What is the oldest fish you have in your tank?
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
As I said, the person who bred them retired and I bought his broodstock. 
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Currently my oldest are my SI Perc pair, in a month they will have been with me for 2 years. Prior to them I did have a pair of Clarkiis for 12 years before I sold them -- too much digging -- but I still have "their" anemone, an S. Haddoni that I bought at the same time.
The percs,
male,
Female,
The percs,
male,
Female,
Agu
Premium Member
My pair of black oscellaris clowns is almost eight years old. They appear to be healthy but have never spawned after all these years.
Also have a seven year old pair of oscellaris. They were the original only inhabitants of their tank.
Both pairs were purchased from breeders as immature males.
Also have a seven year old pair of oscellaris. They were the original only inhabitants of their tank.
Both pairs were purchased from breeders as immature males.
lilalove
New member
My oldest fish is an H. chrysus that I got in 2001. It was only a couple of inches long, and dived right out of it's holding tank at the LFS and face planted onto the cement while the guy was trying to net it. I bought it anyway. A couple of years later, when I upgraded from my 55 to the 180, I couldn't find it. I assumed it had died, even though I knew they buried themselves in the sand. Just in case, I left the sandbed in the 55 intact with an inch or two of water and hoped for the best. 2 weeks later, it reappeared. In the 180 it has since survived a marine velvet outbreak. It's now about 7 inches with full adult colors. Awesome guy. My other velvet survivor, a black male occellaris, has been with me about 5 years, and has now changed into a female after I got it a buddy. They're hosting a clam, and I'm really hoping they spawn soon!
Big E I would love to see a pic of that 18 year old purple tang! I really want one for my 180.
Big E I would love to see a pic of that 18 year old purple tang! I really want one for my 180.
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
The longest I have ever kept a fish was a sailfin tang that was pushing 12 years in my tanks and as far as I know he may well still be alive as I gave him to Jeff of Jeffs Exotic Fish and he was placed in a very large tank.
I have a current pair of true percs that will have been with me 9 years next april and they are still spawing regularly and showing no signs of slowing down. The male survived a trip down the overflow and into the filter sock when he was little and although beaten and battered he somehow survived and has been a love machine ever since.
Until he went missing I had a YWG that was about 10 years old. He went missing in his original tank before for nearly a year so I not convinced that he wont just pop up again someday in the big tank. He was about 11 years old last year which was the last time I saw him.
Great thread! Its just amazing how long some of these fish can live.
I have a current pair of true percs that will have been with me 9 years next april and they are still spawing regularly and showing no signs of slowing down. The male survived a trip down the overflow and into the filter sock when he was little and although beaten and battered he somehow survived and has been a love machine ever since.
Until he went missing I had a YWG that was about 10 years old. He went missing in his original tank before for nearly a year so I not convinced that he wont just pop up again someday in the big tank. He was about 11 years old last year which was the last time I saw him.
Great thread! Its just amazing how long some of these fish can live.
sslak
New member
The ocellaris pair in my current tank belonged to my brother and they are going on 5 years old, purchased as juvies.
They were his first purchase in the saltwater hobby, and the first fish in the tank that I now care for.
I hope that when I have 20 years in the hobby that I will have fish as long lived as other people in this thread. They set a great example of how long our fish friends can be with us if we take proper care of them!
They were his first purchase in the saltwater hobby, and the first fish in the tank that I now care for.
I hope that when I have 20 years in the hobby that I will have fish as long lived as other people in this thread. They set a great example of how long our fish friends can be with us if we take proper care of them!
I have a yellow tailed damsel from the days of cycling my first tank. Its about 11 or 12 years old now.
I used to hate it because it would fight and kill the other fish that I put in the tank. I tried to take it out numerous times but it would hide. One day I brought the rock it was hiding in to the LFS and they told me to just leave the rock out and that would solve my problem. I just didn't have the heart to kill it though.
Its been through numerous moves since then, power outages, and has won battles against various crabs, a pseudochromis and maroon clownfishes. Over time I have come to like it and will be very sad when it dies. I am sure there are other hobbiest with similar experiences.
I used to hate it because it would fight and kill the other fish that I put in the tank. I tried to take it out numerous times but it would hide. One day I brought the rock it was hiding in to the LFS and they told me to just leave the rock out and that would solve my problem. I just didn't have the heart to kill it though.
Its been through numerous moves since then, power outages, and has won battles against various crabs, a pseudochromis and maroon clownfishes. Over time I have come to like it and will be very sad when it dies. I am sure there are other hobbiest with similar experiences.
I have had a pair of false percula clowns (Amphiprion ocellaris) for almost 11 years. They live in their own corner of a 220 with two much larger fish and a mated pair of Neon Gobies. This happy clownfish couple have produced batches of new eggs every few weeks from the start. One was wild caught, the other captive bred, but they seem not to mind. The little gobies are also prolific breeders when they are not cleaning the Short Bigeye and the Spotted Drum, but are relative newcomers, in the aquarium less than 3 years.
Yeah. But he was the last one at Wal Mart and I didn't want him to stay there and die. lol.
mystery_reef
New member
i have had my metallic rabbitfish for almost 5 years now. a few other guys are still young at 3-4 years. this is a good thread, i enjoyed reading it. my guess that is that a few of the fish in my tank are older than 5 years as i purchased some from other locals.
