Is my betta old?

ikermalli · 10-14-2007, 05:05 PM

I just got my betta about a month ago and have been having alot of troubles like fin rot and ich, also the colour is starting to fade on its fins, on the top of my cup that I bought it in it said it was three months old, but when my cousin kbjunior came over he said that my betta looked very old. Do you think he may be old?

Willow · 10-14-2007, 07:44 PM

He might be older----the Betta breeders will sometimes use a male Betta for one or two breedings before selling him to the pet store, so a lot of male Bettas in pet stores are over a year old. But Bettas can live to be 3-5 years old, so he shouldn't be at the end of his life cycle yet. Fin rot, ich, and faded coloring are more likely caused by poor water conditions. It could be a reaction to the conditions he was kept in before you got him, or it could be that your tank conditions now aren't too great. How long have you had him? How big is his tank? How much do you feed him, and what kind of food? How often do you change his water?

ikermalli · 10-14-2007, 08:40 PM

I have had him for a month now, my water conditions shouldn't be bad, or at least on my opinion, I change his water one a week but now I have a five gallon so i'll change 25% every 2-3 weeks and I feed him Hikari betta bio-gold baby pellets, i feed him 3-4 pellets in the morning and same at night, he seems to be happy but my cousin poured in some food (when i say some i mean like 7 pellets) and my betta didn't eat any so i have to get a gravel vacuum tomorrow and I will take out all the food and then I am going to buy some more ornaments. Also since I got him he's had that fade but I didn't think it was a bad sign but then my cousin came over and told me my betta was discolored so i got worried if you need anymore info just tell me

emc7 · 10-14-2007, 09:16 PM

The fade may just be an attempt to hide in a bare tank. Try setting it on a black piece of paper and see if he darkens.

ikermalli · 10-15-2007, 07:29 PM

okay I will try that but do i keep my light on? Also do I keep black on the bottom or on the side of the tank?

ikermalli · 10-15-2007, 07:36 PM

I covered the bakc and sides with black and really dark blue is that okay?

ikermalli · 10-16-2007, 04:15 PM

my betta isn't getting any darker, do you think it may just be old?

Willow · 10-16-2007, 08:30 PM

It might just be his natural coloring. Is that your current set-up in your avatar? If so, you might want to add some gravel and silk aquarium plants. Bettas like to hide in plants, and gravel can help the cycling process by giving the bacteria places to live. A few more ornaments might be a good idea, but I think the plants are more important.

ikermalli · 10-16-2007, 08:47 PM

Okay, so for the silk plants I will definitely need gravel because i need something to hold it down right? When you say gravel do you mean plastic gravel or actual rocks? Also how do I use a gravel vacuum because I am thinking of picking one up soon, or when it is time to change my water. And final thing is, will it be okay if while I am setting up my ornaments and plants I keep my betta in a .5 G bowl and my tetras in a .4 G bowl, just for maybe 20 minutes or something?

**TheOldSalt** · 10-16-2007, 08:56 PM

Yes, that would be fine.
Do NOT leave the light on all the time.

Most bettas in shops are already middle-aged.

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 01:51 PM

When you say mid aged do you mean that they will probably die in a year or two?

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 01:57 PM

also, why not leave the light on? I leave the light on for about 8-10 hours a day is that okay?

gemjunkie · 10-17-2007, 02:19 PM

I hate to tell ya, but if you got your betta from a pet store, your fish is likely WELL over a year old. Most pet store bettas are never bred, they are raised for pure profit.

You have to pay attention to how the fish acts in the cup. If they are onery in the cup, that's good, if not, unless you want heart ache leave it and pick another....

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 02:40 PM

I liked the colour of the betta at the store so I bought it didn't even check if it was moving much, but the water was pretty clean and also when I came home i noticed the fade but I wasn't too worried about it also it is normal for a betta to be discolored in the front like under his face right?

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 04:03 PM

i got a picture of him with the perfect colour but i can't upload it so here is the link to the picture http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/e...t=PICT0389.jpg

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 05:29 PM

Also I put a plant that has 4 or 5 parts in and floated and it spread out and my betta loves it also I wedged a plant between a rock and my betta likes that too, so do you think the colour of it will come back since the tank isn't so bare any more? Or is he just old?

neilfishguy · 10-17-2007, 06:23 PM

he looks pretty colorful to me! i would add some gravel to that tank and 2-3 silk plants one orinament so it looks the best

ikermalli · 10-17-2007, 06:45 PM

he's actually much lighter than that now and there are small dark blue spots on his fins and two very small holes, do you think it is coming to the end of his life cycle?

ikermalli · 10-19-2007, 09:17 AM

Hi, how long do you guys think my betta has? He doesn't move around much anymore kinda just stays in one place or goes to one side then back.

ikermalli · 10-19-2007, 09:17 AM

Also if I leave the light in my tank on for a long time does it make my betta lose color?

