How long will your fish live? Go Back
one of the most common questions asked by fish owners. How long should my fish live? The answer varies greatly depending on the species of fish. However, in general smaller fish have a shorter lifespan than larger fish, and fish that lay eggs live longer than those that give birth to live young.
Here is a reference with the expected lifespan of popular aquarium fish. These figures are estimates, with good care fish may live much longer.
| Adolfos Cory |
- 5 yrs |
| Angelfish |
- 10+ yrs |
| Apistogramma |
- 3 to 5 yrs |
| Archer Fish |
- 5 yrs |
| Armored Catfish |
- 7 to 15 yrs |
| |
|
| Bala Shark |
- 10 yrs |
| Bandit Cory |
- 5 yrs |
| Banjo Cat |
- 7 to 15 yrs |
| Banjo Catfish |
- 5 to 8 yrs |
| Black Neon Tetra |
- 5 yrs |
| Black Phantom Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Black Shark |
- 4 to 10 years |
| Black Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Black Widow Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Blackfin Cory |
- 5+ years |
| Bleeding Heart Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Blindcave Fish |
- 5+ years |
| Bloodfin Tetra |
- 10+ years |
| Blue Gourami |
- 4 years |
| Boesman Rainbow |
- 5 years |
| Bronze Cory |
- 5 years |
| Bumble Bee Catfish |
- 5 to 8 years |
| |
|
| Cardinal Tetra |
- 4 years |
| Cherry Barb |
- 5 to 7 years |
| Chocolate Gourami |
- 4 years |
| Clown Loach |
- 15+ years |
| Columbian Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Congo Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Convict |
- 10 to 18 years |
| |
|
| Diamond Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Discus |
- 10 to 18 years |
| Dojo Loach |
- 10 years |
| Dwarf Gourami |
- 4 years |
| |
|
| Emperor Tetra |
- 6 years |
| |
|
| Festivum |
- 10+ years |
| Figure 8 Puffer |
- 5 years |
| Firemouth |
- 10 to 15 years |
| Frontosa |
- 8 to 15 years |
| |
|
| Giant Danio |
- 5 to 7 years |
| Glass Catfish |
- 8 years |
| Glassfish |
- 8 years |
| Glowlight Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Goldfish |
- 10 to 30 years |
| Guppy |
- 3 to 5 years |
| |
|
| Harlequin |
- 6 years |
| Hatchetfish |
- 5 years |
| Hog Nose Brochis |
- 10 years |
| Honey Gourami |
- 4 years |
| |
|
| Jack Dempsey |
- 10 to 18 years |
| Jordan's Catfish |
- 10+ years |
| |
|
| Killifish |
- 1 to 2 years |
| Kissing Gourami |
- 5 years |
| |
|
| Lemon Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Leopard Danio |
- 5 to 7 years |
| Leporinus |
- 5+ years |
| Livingstoni |
- 10+ years |
| |
|
| Midas Cichlid |
- 15+ years |
| Mollie |
- 4 years |
| Moonlight Gourami |
- 4 years |
| |
|
| Neon Rainbow |
- 3 to 4 years |
| Neon Tetra |
- 5 to 10 years |
| |
|
| Oscar |
- 10 to 18 years |
| Otocinclus |
- 5 years |
| |
|
| Pacu |
- 10 years |
| Pearl Danio |
- 5 years |
| Pearl Gourami |
- 4 years |
| Pictus Catfish |
- 8 years |
| Piranha |
- 10 years |
| Platy |
- 3 to 5 years |
| Pleco |
- 7 to 15 years |
| |
|
| Rafael Catfish |
- 7 to 15 years |
| Rainbow Shark |
- 4 to 10 years |
| Rams |
- 4 years |
| Rasboras |
- 5 to 10 years |
| Red Eye Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Red Rainbow |
- 5 years |
| Red Tailed Catfish |
- 15 years |
| Redtail Shark |
- 8 years |
| Rosy Barb |
- 5 years |
| Royal Pleco |
- 10+ years |
| Rumy Nose Tetra |
- 5 years |
| |
|
| Severum |
- 10 to 18 years |
| Silver Dollar |
- 10+ years |
| Silvertip Tetra |
- 5 years |
| Swordtails |
- 3 to 5 years |
| |
|
| Texas Cichlid |
- 10+ years |
| Tiger Barb |
- 6 years |
| Tigerfish |
- 5 years |
| Tinfoild Barb |
- 10 years |
| Upside Down Catfish |
- 5 years |
| Weather Loach |
- 10 years |
| Whiptail |
- 10+ years |
| White Cloud Mt. Minnow |
- 5 to 7 years |
| Zebra Cichlid |
- 10+ years |
| Zebra Danio |
- 5 years |
|
