While you might think that bettas in the wild fair better than those in captivity, the opposite is actually true. Bettas in captivity tend to live a year or two longer than those in the wild.
While there are a lot of reasons for this, here’s the main thing you need to know. A betta in captivity can live a surprisingly long time if well cared for in the right kind of environment.
What is the Oldest Betta Fish?
It’s difficult to say for sure how old the oldest betta is because there isn’t an official record and you can’t really know for sure how old a Betta is when you buy it.
That said, it’s been reported that the oldest betta fish is about 10 years old.
You might be wondering how you can tell the age of your betta fish. While there is no way to pinpoint an exact age, there are a few things you can assess to make an educated guess.
One of the first things to look for is size. Adult bettas usually grow to about 3 inches long. Keep in mind, that’s the length of their body not including their fins. If your betta is only about 1 to 1.5 inches, chances are good that you have a juvenile.
Long, feathery fins are what bettas are known for but they don’t actually look that way until they’re approaching adulthood. Young bettas also have shorter, less impressive fins. In fact, the smaller the fins, the younger the betta.
It’s also worth noting that female bettas never develop the long, flowing fins that males do. They do have a feathery appearance and get longer with age but never to the extent of a male. A betta’s sex is usually found on the container they’re sold in in the pet store.
If you’re wondering how to tell if your betta is aging, take a look at its color. Their colors begin to fade as they age and will be much less vibrant than when they were a juvenile.
Activity levels also decrease in older fish. If your betta starts hiding among the plants or stops swimming over to greet you when you approach the tank, it’s likely old age is starting to set in.
How Long Do Betta Fish Live in the Wild?
Typically, bettas live about 2 years in their natural environment. Their lives are much different in their natural habitat.
Bettas originally live in river basins in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. The can also be found in rice paddies, small streams, and even drainage ditches.
While you might think these areas are constantly wet, they do go through significant dry seasons which causes the betta’s habitat to change drastically. The spent a large portion of their lives jumping from puddle to puddle to find larger bodies of water.
How Long Betta Fish Live in Captivity?
The average lifespan of a betta in captivity is 3 years, though it’s not unusual for them to live for 4 or 5 years.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to a betta’s lifespan, some that you can control, some you can’t.
As we mentioned, one of the biggest things to consider is how old the betta is when you buy it. The younger the fish you bring home, the longer you’ll have your colorful pet.
You should also make sure you buy a healthy fish. One way to do this is to make sure you’re buying from a reputable seller. That way, you know that the fish wasn’t exposed to any diseases that could shorten its lifespan.
How do you know if a betta is healthy?
Make sure there’s not scale or fin damage and monitor their behavior. Healthy bettas are usually more active when there are people around. For male bettas, bright coloring is a sign of a healthy fish.
Genetics are important, too. Some things you can’t control no matter how careful you are.
Betta Fish Life Span Without Food
Bettas can actually survive for up to 14 days without food. That doesn’t mean they’re thriving or even healthy, but they can get through.
This is in part because of how they live in the wild. During the dry season when they’re jumping from puddle to puddle, food is scarce. So, they’re able to go for quite a long time without eating and still survive.
That said, you probably shouldn’t go more than a week without feeding your betta. Any longer than that and they’re used up all their reserves and have gone into starvation mode.
Don’t worry if you forget to feed your fish for a day or two, they’re able to withstand that without any negative effects.
In fact, it might be beneficial to skip a meal or two every once in a while to make sure you’re not overfeeding.
How To Help A Betta Fish Live Longer?
When you see bettas for sale, they’re usually kept in small bowls or plastic containers. And, knowing that they do survive dry seasons in small puddles, you might think that they will do just fine in a small bowl or vase in your home.
The reason that bettas are kept in small containers in pet stores is because they can’t be kept in a large tank together like other fish. The only reason they’re sold this way is to save space.
In reality, bettas need a much better home if you want them to live to their full potential. Here are some things you can do to make sure you give your betta a proper home:
1. The absolute minimum tank size for a betta is 1 gallon but even that is really too small for them to thrive. A 5-gallon tank is optimal because it gives your betta enough room to swim and you can keep it on a table or countertop.
2. Get a real betta filter. Although you never see bettas in a proper tank when shopping for one, healthy water is important if you want them to live to their full potential.
3. Do regular water changes. Full water changes are ideal but you should at least swap out 20% of the water in your betta tank every week.
4. If you want to add another fish to share the tank with your betta, you need one that’s at least 10 gallons.
5. Test the water regularly and make the necessary changes when needed to keep pH, nitrates, and nitrites in check.
6. Make sure you don’t overfeed your betta. Constipation is a huge problem for them.
7. Don’t let uneaten food sit in the bottom of the tank as it will contaminate the water. Use a tank vacuum or remove the top surface of the substrate when doing full water changes.
