old Cardinals

[hp10BII]

I've had several groups of Cardinal tetras I've purchased over the past 4 years, some of the larger ones about 1.5" in length. How are old Cardinals near its lifespan supposed to look like?

There are the odd ones I've kept for that develop a hunched back and abdomen sort of flattens out, not the rounded belly we like in our fish. The spine looks just a little bent out of shape. Appetite and schooling behaviour is still fine. I've never seen this in the younger and newer Cardinals.

[Melody]

Most of my aging fish just get less active and eventually float. Sometimes they get weak and pick something up - parasites or disease. Is this something that has happened to several of them recently? Have you added any fish in recent months?

They average around 5 years in captivity but can make it up to.... 9 or 10 I believe it was that I read. Mine have always been 4-6 I think. I'm guessing the extreme lifespan is the exception. They only make it through a year in the wild so that's a pretty wide range. They're one of my favorite fish :Smile: , gorgeous creatures.

[GaryofMontreal]

I've seen the hump and hollow on very old cardinals. At first I thought it might be tb, but I don't think so now. Mine often had another 6-9 months in them when they got like that.
I've had groups of cardinals live over five years, but with adding to the school, etc, it can be hard to keep track of who's who in the group. I never really kept any records.

[Lena]

There lives a fish depending on conditions of the maintenance, 4-6 years. Pay attention to parameters of water how often serve an aquarium? Than and how many once a day feed fishes?

[hp10BII]

It's the odd fish maybe 1 every 6 months, I have 3 dozen cardinals or so and every now and then I would notice one like this and eventually the hump and hollow fish would disappear. I've added some new fish, but this occurred even prior to new additions.

My first group is approaching 5 years now, so I'll go with my thought of senior cardinals.

Tank is 120 gallons, it receives 50% waterchange once or twice weekly, fed once per day with the occasional fast.

[firestorm]

I have seen alot of older fish, not just cardinals, develop nooks and crannies where they hadn't had them before. Also they tend to look thinner than they used to. I say it just develops with age and instead of getting wrinkles they get other things instead.

[GaryofMontreal]

I see an opposite effect with my human body. Where I used to find it easy to look like this " I ", I now seem to have a body that wants to look like this " D ".

I understand those cardinals.

[hp10BII]

I see an opposite effect with my human body. Where I used to find it easy to look like this " I ", I now seem to have a body that wants to look like this " D ".

I understand those cardinals.

I hear you...and feel your pain......

[Melody]

It's the Internet, people! Everyone is youthful and good looking on the Internet.:yes:

Certainly sounds like a typical old age symptom in Cardinals - I'm glad that's all it is. :smile: