Betta how long do they live

I have two baby girl Betta fish in a 5 gal. I have my betta in distilled water. Can I just change out to treated tap water or is there a process? I have had Brawny for about 2 years and want to have him around for a lot longer.

Looks like I need to add a heater too though. This option is easier and should reduce potential stress. Very informative thank you. I learn something new all the time on my Bettas. One thing I was wanting to ask is? If my pH is high and nitrates but other tests good what do I do? To do better? I have 6 Bettas 5 gallon tanks.

Plus one 10 gallon. Hi Cindy, if you have high pH tap water, I would recommend using spring water instead, although that may get expensive if you have that many tanks. You can also add a lot of live plants or real driftwood can help, or lastly, they do have products that lower pH that you can find online or at your local pet store. I recently bought a 5. I have a square glass 2. I am confused about that. Would you clarify if I have a heater, then I must have a filter or no?

You could use the filter if you can slow the water coming into the tank enough, or you can use a sponge-filter setup as well which produces almost no current. For your primary question, it should only matter more in larger tanks where a heater might be in one area of the tank and not be able to adequately disperse to the rest of the tank.

I am an intermediately experienced betta owner, however, this is my first try with a sorority tank. Do you think by her being alone for so long, this would be asking for trouble? In their current conditions they are all fairly docile. I should note also, that Ruby was in with another fish when I first got her and she kept her distance, but he kept chasing her and nipped a fin so I removed her immediately. Any advice would be so helpful!

First, gallons would be the minimum size for a sorority, and a gallon long tank would be best. All betta personalities are different which complicates advice. Also be very careful buying baby bettas labeled females from fish stores because sometimes they are mis-labeled and turn out to be males. Make sure you know how to identify the sex of them, especially if one turns out to be a male so you can remove it. I would get at least two more baby bettas who are roughly the same size as GA and Skye in varying colors if possible and introduce them sooner rather than later.

Sororities can be tough…so always have a backup plan to remove one if they are just too aggressive for the pack. I just got a beautiful male Betta for my toddlers to watch. I have had Bettas in the past, but this one seems obsessed with a seashell properly cleaned and aquarium safe — he displays in front of it and puffs up.

Should I remove the seashell? Or is this actually enhancing his environment? Has he calmed down around it yet? Some flaring behavior is beneficial, yes, but prolonged aggression can potentially cause too much stress. Is it a very bright color? I breed bettas as well as run a fish rescue program. I have over the last two years taken in 3 very old bettas.

One past away at 10 another at 11 and i still have an oldest at 13 years of age. He isnt very active but he thrives in a 10g with plants. Male bettas should be kept separately from other males, and female bettas should be kept in harems of five or larger to avoid them fighting each other.

Here is our list of the best betta foods. Adult bettas are typically 3-inches long — the length of their body, not including tail and fins. If your betta is smaller than this — say 1 to 1. Betta fish change colors as they age. Juveniles are duller in color and elderly betta start to fade their colors. Betta fish can actually live up to days without food. Obviously, this is far from ideal and should never be your aim, but if some kind of emergency arose and they went unfed this long, they could still survive.

In fact, they are likely to not reach the full two-year old minimum of a betta fish life span if kept in a small bowl. There should be a minimum of 5-gallons per betta. The age of betta is a not a regulated thing — i. The average Betta lives about three years. Because a Betta purchased at a pet shop is often one year old already. Males, in particular, are allowed to fully mature, so their fins and colors are well developed.

Females may be sold at a bit younger age, but they will generally be at least six months old when offered for sale. One of the keys to enjoying your Betta longer is to buy a healthy, young fish from a reputable pet shop. Avoid buying pale fish as that is a sign of disease. The fins shouldn't be torn or ragged. The eyes should be clear and not bulging out. Look for any signs of sores or injury on the body. A healthy Betta is active and will respond to you when you place your hand on the glass of the tank.

Good care and a healthy diet can prolong the lifespan of your Betta. But don't overfeed it, as too much food can cause fatty liver disease hepatic lipidosis , which can shorten your Betta's life span. Exercise has been shown to increase the life span of the Betta,so a gentle water flow through the tank to provide resistance when swimming will keep your Betta fit, but the flow should not be so excessive that it blows the Betta around the tank.

Another factor in longevity for Bettas is keeping the male Bettas apart , so they don't fight each other. Do regular water changes. Test the water regularly and make the necessary changes when needed to keep pH, nitrates, and nitrites in check.

Constipation is a huge problem for them. Use a tank vacuum or remove the top surface of the substrate when doing full water changes. Monitor water temperature carefully. Bettas naturally live in warm water.

An ideal temperature for them is 75 to 80 degrees. Bettas are smart. Add decorations, rocks, and plants so they have a lot of different places to explore. You can even get them exercise mirrors and leaf beds! In fact, a betta in a small bowl will most likely not make it to the average lifespan of 3 years. Some have been reported to live as many as 9 or 10 years. Proper tank maintenance is important, too.

Use a proper filter and test the water weekly. At a minimum, you should do partial water changes every week. This will help your betta grow and give it enough room to swim and be happy. Feeding is important, too. While bettas can go about a week without food before they use up their reserves, about 4 or 5 days is the maximum amount of time to wait before feeding them to avoid any ill effects. With proper care and the right genetics, your betta might live to a happy old age of 10 years.

I fed him twice a day with two pebbles a day I had him on somewhat a schedule I just changed his water today and all of a sudden I could touch without him swimming away as normal and his fins were not moving at all which was unusual. I think maybe two pebbles isnt enough, i mean it could probably live off that but i still think pebbles spread out between the day is the way to go.

Your fish may have died from scale rot. Or it didnt have enough attention.