproduction and a large amount of live food.

As soon as spawning time comes, males become very pugnacious and begin to show pre-spawning behavior, inviting females to their territory. They become very beautiful, the body darkens to black, and the fins glow blue.

A typical behavior in which the partners are clinging their lips, the male practically drags the female to his shelter.

The female lays from 30 to 100 eggs, after which she can be transplanted, as the male takes care of the eggs. He guards her and fans her fins, increasing the flow of water.

The larva hatches in 24-36 hours, and the fry begins to swim after 6-8 days. However, during the first week they do not leave the shelter. After the fry begin to blur, it is better to transplant them, as badis can perceive them as food.

Starter food for fry - microworm and commercial feed, as they grow, they give brine shrimp nauplii.

Badis badis or chameleon fish is not a very common pet in home aquariums. Despite its miniature size and beautiful color, few people know about it. Can be kept in nano aquariums. Badis is a fish that belongs to the Nandidae family, and is its only species. Three subspecies are known: Badis badis, Badis burmanicus, Badis siamensis. All of them differ in color, the former have a bluish-brown and bluish-gray body, the latter has red scales. All badis are able to change color, they were called “chameleons” for a reason.

Previously, fish of the Nandidae family lived all over the world, but they remained only in the waters of Africa, Asia and South America. They prefer slow-flowing rivers and streams, where they are well camouflaged. Most of their lives are spent in fallen leaves and snags. They are difficult to meet in nature due to their excellent camouflage under the environment. The body of males has a size of 5-7 cm, females are slightly smaller. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced - females are small, with pale scales, more rounded than males. Aquarists prefer to buy males because of the brighter colors.

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Conditions of detention

Badis badis contain in a small aquarium with a volume of 40-50 liters. At the bottom lay the soil of sand or gravel, set a sufficient number of shelters. You can create a semblance of a natural biotope by dressing the tank in Javanese moss, anubias or Thai fern. Twigs, driftwood, leaves will help create natural scenery.

See what Badis badis looks like.

Badis do not like bright lighting and open space, so it is recommended to plant floating plants in the aquarium, and add shelters in the form of coconuts and clay pots to the bottom. Permissible parameters of the aquatic environment: water temperature 20-25 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.0-7.5 pH, water hardness is average. Badis badis is a heat-resistant species that gets used to temperature changes. An increase in water temperature by several degrees and a large number of shelters are an incentive for spawning.

Badis badis fish is a timid creature, slow and shy. It is better to keep them in a separate aquarium, in a calm and stable environment. If shrimp live with them, then badis can eat their fry. Within the family, aggressive behavior is also manifested; it is better to settle several females on one male. Their temper is calmed by soft light and "houses" where you can hide from the hustle and bustle.

Feeding

Wild badis feed on worms, insects, larvae and zooplankton. Aquarium badis fish are unpretentious, they eat live and frozen food: daphnia, coretra, brine shrimp. Artificial food is not particularly welcome, although some pets get used to it. The more varied the diet, the stronger their health and brighter body color.

Look at badis in the same aquarium with shrimp.

It is important to make sure that the neighbors do not take away food, because badis are shy. They can become ill with inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract if they feed a tubifex or a bloodworm. Small catfish, as neighbors, will not take food, but rather eat half-eaten food.

Breeding rules

Breeding is possible in a separate spawning ground with a volume of 20 liters, where there are dense plants and subdued lighting. The water temperature rises to 28-30 degrees, the acidity of the water is 6.5 pH, the hardness is 7 dH. A female or several females are added to him.

At the beginning of spawning, males become active, show their colors to females, invite them to their territory. The body acquires an almost black color, the fins turn sharply blue. The male and female touch each other with their lips, hiding in a shelter.

Young females lay 30-100 small and sticky eggs, after laying they are deposited. The male badis takes care of the offspring. Strengthens the flow of water by fanning the eggs with fins. The fry larvae appear in a day, and begin to swim in a week. When they begin to swim on their own, it is better to separate them from their parents, otherwise they will be eaten. The body of the fry is almost transparent, black spots stand out on the head and tail. The initial food for badis babies is microworms, food for fry, later you can add brine shrimp naupilii.

Badis badis, or chameleon fish, is a very secretive fish whose family is considered endangered. Why is the fish called a chameleon? Perhaps the secret is in her appearance?

Why secretive? But because Badis badis does not really favor representatives of the sea and does not come into contact with other fish species. It lives in stagnant waters, where there are many plants and little lighting. The 8-centimeter beauty was originally brought to Europe from India around 1905. This was done by the Germans from the fish farming company "Matte and Tum". In record time, badis-badis spread not only throughout Germany, but also throughout Europe.

Despite the secrecy, breeding is quite simple: a 20-liter aquarium is taken, more plants and some kind of pebble or stalk from a clay pot 10-15 cm in size. Light is needed dim. During spawning, the water temperature should be 26°C, pH - 6.5, and dGH 7°, dKH 1°. The fish are seated in pairs, and this is where a stone or a piece of a pot is needed - it serves as a kind of cradle for eggs. Sometimes small depressions in the sand are also dug for these purposes, and males are engaged in this business. In the future, they also take care of the eggs and fry, although this is not necessary. In addition, males are quite jealous of their territory and unfriendly to other males.

If we talk about appearance, then the males are quite large - 8 centimeters in length, with powerful fins.

The color of the scales of the chameleon fish varies in a very wide range, but the main feature is a kind of iron reflection.

In old age, their abdomen falls, and the body bends like a bow. Females are small and inconspicuously faded, with a convex abdomen. After the spawning period is over, the females should be transplanted separately. More than 200 fish are born from one litter of Badis badis. The larvae hatch in two days from transparent and sticky eggs less than a centimeter in size. After a week they can be fed.

