Old age?

[smallvle]

I'm on my second Betta now, (unfortunatley my first one i was lazy about water changes and he got sick and passed away...don't worry i beat myself up for it alot b/c i loved the little bugger.) but now that i'm on my second betta, Dr. Seuss (Seuss for short,) i'm wondering what bettas look like in old age.

i got him from a friend who got him from a friend and i managed to save him from a life of being stuck in a tiny vase, but i have no clue as to how old he is. i've had him for just over a year now, and we've been through alot together, but he seems to be slowing down. he's not quite as rambunctious any more, but he doesn't quite seem to be sick. his fins and gills all look fine, and i am religeous about water changes, but i didn't know if there was a way to tell if bettas are gettin "old." do they get lighter in color like other animals go grey? he just doesn't seem quite as vibrant as he once was either. any help is greatly appreciated!

ps. he is in a 2.5 gal tank/ bowl with a heater, water stays around 78-80 degrees, he eats 2 betta ColorBrite flakes in the morning. i've tried feeding him freeze-dried brine shrimp, but he flips out for a day or so after eating them and literally throws himself against the glass and gravel repeatedly for a day.

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

I've heard that a regular life span is 5 years.

[kelly528]

Elderly bettas get dull and a little lazier, which isn't really a good guideline because such signs could simply indicate improper care. The dusk of a betta's life sets in from anywhere between 3-7 years of life.

[ChristinaRoss]

i had oneyears ago that lived until he was 6 !