8. Monitor water temperature carefully. Bettas naturally live in warm water. An ideal temperature for them is 75 to 80 degrees.
9. If you’re having trouble keeping the water temperature high enough, get a small heater.
10. Bettas are smart. They’re much happier if they have a tank that’s stimulating. Add decorations, rocks, and plants so they have a lot of different places to explore. You can even get them exercise mirrors and leaf beds!
Conclusion
Bettas are beautiful fish that make great pets because they’re pretty easy to care for. That said, a lot of people misunderstand bettas because of how they’re displayed in pet stores.
While bettas can survive in small bowls or vases with unfiltered water, this isn’t really a healthy environment for them. In fact, a betta in a small bowl will most likely not make it to the average lifespan of 3 years.
If you give your betta a nice size 5-gallon aquarium or bigger, they’re more likely to live beyond 3 years. Some have been reported to live as many as 9 or 10 years.
Proper tank maintenance is important, too. Use a proper filter and test the water weekly. At a minimum, you should do partial water changes every week. This will help your betta grow and give it enough room to swim and be happy.
Feeding is important, too. While bettas can go about a week without food before they use up their reserves, about 4 or 5 days is the maximum amount of time to wait before feeding them to avoid any ill effects.
If you’re looking for a great pet fish that’s beautiful to look at and will keep you entertained, you can’t do much better than a betta. With proper care and the right genetics, your betta might live to a happy old age of 10 years.
my fish just died I had him for about nine months was wondering if it was anything I had done. I fed him twice a day with two pebbles a day I had him on somewhat a schedule I just changed his water today and all of a sudden I could touch without him swimming away as normal and his fins were not moving at all which was unusual
I think maybe two pebbles isnt enough, i mean it could probably live off that but i still think 4-10 pebbles spread out between the day is the way to go. Your fish may have died from scale rot. Or it didnt have enough attention.
Typically around February-March (if you live in the city) they tend to “super chlorinate” the water. So that may be one cause but truly 1-2 pellets a day isn’t enough for a betta, I work at a vet clinic and people come in all the time with bettas starving to death and not knowing, but that’s not nessasarily your fault! The betta foods and allot of pet shops tend to tell people to only feed tha much. For whatever reason… I recommend like the previous comment said 4-10 pellets spread out through the day. I’m so very sorry for the loss of your baby.
I used to feed my fishes two pebbles each a day, 3 of them died, one after the other, I had no idea what I had done wrong, now I feed my last fish once a week and she is happy and thriving
This is why you have to make sure the betta fish you are about to buy has to be in a 5-gallon tank. If the betta is in a mini cup or bowl, you cannot buy the betta.
My peddles is just lingering at the bottom of his tank. I have had him for about 3half yrs. What is wrong with him? . I talk to him every day, clean his tank once a week or two. I have to physically make him move.
when I first got my betta I totally underfed him. notenough water changes he basically melted his fins away , and just pellets I compared the ingredients of Aqueon , Hikari biogold and Seachems they all have about the same but a couple extras i looked into, they get old less than a year not as “fresh” just one little fruit fly is perfect a day. I feed him wax moth larvae when i find it in my bee hive. hates frozen mysis shrimp but will chomp down the freeze dried idk, anyways Seachem Betta probiotics, Vitamin supplements frozen blood worms and little bee pollen in the guts of some little bugs or flys, brine shrimp, bloodworms mix it up Do it all He is loving life right now. 10 gallon plants plant LED, UV treated Temp heater Cuttlebone calcium supplments plants supplements, I think If I get just a sample of seawater, freeze it It will have mineral of basically everything in the periodic table. You have got to imagine What I was a betta fish? I would want all essentials then I thought Real light. What happens when Real light hits the water then the fish. Like us we need sun for vitamin D fish and reptiles have alot in common. I don’t know Im just saying go all out
My “Spazmo” is just full of personality! He was in a tiny container at Pet Smart and he wasn’t even moving. I put him in a 1 gallon tank at home and he was so excited! … He was so happy. He’s comes to the front and spreads his fins to show off. And he watches for me. He’s quite a character, I feed him every 2 to 3 days. Getting ready to get him a 5 gallon tank. I know he is going to love it! He is bright red and he us beautiful and he knows it. I think he displays for me as a way of saying thank you !)
