How long do your bettas live?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

verucaproduce

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
594
Location
Massachusetts
Just wondering what experiences everyone has had in regards to how long bettas usually live.

I had mine for about 6 months, in a community tank with platys, guppies and otos...and everyone seemed fine. All of a sudden the betta lost his color (no spots or fuzziness) and the next morning he was dead. Everyone else in the tank seems fine.

I did get him from a chain petstore (let the flogging begin) but I hoped that I could rescue him from that tiny cup.

Any input/experience would be helpful.
 
I've had the same experience as you about five times - all bettas bought at Petland or Petco.
I think chain-store bettas are 1) full grown adults, so they're already close to the end of their natural lifespan' and 2) probably have shortened lifespans due to the way they are bred and displayed.

I love bettas, but I've just gotten so frustrated with losing them suddenly and unexpectedly.
I would look and ask around for a local betta breeder. That way, you could buy younger fish with a better genetic pedigree.
 
I have gotten both of my bettas at (shhh....walmart) and have had good luck with them. I have one now that I've had for about a year, and he has about tripled in size since I got him. My other I've had for a few months.

A friend of mine had one for about 2.5 years, and it died. Follow QTOFFER's advice. Lots of the ones you get in chain stores are old. If you ask around, I'm sure you've got a local breeder around. :)

Good luck.
 
my friend at school had her betta for 4 years it lived by itself and it seemed happy she said my sister got hers in july and its going strong by itself in a hexagon tank with hot pink rocks at the bottom
 
My old betta lived for about a year. I kept him in a little bowl (I didn't know any better back then) I am hoping this one lasts a bit longer. It seems like I get more emotionally attached to my bettas than the other fish. Maybe its because I keep them by themselves. I dunno.
 
Knock on wood my petco betta has been with me since april and grown like an inch and a half... he is between 3.75 an 4inches... he like to move around...lol.. learned today he thinks it is mating season when he moves..tank to tank...My other two came from lfs and have been with me 4 and 6 months i think..lol.. they are growing like weeds..

Meredith
What stuff do you have in the ten gallon ... my oldest boy is likely to go into a ten gallon...
 
I only have the betta, some gravel, a few plastic plants and a heater. ( I am going to switch the plants out with silks) I had a small hob filter, but the water current was too much for him so I am switching to a sponge filter. I may at some point get a snail or something to go in there with him, but he is loving the space, so I don't want to push it. There is a picture of the tank in my gallery.
 
Now that you mention it, my betta was the same size when I bought him as shen he died. I have never seen a 'baby' betta in the petstore (and yes, I bought him at PetCo).

Unfortunately, there aren't any breeders in my area that I am aware of. I really can't see paying $25+ shipping for one fish either. I guess I am on the lookout for another 'centerpiece' fish for my 10 gallon. *sigh*
 
Nope. Unfortunately I am on the other side of the state.

I am pretty much stuck with what my local places have, one of which is a PetCo and the other store's conditions vary greatly depending on the month.

Thanks for the idea though. :D I will look into it.
 
Another thing, if you love the personality of bettas, is to get a female. It may just be me, but all the females I have had have outlasted their male counter parts when purcahed at the same time.
 
I am thinking of steering away from a betta this time, only because the stock we have locally is so bad.

A while back I was looking to stock my 5 gallon and I thought 'great, I will get a female betta'. Well the male bettas at the store looked bad enough, but the females had all sorts of fungus growing on them. Maybe because everyone buys the males and leaves the females on the shelf longer. I was so angry that I just left.

I guess this time I am looking for something that is going to be a little healthier from the get go, like something in a filtered tank.

I have heard a couple of dwarf gouramis suggestions, but then I am reading that they have a lot of health related issues lately. Anyone have any experience with them or any other suggestions?
 
well, my wife keeps a betta in a bowl in her kitchen. Nice large bowl shaped like a fish. We've had the fish for three years, after rescuing it from petsmart. It has survived being dropped on the floor, 3 trips into the sink disposal, a 30 minute waterless accident -bowl broke while taking "Mr. Jaws" on vacation - (yes, he goes with on many vacations ) and it took 30 minutes to find a replacement container while on the road. Most incidents were related to water changes (fish gets poured out by accident). I just recently set up a tropical tank and was going to add Mr. Jaws to it, but after 3 years in the kitchen and more lives than Meridith's cat, we decided to let him stay put.
 
well, my wife keeps a betta in a bowl in her kitchen. Nice large bowl shaped like a fish. We've had the fish for three years, after rescuing it from petsmart. It has survived being dropped on the floor, 3 trips into the sink disposal, a 30 minute waterless accident -bowl broke while taking "Mr. Jaws" on vacation - (yes, he goes with on many vacations ) and it took 30 minutes to find a replacement container while on the road. Most incidents were related to water changes (fish gets poured out by accident). I just recently set up a tropical tank and was going to add Mr. Jaws to it, but after 3 years in the kitchen and more lives than Meridith's cat, we decided to let him stay put.

I'm speechless! 8O 8O 8O
 
smallfry said:
well, my wife keeps a betta in a bowl in her kitchen. Nice large bowl shaped like a fish. We've had the fish for three years, after rescuing it from petsmart. It has survived being dropped on the floor, 3 trips into the sink disposal, a 30 minute waterless accident -bowl broke while taking "Mr. Jaws" on vacation - (yes, he goes with on many vacations ) and it took 30 minutes to find a replacement container while on the road. Most incidents were related to water changes (fish gets poured out by accident). I just recently set up a tropical tank and was going to add Mr. Jaws to it, but after 3 years in the kitchen and more lives than Meridith's cat, we decided to let him stay put.

I'm speechless! 8O 8O 8O

Thats inasane.... and i know something about insane things before
 
it depends..on the betta..if you buy the biggest at the pet store(petco etc) it will not live that long....when buying betta make sure you buy the one that looks deathly small...hes still young..i have had my betta for 3 years...
 
Back
Top Bottom