Blast from the past

[mikev]

This fish was mentioned in a very old thread (2006) on this forum, here is more current appearance:



Some things did change... back in 2006, it was a cute and antisocial 2" fish, it is much larger now, and no social problems at all... it overgrew all the others and rules. And saying "his name is Spot" back then was obviously wrong, it is not a he.

The only thing that remains consistent is her ability to avoid the camera... the shot is a couple of years old, it added some more body mass but never posed.

[redshark1]

Interesting markings! What are the stats on this fish?

[mikev]

Thanks...

Stats? Very fat, probably 7-8" now (I am lousy in measuring large fish and it is not cooperative).

[Jim Powers]

Nice looking fish!

[redshark1]

Age please?

[mikev]

Acquired in 2006 at a bit larger than 2"... so I'd guess 9-10 years?

[redshark1]

Ah, good keeping there! I am looking for 20 year old fish like mine but I'm not having much success!

[Loachloach]

Nice clown. Great job. I hope life will be kind enough to me and my clowns and gives us long enough life to last the average life time suitable for our kinds.
20 years old like redshark's ones is almost impossible to come across. You'd think people that can prove their clowns are that old would make at least an effort of one video or pictures.
I came across once on youtube where the owner claims to have a clown 27+ years or so old. It did look old but not massively big, it looked like a male though so that may play a role as it was more long rather than wide and I think it was kept for 20 years in a 200litre tank, then the last years in a 500 litre. The video is with a bunch of platies with the clown being hand fed but I couldn't find it now. In the comments someone asked how often the owner did a water change and the funny thing is he/she replied "when the fish don't seem hungry anymore". I was kind of appalled by that at the time I was reading it but it happened to me once that I failed to change the water in 3 weeks and I noticed the clowns weren't vigorously eating anymore.

[mikev]

I think they will outlive me

Group video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rV8k7D ... e=youtu.be

[Bas Pels]

I think they will outlive me

It was some 8 years back, I was 40, when I was staning in an Uruguay river, with a tiny Hypostomus in my hands - I think these fish can live for 40 years - when I wondered who would outlive who.

In this case, the fish was taken with me, seized by the Argentinian customs and destroyed. I feld very sorry, but still - I don't think it would be wise to start with fishes which can live very long, when one is at an advantaged age. Obviously, unless someone will take care of the fishes after one has passed away.

I think we owe our fishes that: to be taken care of as long as they live.

[redshark1]

Agreed. No-one told me they could live a great age. Then, I was told to get 3 foot tank

[Loachloach]

I got my clown loaches as a present because someone at home thought the fish I kept were all too small and negligible I am the kind of person that likes big tanks full of small fish. But now I have clown loaches. The seller apparently swore they'll never grow bigger than 8-9 inches. I hated the guts of them for the first few months as they evicted my pleco from his abode and kept stealing food from my corys bringing it to their cave.
But now each morning when I wake up I love seeing them lined up for breakfast, all swimming vertically staring at the surface as if food would fall from the sky