We can start thinking about ways to lengthen the lives of these fish now that we know how long they live in the wild and in captivity. It’s actually quite simple, and if you follow all of the recommendations below, you’ll greatly improve their chances of living a longer and healthier life.
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Ensure that you buy a healthy Betta:
Make sure your Betta is healthy before purchasing it (you don’t want to introduce disease into your tank). Buy your fish from a reputable retailer. Avoid buying any fish that exhibits any of the following qualities, as they could indicate that the fish hasn’t been properly cared for and is therefore agitated and unlikely to live long.
- It is a light color.
- Fins that have been torn or ripped
- Eyes that droop
- Their bodies have been scratched or wounded.
You should look for a fish that meets the following criteria:
- vivacious (particularly if the recipient is a man)
- Your eyes are brilliant.
- It reacts when you put your hand on the tank.
- Because these fish are usually adults by the time they are sold in pet stores, it’s also a good idea to ask how old they are.
Keep them in an Appropriately Sized Tank:
A tank with a minimum capacity of 5 gallons is required for betta fish. When purchasing bettas from a pet store, they are typically provided in cups or small 1 gallon tanks. Males are kept in these containers in shops because they will fight if they are housed in the same tank. The fact that they’re sold in these containers doesn’t mean they’re the proper size. You may have heard that Bettas only need a small tank because they live in incredibly shallow waters in nature. This is not the case at all. Keep in mind that the shallow bodies of water where they live (in the natural) stretch for miles and miles, so at the very least, keep this fish in a 5 gallon tank. If you’re keeping a female as part of a community, you’ll probably need a bigger tank. Consider how many fish you plan to maintain and what each species demands if you’re not sure what size tank you’ll need.
Males should be separated:
As previously said, they have a reputation for being ferocious and territorial. Just before the nineteenth century, wild species were bred to produce aggressive fighting fish, earning them the moniker Siamese fighting fish. Bettas were used as a form of entertainment, akin to cockfighting, in which they were pitted against each other in tanks. Unfortunately, this is still a common practice in Thailand. In the wild, when two males compete for space, they will fight for a few minutes before one of them gives up and moves on to another area. The fish may fight to the death in a small tank because they have nowhere to flee. Female fish are less aggressive than male fish and can be kept together with caution if kept together.
Make use of both a filter and a heater:
Because they dwell in rice fields in the natural, it’s a common myth that Betta Fish can endure unheated, dirty water. Because the waters in Thailand are naturally heated due to the country’s climate, having a heater in your tank is essential. Temperatures of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit are normal for them. It’s also essential to use a filter. They can’t live in unfiltered, polluted water. A filter cleans the water and keeps it aerated by turning ammonia and nitrite buildup into less hazardous molecules.