Hot Debate: Why Do Fish Die?

[Reeveso]

As requested from my other post, I was asking what the reasons are for fish dying. Since a lot of people have different theories on this I would like to hear from everyone what their reasons are for why they think fish die prematurely.

So let's hear it!

 

[The-Wolf]

fish die for the same reason all animals die
lack of oxygen to the brain.
what causes the lack of oxygen to the brain is what varies

 

[waterdrop]

For me, one of the most fascinating things about fish lifespan that I read recently was that many tropicals have a shorter lifespan, significantly shorter, in the wild than they do in aquariums. There are plenty of things that can go wrong with the little aquarium environment but statistically, there may be even more stresses on them out there in the real world!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[emmsy]

Okay, I do have an opinion on this:

There are many factors why fish die. here is just one.

There is of course the factor that most tropical fish are not caught in this country (hence the name tropical)
If you were to see the conditions of transporting a fish creates, you would wonder how anything survives at all.
Then there is the fact that they are rammed in holding tanks (bordering in the maxiumum allowed in a given space set by the government)
Thats like being in a nightclub at maxiumum capacity, and the line for the bar is 4 people deep....
Then you buy the fish and sloshing about in a bag.
Then you put the fish in the tank without aclimatising the fish to the new water


.....so that is one reason that fish die is STRESS.

Emma

 

[Tolak]

From the topic the OP referred to;

Interesting that this comes up, we discussed this a bit at Friday's club meeting. With any given species a certain percentage are going to die at a younger age, some considerably younger. Heart attacks, strokes and such are not limited to humans. We have all heard of the young athlete collapsing on the field, and being diagnosed with some serious ailment that is expected in a person much older. This sort of thing occurs with dogs & cats, why not with fish as well?

Fish generally have a shorter lifespan as it is than other pets. If we say the average aquarist has a tank with 20 fish, this is going to be way more fish that are in their care than dogs, cats, or other pets. Probably more than they will have of these other pets in their lifetime. This quantity increases the odds of seeing something out of the ordinary.

Add in the stress of an aggressive fish, poor water quality, or poking around the tank doing required maintenance and these fish that have a genetic predisposition towards this "collapse on the field" for lack of a better term.

 

[stang1]

Great post Tolak, couldn't agree more.

 

[Reeveso]

Okay, I do have an opinion on this:

There are many factors why fish die. here is just one.

There is of course the factor that most tropical fish are not caught in this country (hence the name tropical)
If you were to see the conditions of transporting a fish creates, you would wonder how anything survives at all.
Then there is the fact that they are rammed in holding tanks (bordering in the maxiumum allowed in a given space set by the government)
Thats like being in a nightclub at maxiumum capacity, and the line for the bar is 4 people deep....
Then you buy the fish and sloshing about in a bag.
Then you put the fish in the tank without aclimatising the fish to the new water


.....so that is one reason that fish die is STRESS.

Emma

Wow I never knew it was that bad. Now I feel bad for the poor fish!

 

[LosC519]

Its easy to say why fish die prematurely but I'd be here all day telling of all the reasons.

 

[the biffster]

i have a few ways of looking at this they are caught or bred then shipped over seas no one knows how old they are
already when you get them like betas life exp of 18 months to 2 years who is to say that fish is not 8 months old when you get it also shipping takes its toll

the other thing is water quality if it is not spot on i know people say its hard to keep fish but its not really its not the fish
you are keeping but the water all the fish need is feeding they can look after themselves but if the waters not right
the fish will become ill try not to use to many chemicals as this can up set the balance of your water

next thing if your going to buy fish think about space for them IMO buy the biggest tank you can lay your hands on
my rule is nothing below 4 foot unless its a breeding tank or a treatment tank also filters the bigger the better it better to over filter than under filter i say and the big mistake they all make don't wash filter sponges out in tap water always
old tank water

and of course some fish are just hardier than others i remember some guppies been out in a tub from February back end of October and when they were brought back in side they were bigger brighter and in show condition also did the same with wcmm and when brought back in side for the winter they were bigger brighter and stronger than the ones in the tank in side and they weren't fed as much flake as the ones in doors they fed on natural food that was in the tubs
like daphnea fly lave and what ever fell in


but that's just the way i look at it




good luck in all your fish keeping projects





biff

 

[jollysue]

Other than The Wolf's allusion to what physical death is, I have to ask, What fish are we talking about?

Tank or Aquarium Bred: A % of eggs will hatch. If you baby them, more may hatch. A % of fry will make it to grow out. If you baby them, more will make it. A percent will make 1" and be sold. More will make it if babied. I buy your babies and take them home. I have a theory that the pampered, babied tank bred fish have shorter life spans and don't travel as well as the ones raised with less pampering.

When I have sold my babies they do very well and most if not all survive to their new homes and tanks. But I have lost the weak ones before they get to you. I have a source for Plecs. When I buy 10 of his 1" babies, 1 or 2 make it to adulthood!

But when I have bought wild caught fish from him that he aquired somehow, they do fine.

Wild Caught: Some will survive the horror of traveling from the wild to our aquarium and some won't. Some will fail to thrive. They just won't adapt to their new ecological niche. WhaLaa! We have changed the nature of the beast by moving it. Aquarium fish are not the same as wild fish. The requirements for thriving are different, imo.

Actually I often find that the wild caught fish that make it to my tanks adapt and do much better than the aquarium bred fish that I purchase. They have already had to adapt to much to grow up in the wild. Then they have had to adapt and survive much to make it alive to my tanks.

I won't even address farmed fish!

These are some thoughts outside of the "Perfect Aquarium" senario.