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43-year old fish

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:09 pm
by Arny
In the comments it says they don't want to move him to a bigger tank because they're scared the stress will kill him. Surely it's worth taking the chance, so long as they're careful, and aclimatise him slowly.


Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:47 pm
by Pufferpunk
I don't believe it.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:51 pm
by sgtmyers88
Yeah there was a goldfish that lived to that age.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:27 am
by Pufferpunk
Looks stunted for a pacu.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:36 am
by J-P
sgtmyers88 wrote:Yeah there was a goldfish that lived to that age.
non fancy goldfish directly from the carp family should easily live that long. Koi can even double that.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:16 am
by RTR
C'mon folks, it is fully believable. Clown Loaches can live longer than that, ditto common goldfish and Koi if they are not kept at tropical temperatures year-round. Most hobbyists seem to have no real idea of how long fish can live. I ad a wipe-out when we moved to this house or I would have some old fish. As it is I have several fish in their 20s.

But yes, the fish is stunted.

PP likely remembers the folks with the mufti-thousand gallon tank in their basement which housed one pacu.

All it takes is a species tank and decent food in good water...

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:50 am
by Pufferpunk
The reason I didn't believe the age, is because of the stunting.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:24 pm
by sgtmyers88
Pufferpunk wrote:The reason I didn't believe the age, is because of the stunting.
Good point. BUT If it is that age it is more than likely miserable with its life for that reason.

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:44 pm
by Pufferpunk
I thought stunting lead to shorter lifespan?

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:44 pm
by Pufferpunk
I thought stunting led to shorter lifespan?

Re: 43-year old fish

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:21 pm
by RTR
Not necessarily, although that is commonly reported. None of the local old clown loaches I have seen and known over decades was anywhere near proper size. They all appeared healthy and happy - in their undersized tanks. But they all were well maintained otherwise. All had lived too long in "community" tanks with highly mixed populations but high water quality.

My personal suspicion is that many stunted fish are also poorly maintained and live in poor to awful water. That will definitely shorten their lives. But in a family-operated fish shop which has been in operation over 40 years you do suspect that they just might well know how to keep up fish tanks. It is not proof, but it is a good sign.

I do remember when GSPs were in hobby books as 2 1/2" fish. Very, very few hobbyists had fish which were not stunted.