How long do goldfish live? How many years can a goldfish generally live
In the history of human civilization, Chinese goldfish have accompanied human life for more than a dozen centuries. They are the earliest breed in the world's history of ornamental fish, easy to keep, with strange postures, brilliant colors, and graceful forms. So do you know how long goldfish live? Let's take a look together below!
How long do goldfish live?
The lifespan of goldfish is related to feeding conditions and feeding methods, and can be long or short. Under ordinary conditions, goldfish can live 7-8 years. Some people have observed that under good feeding conditions, goldfish can live more than 10 years or even longer. The highest ornamental value is during the period from the 2nd year to the 4th year, after which they gradually show signs of old age.
How to choose home-kept goldfish
The lifespan of home-kept goldfish is mostly 4-6 years, and 2-3 years is the best ornamental fish age. At this stage, the breed characteristics of goldfish are obvious, the body is strong, and they swim freely.
At 4-6 years, they are considered old goldfish, with faded body color, laziness to swim, weakened appetite, and extreme susceptibility to illness. As for goldfish within 6 months, because body development has just begun, breed characteristics are not obvious, and the color has not yet stabilized.
The proportion of poor-quality fish is very high, and limited by home breeding conditions, they are not easy to raise to a large size. Therefore, choosing goldfish aged 6-18 months is most suitable. At this stage, goldfish have a strong appetite, swim freely, and initially show breed characteristics, and the price is reasonable, so they can be kept continuously at home for about 2 years.
Interesting reading about goldfish lifespan
In Australia, there was a small goldfish named “George ”. Because a brain tumor grew inside its head, it endangered its life and prevented it from eating and swimming normally. Its owner spent a high price to have its brain tumor removed surgically. It is said that this small goldfish named “George ” was already 10 years old. Some time ago, it suddenly could not swim normally and could not swallow food. Its owner had extremely deep feelings for it. When the owner discovered that the small goldfish was sick, they decided to have surgery performed for it.
The surgery was performed at a pet hospital in Melbourne. The doctor first had to give “George ” general anesthesia, using a tube to connect “George ”'s mouth to water containing anesthetic to achieve the effect. This tumor removal surgery lasted as long as 45 minutes. The doctor had to be very careful and extremely precise to prevent “George ” from bleeding too much and dying.
The surgery was very successful. After it ended, the doctor injected “George ” with painkillers and antibiotics and placed it in a bucket of ordinary water. A few minutes later, “George ” began to move around lively and swim back and forth. It is understood that the surgery cost about 200 US dollars. The doctor said that barring accidents, “George ” could live more than another 20 years.