The fry themselves are transparent, there is only a black spot on the tail and head, so it is rather difficult to distinguish them. They almost do not move, lie at the bottom of the aquarium. The main food of these fish is something living, for example, small larvae of aquatic insects or a marine tubifex.

The Badidae family is often considered a subfamily of another fish family, the Nandidae. And in 1936, Al made a note about a red-brown variety from Burma.

It comes from Southeast Asia from the territory of modern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. It lives in shallow, rather muddy sections of rivers with a slow flow and abundant vegetation. The bottom is usually viscous, silty and littered with numerous branches, foliage, and other woody debris.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium - from 50 liters.
• Temperature - 20–24°C
• pH value - 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness - soft to medium hard (3–15 dGH)
• Substrate type - sand and gravel
• Lighting - subdued / moderate
• Brackish water - no
• Water movement - little or no
• The size of the fish is up to 5 cm.
• Food - any food
• Temperament - conditionally peaceful
• Keeping alone or in pairs male / female

Description

Adults reach a length of up to 6 cm. The color is variable and depends on the environment, it can vary from orange to blue or purple. A similar feature is reflected in the name of the fish - "Chameleon". Males are somewhat larger than females and are more brightly colored, especially during the mating season.

Food

They belong to carnivorous species, but the breeders managed to accustom Badis to dry food, so there will be no problems with feeding in a home aquarium. It is recommended to include in the diet live or frozen meat products (bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp), which contribute to the development of a better color.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The size of the aquarium for one or a pair of fish starts from 50 liters. The design uses a sand and gravel substrate, shade-loving rooting and clusters of floating plants, as well as shelters in the form of branches and roots of trees, various snags. As future spawning grounds, you can use decorative objects that form grottoes, caves, or simple ceramic pots turned over on their side.
Optimal housing conditions are achieved with low to medium light levels and low internal flow. The water temperature should be no higher than 23-24°C. The equipment is adjusted based on these conditions; in some cases, you can do without a heater. The hydrochemical parameters pH and dGH have wide acceptable values ​​and are not so critical.
Aquarium maintenance comes down to regular cleaning of the soil from organic waste, weekly replacement of part of the water (10–15% of the volume) with fresh water.

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm and slow fish, so you should avoid sharing with active and / or large species that can intimidate Badis. But miniature cyprinids such as Rasbora Harlequin, Rasbora Espes and the like, as well as small flocks of haracins, can become excellent neighbors.
Intraspecific relationships are built on the dominance of the alpha male in a particular area. In a small aquarium, it is worth keeping only one male paired with a female. If there are several males, they can arrange fierce fights among themselves.

Breeding / breeding

The appearance of fry is quite possible in a common aquarium, Badis-chameleon has well-developed parental instincts, like other labyrinth fish, therefore, it will take care and protect future offspring.
Spawning takes place in shelters similar to caves, under the arch of which the eggs are located. Tiled on its side ceramic pots are perfect for this role. With the beginning of the mating season, the male acquires a more saturated dark color, the behavior becomes quite warlike if someone violates the boundaries of his territory, the center of which is the spawning ground. The male attempts to literally drag the female into his shelter, if she is ready, then she succumbs to his requirements.
When the eggs are laid, the female leaves the cave, and the male remains to guard the clutch and fry until they swim freely. Not it takes from one to one and a half weeks. Then the male loses interest in them and it is advisable to move the juveniles to a separate tank with identical conditions.

Fish diseases

The main cause of most diseases is unsuitable living conditions and poor quality food. If the first symptoms are detected, you should check the water parameters and the presence of high concentrations of hazardous substances (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.), if necessary, bring the indicators back to normal and only then proceed with treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the section "

Badis badis. Chameleon fish or Badis badis - a detailed description, photo, video, features of keeping and breeding in a home aquarium

Description of the genus "BADIS (Badis)"

Order: Perciformes (Perciformes)
Suborder: perciform
Family: Nandidae (Nandidae)

monotypic genus.

Based on the anatomy, behavior, specification of eggs and larvae of chameleon fish ( badis badis) are sometimes isolated both into a monotypic genus and into a monotypic family - Badidae, adapted to air breathing. This family is intermediate between Nandidae and Anabantidae (Labyrinthidae).

Badis badis. Chameleon fish: keeping and breeding fish.

Size up to 8 cm.

It lives in stagnant water bodies of India.

The male is larger, brighter colored and has elongated ends of the dorsal and anal fins. The species is kept in small aquariums, moderately planted with plenty of cover.

water for maintenance: dH up to 20°; pH 6.5-7.5; t 20-24 °С.

The stimulus for spawning is an increase in water temperature and the addition of fresh water.

Breeding water: dH up to 10°; pH 6.5-7.2; t 23-27 ° С. Carbonate hardness is minimal.

Breeding is possible both in an aquarium where the fish are kept, and in a spawning ground, which is more appropriate. Use a spawning tank of 20 liters or more. Many small shelters are installed in it from small flower pots and tubes. It is necessary to provide weak aeration and it is desirable to filter the water. One male and one or more females are planted for spawning. Subdued lighting preferred. Spawning usually occurs inside the shelter cavity, less often on its outer surface. After spawning, the female is removed. The male actively takes care of the offspring. The larvae come out after 2 days, after 4-5 days the fry begin to swim, after which the male can be transplanted.

Starter food - brine shrimp. The female lays from 100 to 200 eggs.

Video

Badis badis.

Badis badis or chameleon fish (Badis badis).