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Fishes are interesting creatures, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. Humans have been studying them for so many generations, but still, there is more to be learned about them. Fishes in the wild, just like other animals, do not die of old age. They end up being eaten by predators before they are even up to 10 years of age. In the wild, it is a kill or be killed scenario, so a harmless fish will most likely be food to other fishes. On the other hand, when kept in captivity, a fish can live up to 10 years, even up to 15 years in captivity. This means they indeed can die of old when well taken care of. Although, most of them who are even well taken care of may be susceptible to illnesses because, when they are a bit old, they are prone to various diseases. Most times, it is hard to know the age of a fish; the perceived age is not always accurate. Usually, predators are responsible for more than 50% of fish deaths. This means that most fishes die before they even get to adulthood.
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The longest-surviving fish kept in captivity or as a pet can live to more than 20 years of age. Only very few fishes die of old age because most fishes cannot be treated with medication when they fall ill; a sick fish often ends in the owner giving it a mercy death (euthanasia). Normally, fishes are not supposed to fall sick; they fall sick due to negligence and poor care. Surprisingly, some fishes can live up to 40 years in a well-maintained aquarium. The fish that can live that long in captivity is the koi fish, which are closely related to the goldfish, which live up to 20 years or a few years longer. The truth is, only a few fishes die of old age, so yes, fishes die of old age.
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At What Age Do Fish Die?
There is no specific age fishes die; the age and time of death vary. Hence, there is no yardstick to use in measuring the exact age fishes die. Study shows that the koi fish in captivity could stay as long as 40 years, but not all koi fishes. A koi fish in the ocean, or a habitat with so many other competing fishes or so many other aquatic predators, may not even live up to 20 years because it might end up dead because of stress or predation. As fishes that are pets, the medium-sized ones can live up to 10 to 15 years. Smaller fishes can live up to 20 or more, though not the exact age; still, it can serve as an approximate age.
There are some fishes that can live well into their 50s, only in an aquarium, though, because out in the wild, they might be killed by predators.
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Examples of small fishes that can live up to 20 years are; goldfish and clownfish.
Examples of fishes that can live up to 40 years are; koi fish and tangs. However, some fishes can live up to 10 years and above when domesticated, and in an aquarium still, there are some small fishes that can only live up to five to six years.
Examples of such fishes are; clown gobies, small blennies, pipefish, and seahorses. These fishes have the shortest life span both in the wild and in captivity.
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Generally, living in the wild can reduce the life span of fishes as they often end up being eaten or stressed because of the multitude of other species. It is safe to say we cannot predict the number of years a fish has lived before it finally dies, especially when it comes to pet fishes because the fish probably spent some months or weeks in the pet shop. That’s why it is hard to know the true age of fishes in an aquarium, except there is a conscious attempt to take care of the fish from the day it is born, to get the accuracy of the exact age that particular fish can live- this is usually done for scientific research.
How Do Most Fishes Die?
There is no particular way fishes die; fishes die due to several reasons; due to stress, poor hygiene, predation, and sickness. Despite the several reasons why fishes died, the main reason why fishes die is because of low concentration levels of oxygen in the water. Oxygen depletion usually happens during summer or hot seasons due to evaporation; just other animals, fish need oxygen to survive and carry out their daily routine and activities and carry metabolic functions in the body. It is worse for fishes in the wild because there is no one to perform aeration on the water body, making them die off. During summer, masses of fishes die and are seen floating on the surface of the water body. The oxygen concentration of the water body reduces due to several reasons, but all are connected to the activities of animals and other living things. These activities reduce the ammonia and nitrogen concentration in the water, indirectly reducing the amount of oxygen in the water and leading to mass death. Usually, when the fish is not provided with the right amount of oxygen concentration, it comes up to the surface of the water to get atmospheric oxygen; sometimes it even gasps for air but, when the oxygen concentration is low over a long period, the fish, using the atmospheric air, because of the pollution of the water, it might die of dehydration or lack of oxygen. During hot and warm seasons, there is the ready availability of other nutrients that may not be needed for the fish, especially when the oxygen content is reduced. The availability of these nutrients like phosphorus can cause the quick and beautiful growth of blue, green algae in the water, which can suck up most of the nutrients meant for the fishes. Domesticated fishes are not left out when it comes to oxygen depletion during summertime.
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Nonetheless, because they are not in the wild, and they have people taking care of them, their owners or the managers of the aquarium can constantly aerate their fish tank or fishbowl during summertime. Fishes could die because of other reasons like; toxic compounds introduced into the body of water—different kinds of diseases, suffocation, starvation, injury, or, in rare cases, old age.
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Why Did My Fish Die For No Reason?
Everything in life is for a reason; this saying also applies to fishes. Fishes do die for a reason; they just don’t pass away without a cause. There are several reasons that can cause the death of a fish, ranging from; incorrect pH of the water they are put in- either the water is too acidic or too basic(alkalinity), poor supply of oxygen, overcrowding, insufficient change of water, overfeeding, lack of warmth, insufficient chemical filtration, poor water quality, new tank syndrome, impurities in the water (water pollution), lack of food, stress, and negligence. When a fish is put in water that is either too acidic or too alkaline, it weakens the fish’s system, leading to death. That is why in most aquariums, there is an activity known as water testing, which helps to know the pH of the water and also helps to identify if the water has chemicals or other nutrients that the fish has no use for. Compounds like ammonia, phosphorus oxide, nitrogen oxide are useless to the fishes. We could even say some of these compounds are dangerous to the fishes’ health because they deplete the oxygen level of the water. Hence, the importance of constantly changing the water of the aquarium or fish pond. Some fishes also die when they are taken to a new tank because they are not familiar with the environment, they might get stressed and die. Fishes get stressed because of so many reasons, and stress is very detrimental to a fish’s health. Another reason why a fish would die is that the water is not properly aerated, which makes the fish lack oxygen. You might also think feeding your fish with excessive fish feed would make it grow healthier and stronger, but it does the opposite and might end up killing your fish.
