Is my Betta too quiet?

[Lanpenn]

Hello everyone, how is it going?

Well, I have had my Betta splendens since May 14th, 2023 (that is, he will complete two years this year... or he is already two years old!) and I suspect some weird behavior from him.

This is the setup:
• Aquarium size: 17.74" length x 11.81" height x 9.84" width, about 7.92 gallons;
• Substrate: 11.02 lb gravel nº 0 Aqua Pedras;
• Heating: heater Roxin® HT-1300/Q3 50 W, adjusted to 80.6 ºF (temperature about 78.8 ºF)
• Filtration: Xynyou® xy-2835 sponge filter with air pump Tetra® Whisper The Shape of Silence™ (10-30 gallons)
• Lighting: Hygger® HG990 14 W, 68 LEDs, 817 lumina, 6500 Kelvin
• Photoperiod: 10 daily hours;
• Fauna: Betta splendens;
• Flora: Elodea sp. and Ceratophyllum demersum;
• pH: 7.5 (today I found out that my pH test has expired since October 2024...)
• Ammmonia/nitrite: 0/0 ppm

I have fed him the same thing since he arrived here but, since my brine shrimp culture does not exist anymore, I have been giving him some small isopods (every weekend; one day of fasting per week). I am testing to use tiny BSFL as a substitute too (or some kind of BSFL flakes). Recently, I added another sponge filter (JAD SF-101) with an air pump (Maxxi Pro-2000, 60 L/h), because there are still some fin holes (a small hole on the caudal fin and another on the dorsal fin) and this must help me in removing detritus from the tank.

My impressions may be wrong, but it seems that he is less active, resting more than some time ago (in this case, can be anywhere, from over the aquarium magnet to the smaller sponge filter...). Despite this, he always appears at the front of the aquarium during feed time. However, I know that Betta splendens is less active than other fish. How could I measure this? I only think about making some videos of him.

Thanks for your attention!

 

[MaloK]

He is already an old boy now, As long as he shows up for his meals, all is good.

 

[Lanpenn]

He is already an old boy now, As long as he shows up for his meals, all is good.

But Betta's age expectancy is not about 5-7 years?

 

[gwand]

Very few Betta live that long.

 

[MaloK]

But Betta's age expectancy is not about 5-7 years?

I'm not an expert in betta longevity, But 2-4 years is about what I experienced with one exception, 5 years.

Some people say they have reached 7 to 10 years in marvelous conditions. I have no proof of any of this.

But the first sign of a betta getting older is reduced activity, then a hump will appear behind his head and his spine will start to be droopy at the tail. They will also show some wear and less brilliant fins. And develop a grayish coloration around the mouth

That's is how a very old betta looks like. His organs are failing and he shows signs of bloating. You can even see on the picture that the fish has developed cataracts and the hump behind the head.

 

[GaryE]

A lot of commercial bettas have tb, and that reduces their lifespan to around 3 years. I've seen them live to 5 to 7 years, but it's been a while since then. In 2000, a 4 or 5 year betta if properly cared for wasn't a rarity. Now, it is.

But, and this is a serious but, they are also ambush predators, and floating still waiting to strike prey is an instinct.