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10-14-2007, 05:05 PM	#1
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	Is my betta old? I just got my betta about a month ago and have been having alot of troubles like fin rot and ich, also the colour is starting to fade on its fins, on the top of my cup that I bought it in it said it was three months old, but when my cousin kbjunior came over he said that my betta looked very old. Do you think he may be old?

10-17-2007, 02:19 PM	#13
gemjunkie Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 141	I hate to tell ya, but if you got your betta from a pet store, your fish is likely WELL over a year old. Most pet store bettas are never bred, they are raised for pure profit. You have to pay attention to how the fish acts in the cup. If they are onery in the cup, that's good, if not, unless you want heart ache leave it and pick another.... __________________ ~gem~ The Crazy Fish Chick in Spokane WA http://www.hua.org/movie.html

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10-14-2007, 07:44 PM	#2
Willow Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 128	He might be older----the Betta breeders will sometimes use a male Betta for one or two breedings before selling him to the pet store, so a lot of male Bettas in pet stores are over a year old. But Bettas can live to be 3-5 years old, so he shouldn't be at the end of his life cycle yet. Fin rot, ich, and faded coloring are more likely caused by poor water conditions. It could be a reaction to the conditions he was kept in before you got him, or it could be that your tank conditions now aren't too great. How long have you had him? How big is his tank? How much do you feed him, and what kind of food? How often do you change his water?

10-14-2007, 08:40 PM	#3
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	I have had him for a month now, my water conditions shouldn't be bad, or at least on my opinion, I change his water one a week but now I have a five gallon so i'll change 25% every 2-3 weeks and I feed him Hikari betta bio-gold baby pellets, i feed him 3-4 pellets in the morning and same at night, he seems to be happy but my cousin poured in some food (when i say some i mean like 7 pellets) and my betta didn't eat any so i have to get a gravel vacuum tomorrow and I will take out all the food and then I am going to buy some more ornaments. Also since I got him he's had that fade but I didn't think it was a bad sign but then my cousin came over and told me my betta was discolored so i got worried if you need anymore info just tell me

10-14-2007, 09:16 PM	#4
emc7 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 39 Posts: 2,914	The fade may just be an attempt to hide in a bare tank. Try setting it on a black piece of paper and see if he darkens.

10-15-2007, 07:29 PM	#5
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	okay I will try that but do i keep my light on? Also do I keep black on the bottom or on the side of the tank?

10-15-2007, 07:36 PM	#6
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	I covered the bakc and sides with black and really dark blue is that okay?

10-16-2007, 04:15 PM	#7
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	my betta isn't getting any darker, do you think it may just be old?

10-16-2007, 08:30 PM	#8
Willow Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 128	It might just be his natural coloring. Is that your current set-up in your avatar? If so, you might want to add some gravel and silk aquarium plants. Bettas like to hide in plants, and gravel can help the cycling process by giving the bacteria places to live. A few more ornaments might be a good idea, but I think the plants are more important.

10-16-2007, 08:47 PM	#9
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	Okay, so for the silk plants I will definitely need gravel because i need something to hold it down right? When you say gravel do you mean plastic gravel or actual rocks? Also how do I use a gravel vacuum because I am thinking of picking one up soon, or when it is time to change my water. And final thing is, will it be okay if while I am setting up my ornaments and plants I keep my betta in a .5 G bowl and my tetras in a .4 G bowl, just for maybe 20 minutes or something?

10-16-2007, 08:56 PM	#10
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,255	Yes, that would be fine. Do NOT leave the light on all the time. Most bettas in shops are already middle-aged.

10-17-2007, 01:51 PM	#11
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	When you say mid aged do you mean that they will probably die in a year or two?

10-17-2007, 01:57 PM	#12
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	also, why not leave the light on? I leave the light on for about 8-10 hours a day is that okay?

10-17-2007, 02:40 PM	#14
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	I liked the colour of the betta at the store so I bought it didn't even check if it was moving much, but the water was pretty clean and also when I came home i noticed the fade but I wasn't too worried about it also it is normal for a betta to be discolored in the front like under his face right?

10-17-2007, 04:03 PM	#15
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	i got a picture of him with the perfect colour but i can't upload it so here is the link to the picture http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/e...t=PICT0389.jpg

10-17-2007, 05:29 PM	#16
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	Also I put a plant that has 4 or 5 parts in and floated and it spread out and my betta loves it also I wedged a plant between a rock and my betta likes that too, so do you think the colour of it will come back since the tank isn't so bare any more? Or is he just old?

10-17-2007, 06:23 PM	#17
neilfishguy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Age: 16 Posts: 185	he looks pretty colorful to me! i would add some gravel to that tank and 2-3 silk plants one orinament so it looks the best

10-17-2007, 06:45 PM	#18
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	he's actually much lighter than that now and there are small dark blue spots on his fins and two very small holes, do you think it is coming to the end of his life cycle?

10-19-2007, 09:17 AM	#19
ikermalli Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 708	Hi, how long do you guys think my betta has? He doesn't move around much anymore kinda just stays in one place or goes to one side then back.

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