You’ve probably heard of goldfish dying before they got the chance to live. A day or two of accidental maltreatment and they’re gone, and you’ve come to think of pet fish as being that sensitive and expendable. Well, it definitely doesn’t have to be that way with goldfish or any other livestock in your fish tank. The average lifespan of common aquarium fish varies widely. In fact, goldfish specifically are strong little guys, and some have been known to live up to a whopping 30 years.

Average Lifespan of Common Aquarium Fish

So how long can you expect your fish to live? It depends on a variety of factors, including how much attention you give them, the quality of their water, the aggressiveness of other fish in the tank, the type of food you give them, and the cleanliness of the fish tank.

The fish with the shortest lifespan is known to be the killifish, which only lives about a year, but many fish live upwards of 10 to 15 years, with the average being about 7. Following is the average lifespan of common aquarium fish based on a variety of sources.

• Angelfish: 10 to 20 years

• Bala Shark: More than 10 years

• Betta: 2 to 4 years

• Blackfin Cory: More than 5 years

• Blennies: 2 to 4 years

• Blue Hippo Tang: 8 to 20 years

• Cherry Barb: 4 to 7 years

• Chromis: 8 to 15 years

• Clownfish: More than 10 years

• Damselfish: 2 to 4 years

• Discus: 10 years

• Gobies: 2 to 4 years

• Goldfish: 10 to 30 years

• Guppy: 3 to 5 years

• Killifish: 1 to 2 years

• Midas Cichlid: More than 15 years

• Molly Fish: 3 to 5 years

• Neon Tetra: More than 5 years

• Oscar Cichlid: 10 to 20 years

• Pearl Gourami: 5 to 8 years

• Rainbowfish: 5 to 8 years

• Yellow/Lemon Cichild: 6 to 10 years

Learn More About How to Care for Them

In addition to the above factors, the average lifespan of aquarium fish also depends on if they are saltwater fish or freshwater fish. If you provide them with the proper environment and care, however, you should be able to keep your fish happy and healthy for a long time.

If you want to learn more about the needs of your saltwater fish or freshwater fish, let us know. We’ll teach you how to give them the best life possible.