How Long Do Betta Fish Live?
In captivity, betta fish live for between two and five years. Most often, these little fish survive for about three years, but that is not a hard and fast rule. If you take good care of your betta, you may find that the fish is part of your family for six or seven years. Two factors that play heavily into how long the fish lives includes the tank and the water condition. Cleanliness is key.
Monitor water conditions for long life.
As the owner of a betta, it is important to monitor the water conditions on a regular basis. The temperature needs to stay consistent and you should be aware of the acidity of the water. Since betta fish live in tropical locations, the water temperature should be around 75 or 76 degrees, and the PH level should be between 6.5 and 7.5. Make sure that there are no nitrates or ammonia in the water. Also, remember that this is something you will have to monitor for the life of your fish.
Watch out for parasites.
Another issue to keep an eye out for are parasites like velvet, ich and fungi. Particularly if you give your bettas frozen foods, you may see ich start to grown. This is not good for your fish or their lifespan. Therefore, it is important to prevent this from happening.
Food choices are critical to long life.
Meal choice is crucial. The food that your betta receives helps determine how long it will live. If you want your little friend to be around for a long time, look for food that has a lot of fiber and a lot of protein. Also, you can improve the appearance of your fish if you feed it good foods. One thing to keep in mind is that betta fish are carnivores; therefore, live frozen foods are a good choice. You could pick up bloodworms or brine shrimps, for example. You can also get some betta pellets, and these tend to be very good for your fish as well.
More is not better in this case. Overfeeding your betta may limit its lifespan. They are more likely to become sick if they are overfed. Another problem is that bettas will not swim as well if they is overweight. Therefore, exercise caution when feeding your betta fish.
Betta fish are solitary.
Betta fish like to live alone. If they have company in the tank, they may not be very kind to their “roommates.” In fact, betta fish are known to attack other fish if they feel challenged. Therefore, it may be best to put your betta fish in its own tank. Female bettas typically do alright with one another, but having multiple male bettas in a tank is a recipe for disaster.
Having a betta fish can be a very enjoyable experience. In fact, having an aquarium in your home could do wonders for your own mental health. In addition, it is nice simply to look at the betta fish, which is truly a beautiful and extraordinary little creature. Take the information presented here to heart, and your betta could live for many years.
Image courtesy of Danielle Vereeken