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What Does A Fish Look Like When It’s Dying?
In a healthy fish, the appearance and activities will surely show its good health. A healthy fish holds its fins in an upward and upright manner, it swims without any effort around its fish pond, and it is very much alert, to the extent that even when it is sleeping, and you try to put it in a net, it will wiggle and shake, all in a bid to escape. A healthy fish will also be well-shaped and well proportioned. A healthy fish will also have a good scale and body-color, with very bright fins. On the other hand, in such an ill fish and about to die, the reverse will be the case. Although healthy fishes do not eat so much when compared to other animals. This their low appetite gets worse when they are about to die. If you have a fish and it’s about to die, you will see that it would not even eat any feed you put in its bowl or fish tank. Due to its loss of appetite, it would be very weak. Just like in humans, when ill, we get weak, and it’s the same in fishes. They do not just get soft; they are almost like rocks, doing little to no activity. It will be noticeable if you monitor your fish tank or bowl now and then. Fishes are animals that follow a routine; when it is noticed that a fish does not follow its usual routine, sickness or a close death day should be suspected. The best part of fishes is that when they are seriously ill and about to die, it shows on their skin and their fins- the color changes and is dull; in some cases, spots appear on the fish’s body. Other signs that a fish is dying are floating at the surface and gasping for air, hitting themselves against objects, floating at an unnatural angle, and disorganized and irregular swimming. It is usually not hard to tell if a fish is about to die; most times, you can tell without the help of a vet doctor.
Do Fish Die In Frozen Water?
Fishes cannot survive in extremely cold weather because there is a reduction of oxygen in such situations. It might be weird to say, being that fishes are cold-blooded animals. Just like other cold-blooded animals, fishes are not comfortable with extremely cold water. They find it hard to get food when the water is frozen, and when they cannot get food, they would not be able to carry out metabolic functions. Fishes also need the move around, they are very active animals, and when there is little or no activity, it could cause a fish to get sick and die. In frozen water, oxygen is at its lowest. As said earlier, fishes need oxygen to function and survive; without oxygen, they would die. In normal temperature water, when the oxygen content is low, the fishes come to the surface to take in oxygen from atmospheric air. If the water is frozen, how would they have access to atmospheric air? It would not be possible for them to as they would already be frozen in place. Icy water also slows down the body functions in the fish, making a once active fish slow in movement and feeding, making it easy prey to predators. In the wild, most times, they leave the frozen water and bury themselves under the mud. If you are looking to rear or have a fish as a pet, do not put them in frozen water because they will die in no time; from asphyxiation, starvation and weakness.
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Do Goldfish Die of Old Age?
Goldfishes rarely die of old age as many owners do not know how to take care of them properly. When in the wild, they rarely die because of old age because before they get to old age, they would probably be eaten by predators or fall ill. The older a fish gets, the more susceptible it is to illness. Although, with proper care; changing the water regularly, checking water temperature regularly, checking the pH of the water to avoid extremes, feeding adequately and not excessively, regular check and monitoring, and finally making sure it is not stressed for any reason whatsoever if all these are done then the goldfish is sure to live a very long life and even die of old age. The average age of a goldfish is 20 years, but some goldfishes die before they get to 10 because of a lack of proper care.
Notwithstanding that the average old age is 20 years, some goldfishes live longer, with proper and intensive care. The oldest goldfish in the world, it lived for about 43 years. Who knows, your goldfish can live up to that and more if you properly take care of it. Gold Fishes can die of old age when properly taken care of.
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Conclusion
Gold Fishes can die of old age, especially when they are well taken care of. Fishes in general, or very social animals, sometimes move in groups; when a fish is about to die, it isolates itself from the other group of fishes. There are always signs to show that a fish is seriously sick and needs medical attention. That is why, just as we see dogs as our companions, our fishes should also be like that to us, so we can monitor it and watch it when less busy to avoid it dying because of negligence on our part. It’s very important to set hygiene in place when taking care of fish because they respire in a very different way from other animals. As they take in the water through their gills and extract the oxygen from it, it would be dangerous for the water they take in to be polluted. Also, it’s necessary not to overfeed your fish, so it doesn’t die from lack of oxygen.
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Most fishes in the wild die even before they get old because of predation, pollution, starvation, and other causes. This is why most of the time, these fishes are taken in as pets, that is why it’s good to make their living condition favorable and comfortable, so they don’t get sick because of the stress that comes from the fact that they are unfamiliar with their new home. It is also very important to create awareness. Hence, people stop polluting water bodies, leading to increased ammonia in the water, so fishes in the wild will not die in masses.
Hazel Buckley
About Hazel Buckley
Hazel is an animal enthusiast and educator who grew up on a farm which her parents owned in Ingogo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The farm was situated right under the Majuba Mountains - the site where the Anglo-Boer War was fought.
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