Loaded Questions

pinstripe

pinstripe

Member
What do you think the mortality rate of otherwise healthy fish, added to an established aquarium is?
What is the time frame (of cousre species-specific) you would consider a success for keeping a fish? 6 months? a year? etc.
For an average (again loaded question) aquarium, how many fish in say a year (i.e. 3 deaths, 3 purchases) does a newbie/average/experienced/expert aquarist go through?
For example, you buy a dog, it lives for 10-15 years barring any abnormal problem. Should we consider ourselves to have similar goals (relatively) as aquarists?
The reason I pose these questions is because I consider myself to be a fairly experienced reef keeper, not an expert. I hadn't lost a fish in almost 2 years and I had an unexplained death (i posted the details on this site) about 2 months ago. I am now ready to get another fish to replace the one I lost, but I am bothered by the fact that I have to go out and buy another fish if I am considered to be below average of how others behave in the hobby, and therefore am a burden on the market of saltwater fish.
Thanks,
Mark
 
hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
i don't necessarily think these are loaded questions but for an answer to how long before you are an experienced fish keeper? i wold say if you have no deaths for over a year then you prolly know what you are doing......but experience is relative to who you are speaking to. In here, I am a newbie by far...at work I am the saltwater guru who is weird enough to get live shipments in.....(What the heck is that?? It says LIVE on the side of the box!!)
As for the fish, it completely depends on what fish you are talking about....some live a LOT longer than others......
You are in no way a burden if you have only had one fish die in 2 years. Obviously you are a conscientious owner and........you care a lot about those little guys..:)
 
pinstripe

pinstripe

Member
I called them loaded questions because I think that if more people view the post, opinions are going to vary by number, all over the board. But your advice is reassuring, sort of what I was looking for. If the "norm" so to speak is to lose a few fish a year, than I shouldn't feel guilty at all about buying a new one. However, looking at it deeper, is it or is it not ok to lose a few fish a year. I'm no environmentalist by any stretch, but it does make one think about every time a purchase is made.
Bang guy, you are one of the most respected keepers on these boards. I'm sorry to hear about such a massive loss. I know if that sort of thing can happen to you, then my purchase of another fish should not weigh that heavily on my mind.
If anyone else has an opinion, fire away.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Other than my carpet anemone eating some -- I haven't lost a fish in quite awhile although I did lose my cleaner shrimp that was a few years old unexpectedly.
Oldest thing in my tank is a coral banded shrimp going on 4 + years (lived with the cleaner for 2 +)
I say healthy fish into a healthy system and properly cared for -- you shouldn't have a death at all. If you do something wasn't right (health of fish, parameters off, disease, etc)
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
Im no expert, but fish dont live forever and you dont necisarily know how old they are when you get them. Maybe it was that fishies time.
 
pinstripe

pinstripe

Member
I agree, there should be almost no loss of life if everything is ok in the tank, yet death of fish at some point is inevitable. So going back to the original post questions, including disease, poor husbandry (bad parameters), age etc., what would be the normal turnover rate in an aquarium? I myself have a pair of cinnamon clowns that are almost 3 years with me, and most of my other fish, actually all, are well into thier second year. I am just looking as to how often those of us out there are buying fish to replace dying ones.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
I'm afraid to mention the number of fish lost during capture (cyanide?),acclamations, shipping, holding, etc, etc. However, I doubt the hobbiests deplete the fish population at all, except in very rare cases. A given section of reef will support a given number of fish; that's why fish spawn in such tremendous numbers. I subscribe to the "nature abhors a vacuum" idea. If all this bothers anyone; there are lots of "home grown" (aquacultured) fish available.
 
pinstripe

pinstripe

Member
ok, so i've pretty much decided I'm not going to be looked upon as irresposible for buying another fish. Thanks to all those who have replied.
 
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