Frequently Asked Questions

Life Expectancy:
Bettas can live up to 5 years or more. Depending on their condition and treatments, the length can vary. Most bettas live for 2 to 3 years. Bettas bought from the store are usually a year old in age. I have had a long-finned betta that lived up to 4 years.
 
Conditioning:
Bettas should be conditioned before spawning. Before spawning, feed both bettas with high protein foods such has live black worms, brine shrimps, mosquito larvae, etc. Live foods are preferable. Before a spawn can begin, make sure both bettas are ready. The female should be submissive and display vertical stripes. The male must also show interest by building a bubble nest. Most healthy males produce a bubble nest daily even without a female present.
 
Water conditions:
The water for your bettas should be around 75 to 80 degrees. Their natural habit in the wild (rice paddies) is around this temperature. A pH level of 7.0 is preferable for bettas. When spawning however, a pH of 7.0+ and a water temperature of 80+ is desirable.
 
Shipping Bettas: 
Bettas are resilient fishes and can adapt to many water conditions. Shipping bettas state wide (or even global) should not pose as a major threat. Properly packaged and handled, bettas should arrive to their destinations unharmed. For additional information on shipping, please refer to the shipping page.
 
Keeping Bettas:
Each betta requires at least 1 gallon of water. Although bettas can survive in smaller volumes, they should not be kept in anything less than 1 gallon. Bettas will thrive in larger volumes and will develop quicker and live longer. It is not a good idea to keep bettas in "betta vases". Bettas are suitable to live in vases is a misconception. Many bettas are miserable in vases. As a result, most don't survive very long in these vases. More information on keeping and jarring can be found on this site.
 
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