# Aging fishies



## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

My fish are almost/already 20 years old. Actually, I got them when they were a few months old, so maybe they're already 20. Now, one of them is starting to show his/her age by hanging out a little too often near the bottom, "leaning" against the glass. He/she doesn't do this all the time, but it's a habit that developed in the past few months, and it bothers me. This fish used to be a lot more active -- in fact, for many years, it was the "boss" of the tank -- but in the past while, it seems to have slowed down significantly. Otherwise, the fish looks perfectly fine and healthy.

I never imagined that these guys would live so long. They've been part of my life for such a long time now that I'm worried about how the other one will do all alone in the tank; they're schooling fish in the wild, and if I'd had the chance to purchase more of them when they were younger, I probably would have. (When I bought them, they were the only 2 of their species in the store. I saw the same species for sale only one other time, about 6 or 7 years ago). Now, even if I see some cute young ones around, I don't think I'll go for it -- that would get me to 40 years of headstanders and nothing else!

They're still here and, for the most part, doing their usual things, but I'm starting to miss them already!

Anybody here have a similar experience?


----------



## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

20 yrs holy chow. What are you feeding them ? 

It's hard to say whether or not to add new fish, there can be fights for pecking order and territory. On the flip side your pet is used to having a buddy around, a new friend could perk it up.

I lost my female angel and 3 dorsigeras in my 75g, no sign of disease and could have been age. Coincidence all within a 2 week span ?  

The longest time I've had a fish was a tiger oscar 'Satch' for 8 yrs, and an angelfish pair for 5.


----------



## Fishlover_680 (May 5, 2009)

What kind of fish is that? It is good to have fish that live for so long but it would be hard to see it go.


----------



## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Thanks, guys.

1. I feed them Hikari sinking wafers and all sorts of plant stuff (everything from edamame to blueberries to lettuce to walnuts to dandelions -- they love it when I make carrot cake, because they get scraps of carrot, raisins and pecans all at once). They don't seem to like worms, shrimp, snails, etc., though studies of wild ones indicate that they do eat those things in the wild. For instance, one of my composting worms lived for two weeks in their tank completely unmolested before I put it back in the worm bin.

2. They are _Abramites hypselonotus_, aka marbled headstanders. (One of them is in my avatar).


----------



## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

I have had a similar experience with German blue rams. With my pair, I always keep one male from their spawn. and i have done so for a few years now. 

My first male was a year and a half old when i bought him. When he died at age 3 I had his 8 month old son. Now it has been another year and a half, and his son has passed so now i have his son! So i have the 3rd generation of my male ram from about 3.5 years ago.

I always hate seeing my pairs pass on but its always good to know I still have the same family continuing on.


----------



## Fishyfishyfishy (Mar 3, 2008)

I have a kuhli loach (still living) for 6 years. All my other khuli loaches died at age 3.5. He seems to be doing very well still.


----------

