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	General Tetra Lifespans?
gnr4ever8794 Enthusiast Posts: 253 Kudos: 222 Votes: 24 Registered: 12-Apr-2004	Anybody have any ideas to certain tetras lifespans? I'll assume small, medium, and large all have different lifespans? or is that off? I know bloodfins can life 10+ years but I don't think tetras like neons do.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
sirbooks Moderator Sociopath Posts: 3875 Kudos: 5164 Votes: 932 Registered: 26-Jul-2004	Yeah, it depends on the species. Some, like neons, live for only a year or two in the wild, though they can top five years in captivity. Other, larger tetras, such as Congos, can live for over ten years. Though it really varies a lot, I think it is safe to say that most tetras can live for over five years in home aquaria. And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
weird22person Enthusiast Posts: 163 Kudos: 106 Votes: 11 Registered: 21-Feb-2005	generally count on smaller fish not living as long.those fish reach their max size quickly which usually means they have a shorter lifespan. the large foot long monsters you sometimes see have to live a long time to reach that size. just like animals from other areas. a small feild mouse can expected to live 2 years, but a huge elephant can live for 70+ years. 20 Gallon Long: Aquaclear 300 2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
gnr4ever8794 Enthusiast Posts: 253 Kudos: 222 Votes: 24 Registered: 12-Apr-2004	I know in general smaller animals don't live long, which is why I asked Thanks for answering the tetra question. I wanted to know because I didn't wanna go out and buy a tetra school and have them die in a year.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
weird22person Enthusiast Posts: 163 Kudos: 106 Votes: 11 Registered: 21-Feb-2005	buy harlequin rasboras. some say they can live for 10+ years. don't count on that long but it gives you some idea. maybe 2-3 years? 20 Gallon Long: Aquaclear 300 2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Calilasseia Ultimate Fish Guru Panda Funster Posts: 5496 Kudos: 2828 Votes: 731 Registered: 10-Feb-2003	I have Cardinals in my aquarium that are 6-7 years old and still going strong. Some of my Lemons are almost 8 years old, and still kicking about like juveniles. So I would consider it safe to assume that a 10-year lifespan is well within reach for well-cared-for Characins. However, it depends VERY heavily upon the species: some species live their lives fast, and 'burn out' in about 2-3 years in the wild. Apparently, one of the ironies is that in the wild, the Cardinal is an annual species, at least if this article is to be believed, and Practical Fishkeeping doesn't usually make mistakes ... Practical Fishkeeping Cardinal Article Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
gnr4ever8794 Enthusiast Posts: 253 Kudos: 222 Votes: 24 Registered: 12-Apr-2004	So you think keeping them in a bigger or smaller tank affects anything? Like in a smaller would they live longer or less because of less room to swim and use up energy?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Calilasseia Ultimate Fish Guru Panda Funster Posts: 5496 Kudos: 2828 Votes: 731 Registered: 10-Feb-2003	In a smaller tank they'd be more subject to crowding and pollution stress. In a large aquarium with plenty of space, sympathetic arrangement of decor, and good filtration, they're going to last longer for the simple reason that the'll be much happier, less stressed and more able to behave in something akin to the way they would in the wild. Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
gnr4ever8794 Enthusiast Posts: 253 Kudos: 222 Votes: 24 Registered: 12-Apr-2004	So in something like 1,000 gallons they'd live longer than say, 20 gallons?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Cory_Di Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 7953 Kudos: 2917 Votes: 25 Registered: 19-Dec-2002	Temperature has some bearing too. Their body temps are governed by the environment. If all other things are equal, I believe that a particular tetra in 78-80F water will have a somewhat shorter lifespan than one kept in 75F water. It may not be much to measure, but it's that many fewer heartbeats in the cooler water.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Brybenn Mega Fish Posts: 1217 Kudos: 1173 Votes: 1 Registered: 02-Mar-2003	piranhas are charachins to n they live well over 20 years for some of them ive had neons 2.5 years till i sold them n they were fine if u care for them they should live at least 3-5years
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Calilasseia Ultimate Fish Guru Panda Funster Posts: 5496 Kudos: 2828 Votes: 731 Registered: 10-Feb-2003	If you can devote 1,000 gallons to a shoal of Cardinals, they'll probably live very happy lives indeed! Not least because you could put a shoal of about 200 of them in that size of aquarium, which would MASSIVELY enhance their feeling of well-being, provided of course that other aquarium features, such as water chemistry, temperature and furnishings, were also to their liking. Wish I could do that - set up a 1,000 gallon aquarium for truly huge shoals of Characins! Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	My findings seem to concur what other have stated. Large tets, such a congos, can break 10 years in age, while smaller indivduals reach anywhere from 5-8 (as Cass stated above, cardinals lead quite short lives in the wild).
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38
steve711 Big Fish Posts: 496 Kudos: 631 Registered: 27-Sep-2002	My smaller tetras seemed to start to die off around the 4 year mark some, living longer others shorter. These included cardinals and glowlight tetras. My head and tail lights even tho they are only slightly bigger are all over 5 years old and seem to live longer. Like what was said before for average tetras I would say 3-5 years. Last edited by steve711 at 12-Mar-2005 23:47
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:38


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