Since Betta fish are rarely found, the betta owners are concerned about how big do betta fish get.
Bettas are regarded as little fish in comparison to other fish. Fully grown, they can reach a size of 3 inches, and an average size may vary from 2.4 to 2.9 inches. Females are almost the same size as their males. The only difference is in the fin size; they possess little fins compared to the males with larger ones.
Furthermore, you must follow a healthy feeding process in other for them to have stable growth.
The genetic factor of your fish can also affect growth; just like humans, they have different species with different genes, which affect their behavior and physical appearances; that is why some species grow faster, grow bigger and live longer than others.
Temperature fluctuations also can hinder the stable growth of your fish. With a low or high temperature in the tank, your fish may move sluggishly and lose vitality, which will prevent them from having stable growth.
So, How Big Do Betta Fish Get? Lets Talks About Its Factors
What Is The Maximum Size At Which Betta Fish Get In The Wild?
They tend to grow less in their natural habitat compared to those in tanks. They grow to a maximum size of 2.3 inches in their natural habitat. Furthermore, being isolated, predator-free, adequate, and quality food supply and a stress-free tank can support your fish growth.
They compete and struggle for food and shelter in their natural habitat, which may affect their growth.
Their natural habitat is exposed to pollution and climatic change, affecting aquatic life; living in such conditions, it is difficult for them to thrive and maintain steady growth.
Only on rare occasions will you see any of them exceeding 2.8 inches because they live in an unfavorable and hostile habitat, but putting them in tanks where there are favorable conditions can improve their healthy lives, make them grow bigger, and even increase their lifespan.
Is Betta fish able to grow as big as their tanks?
On a normal scale, tank size is not an important factor in your growth. It is certain that in a small tank, your fish tends to grow for a maximum of 1.6 to 2.2 inches. Despite the fact that the size of your fish placed in a small tank differs from that in a large, there will just be an increase of 0.6 to 0.26 inches when placed in a large tank.
Placing your fish in a large tank is not just about the growth increase but the opportunity to harbor more in the same tank. If the tank is small, the growth will be slow, and the fish will not reach its growth expectations. Placed in a large tank, they grow to their expected size. Some tend to grow higher than their expected height. However, the size of your fish can’t only be accredited to large tanks.
What Is the growth rate of Betta fish?
An infant reaches adulthood at 6 or 8 months. Although it is not an easy journey, so many factors affect their growth along the way. One of the most important factors is the quality of the water.
A betta that lives in polluted waters cannot have the same spontaneous growth as another living in a clean water habitat. Another factor is the quality and availability of food. Your fish grows healthy and fast when fed with the right consumption and adequate food nutrients like protein.
Bettas usually grow to an average length of 2.3 inches, and they can obtain such growth in a time of 3 to 4 months. However, they are not fully mature until 7 to 8 months, but with adequate healthy consumption, they will grow larger and faster.
Some grow to an average height of 2.3 inches, while others exceed that to an amazing growth of 3 to 3.2 inches. Although it rarely occurs, it shows that in the right condition, they exceed their expectations.
Life Stages Of BETA FISH
EGG STAGE: When it’s time for mating, the male intuitively builds a bubble nest composed of saliva and air. This is where their eggs go and also where they are born. This is the first stage of their life circle, in regard to the temperature of the water; they will be born after fertilization, which lasts for some days.
FRY STAGE: Once in the fry stage, they look different from their adult stage. There is the absence of tails, and their body is very brittle. This stage lasts for several weeks. At this stage, they are known as fry. They are approximately 0.2 inches in size. At the end of this stage, they are measured at 0.7 to 0.8 inches; at this size, they enter their next phase in life.
JUVENILE STAGE: This stage begins when they gain mobility from their sac just after the fry stage. There is no exact timing for this stage; this stage begins just 2 to 4 weeks after birth. They grow as large as 0.7 to 1.2 inches wide. The time they get free from their sac depends on its size of it. They will stay in this juvenile stage not until they are 1 year of age before getting to adulthood.
ADULT STAGE: At this stage, your fish must have grown to a length of 1.6 inches, which is greater than its original size. During this stage, your fish can grow from 2.2 to 3 inches at maximum. They will be regarded as adults because they are almost half their lifespan. They generally live for 2 years, but most of them tend to live for 4 years or even more.
The Best Way To Grow Your Betta Fish Bigger
Bettas are usually little and hard to see in the tank. As a result, most owners tend to purchase them in their adult stage to get larger quickly. They can attain perfection but must follow some procedures and steps. Many factors promote and affect your fish growth; they are listed below.
TANK SIZE: determining the size of your tank is very crucial; a small-sized tank may not be helpful for your fish growth; however that should be different from the reason you should purchase a huge tank. If you purchase a very small tank, it will be inevitable to get a small fish. With respect to the tank, you should purchase a very spacious tank with an adequate tank heater and water thermometer.
To thrive, your tank may be spacious to create a natural habitat and contain biotic factors like plants, rocks, and pebbles. A huge tank can encourage tank mates to make the tank sociological. Having all these in a small tank may be impossible, so it is advisable to purchase a large one.
THE RIGHT FOOD: aside from having a huge and spacious tank, your fish prefer a healthy succulent meal. They mostly prefer frozen dried shrimps, bloodworms, or any other food containing a high protein level. They also prefer having living meals, having them hunt and consume their feed alone boosts their predator instinct and alertness and reduces stress.
Giving them healthy food is very necessary but reduces their rate of consumption. Having them overfed can cause constipation and lethargy, which can cause sluggishness and can reduce growth. Overfeeding leads to a high amount of protein in their body, which is bad for their health.
Always be cautious about feeding males more protein content than females because males need them to grow larger fins and tails compared to females, who don’t need much of it.
A CLEAN TANK: Another important factor is the neatness of the tank. Like the saying “cleanliness is next to godliness,” your fish must be housed in clear and unpolluted water. Water filters are advised to remove sediments and food remnants in the tank to have clean water. Your tank must be conducive for him to stay.
Cleaning the tank removes algae and some microorganisms that can harm your fish’s health and growth. The effectiveness of a water filter is to help filter the tank and helps to regulate the amount of water in your tank.
That is why most fish find it hard to thrive in their natural habitat because climatic change and pollution can hinder their growth.
The final words
With all these above ideas, you won’t find it difficult to know if your betta is growing or stagnating. Never forget to provide your fish with a healthy and proteinous diet to boost their growth rate.
You can only observe healthy growth when your fish is cared for in a healthy manner. The environmental condition must be perfect; keeping the right temperature and the right volume of water in your tank will be very beneficial to your fish.
Make sure you have the available income to take care of your fish because they need some expenses and requirements to have a healthy life, and the moment there is a shortage of resources, they may not grow well. Provide for them, and they will be record breakers.
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