What Are Some Common Issues Elderly Bettas Develop?

[keithp]

Being in captivity bettas live almost double their lifespan than they would in the wild, so besides ripped fins and not being good breeders after a while wild bettas usually have very little health issues because they dont live long enough to develop any.

So being bettas live longer than usual in our homes, do they get "old age" issues? (ex. blindness,color loss, spinal issues (like mammals get arthritis), heart issues?)

And for older bettas with swim issues, is it kinder to lower the water level by half so they dont have to swim too much and possibly drown trying to get some air?

 

[loraxchick]

That is a very interesting question. I've only been kepeing bettas for 9 or so months, but id really like some long term keepers to come along and give their two cents. im intrigued!

 

[Carl the Crimson Wonder]

I've had mine almost a year and he seems that same as he always has, Just a little bigger and his fins are a lot longer than when I got him. So I'm not sure either maybe when they hit the 2.5-3 year mark because they usually don't live longer than that I believe.

 

[lilfishie]

One of my boys got re-occuring swimblader problems after i'd had him about a year (so he was 2/3 years old), he was still a happy healthy little guy, just had to have pea's everyother day to help him keep balance

 

[LauraFrog]

I've only been keeping for about a year but I do a bit of rescuing, so I have had some old bettas. It seems that bettas from pet stores (that were constantly exposed to cup levels of ammonia as young fish) only live for about two years, but bettas from breeders can live for three or four.

A lot of people have reported swim bladder issues with older bettas. They also get more prone to constipation.

 

[newfishy]

all my old betta are more prone to illness, weaker swimmers, eventualy getting thin and if they live long enough cancer.

 

[modaz]

Constipation is a wide condition of old bettas, and dropsy, loss of weight and less flaring with males.

 

[keithp]

Very interesting information! I have read many betta books and looked online but info like this is hard to find, so I Thank You for contributing!

My oldest betta was a 6 year old male, could have been older if when I bought him he was already 1 year instead of a few months, but most likely he only lived to 6 years. I gave him basic care and he was in a small tank by himself and he ate nothing but betta bites. I was a kid so my knowledge wasn't as good as now or he would have had a larger living space and more food variety. The only thing I could remember is when he hit 5 his fins got discolored and he was thinner and not as active. Then at age 6 one day I woke up and he was dead and he was fine the day before.

For those of you who said Cancer, is that external in bettas or internal? What were some signs of Cancer?

 

[Just_Another_One]

I've had my betta that i bought from those tiny cups for $1.99 three years ago so that puts him at 4-5 years old now. Hes lived a very happy little life in a 2.5G for 2 years now hes been upgraded to a 6G cuz hes done so well. I've dropped him 4 feet down on the wood floor twice and hes bounced right back( i sound like a aweful fish keeper) hes had NO illnesses at all since ive had him either.

I think hes stayed so healthy and lived this long as hes always lived on his own since he WILL NOT accept roomates... ive tried fast moving fish like WCMM and danios and platies but he sneaks up and attacks them all.. even cories which are said to usually always work with bettas, he visicously attacked and bit my albino cories when i tested them in his tank but were immediatly removed after he kept lunging and attacking them. He even bites my hands and arms when im working in his tank lol

Now that hes getting up there in age I've noticed he spends most of his time laying on the sand resting his little life away. He always swims up when i come close or if i gently tap on the side so i know hes not sick in any way, just old...

The only thing he has devolped in his old age is believe it or not.... is Cataracts in his eyes. I dont think hes blind as he knows when im around and he can follow my finger about but If you look into his eyes its sort of like a orange cave on the inside, nothing on the outside. It was never there before. It looks like when a cat or dog gets old you can tell it in their eyes. I never would of thought fish could get cataracts but I guess they can...

Heres a pic of my old baby i took just now, I love him so much and am very proud hes made it this long. When I bought him I thought I'd have no more than 1 year or less and here I am 3 years later and hes still with me

 

[newfishy]

For those of you who said Cancer, is that external in bettas or internal? What were some signs of Cancer?

for my oldest betta it was external. I also think it happens to be a genetic predispisition. as the oldest son of my oldest betta with cancer popped up with cancer that I just saw today. I will not be breeding that betta, even though he is stuning.

heres a pick of a pretty far gone cancer on Tweek. getting closer to the end he also started chewing his tail, I think it was from the stress of the cancer. the sad thing is I only put this guy at around 3 years when he died.

 

[keithp]

I think hes stayed so healthy and lived this long as hes always lived on his own since he WILL NOT accept roomates...

Your not the first person to say that, I think that may be a key factor to living longer. Without any "tankmates" stress level is greatly reduced and so is infection from other fish.

The only thing he has developed in his old age is believe it or not.... is Cataracts in his eyes.

Wow yeah might be, but he looks good otherwise so your taking great care of him.

for my oldest betta it was external cancer.

I see the pic that's pretty easy to notice, so I know all my past bettas never had cancer. You tried your best to help him so dont feel bad.