Most betta fish live between two and five years, depending on genetics, care, and other factors.
Is The Average Lifespan Decreasing?
Many hobbyists fear the average lifespan of betta fish is dropping. Betta fish are growing more popular year by year, skyrocketing their demand. As their demand increases, many breeders focus more on quantity than quality.
Bettas seem to be dying younger than ever before. Early death is likely due to a decrease in ideal genetics and breeding.
Veiltail Bettas Might Live The Longest
Anecdotal evidence shows that veiltail bettas tend to be the ones that live the longest. Their longevity is likely because they undergo less selective breeding.
Veiltails tend to be less popular than bettas with large fins and bolder colors. Bettas with those characteristics get them through selective breeding. Selective breeding is not always good for their health.
Betta Lifespan In Captivity VS The Wild
Captive and wild betta fish mostly have the same lifespans: two to five years. A few factors cause captive bettas to live longer than wild bettas in general.
Wild Bettas
In the wild, bettas are more likely to die around two to three years of age. They deal with constant environmental changes between the rainy and dry seasons.
Another reason their lifespans are shorter is due to pollution. Their environments are becoming more and more polluted each year.
These poor conditions make bettas more likely to face disease or infection.
Increasing pollution also makes the water toxic and kills off bettas’ food sources.
Bettas are also more likely to get into fights with other bettas. They frequently encounter other bettas since they share habitats. While fights amongst wild bettas are less deadly initially, injuries can cause infection.
Captive Bettas
In captivity, bettas are more likely to live between three and five years. Clean water, little stress, and better access to food all help these bettas live longer.
They are also less likely to get into fights. Responsible caretakers won’t put several bettas together.
The Caretaker’s Role
How long bettas live largely depends on the care the owner gives their betta. A betta in a five-gallon tank with a heater and filter will live longer than one in a bowl.
The Age Of The Betta In A Pet Store
Bettas won’t always live for two to five years in their owner’s care. Most bettas are already about one year old when bought at the pet store. Their initial age decreases how long they are with their owner.
Males are usually fully mature before pet stores sell them. Even females are generally at least six months old when hobbyists buy them.
Adult bettas, especially males, are more appealing when pet stores sell them as adults. Their fins are large and full, and their colors are deeper.
How To Help A Betta Fish Live Longer
Simply because betta fish can live for two to five years doesn’t mean they’ll live that long. How the aquarist cares for their betta can determine their health and lifespan.
Pick A Young, Healthy Fish
Hobbyists should search for a young, healthy betta to increase the life of the fish.
Many betta enthusiasts enjoy visiting pet stores to “rescue” old, frail, or ill bettas. While this is a noble pursuit, we don’t recommend it for beginners. Bringing a sick fish back to good health can be tricky.
It’s easy to tell when a betta is healthy versus sickly.
Colors & Healthy Fins
Healthy bettas have full fins with no tears or rot. Their colors will be bright, not dull.
Even naturally pale bettas, like white bettas, should look vibrant and shimmering. There is a clear difference between a naturally white betta and one that is white because it’s dying.
The Eyes
Look at the eyes and ensure they are clear. Avoid fish that have scales covering their eyes or whose eyes are bulging.
Ulcers & Injury
Search the bettas’ bodies for ulcers or injuries. These can lead to infection and shorten the fish’s lives.
Activity
Lastly, look for a fish that is actively swimming around its enclosure.
Such activity may be hard to look for in stores that keep them in small containers. The fish should perk up when someone approaches it. Fish that are lethargic and lying at the bottom of the container are usually sick.
Maintain Water Quality & Temperature
The key to keeping a betta fish healthy is to provide good water quality and the right temperature.
Bettas are hardier than some freshwater fish. Even they have conditions that hobbyists must meet.
Fish living in dirty, toxic water are likelier to become sick and die. Clean water helps keep bettas healthy and is the best thing for healing ill fish.
The Nitrogen Cycle Should Be Complete
Ensure the tank has gone through the nitrogen cycle before adding a new betta. A tank that hasn’t gone through the nitrogen cycle will be toxic for the fish.
While many fish survive the cycle, it is stressful and lowers their immune system. Many others aren’t strong enough to handle the process and die.
Keep The Water Warm
Bettas are tropical fish that need warm water to stay healthy. Their immune system lowers when their water is too cold, which can lead to sickness.
Keep Water Parameters Stable
Unstable water parameters can be as deadly as cold or dirty water. Aim to keep the water parameters and temperature as stable as possible.
Use a filter and heater to keep the water healthy and stable. As bettas are tropical fish, owner’s in most parts of the world need a heater.
Perform Regular Water Changes
Cleaning the tank and changing the water is vital to keeping bettas healthy. A five-gallon aquarium with a filter needs cleaning about once a week.
Remove about 15-30% of the water. Don’t remove more unless necessary, or the fish may go into shock. Gravel vacuums work well for ridding the tank of gross water and fish waste.
Healthy Water Conditions
To keep a betta healthy, keep the water within the following parameters:
- Ammonia: 0 ppm
- Nitrites: 0 ppm
- Nitrates: <40 ppm
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- Temperature: 75-81°F (23.9-27.2°C)
Use A Lid
Keep a lid over the aquarium to prevent the fish from jumping out and dying.
Betta fish are excellent jumpers — it’s a necessary survival skill in the wild. Much of their habitat dries up during the dry season, and they find themselves in small puddles. Bettas often jump from puddle to puddle, trying to find a larger body of water.
