How Long Exactly Do Bettas Live For?

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Initially i thought bettas only lived for 2yrs, although i've never kept a betta long enough yet to see how long they live though. I read some people claiming that their bettas are 5 and a half years old, can bettas actually live this long ? Does their age vary on depending what type of betta they are at all?

 

[SRC]

I think it depends on how well they've been treated from the beginning.

 

[Durbkat]

Yeah if you have kept it happy and the water clean and made sure it never got sick or if it did it got treated at the first signs of symptoms it could very well live 5 years and I would think that if someone had it breed that it could shorten its life.

 

[Ethos]

My eldest betta is just over 3 yrs. of age, and he's not fairing as well as his younger friends.
He blows big, but very thin bubble nests still.

 

[Synirr]

I have 4 bettas that are all 4 years and over and still going strong, so I imagine it's possible sometimes, just like most people don't live to be 100 but a few do make it

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Does the type of betta affect how long it'll live though? Like VT bettas have been around for a long time, they havn't been under that much intensive breeding in recent years, while bettas like crowntails are more intensely bred because they are more desirable and thus end being more inbred and have shortend lifespans etc?

 

[OohFeeshy]

It depends on many things, really. Genetics, like most livebearers only live a year or so now because they're inbred, undetectable diseases and similar problems (chemicals, for instance), food, water conditions, lifestyle.... Don't forget to add on a year or so to how long you've had them, judging by the size of my 4/5 month olds I'd say the normal '6 months old when you buy them' theory out by six months or more.

 

[bettaBetta]

Age will also depend on how long you had it. Betta at pet stores are usually considerably older than what you'd get from a breeder.

 

[Synirr]

Does the type of betta affect how long it'll live though? Like VT bettas have been around for a long time, they havn't been under that much intensive breeding in recent years, while bettas like crowntails are more intensely bred because they are more desirable and thus end being more inbred and have shortend lifespans etc?

In most cases I don't think the type of betta has a noticeable difference on lifespan, though bettas with extremely heavy finnage (HMs and deltas) tend to slow down more in their old age. If anything, the lifespan of a VT will in general be shorter because they are much more inbred than other tail types as they are mass produced for pet shops and such. CTs too are beginning to fall victim to this, but the real problem isn't actually the tail type, but that they come from the betta equivalent of puppy mills. Bettas from good lines and breeders that outcross often will be the most robust and least succeptible to disease as they age, which translates to a longer lifespan

A select few breeding lines tend to have shortened lifespans though, like opaques.

 

[thelastbetta]

Well I've had a VT that was around four and half years old.

And I have a CT that's almost four.

I think it just depends on treatment of the fish really.

 

[Allie]

I got my first betta, a VT at a pet-fish store. I don't know his age then, but I had him for 4 years .....so I think he lived a long happy life.