How long will your fish live?

[Tim Wheatley]

Saw this article on another site:
How long will my fish live? | Blog | Practical Fishkeeping

The ages reported on fish by fishkeepers are probably accurate. It's only a few years we've had the internet and actually been hearing these stories really. When I got my Cory cats the age listed everywhere I could see was 6 years. There's a related species on this list much older than that. It's definitely interesting... We also have far better filtration now than at any time in history...So (if it's on here - not all are) find your fish... How long will it live?

Three years
Three lined pencilfish, Nannostomus trifasciatus

Five years
Red eye tetra, Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae
Buenos Aires tetra, Hyphessobrycon anisitsi
Black phantom tetra, Hyphessobrycon megalopterus
Cherry barb, Puntius titteya
Swordtail, Xiphophorus hellerii
Sailfin molly, Poecilia velifera/latipinna
African red eye tetra, Arnoldichthys spilopterus

Six years
X ray tetra, Pristella maxillaris
Festive cichlid, Mesonauta festivus
Uaru, Uaru amphiacanthoides
Gold sucking loach, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Tiger barb, Puntius tetrazona
Cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi
Harlequin, Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare

Seven years
Golden barb, Puntius sachsi

Eight years
Silver shark, Balantiocheilus melanopterus
Pearl gourami, Trichopterus leeri
Scissortail, Rasbora trilineana
Snakeskin gourami, Trichogaster pectoralis

Nine years
Angelicus catfish, Synodontis angelicus
Guppy, Poecilia reticulata ?
Giant danio, Devario aequipinnatus
Emperor tetra, Nematobrycon palmeri

10 years
Neon tetra, Paracheirodon innesi
Wild discus, Symphysodon spp.
Black widow, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Silver dollar, Metynnis argenteus
Armatus eel, Mystus armatus
Hoplo cat, Megalechis thoracata
Congo tetra, Micralestes interruptus
Blue dolphin cichlid, Cyrtocara moorii
Julie cichlid, Julidochromis marlieri
Boesemani rainbow, Melanotaenia boesemani

11 years
Clown plec, Panaque maccus
Bronze corydoras, Corydoras aeneus

12 years
White Cloud, Tanichthys albonubes ?
Firemouth, Thorichthys meeki
Kissing gourami, Helostoma temminckii

13 years
Red finned shark, Epalzeorhynchus frenatus
Jack Dempsey, Rocio octofasciata

14 years
Tank bred Discus, Symphysodon spp.

15 years
Clown barb, Puntius everetti
Regal tang, Paracanthurus hepatus
Humbug damsel, Dascyllus melanurus
L46, Hypancistrus zebra
Yellow tail blue damsel, Chrysiptera parasema
Pygmy chain loach, Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki

16 years
Striped dora, Platydoras costatus
Spotted dora, Agamyxis pectinifrons
Black ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons

17 years
Kuhli loach, Pangio kuhlii

18 years
Corydoras, Corydoras metae

19 years
Red tailed black shark, Epalzeorhynchos bicolor

20 years
Frontosa, Cyphotilapia frontosa
Archerfish, Toxotes jaculatrix
Featherfin, Synodontis eupterus
Brochis, Brochis splendens
Rosy barb, Puntius conchonius

21 years
Upside down catfish, Synodontis nigriventris

24 years
Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus

25 years
Bristlenose catfish, Ancistrus spp.

27 years
Red tailed catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

28 years
Common plec, Liposarcus pardalis

30 years
Ornatipinnis, Polypterus ornatipinnis

31 years
Pacu, Colossoma macropomum

37 years
African lungfish, Protopterus annectens

43 years
Goldfish, Carassius auratus

73 years
Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri

80 years (226 years)
Koi, Cyprinus carpio

Note that some of the fish listed are still alive and well, and many would have been over a year old when purchased.

So, are you surprised to find how long your fish may live?

[OhNeil1969]

Wow! That's an impressive list. Thanks for adding the info. I hope that I can keep my fish alive as long as this list indicates.

[ChelseaLake]

Wow. Just wow. That excites me. I have goldies, which will probably outlive me (oh dear...I better have kids soon to take care of them!). I'm even surprised to learn how long my gups and mollies will be alive. 9 years? That's incredible!

This is a great post, love it.

[herp_mommy]

I would love to see an 80 year old koi. A fish store near me has one that's about 30.

[TraceyB4602]

Lets see...

Leporinus-not shown
Red Tailed Shark-19 yrs
Tiger Barb- 6yrs
Zebra Danios- not shown
White Skirt Tetras- not shown but the other tetras are about 5yrs-10-yrs
Bala Shark-not shown

well my leporinus is already at about 4 and so are my white skirts... I will be happy if they all can have long and wondeful lives

[itsgracia]

Wow impressive list...my neons will live to be 10 YAY! they're my son's favorite.

[BigJim]

I think some of these numbers are for tank-bred fish under ideal conditions. 10yrs for neons i think is a bit of a stretch. Others are pretty accurate. The Shedd Aquarium has Granddad, an australian lungfish that's been at the aquarium since the 1933 World's Fair. Shedd Aquarium - Chicago | Explore by Animal | Australian Lungfish I've got a striped raphael that's been in my tanks for about 17 years now.

[itsgracia]

Originally Posted by BigJim

I think some of these numbers are for tank-bred fish under ideal conditions. 10yrs for neons i think is a bit of a stretch. Others are pretty accurate. The Shedd Aquarium has Granddad, an australian lungfish that's been at the aquarium since the 1933 World's Fair. Shedd Aquarium - Chicago | Explore by Animal | Australian Lungfish I've got a striped raphael that's been in my tanks for about 17 years now.

Yeah i figured i would have to have pristine waters. Still good news.

[i3k]

corys live 18yrs? they do seem like stress free fish...they don't let anything bother them...when i vacuum the gravel they just start digging right around the tube like it's nothing.

[DragonFish71]

12 years for firemouths? You mean I have to deal with the "attitude couple" for another 9 years? Eeeesh. (kidding, love the mean lil buggers)

[Tim Wheatley]

Originally Posted by i3k

corys live 18yrs? they do seem like stress free fish...they don't let anything bother them...when i vacuum the gravel they just start digging right around the tube like it's nothing.

Yeah that amazed me! Like I said everything says 6 years, but if someone has kept them for 18 it's certainly possible. I cycled my first tank with Cories (before I knew any better) and they're still kicking, but it's probably that type of situation which makes most fish either expire early or expire at the predicted time. I think if you can get a tank raised fish who is never stressed too much, never injured, never gets a disease and you keep up the maintenance perfectly, you could see these figures or better... We'll have to wait and see.

[celticfan]

I have a Cory, got him last month and hes been great in the tank. When I first got him he was hiding at the bottom all the time, and when anyone went down the bottom he chased them all the way up to the top that went on for about 3 days but now he's fine. He's a bronze cory and since I got him I notice he's got a lot bronzer/darker is this because of his age?

[Tim Wheatley]

Corys have pretty wide ranging behavior. Mine sit still at the bottom, swim up and down the glass and go a bit of everything really. They (mine) also range from dark grey to light grey.