Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are a popular choice for home aquariums. They are beautiful and have a long lifespan of up to five years if they are provided with the right environment and care. Here we will discuss how long do betta fish live, its average life sapn, and how to ensure they live a long and healthy life. Betta fish have an average lifespan of 2 to 4 years when they are raised in a human-made environment like fish tanks. In the wild, however, they have a lifespan of 1 to 2 years. Given that these are the first choice for people’s first pets, it is only natural that one would want to have their betta fish live long and healthy. You can employ many ways and tidbits to elongate your betta fish’s lifespan.
How Long do Betta Fish Live?
How long do Betta fish live? The longevity of betta fish depends on countless factors, but there are two things you need to be sure of first. The first one is how old they are when you adopt them, as well as the environment they grew up in. The best place to buy your betta fish is from an online breeder or a local pet store. The next thing to keep in mind to prolong your Betta fish life span is their environment.
The oldest a betta fish can get is up to 7 years. Under rare circumstances, they can also live up to 9 or even 10 years. Life expectancy for betta fish is proportional to how big the tank they live in, so give them a tank that can hold up to five gallons of water. And make sure they live in a tank of their own. Due to their terrestrial nature, they will fight other male betta fishes and injure each other the fight over it.
How to Take Care of Betta Fish?
You can make some changes on how to take care of your betta fish care and help them live healthy lives. The things you need to take care of are as follows.
#1 Habitat Size
Having the right size tank plays an essential role in ensuring the betta fish life expectancy. The bigger it, the more room your betta fish will have to move around. As for the minimum betta fish tank size, go for 2.5 gallons worth of tank. For a much average range, it is recommended that you get a tank that can hold in the water of five gallons.
#2 Food
When it comes to how long do betta fish live? What you are feeding is more important. Betta fish are carnivores by nature and feed on the insects in their natural environment; you can call them insectivores if you like. They can access a good amount of protein and fibre from the environment. So to make the life of your betta fish long and healthy, feed Betta fish food high in protein and fibre. Betta fish have one issue they do not take regular fish food, so their diet is somewhat different. For starters, you can feed them betta pallets, and as you go on, you can feed them frozen/alive bloodworms and brine shrimp to add to their nutritional needs.
#3 Water
The cleanliness of the water is of utmost importance and should be done at regular intervals to ensure proper working, recycling, and proper filtration of it. Whatever the Betta fish eats will excrete in the environment, i.e., the water. The water filled with excretion this way gets high in ammonia and becomes unfit for fish to live in. let alone betta fish. So make sure to switch the water regularly to keep it healthy.
#4 Tank Size
What would lead to water tanks changing the water in them often? The smaller the betta fish tank size is, the more often you will have to change the water. So a rule of thumb is the more significant the size of the tank, the slower it will stagnate by the fish’s excretion.
#5 Temperature
Betta fish is not someone who likes the cold. Ensure that the temperature remains the same or slightly at the time of changing water. If the Betta fish temperature is projected to an environment of low temperature (say less than sixty-eight Fahrenheit), they will grow symptoms to which there will be no solution. It is of utmost care that you keep the temperature at sixty-eight or above. A low temperature weakens their immune system, resulting in disease; they become inactive and lose activity.
#6 Tank Environment
The tank environment is both the playground and the place where your betta fish will live. So to make an environment in which your fish can make the most of it, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, cover the tank top; this makes sure that your Betta doesn’t just hump out to death. Second, add some environment to the aquarium for your betta fish to move around and even hide.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is strictly forbidden that you even do this. Betta fishes are terrestrial creatures that will give depth to their territory. They should have their own tank to live in.
Firstly, it depends on your quantity; the lesser volume, the more frequently you will have to change it. Secondly, as suggested by your pet store owner or online breeder, you do it regularly. But the rule of thumb is you change half of it every day.
Conclusion
While these Japanese fighting fish have quirks and behavior that make them ideal first pets, their care also needs consideration, effort, and attention. You must research them to take their time with your most fun and have them live long. And if they are a gift from you to someone, or you got one as a gift, follow the things mentioned, and you will have a fun time with your betta fish.