Jan

I am just curious what is the longest that everyone has had their fish for, I was told by a Walmart pet rep that usually they live about a year. She said that it is very uncommon to find someone who has had fish for more than a year.

I hope that she is wrong but since the longest I have had fish for is 6 months I cannot use myself as an example. So I look to you all to prove her wrong.....

newbie101

A year? thats wierd, sure they may live less than a year in like a filthy bowl or something, but most fish, with proper care, can and should have a life of at least a few years. But that's walmart for you. Nobody really knows enough to be telling you things (except in some rare cases). Most people think goldfish libe for like a week (because they are kept in tiny bowls in chlorinated water, etc) but with an adequate-sized tank and proper care, they can live for 40 years or more.

Jon

the lifespan of a goldfish is closer to 20 years if properly cared for but yes one case has been documented of a goldfish living 43 years !

lots of fish can live long if kept well... most fish can live at least 3 years or more...

fish_r_friend

my grandmas angles lived for 15 years

chickadee

I have had fish that have lasted over 6 months, but he was very unhealthy. Noel is now coming up on 4 months and is healthy as a little "horse" and Marty of course is a baby of less than 2 months with me but hearty and healthy. The otos are healthy, but more fragile. I have lost 3 out of the 8 I have bought, but Tuck is about 3 months with me and they say on the otocinclus website that if you keep them for a month, they have about the same lifespan of any other fish. They just have very rocky starts in life as it seems they are drugged with cyanide to be caught in the wild. That is why the rate of loss is so high and also the stores feed them flake food which they do not eat and so when they are bought and taken home, they are usually half starved or more. I truly believe that it is really very possible to keep fish longer than a year especially if they are bought through a dealer and you specify a young fish. Frequent water changes and good water parameters and good care and clean tanks and lots of knowledge about what you are doing goes a long way toward keeping them healthy and happy. I have learned a lot here at Fishlore and have so much to thank the people here for because I made every mistake in the book. They are here with the information and will help with anything they can to provide the answers to keep the fish healthy and happy. If the fish are healthy to start with, they should respond. I think my mistake was I got the fish before I got the knowledge, and it cost me my first dear betta, Azul.

Butterfly

It just depends on the type of fish how long it lives. One of the members on another website I go to has a Clown Loach who just celebrated his 21st birthday with him. My clowns are two years old, some of my angels are three years old, a couple of the Plecos are several years old. Thats my two cents worth
I believe the bigger fishes live longer.
Carol

newbie101

I think that goes for all animals, the bigger the animal, generally the longer it lives.

beckers4oranges

since december 23rd

newbie101

My pleco is my only fish that I've had from the start (November 5? 7?) all the others have died...

beckers4oranges

yea the only fish ive had since the start is my betta in the picture....

Isabella

The person at the store was very wrong. The only scenario in which she could be right is when one doesn't take good care of the fish. Then they will certainly not live long. But fish properly cared for live far far more than a year. Life span of individual species varies of course, but I don't think I have seen at my LFS a kind of fish that lives less than a year! For example, I have read that neons' life span can reach as many as 10 years!

EmpPleco

All of my fish r 2 to 2 1/2 months old. (im not sure how old they were when I got them) But I HOPE they are with me much longer

beckers4oranges

i have to go away to college and leave my fish with my mom .... maybe ill bring my bettas with me lol...if they dont get beer poored into thier tanks...

EmpPleco

aww that would be horrible lol but yes that is the way college is

beckers4oranges

lol...yup

Jason

My oldest is just over a year but some Koi Carp are said to live for a century

Jan

Thank you everyone for your information!

It is good to know that I am not going to have funerals for my fish every few months! Although at the rate that I am going with fish that seems to be the case for me!

dano569

my oldest fish right now is a pleco that is about 2 years old.even tetras and smaller gouramis live 3 or 4 years.i have a lemon tetra and a cherry barb that are getting close to 2 years.the cichlids i have some experience with can live 10 or more years.

leelum9

i had a pleco for 8yrs and he died. the convicts are still running at 6 yrs

Allie

We've had our fancy plecos for nearly two years. I have had all 3 angelfish & diamond tetra for just over a year. Our datnoid we got last summer. The African cichlids we've had some of them off and on for two years nearly . We sold some & got some back when get got back into them this past November. My betta, 3 I've had for 7 months the rest a couple of months and my CT I got last week.

MagpieTear

Mr. Jones (my common pleco) is coming up on at least 7 years old. The one I had before him was around 9 when he passed. I had a bala shark for five. I think my Bronze Cories are coming up on three years now.

Oil_Fan

My SW tank is still pretty young. Only 4 and half months old. The oldest fish in there is has only been in there for 4 months. Now I did read a story of a pair of mated clown fish that the owner has had for something like 21 or 22 years/

zeddy

i have 4 fish that are 2+ years and 6 that are close to a year

TFA101

my clown pleco is seven

pinkfloydpuffer

My puffers are supposed to live 10-15 years, I hope they make it that long!
I've had a betta for well over a year now, and looks like he'll keep going for a while.