How big can bettas grow?
On average, male bettas grow to about two to three inches in length, including their fins. Females tend to be smaller with shorter fins. In recent years, “king” betta fishes have appeared that have heavier bodies and range from 3-4 inches.
What is the average life span of a betta fish?
With the right environment and good diet, betta fish generally live two to three years, but some are known to live up to five years.
What should betta fish be fed with?
Betta fish that live in the wild eat live food, mostly insects. In captivity, bettas can eat pellets and flake food formulated for their species, and should also receive fresh or frozen aquarium fish shrimp (once thawed), as well as lyophilized and daphnia bloodworms. Their stomachs are as big as their eyes, so feed them in small amounts twice a day and various foods to offer complete nutrition. If they don’t eat their food, click here to find possible answers.
How can you tell if a betta fish is sick?
Betta fish can suffer from any number of diseases, but the most common signs of any disease include:
- Damage or deterioration of the fin
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- White fungus attached to fins and scales.
How do betta fish live in the wild?
Bettas live in slow-moving, shallow freshwater streams, ponds and rice paddies of Southeast Asia.
- Their diet consists of mosquitoes, insect larvae, and plankton.
- Like captive bettas, males will protect their own territories and drive out other male intruders.
- Bettas are also known as “labyrinth fish,” which means they can breathe oxygen by going to the surface of the water.
- They can even temporarily survive outside of water because they can process oxygen outside of their aqueous environment.
Wild Hybrid Betta Fish by Pariskanza
What can I do to improve the life span of my betta fish?
There are several things you can do to help your betta live longer:
- Do not hold it in a small bowl despite the wide availability of such bowls for bettas. Look best for a tank that is at least five gallons and that is wider than it is tall and has a filter.
- Males should be kept separate, but you can have more than one female in a tank, in which case you will need an even larger tank.
- Feed them with foods made for bettas that have animal protein as the main ingredient. You can also add blood worms and shrimp to the aquarium.
- Don’t overfeed your betta! You can give him a pinch of food once or twice a day. The amount should be just what you can eat in about a minute or two (half if you feed twice a day). Let him fast at least one day a week too.
- The water in the tank should be filtered and kept at 78º to 80º F / 25.5º to 26.6º C.
- Make sure to condition your water with a conditioner made for bettas. This removes chlorine from the water and removes other harmful chemicals.
- Keep live plants in your tank to help oxygenate the water and provide areas for your fish to hide and relax.
FAQs about Betta Fishtank
Now learn how to select and maintain the right environment for your betta. This information will help your fish to enjoy a better quality of life.
What tank size is most appropriate for betta fish?
Although betta fish can live in those little bowls in a store, this is not an ideal situation. It works because they are alone and because they can breathe air from the surface. However, water conditions can quickly deteriorate in such a small container, so each fish should live in a tank containing at least one gallon of water, and preferably two to five gallons. This will give the fish much more room to move, and the overall environment will be more stable.
Do betta fish need special equipment in your tank?
Bettas have a gut system just like other fish, such as goldfish and guppies, but they have an additional organ called a maze that also allows them to breathe oxygen into the air above the water’s surface. This is why they can live quite well in large containers without air pumps and filtration systems, but it is still better for fish if you can provide them with a fully functioning tank with aerator and filter because this will help them keep better water quality between tank cleanings. Bettas like warm water, so a heater and thermometer will also be needed to keep the water at the proper temperature. Caves and plants are also good additions to the tank.
What should be the pH of the water and the temperature range?
The ideal temperature range for bettas is 78º-80º F / 25.5-26.6º C. These betta fishes are slightly more resistant than some tropical fish and work well in a pH range between 6.5-7.0. The ammonia and nitrite levels should be kept at 0 and the nitrates below 20. You can buy a water test kit that will help you determine the levels.
A Betta Fishtank by Jomeliegill
How many betta fish can live in a tank?
Male bettas are quite aggressive towards other bettas, especially other males, so you should only keep one male in each tank. Females can also be kept separate, but it is possible to keep three to five females together in a 10-gallon fraternity tank as long as there are enough plants to offer hiding places and territorial divisions.
What other types of fish can I keep with my betta?
Bettas can be together with other non-aggressive tropical fish of similar size that requires the same temperature and pH ranges. Some examples include platies, mollies, and swordtails. Bettas often view guppies as smaller male bettas. So, avoid them as much as gouramis, as both will trigger a betta’s territorial instincts. The best procedure is to just introduce your betta to one new species at a time and see how well it reacts.
How often should the tank be cleaned?
Betta fish need clean water, otherwise, they become stressed and susceptible to disease. Gallon bowls and filtered tanks should receive weekly cleanings and water changes to remove harmful toxins. However, not all water must be changed at the same time. According to the vets at PetEducation.com, the water in the old tank contains beneficial bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites that are later converted to nitrates that can be removed with partial water changes. If you’d like, go ahead and plan to remove and replace 25 percent of the old water with fresh, chlorine-free water. Fish droppings can be pipetted out of the tank and used to sauce the turkey. (Pipette for turkey)
Proper care of betta fish leads to longevity
If you still want to own a betta after reading the answers to the most frequently asked questions, this is probably the fish for you. The knowledge you have learned here will help you provide your pet with the proper care from the moment you bring it home, and that means it will have a longer and happier life with you.
