Average Fish Life span and Ownership span

[gregghia]

Curious.. assuming all good conditions how long can a fish live? Is there a life rating like a dog or cat?
Also in a healthy tank how long do successful aquarists tend to have a fish stay alive for them?
In this hobby seems like ANYTHING can happen. So with all these factors, illnesses, unintended mistakes or accidents, equipment failure I was just curious how long some of you all have had your fish?
This is the 4th fish I have lost in 6 months but yet overall I would say I have been successful in the hobby with the quality of my tank, the way the corals are acting and growing but the fish are killing me when they go, not from an emotional point but from an economic stand point. I like the exotics but the $5 damsels are looking good about now.

 

[azfishgal]

I'm very curious about this as well. Maybe someone can make a list and give the average age for each fish (the common ones anyway).

 

[autofreak44]

the guy at my lfs said its about a year, but the guy at my lfs happens to be a scamming idiot so i would like to know to

 

[zanoshanox]

most marine fish can live for up to about 12 years, some less.
I have a yellow watchman goby that's 6 years old, and i've even heard from people at work stories of their fishing going on 10+ years. Right now i've got a 9 year old snowflake eel at work.

 

[skeletoncowboy]

there was a book i read at barnes and noble about the hobby and it had a list for every common type of fish and its average lifespan. unfortunately i didnt buy that book and dont remember the exact name of it. but if you go look at B&N i'm sure you'll find it.

 

[autofreak44]

Originally Posted by zanoshanox
most marine fish can live for up to about 12 years, some less.
I have a yellow watchman goby that's 6 years old, and i've even heard from people at work stories of their fishing going on 10+ years. Right now i've got a 9 year old snowflake eel at work.
well thats good to know, also good to know that my accusations are solidified

 

[slade1274]

I remember reading that the neon goby is a short lived fish with an indicated lifespan of ~3 years. My experience is relatively light with good results. I found this site 2.5 years ago and decided to set up my 75 gallon after sitting idle for 4 years. I didn't have much success keeping a fish longer than 3-6 months before, but the fish I have now are all over 2 years old. The only ones I have had issues with are green chromis for some reason. Other than those (which were probably used by some knuckelhead to cycle a tank and returned with amonia singed gills); I've only lost one fish in those 2.5 years. The bad thing is that type of success may drive you to "upgrade" like I did.

 

[grumpygils]

Originally Posted by gregghia
Curious.. assuming all good conditions how long can a fish live? Is there a life rating like a dog or cat?
Also in a healthy tank how long do successful aquarists tend to have a fish stay alive for them?
In this hobby seems like ANYTHING can happen. So with all these factors, illnesses, unintended mistakes or accidents, equipment failure I was just curious how long some of you all have had your fish?
This is the 4th fish I have lost in 6 months but yet overall I would say I have been successful in the hobby with the quality of my tank, the way the corals are acting and growing but the fish are killing me when they go, not from an emotional point but from an economic stand point. I like the exotics but the $5 damsels are looking good about now.

Greg,
Stick to corals......come buy some!
Mc

 

[seattle]

Yeah I saw that book 2
I know a few from the book
Bicolor Angelfish 12-15years
Green Chromis was 10-12 I think
Copperband Butterflyfish 5-6 years

 

[seasalt dreams]

I know of a guy who has a clown in his tank thats been there for 28 years.

 

[bcott]

Originally Posted by seasalt dreams
I know of a guy who has a clown in his tank thats been there for 28 years.
That is simply amazing.

 

[seasalt dreams]

It is. Even on paper they are only said to live at most 20 years in captivity. I guess this guy really knows what he is doing.

 

[nemo_66]

yea, i also met a guy who had a clown for 17 years.

 

[seasalt dreams]

well I hope my 6 clowns live that long!

 

[stanlalee]

I know clowns and tangs can live over 20yrs.

 

[zues3026]

Wow how does the 9 year old snowflake look? I have had mine for a year. I love him. Do you have pics? Also I have had a Yellow tang at my Dads house for the past 8 years and he is still healthy. Only thing that has been added to his tank were a cleaner shrimp(1 year) and a Clown(3 years)

 

[coral keeper]

I called up my LFS and they said that a grouper can live up to 50+ years!!!

 

[kidreef]

ithink i would be making me a grouper sandwich eventually mmm grouper

 

[rbaldino]

I had three fish (false perc clown, tomato clown, four stripe damsel) live for over 10 years. I lost the perc and the damsel last December to a prolonged power outage, and the tomato not long after that (I don't think he was quite right after the outage). If it hadn't been for the power outage, they'd probably still be around for a lot longer. I've also had a LFS owner tell me of client tanks with fish as old as 30 years.

 

[nolatrav]

Interesting, I've always wondered this same question. Thanks for all the responses, very helpful info.

Edit: I've had my Coral Beauty and a striped damsel going on 2 years now. Also had a yellow belly damsel and yellow tail damsel for about the same time in a different system