Old Betta?

[dkpate]

I didn't want to post this in the sick section, since he's not really sick

I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with an old betta? One of my guys is turning white (like fading) around his gills, face and chest. One of his eyes is also turning gold instead of black/dark brown. It is almost like he is just fading! (He is normally a magenta color).
He has been having swim bladder issues, and I have been taking care of that with peas and fasting.
He has also had a bump in his midsection, between his stomach and his swim bladder, and I was just assuming it was a tumor or something, since it doesn't seem to affect him too much.
I got him about a year and a half ago, but I know he was a lot older than normal, since he was too big for his cup. The water he and one other guy I got was HORRIBLE, so that might have also shortened their life spans.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Lengelund]

I had a betta that lived well over three years. For the last months of his life, he was in my community tank. Ha lay under a rock and would crawl out when I fed the tank to pick up a few tidbits from the bottom. Then he would crawl back under the rock and stay there until the next day's feeding. He was a cool little betta, the only one I've kept.

 

[jasurf21]

I'm having the same issue. Have had a betta for about 1.5 years now and he was pretty large when I bought him from the store so he must be at least 2 years old. His color is fading and the tips of his finnage are turning gray. Old age?

 

[BigJim]

I've run into the same things with my bettas. They're just the cheap fish from Petsmart or Petco, so I question the hardiness of the stock to begin with. On top of that, the males are pretty big when they're sold. I wouldn't be surprised if they were a year old already and possibly worn-out breeders.

My current "old" betta seems to have swim bladder trouble. He sits on the bottom or on the leaves of a plant, but he has the energy to swim up to get food in the morning. I've had him for at least a year.

 

[dkpate]

That sounds like the same thing that mine is doing. He hangs out under a plant or behind the filter on the suction cup.
I actually didn't get him from PetSmart or Petco, but a crappy little feed store because I felt so sorry for him, so who knows how old he is?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I didn't want to post this in the sick section, since he's not really sick

I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with an old betta? One of my guys is turning white (like fading) around his gills, face and chest. One of his eyes is also turning gold instead of black/dark brown. It is almost like he is just fading! (He is normally a magenta color).
He has been having swim bladder issues, and I have been taking care of that with peas and fasting.
He has also had a bump in his midsection, between his stomach and his swim bladder, and I was just assuming it was a tumor or something, since it doesn't seem to affect him too much.
I got him about a year and a half ago, but I know he was a lot older than normal, since he was too big for his cup. The water he and one other guy I got was HORRIBLE, so that might have also shortened their life spans.

Thanks for any help.

Our first one lived for 4+ years and >2 is the norm.

That's about what happened with ours and when it passed it deteriorated to almost nothing in less than a day.

Their normal enviroment is mud puddles from oxen hoofs in SE Asia during the monsoon season, so a little dirty water isn't that far off.

Sent from my Epic 4G using Aquarium

 

[dkpate]

Our first one lived for 4+ years and >2 is the norm.

That's about what happened with ours and when it passed it deteriorated to almost nothing in less than a day.

Their normal enviroment is mud puddles from oxen hoofs in SE Asia during the monsoon season, so a little dirty water isn't that far off.

Sent from my Epic 4G using Aquarium

Yes, they USED to live in mud puddles, but we used to live in caves too. That has long been bred out of the ones that I own.

He has been looking like this for about 3 weeks now.

 

[subliminalanarchy]

I've seen the color thing a few times. You're probably right, he's just getting old. Your guess is as good as mine, there's a lot of unknown variables to it.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yes, they USED to live in mud puddles, but we used to live in caves too. That has long been bred out of the ones that I own.

He has been looking like this for about 3 weeks now.

We still live in caves, just custom built ones .

As for bred out, tell that to Siegfried & Roy's 5th generation captive bred tiger. You can change some things, others are there to stay.

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[dkpate]

That tiger sure isn't used to fending for itself in the wild either, it would never make it.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

That tiger sure isn't used to fending for itself in the wild either, it would never make it.

You're absolutely correct, but it knew from genetics how to chew Roy's face half off. Just like commercially bred betas know when it's time to go to the big fish bowl in the sky :|.

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[dkpate]

I was talking more about the dirty water and little cups.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I was talking more about the dirty water and little cups.

I gotcha, but it's all the same really. I did see in my LFS that they sell "wild caught" betas and they sell for $36 each. Yikes!

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[BigJim]

Bettas don't live in mud puddles made by ox hooves. That's an exaggeration of the truth. They come from rice paddies, shallow ponds, and slow moving streams in Asia.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Bettas don't live in mud puddles made by ox hooves. That's an exaggeration of the truth. They come from rice paddies, shallow ponds, and slow moving streams in Asia.

Actually, not really since they still use oxen in rice paddies. Did you think I meant an oxen hoof print on a road outside Bangkok? :]

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[BigJim]

I've heard that rumor perpetuated around the net and I wanted to clear it up prior to any further confusion.

 

[dkpate]

Some wild bettas are even more than that. Look up betta macrostoma, I want one.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I've heard that rumor perpetuated around the net and I wanted to clear it up prior to any further confusion.

Yep, I can see that.

Some wild bettas are even more than that. Look up betta macrostoma, I want one.

That's nuts isn't it? The only fish we'll buy at petco are betas and like I said 4+ years on the first one.

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[caj52]

Or it could be a disease maybe some e.m. ethromycin could help I used it for my betta when we was dull in color and he got way better!

 

[dkpate]

Or it could be a disease maybe some e.m. ethromycin could help I used it for my betta when we was dull in color and he got way better!

Nah, not that. No new additions, water is kept clean, etc.