# What is the longest lived Betta you've had?



## Texansis (Dec 27, 2006)

Just curious 
When I originally got my female Betta, I was told they live 2 years...Well, Ms. Dory is going on nearly 4yrs now, so I'm curious...how long "can" they live????

Dory is one of the inhabitants of my newish 55gallon, along with a juvenile gourami, 5 peppered cory, and 5 dalmation molly (one of which is about 3/8ths inch big now).


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## Matt (Jan 20, 2007)

6 yrs. but it never moved.since it was to old and weak.


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## FDStation152 (Jan 20, 2007)

I had one going for 3 years that spent his life hopping his tank dividers to kill other males and periodically hopping into a guppy fry tank to eat his fair share. That fish was a beast. The cat I had at the time though took matters into its own paws one night however and that was the end of Monster. Whether the cat fished him out or he misjudged an attempt to get into another tank is open to debate. Over the course of his 3 years here he killed atleast 7 other males and cleared out untold numbers of young guppies. Something that should be kept in mind if you keep a betta in the same tank with fry (I believe you do Matt). He'll chomp em down if given the opportunity.


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## Texansis (Dec 27, 2006)

Not to worry, I gave the fry tons of hiding places, and the Betta tends to stick the to top 1/4 of the tank and the fry sticks to the bottom with the corys.
Dory is an active 4yr old, but she doesn't mess with anyone else. A rather even natured Betta really.

Of course...there IS only one surviving fry, so...who knows?


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## FDStation152 (Jan 20, 2007)

I assure you that the betta will track down any fry small enough to get into his mouth given enough time. The hiding places will help but they have to come out to eat sooner or later. Once he notices them he probably wont stop chasing it til he manages to catch at eat it. I've seen a betta spend over an hour chasing one small fry around a tank. Eventually the small fry gets tired or cornered and the betta gets a snack.


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## blueblue48 (Dec 18, 2006)

assuming walmart (grrr i was new ok?!?!) sells them when there 1-2 years, thats what i heard, and ive had him for 3 years so hes either 4 or 5 and still very playful and active! i bet they can live real long if you take real good care of them and make sure they dont get any diseases.


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## Texansis (Dec 27, 2006)

FD, I think it really depends on the fish. Dory has always lived in a community tank and never harrassed the other fish. Doesn't chase them at all. The only time I ever even saw her flare was the day I added the gourami. She flared once and now they are best buddies.

Doesn't mean she won't eat fry, but I think my little molly is big enough not to be interesting anymore.


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## FDStation152 (Jan 20, 2007)

you have one mighty calm betta then...same with the gourami. gouramis and bettas tend to fight one another and yours would be the only betta ive heard of that wouldnt take fry. I used to keep some guppies for no other purpose than to feed the fry to my bettas.


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## blueblue48 (Dec 18, 2006)

my betta is so docile i might be able to put him with another betta... but i would never take that chance. ive put him in a community tank and he didnt even mess with danios.


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## Melissa (Nov 28, 2006)

My betta only lives 2 years, then died. i got him from petsmart, so who knows how old he really was.


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## joeshmoe (Aug 2, 2006)

right now 1 1/2


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

im planning on getting a betta bowl, maybe like 2 gallons


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## FDStation152 (Jan 20, 2007)

I've kept them in 1 gallon vases before and they'll be fine provided you keep up with the maintenance. And when they are young (ie fry that you are raising) they can be kept in small jars if you do the water changes often. While they might not enjoy it as much as having gallons of water to swim through I don't know of any breeders that provide multiple gallons of water to each individual.


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## Melissa (Nov 28, 2006)

musho3210 said:


> im planning on getting a betta bowl, maybe like 2 gallons


that is an excellent size for him. Bettas are stunning, i love them.


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## Texansis (Dec 27, 2006)

Well, the betta and the gourami are still best buddies, will even share a shrimp pellet.
The molly fry is big enough that her dalmation spots are showing nicely. The baby is about 1/2" long now and swims the whole water column freely.

On a side note, I gotta find out how long a molly is gravid. One of my mostly white dalmations has seemingly been gravid since I got her (just after xmas), and I'm starting to worry that she has a problem. Seems pretty healthy and is still eating/pooping fine, but she has a huge belly. Can the babies get stuck in there? Can they get pregnant fast enough that it just 'seems' like she is always gravid?
Although I have no doubt that most of the fry would get eaten, I would have expected more than one to suvive so far if she had released any more.
Sometimes I wish fish could talk...


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## GalaxyGirl (Feb 1, 2007)

Well I think my longest has been less than a month. I just got a new boy, 1 week ago, and he even though he is pissed at me for daring to clean his bowl and move his plant, he has survived so far. I hope he trucks it out for a long time to come =)


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