How old is/was your oldest fish?

[Techno10]

Had a female clown fish for 26 years, was able to raise the fry a couple of times from her, out of those I still have a pair that’s 22 years old.

 

[McPuff]

I've got a pink spotted watchman goby that I've had since 2005. I assume he was probably two years old when I got him... so a total of 17 years old is my guess.

 

[Fish man]

My 7 y/o blue damsel passed away this year...(my profile picture)

Over the years I've become an excellent fish killer but I do have a pair of Perc clowns that have survived in spite of me that are 18 years old. The female is over 4" long, nose to tail

 

[Timfish]

Sailfin ought in '94 at about ~ 5"-6" long. Blonde Naso bought in 2004 at about ~6" long

 

[smacbride]

First saltwater fish I bought was an ocellaris clownfish and it lived in my tank for 34 years! It was a very sad day when it passed...

 

[van7271]

12 year old yellow tang and mated clowns 8 years old.

 

[code4]

My clowns have been with me for around 11 years or so. Mandarin the same

We adopted a Koran angel, Sohal, and porcupine puffer who were all over ten years old and LFS returns. The own sold them ten years prior and the owner couldn’t upgrade to bigger tank so traded in for smaller fish. We saw them all and took them home to our 180gal which still wasn’t big enough. One year later we upgraded to a 300g, 8’ for them and have had them over 3 years now. So they are 13+ yrs old. We also still have our first fish 6 yrs clown and 6yrs yellow tang, hippo tang, valentini puffer and coral beauty angel. I hope to have them 20 + yrs like some of you! It’s awesome to have these for so many years. I feel blessed!

Can you adopt me. I need a larger home! ;Happy

 

[RtomKinMad]

My clowns have been with me for around 11 years or so. Mandarin the same




Can you adopt me. I need a larger home! ;Happy

Our fish have a big home than we do!

 

[New Jersey REEF]

Cardinal 14 years

Did not know cardinals live that long ! Wow

 

[code4]

Our fish have a big home than we do!

I was afraid of that. ;Dead

 

[Tastee]

I've only had salt for a few years but I have a 20 yr old fresh water YoYo loach.

I’m similar. My SW fish have all now been with me 3 years but prior to that I had a FW Angel about 14 years old and a Blue Ram Cichlid around 10.

 

[Karen00]

This is an amazing thread! I am gob smacked to read how long a lot of these fish have lived! I never thought a fish could outlive a dog or cat (sharks/turtles are a different story of course). People are going to have to bequeath them in their wills just like people do with their parrots!!

 

[Karen00]

These two clowns have been with me for 12+ years (they are 2-3 years apart). Forgetting when I actually bought them in college, but they lived in a 80 gal, moved home 6 hour drive, into same 80 gal, then into a 90 gal. Bought my first house, moved the 90 there. Eventually got a 210 they went in. Had a kid and downsized to a 45 gal cube. Moved again into our second house, same 45 gal tank and finally this year into another 210 gal tank. So they have been in 5 different tanks and moved tanks 7 times. They’ve been through it all, even some crashes early on. Big gal is mean and has taught the little one to be mean too! Finger biters! But I love having them!

This is a great story and a great pic. It's one thing to live a long time in one tank but it's amazing how yours have survived for so long and so many tank changes!

 

[Karen00]

Sailfin ought in '94 at about ~ 5"-6" long. Blonde Naso bought in 2004 at about ~6" long

This is great!

 

[Timfish]

Thank you Karen00! ;Cat

 

[Veveloi]

My blood parrots are currently 12 years old just 3 years left until they pass away.

 

[Pmauro55]

I had a panther grouper fo about 12 years, bought it when it was a bought 2 inches long when I gave him to marine land he was around 28 inches

 

[Grallster]

I had a clown tang for 17 years

 

[Silly clownfish]

Only listing critters over 10 years

- Ocellaris clown is 22 years (she is tank raised)
- flame hawk made it to 19.5 years before carpet surfing -very sad day
- coral banded shrimp 12 years
- serpent star 19 years
- brittle star 13 years
- eastern box turtle - I have had longer than my brother, he turns 45 next month. The turtle was full grown when I found her. She has always had seniority over my brother

i firmly believe that most fish can live much longer than common lists of lifespans indicate. They also can have longer lives in our tanks than in the wild. Whether they are happier in our tanks, I can’t say. Of the animals on my list, only the brittle star was the kind to hide most of the time. The timid fish who hide a lot I have not had last more than 3-4 years.

 

[Squidward]

Pair of picasso clowns ...prolly 6+ years... never seen them bred. I think the female refuses sex?