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Giant betta fish - A Guide to Keeping Your Betta Healthy and Long-Living
Giant betta fish are one of the very fascinating creatures if you ask me as a dog hobbyist; making use of their rich history (in that they weren't even bred as pets until less than 100 years ago), varied personalities, and beautiful appearance, it's no surprise more and more Betta keepers have sprung up across the country throughout the last few decades. However, the sad reality is that the average Giant betta fish life expectancy is between 2 and 4 years, and what's worse is that numerous very first time Betta owners don't ensure it is with their finned friend's first birthday, yikes! So what can you do to give your pet the best chances possible at living an extended, healthy, life and having a swimmingly good time throughout? Well that's exactly what today's article is all about and I invite to master about these simple factors that could put you on the right track to having a Betta that far outlives a lot of his pet store brethren.
To start with, it's important to notice there are some factors of Betta lifespan that you have no control over.These generally include genetics (which can make your fish prone to a certain disease or cancer) and past ownership / pet store treatment. Sometimes illness and premature death is unavoidable, so please do remember that doing your best is all your little buddy could require, and beyond that things move from the control...
But enough with all the doom and gloom! First topic that is central to the fitness of your Betta, is accountable for most illnesses, AND is the main thing new Betta owners don't get right the first time is (drumroll please!) water quality. While the basic principles aren't difficult, like buying a heater and some kind of filtering, some things get left out. For just one, I understand when I acquired my first Betta I knew almost no about testing Ph levels (which should really be between 6.8 and 7), dissolved oxygen levels (should be above 60%), and ammonia / nitrate levels (which should both be at 0 or very close). Be sure to get a low priced, simple testing kit for these specific things so that your Betta's new home is well suited to his needs.
Next up is stress level, another big aspect in life expectancy for these (somewhat fragile) fish is stress level. They could get easily spooked by external factors and you should be tuned in to your Betta's behavior in case something causes him to behave strangely for an extended amount of time. For example, sometimes a nearby fan, loud noise, as well as something which shows the Betta their own reflection can cause unnecessary stress to the fish who could in turn die or become ill from it. It is my experience that having a routine (with feeding schedules, etc) and maintaining a somewhat calm living environment for your pet is the best option for boosting life expectancy.