The art of caring for old betta fish requires a clear understanding of what to expect. The purpose of this post is to give you a list of things you should do in order to take good care of your old betta fish. How to Care for an Old Betta Fish?
Lowering the water level:
You should check the water level first for older Betta fish. You should keep the aquarium’s water level at 4 inches to 5 inches, which will prolong your old betta fish. This will help your betta fish take less effort to swim to the top of the tank to breathe. With time, the respiratory performance of betta fish will decrease with the water level.
Increase the temperature slightly
Betta fish tend to lose their relative body temperature with age. This is because betta fish reduce blood flow throughout the body. Therefore, you can slightly increase the tank’s temperature to increase the Betta fish’s body temperature. In this case, you should keep the temperature at 81-82 Fahrenheit. This temperature is ideal for your older Betta fish. This reduces the chances of illness and keeps the Betta fish warm while napping.
Provide plenty of plants
The performance of betta fish decreases with age. So you should provide plenty of restful sleep for the Betta fish. In fact, older Betta fish tend to take naps more often. Therefore, you should place silk or natural plants in your tanks to ease this problem. This will allow the Betta fish to stay close to the surface, especially when replacing tall trees in the tanks. As a result, whenever betta fish need to breathe faster, they can move closer to the surface.
Consider medication:
As Betta fish tend to lose performance with age, they can become ill at any time. And if old Betta fish get sick once, their chances of survival are very slim. We often think about salt baths in this situation, but the most effective approach is to use the medicine. However, before considering medicine for your Betta fish, you must be sure about the type of illness. In many cases, the use of drugs increases the risk of death for betta fish. The reason behind this is that whenever you take a drug, it kills not only harmful bacteria but beneficial bacteria as well.
More resting spots
It is a good idea to add more resting areas to the tank, both at the mid-level and upper levels. As betta ages, it becomes more difficult for them to move around. That being said, they still need to be able to easily access the surface of the water to breathe air. By adding more resting areas closer to the surface of the water, you’re making life much easier for your betta. This helps reduce stress and prevents them from straining themselves by moving too often and too much. In addition, be extra cautious about sharp objects in the tank, as they may have less maneuverability.
Old Betta may naturally develop cloudy eyes, mostly due to age. If this begins to impact their sight, you will need to take precautions to protect them. If they have tankmates, watch them closely to ensure that the other fish are not picking on them. In addition, ensure that they are able to get enough food. If they are, they will be able to live out the rest of their lives happily.
