CopperBand found dead!!!! WHY???

[josie]

Just found my copperband dead!
I dont know why!

We had it for almost 5 years. Was eating mysis (feeding every 2 days), was eating well, not thin, kep the aiptasia population under controle...
tank specs: PH 8, amonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, KH 8-9, calcium 380 (working to adjust the calcium reactor), phosphate 0, magnesium 1100....
No new fishs added... every one else is doing great.

could it be death from old age???
I'm so sad

[Delphinus]

I find most fish deaths when you've had a fish for a long time, kind of come on this way, sudden and without warning. I find in general with animals, like even with cats and dogs, it's just a sort of built in instinct to not let on that you're not feeling well and when it starts to show externally that you're not feeling well, you're REALLY not feeling well.

Five years is a remarkably long run in captivity with a copperbanded butterfly. It's doubtful that their livespans are this sort in nature, but you have to also take into account that while the natural lifespan maybe longer, lots of individuals won't make it out in the ocean either due to predation and so on. So it's hard to say what an "average" lifespan might be, but rest assured that five years is a very small minority in captivity. Most aren't able to get them beyond a couple of months and there is a lot of talk out there about this particular fish being perhaps better off left in the ocean since so many fare poorly.

I myself thought I was doing reasonably well at close to 3 years and then poof, I noticed he wasn't quite right one evening and 3 hours later he was gone.

Anyhow, I feel your pain, and I am very sorry for your loss.

[fkshiu]

You should feel thankful that you had him with you for as long as you did. Very few stay alive for five months in an aquarium much less five years.

My condonlences.

[josie]

thanks

He was so pretty... well most fish are..

[fraggalrock]

Originally Posted by josie

thanks

He was so pretty... well most fish are..

He was very beautiful,I am so sorry for your loss
The fact that you had him for 5 years speaks volumes about his good care.Rest in peace little copperband.

[kien]

Remember that just because you had him for 5 years doesn't mean he was 5 years old. He could have been much much older and it was just his time..

sorry for your loss.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

you should feel thankful that you had him with you for as long as you did. Very few stay alive for five months in an aquarium much less five years.

My condonlences.

+1

[nanmer]

I am so sorry for your loss.

[bowkry]

I had mine for about 6 months, very healthy, it ate in the morning that night dead.

[BlueAbyss]

Sorry to hear of your loss, it always sucks to lose livestock (specially wild caught). Unless you get them juvenile sized, you can't be assured of any wild caught fish's age (well, other than the ones with different juvenile coloration ). A fish could easily be 'old' if it's adult sized when purchased.