My calypso is like that so much. So will do tricks for us if we hold the food for her she’ll jump up and grab it. She loves to say hi if ur near her tank
I politely disagree on the “full water changes are ideal” part because that runs the risk of killing of your bacteria that recycled the ammonia. Yes bettas can breathe air when they need to, but the goal is to keep the water maintained enough so that they don’t have to. In order to do that you NEED those bacteria colonies to be strong, and considering most people don’t buy aquarium water (they just use tap with a dechlorinator) doing a 100% water change isn’t worth the risk. 20-30% once a week is ideal to keep both the bacteria colonies and your fish happy and healthy, not 100%.
I’m having problems with my betta. Heisenberg is not himself. Spends most of his time in his log. He will come out to eat a little but then swims a lap around his 10 gallon tank and then right back to the log. Any ideas?
Bettas are beautiful fish that are often misunderstood by pet owners. 
my fish just died I had him for about nine months was wondering if it was anything I had done. I fed him twice a day with two pebbles a day I had him on somewhat a schedule I just changed his water today and all of a sudden I could touch without him swimming away as normal and his fins were not moving at all which was unusual
I think maybe two pebbles isnt enough, i mean it could probably live off that but i still think 4-10 pebbles spread out between the day is the way to go. Your fish may have died from scale rot. Or it didnt have enough attention.
Typically around February-March (if you live in the city) they tend to “super chlorinate” the water. So that may be one cause but truly 1-2 pellets a day isn’t enough for a betta, I work at a vet clinic and people come in all the time with bettas starving to death and not knowing, but that’s not nessasarily your fault! The betta foods and allot of pet shops tend to tell people to only feed tha much. For whatever reason… I recommend like the previous comment said 4-10 pellets spread out through the day. I’m so very sorry for the loss of your baby.
I used to feed my fishes two pebbles each a day, 3 of them died, one after the other, I had no idea what I had done wrong, now I feed my last fish once a week and she is happy and thriving
This is why you have to make sure the betta fish you are about to buy has to be in a 5-gallon tank. If the betta is in a mini cup or bowl, you cannot buy the betta.
My peddles is just lingering at the bottom of his tank. I have had him for about 3half yrs. What is wrong with him? . I talk to him every day, clean his tank once a week or two. I have to physically make him move.
im getting a Betta fish and at the pet shop he has been living in a tank, around the same size as my one at home. will this make it easier for him?
I had a betta fish for over 2 years name blue. She died and i was sad.. now i worry beacause i have girl and a boy fish. i dont want them to be alone.
“While they can survive in those conditions for a short time, they will be no means thrive.”
I think it should be “they will BY no means thrive.”
Thank you. Fixed done.
when I first got my betta I totally underfed him. notenough water changes he basically melted his fins away , and just pellets I compared the ingredients of Aqueon , Hikari biogold and Seachems they all have about the same but a couple extras i looked into, they get old less than a year not as “fresh” just one little fruit fly is perfect a day. I feed him wax moth larvae when i find it in my bee hive. hates frozen mysis shrimp but will chomp down the freeze dried idk, anyways Seachem Betta probiotics, Vitamin supplements frozen blood worms and little bee pollen in the guts of some little bugs or flys, brine shrimp, bloodworms mix it up Do it all He is loving life right now. 10 gallon plants plant LED, UV treated Temp heater Cuttlebone calcium supplments plants supplements, I think If I get just a sample of seawater, freeze it It will have mineral of basically everything in the periodic table. You have got to imagine What I was a betta fish? I would want all essentials then I thought Real light. What happens when Real light hits the water then the fish. Like us we need sun for vitamin D fish and reptiles have alot in common. I don’t know Im just saying go all out
My “Spazmo” is just full of personality! He was in a tiny container at Pet Smart and he wasn’t even moving. I put him in a 1 gallon tank at home and he was so excited! … He was so happy. He’s comes to the front and spreads his fins to show off. And he watches for me. He’s quite a character, I feed him every 2 to 3 days. Getting ready to get him a 5 gallon tank. I know he is going to love it! He is bright red and he us beautiful and he knows it. I think he displays for me as a way of saying thank you !)
My calypso is like that so much. So will do tricks for us if we hold the food for her she’ll jump up and grab it. She loves to say hi if ur near her tank
I politely disagree on the “full water changes are ideal” part because that runs the risk of killing of your bacteria that recycled the ammonia. Yes bettas can breathe air when they need to, but the goal is to keep the water maintained enough so that they don’t have to. In order to do that you NEED those bacteria colonies to be strong, and considering most people don’t buy aquarium water (they just use tap with a dechlorinator) doing a 100% water change isn’t worth the risk. 20-30% once a week is ideal to keep both the bacteria colonies and your fish happy and healthy, not 100%.
I’m having problems with my betta. Heisenberg is not himself. Spends most of his time in his log. He will come out to eat a little but then swims a lap around his 10 gallon tank and then right back to the log. Any ideas?