Senior Citizen Fish

[Shade]

This is a question about if fish behave differently when they are nearing the end of their life due to age. I have some Australian Desert Gobies and they are only supposed to live less than 2 years and IDK how old they were when I got them but- 1 female has started to stay perched toward the top of the tank more often and it's hills move faster than they should be with water quality and compared to other fish in the tank (pea puffers and other Gobies) and I was wondering if this was a sign that she is getting old or if there are any general signs I could look for to know when they may be close to passing?

[H.K.Luterman]

From what I've noticed with the fish I've kept, they slow down significantly, resting more often. I notice it the most with bettas. I just had a betta pass away last week, and he got to the point where he spent most of his time laying on his side. I put him in a little floating breeder box so he wouldn't get harassed and could rest easier until his time came.

[Dawn T]

I've got a black skirt tetra who has been with me since April 2015. I don't know how old that species typically is when you find them in pet stores, but I figure he's close to 6 years old. He's the only survivor member of a school I bought that April. The others just simply keeled over without warning over the past year or so. So far, the only change I've noticed with him, though, is that he tends to spend more time in areas of the tank where there's slower water flow. Other than that, he's still active and eating well.

[FlyingFishKeeper]

From what I've heard fish seem to get more tired more easily and might have a weaker immune system, not sure though, still kind of new and haven't dealt with it personally 

Edited December 23, 2020 by FlyingFishKeeper

[Ali]

4 hours ago, H.K.Luterman said:

From what I've noticed with the fish I've kept, they slow down significantly, resting more often. I notice it the most with bettas. I just had a betta pass away last week, and he got to the point where he spent most of his time laying on his side. I put him in a little floating breeder box so he wouldn't get harassed and could rest easier until his time came.

I'm sorry about your betta 😞 

I noticed the same thing with multiples species including my betta when it was his time. I also noticed more dull colors. I currently have a few generations of platies, and the grandfather of the bunch just looks...older. He's lazier, not as vibrant, and his scales seem to have more of a texture to them. He still goes after the ladies though 😉