How to help betta fish live longer

Choose a healthy fish. You should buy fish from a store or seller that takes good care of the fish. Sometimes it will be difficult to know the condition of the fish before you buy it. You probably don’t know how old he is or if he has any diseases. Betta fish in aquariums can suffer from stress, illness, and live in unsanitary environments. ^[1] These factors may contribute to premature fish mortality.

• Healthy fish will be more active than unhealthy fish.
• Notice the signs of damage on the fish’s body.
• Look for discolored spots that could be a sign of disease. Note that some varieties of bettas are naturally spotted.

Buy a blue betta. The reason is that popular betta food contains compounds that make red bettas redder, but they have the effect of increasing disease resistance in blue bettas. These compounds, called carotenoids (orange like carrots), are responsible for increasing the orange, red and yellow pigments in bettas. Blue betta fish have enhanced immune system instead of increased red pigment. ^[2] Female bettas also seem to prefer blue male bettas over other males when they consume these pigment enhancers.

Choose young fish. Many people do not know the age of the fish when buying. You run the risk of buying an old fish, and as such, the length of time you own the fish will be reduced. If you choose young fish, chances are you can keep the fish longer. While not all, smaller fish are usually younger fish. As bettas get older, their fins get longer and their bodies get bigger. Although bettas vary in size, you will be more likely to get young fish if you choose smaller sized ones. If you want to be sure to buy young fish, you should contact a fish breeder. ^[3]

• Fish that is too young is not good either. They are more susceptible to shock when released into other environments.

Test the water in the aquarium. Observe if the water in the tank is dirty. Pay attention to whether there is a lot of food left in the tank, as this indicates that the fish are either overfed or not eating. The above signs indicate that the fish is not well cared for, so the life of the fish can be shortened.

Observe the other fish. Even if the fish you choose looks healthy, that doesn’t mean it’s not infected because of the water in which the fish is kept in the store. Fish can catch diseases from other fish if they are kept in the same tank. If the other fish in the tank appear to be unhealthy, the fish you choose may not be healthy either.

Do not buy more than one fish at a time. Although you can keep several bettas in the same tank, each has a slightly different personality. To ensure the safety of bettas, you should keep only one betta in the tank and do not buy other fish, unless you have thoroughly researched.