In captivity, this ability proves troublesome without a lid. Bettas can jump out of their tank and suffocate if the aquarist doesn’t notice soon enough. A lid is a simple way to prevent bettas from jumping out of their tanks to their deaths.
Feed Nutritious Foods
Feeding bettas the proper nutrition is vital to keeping them healthy.
Bettas are carnivores that must eat protein-rich foods. They need food explicitly designed for bettas — don’t try to feed them tropical fish food.
Bettas do well on a staple diet of betta pellets or flakes. Mix up their food a couple of times a week to give them variety. Variety enriches them, keeps them interested, and provides extra nutrients. Frozen, live, or freeze-dried foods are beneficial snacks.
Don’t Overfeed
Bettas are incredibly easy to overfeed, and it happens all too often.
A betta’s stomach is roughly the size of its eyeball. Its stomach can’t hold much food, though bettas enjoy trying. Bettas have no concept of fullness and will continue eating as long as food is available.
Overeating leads to many problems like constipation, swim bladder issues, and bloat. These problems can become deadly if the aquarist doesn’t address them immediately.
The best way to prevent these issues is not to overfeed. Only feed bettas two to three pellets once to twice daily. Feed a similar amount of flakes, frozen, freeze-dried, or live food. Don’t give more than could fit inside a single betta eyeball.
Avoid Fighting & Injury
Fighting with other fish can quickly become deadly, especially between two bettas.
Domestic Betta splendens are highly territorial and will attack other bettas without hesitation. Since a small tank offers nowhere to “run,” the weaker fish often dies or suffers severe injuries.
Other aggressive species of fish can also cause debilitating injuries.
Keep One Betta Per Tank
Avoid fighting by only keeping one betta per tank. Females can sometimes live in sororities, though beginners shouldn’t attempt them.
Stick With Peaceful Fish
Only house a betta with other peaceful, similarly-sized fish. Avoid fin-nippers like most tetras, barbs, and danios. Especially aggressive fish, like cichlids, are a no-go.
While bettas are feisty, their fins make them slow swimmers. They can’t run away or defend themselves well.
Pick Safe Decorations
Be careful with decorations as well. Bettas’ large fins are delicate and tear easily.
Aim for live plants over fake ones. Silk plants are better than hard plastic ones when choosing artificial plants.
Choose artificial round decorations with softer edges.
Avoid Fast Currents
Ensure the current in the tank is gentle to prevent stressing the betta. Buy an adjustable filter and use sponges and baffles if necessary. Too much stress lowers the immune system and can lead to sickness.
In the wild, bettas live in slow-moving or stagnant waters. They are not used to fast-moving water.
Domesticated bettas have an even more difficult time with fast-moving water. Their large fins make swimming hard, and fast-moving water can tire them out.
Ensure The Betta Gets Exercise
Like humans, exercise is essential to a betta’s health. Bettas that are more active tend to live longer lives.
Keep a betta active by giving them a tank with at least five gallons of water and decorations. Swimming space and decorations are good for exploring and preventing boredom.
Providing a betta with a mirror for a few minutes daily is a good way to keep it active. Flaring for a little bit each day is shown to be good for bettas’ health.
Don’t keep a mirror in a betta’s tank constantly. A few minutes daily with its reflection is healthy. Constant exposure is dangerous.
Bettas don’t understand the concept of a reflection — they think the fish in the mirror is real.
They will continuously flare and may try to attack the mirror, hurting themselves. Too much flaring is stressful and can lead to a lowered immune system.
Some hobbyists enjoy training their bettas to give them exercise. Bettas are brilliant animals that can learn simple commands.
For example, they can learn to jump a few centimeters out of the water for a treat. Some can even learn to jump through small hoops.
The Oldest Living Betta Fish
Some anecdotal reports say the oldest betta lived to be nine or ten years old. These reports are unconfirmed.
Many people report having bettas that live for six years or more.
The Biggest Killer Of Betta Fish
In captivity, the number one killer of betta fish is dirty and toxic water.
Marketing has done betta fish a huge injustice. For decades, we were sold the lie that bettas can live in small bowls with no heater or filtration.
Bettas can technically *survive* in these conditions, though they won’t thrive. Their lives are usually shorter, and they experience stress.
Low water temperatures are another common killer. The misconception that bettas don’t need a filter goes hand in hand with the myth that they don’t need a heater. Bettas don’t do well at room temperature water — they are likely to get sick and die.
The third most common killer of betta fish is overfeeding. It’s far too easy to overfeed these tiny fish. Chronic overfeeding leads to harmful conditions that can be fatal.
How Long Can Betta Fish Live Without Water?
Bettas can live for up to one to two hours outside of water, unlike most fish, who would die after a few minutes.
Bettas can survive longer outside of water because they have a labyrinth organ. The organ allows them to breathe air from the atmosphere rather than relying on water for oxygen.
The labyrinth organ allows them to survive in low-oxygen waters that would kill most fish.
If a betta jumps out of its tank, put it back into the water as soon as possible. While bettas can live for up to two hours out of water, it’s incredibly stressful.
How Long Can Betta Fish Live Without Food?
Betta fish can live about 14 days without food, though it’s not ideal.
Their ability to go without food stems from the fluctuation of food in their natural habitat.
There’s no reason why a captive betta fish should ever go that long without food.
It’s okay for hobbyists to leave their bettas without food for a weekend if they’re going on a trip. We don’t recommend leaving a betta without food for more than three days. Hobbyists should get a pet sitter or an automatic fish feeder for long vacations.
