Optimum Betta conditions?

[ChazECJr]

There is some variety of opinion about how to house and care for bettas out there (vase, bowl, small filtered tank, big tank, etc).

I read that the average life span of a betta is supposed to be two to three years. I was curious how many people here have had a betta live at LEAST two years, and if you could tell us how that betta is/was kept. You know:

Tank or bowl size, filter (if any):
Temperature range:
How often water changes and how much each time:
Water additives/conditioners/pH adjusters:
What, how much and how often do you feed your betta:
Any Tankmates:
Silk, Plastic or Live plants?
Etc...

It might be interesting to see if any pattern develops (certain container size, a certain food, etc.) that correlates to maximum life expectancy (and presumably quality too.)

Thanks.

Charlie

 

[Wonderwoman]

petie is at least three years old. he lives in a 2 gallon with a ugf, his tank has a small plastic cave that came with it (ugly, but he doesn't seem to mind), and a big clump of java moss floating. the temperature was right around 78, most of the time anyway, water changes of 25% done weekly and 100% done monthly. stress coat because i'm a gullible consumer no tankmates, fed once daily with flake.

ok i think i got all of it...

 

[Ares]

I had a betta (Ares) that lived a little over two years until he took a suicide dive down my drain. I kept him in a vase. The one's that come with a plant in them. (I've heard that keeping them with the plant isn't actually the healthiest thing for them.) there where some river rocks in the bottom and a plastic plant. I did water changes weekly. I also made sure to condition the water first. I fed him 1-2 times a day with some type if food that was specifically for bettas. He was a hearty little fish and he really live through a lot. We were in FL and my stepdad thought that the room was too cold for him so he put him on the balcony, but he practically got cooked in the sun. When I realized that he was out there he was floating verticle in the water. I quickly exchanged some of the water to cool it down, cause I didn't figure that a drastic change in temp could hurt him any worse. He was lying on his side on the bottom of the vase for about a week, but I nursed him through it. Then he decided to repay me by jumping down the drain. I think he'd still be alive if he hadn't. Guess he really loved me.

 

[Ares]

Oh yeah, the vase holds about a gallon.

 

[caveman]

Well, I have had a couple live that long. My first, Alpha, lived in a one gallon bowl with a crab and a bunch of anachris. I did 100%water changes monthly. (I didnt know much about fish then) I fed him flake food, and he ended up living with me for three and a half years. Since then I have had bettas live in the same type of setup anywhere from one year to two and a half. right now I have a betta in a three gallon with a ugf, along with three white clouds. He has done well in this environment for over a year now.
caveman

 

[niki090909]

I have a betta in my 55 community, shes only about 6 months, and a betta in a 2 gallon with heat, & ugf, he is about 2 yrs. and a betta in a gallon bowl with heat and a ugf, which is going on 3 yrs now. This one in the bowl lived 1 year with out any heat or filteration or chemicals before i new better. The chemicals i use is chlorine eliminator and ph decreaser. Oh and i feed all my bettas the betta flakes, pellets (balls) and they love bllod worms, frozen and freeze dried.

 

[colesea]

Name: Elwood
Type: steel blue vailtail male, LFS variety
Age Appox: 4yrs with me (approximately 5yrs old if you go by the ol' adage that most LFS bettas don't hit the shelves until they are at least 1yr of age)
Housing: 2 gallon UGF plastic hex tank
Temperature: Room temp
Tankmate: 1 cory
Food: HGH betta bites, 1 to twice a day
Addatives: nope, Pa tapwater stored in a gallon jug overnight, changed once a week
Special Conditions: Elwood lived in a college dorm with me. He traveled frequently during breaks and when I moved to Va for a summer session
Cause of Death: Mistaken gallon of water as prepared tank water. It was actually refrigerated bottled water in a similar container my roommate left on my desk. Cold shock suspected.

Name: Mom's Fish
Type: Steel blue vailtail male, LFS variety
Age Approx: 3-4yrs
Housing: Elwood's ol' pad
Temperature: Room Temp
Tankmate: none
Food: HGH betta bites, once to twice a day, one day a week fast
Addatives: nope, strait from the tap LI municple water, changed entirely once a week
Special Conditions: Lived in a small bowl for a year with water changes every day until I just got the tank out of the attic because I got tired of doing water changes every day
Cause of Death: None so far

Name: Mr. Betta
Type: Purple vailtail male, LFS variety
Age Approx: 2-3yrs
Housing: Eclipse system 6
Temperature: Room temp
Tankmates: 5 white clouds, 2 cories
Food: Varies between HBH betta bites, Hikari micropellets, and Nutrafin Max complete flake food, 1-2 times a day, one day a week fast
Addatives: currently a vary small quantity of aquarium salt, 4 gallons changed once a week
Special conditions: Mr. Betta is recovering from a serious bout of rot introduced with the white clouds. Three of the orginal 7 purchased died, and the betta's whole tail stock was eaten down to the muscle layer. The tank was on a vigorous regiem of Maracyn (one tab a day), Maracyn-Two (one tab a day), and Tetracycline (one tab every other day) for two weeks until disease progression was halted. Now it appears that the wound is healing (new fin and scale growth observed) and I've simply begun to add a little salt with the water to help with osomregulation and discourage secondary infection.
Cause of death: Will probably be the secondary infection or complications from the rot, but the prognosis looks good so far, he's feeding robustly, swims about even if it is a bit stilted because he can't use his tail, his eyes are clear and alert, and he is still responsive to feeding cues and tankmates.

One day I hope to get a real pretty pedigree, but right now I don't have that type of money to spend on a fish (although I will adopt a pretty cull, but most breeders won't let ya unless you buy something from them *pout*)
~~Colesea

 

[student]

1 no name betta, lived with me for about 1 yr. then pawned him off over the summer, and then back with me. I have had him for about 3yrs now, rescued him from a vase, don't know how old he was when I got him. Since he's been with me he's always had his very own 2gal hex tank with no heater or filter... I'm cleaning out a ten gal. tomorrow, hopefully he will be moved in there or my other ten gal when my stupid convict fry get old enough to move out on there own!!

Does anyone have experience with betta tankmates in a ten gal? I was thinking just my betta and three-five corydoras (julli or bronze maybe? don't bronce get kind of big?). Any help is appreciated!!

Also, I mine-as well ask while I'm posting... what are the natural water paremeters for a betta? and some natural tankmates? I'm thinking something it would naturally encounter in the wild.... thanks again all