“Starvation is not paint, but the real art of betta fish is to faces the challenges for their feeding”
Betta fish are famous for their scarcity. They live easily in a shortage of food and easily survive almost 2 to 3 weeks. They are known as hard species because they can barely handle it. Its best quality of surviving is to live in a food shortage.
The betta fish can be found in the frozen rain, cold temperatures, especially in Thailand and Malaysia. In a hard life, the betta fish must adapt to some changes to cope in difficult situations.
The most important feature that a betta fish has is its respiratory system. They absorb air directly from the environment. So, that’s because they can live in little oxygen areas, like in deep water, puddy areas.
If we talk about their metabolic rate, they develop a regulatory metabolism that adapts change according to the environment.
But their metabolism reduces their rate because of starvation. They conserve their energy while food is unavailable. They mostly bear these conditions during wildlife.
Betta fish can bear starvation almost 10 to 14 days, but it takes too long with the help of following factors:
- Tank size and width
- Filtered or unfiltered aquarium
- Betta fish general health
How much longer betta fish survive without food?
The estimated period of betta fish survival without food is roughly 14-15 days but the prolonged and extended period affects the health of the betta fish.
Every betta fish can have variant capabilities in themselves that can be able to survive without their meal. If one betta fish cannot live more than 20 days, while the other one may die in one week. If you want to keep your fish fit and healthy, so you don’t miss their meal for more than a week.
If your betta fish is small, you don’t have any type of obstacle to keep them without food. They can survive for around 10 days, if it is more than limited days then your betta fish is not healthy way.
Side effects of starvation:
If a betta fish is being lived without food for more than 10 days, it means it utilized their reserved energy from the previous food.
After a long starvation period, it affects their anatomy and their internal body structure, decreasing their body weight, slowing down their movement and often being in an unconscious state.
In severe and drastic conditions, it affects their immune system and their physiological system.
In a starvation period, they feel change in their body like dull coloured (DISCOLORATION), slowed their flapping fins movement, and keep their idle in warm water. Excessive periods of hunger can lead to suffering from diseases and malnutrition.
Starvation is such a period, which betta fish can bear very easily but when it takes a long period it can damage their organs and reduce their rate of health.
Best ways to get your betta fish fed while you are on leave:
First you must keep your betta fish on natural feeding. Betta fish can eat small insects, crustaceans and some invertebrates. They rarely feel hunger once in a day. We must feed and clean their water tank regularly.
There are many ways to keep your betta fish prepared while you are going somewhere. For example, automatic feeders and fish sitters are one of those.
Betta fish can also eat larva, but we don’t need to worry about their food because they will bear or suffer to live without food. And we can go on the tours with family.
Betta fish in wildlife can just like carnivores (eating prepared species), so they can live their life without food for a few days.
Starving a betta fish in a regular way is good for their health. But in a drastic condition, underfeeding is problematic. They can make betta fish ill and unfit and lead to suffering from fatal diseases.
Focus on these factors to keep your specie fit while you are going on short trips:
Water quality and temperature:
This factor is most important for betta`s immune system.
The ideal temperature that a betta fish can bear is (70-80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) 26-27°C. In winter keep your fish in warm or medium water that can prevent your species from illness.
In the summer season, keep your tank away from the direct sunlight or heat that cannot bear betta fish.
Water quality also plays an important role in betta fish survival. Be sure that the tank is filled with pure and polluted free water that can keep your species away from the seasonal illness.
You can also take care that water, which is available in the aquarium, is full of nutrients which is required for your betta`s health and care.
Automatic feeder and fish sitter:
While you are not at home or going to the event with your family, you are also worried about your betta feeding.
So, you can make it easier by an automatic feeding tank or aquarium that can automatically put the food into the tank, when they feel hungry.
Another way to take care of your species in your absence, is to hire a fish sitter that takes care of your betta.
They care about their food, changing water, checking temperature, changing their diet after a round, changing their positions in the tank, and concerns about their fitness and illness.
Diseases suffer by a betta fish during starvation:
The most common disease that a betta fish suffer, is constipation. This disease can easily change their body structure or damage their internal environment.
After their severe attack, betta fish can feel sickness and they keep their body idle throughout the day.
The other disease, that betta fish`s health can affect, is Stress level that increases day by day. This stress can damage their metabolic rate and their immune system. In critical situations, it can lead to malnutrition.
- Keep the water tank clean and put in nutrient water.
- Give your species a balanced and proper diet, not over-feeding, not even under-feeding.
- Keep away from direct burning heat or away from the cold water that reduces the rate of their metabolism.
- Keep your species able to face the challenges and bear the starvation period in a wildlife