12+ year old pleco died this morning

[BenjiLew]

I am sad to see him go, he was part of the family for a long time. He was over 12 years old.

He was very healthy, had a full stomach.
No illness, ever.
We really aren't sure why he died.

Normally very reserved, last night he was very social and would come to us and "greet" us at the side of the tank. And then this morning, he died.

It was out of nowhere.

Any ideas, why?

Filtration is excellent, regular water changes.
No problems with any other fish. Everybody is happy and healthy.

The only thing that we have been told is that he may have died of old age, though they can live longer I know. I was told the average Lifespan in captivity was 10-15 years.

 

[krichardson]

Sorry for your loss.It sounds as if you gave the pleco a good life.

 

[tlindsey]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

My condolences. 12 years is a long time to love a pet.

May I ask what kind of pleco he was?

 

[islandguy11]

Sorry to hear that, anyone who can keep a fish healthy and happy that long is doing something right.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Any ideas, why?

From what you've said, no way to know. They can die from all the same kinds of things people can, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, etc. Possible theoretically to do a necropsy and maybe find out, but it's not like people with the knowledge of pleco anatomy and the skills are easily available.

The only thing that we have been told is that he may have died of old age, though they can live longer I know. I was told the average Lifespan in captivity was 10-15 years.

I'd say average lifespan is far far shorter than 10 years. But that's mostly because of people not taking care of them properly.

I'm not looking forward to my 19 YO gibbiceps plec dying. He was in my first batch of fish, the only surviving one from back then. I'm thinking I might actually bury him rather than flush or drop him into the septic tank like the others.

 

[islandguy11]

From what you've said, no way to know. They can die from all the same kinds of things people can, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, etc. Possible theoretically to do a necropsy and maybe find out, but it's not like people with the knowledge of pleco anatomy and the skills are easily available.


I'd say average lifespan is far far shorter than 10 years. But that's mostly because of people not taking care of them properly.

I'm not looking forward to my 19 YO gibbiceps plec dying. He was in my first batch of fish, the only surviving one from back then. I'm thinking I might actually bury him rather than flush or drop him into the septic tank like the others.

Wow 19 years, that's awesome. When that unfortunate day comes I would agree he deserves a better send off -- if you own your house and staying for a long time burial is cool, if not, as I will do someday with my beloved Kamfa, you can consider to cremate them in a little fire pit or similar and put their ashes in a nice vase. I've done that also with 2 of my dogs (though they had to be taken to a special Buddhist temple that does it for dogs & cats and they charge about $100).

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Wow 19 years, that's awesome. When that unfortunate day comes I would agree he deserves a better send off -- if you own your house and staying for a long time burial is cool, if not, as I will do someday with my beloved Kamfa, you can consider to cremate them in a little fire pit or similar and put their ashes in a nice vase. I've done that also with 2 of my dogs (though they had to be taken to a special Buddhist temple that does it for dogs & cats and they charge about $100).

I kinda like that idea, put him in a little box next to the 4 cats and 2 dogs ashes.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I kinda like that idea, put him in a little box next to the 4 cats and 2 dogs ashes.

I had my big geo cremated in 2015. We (my ex and I) took him to a pet cremation place, cost us $100AUD.

Some of his scales didn't quite burn properly so his ashes are a mix of fine ash and sand-like bits of scales. As far as ash goes, its quite pretty.

We've spent the last 3½ years looking for an urn we deem pretty enough for him. When we do eventually find one we're going to resin coat it and put him back in his tank.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Rip lil guy.

From what you've said, no way to know. They can die from all the same kinds of things people can, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, etc. Possible theoretically to do a necropsy and maybe find out, but it's not like people with the knowledge of pleco anatomy and the skills are easily available.


I'd say average lifespan is far far shorter than 10 years. But that's mostly because of people not taking care of them properly.

I'm not looking forward to my 19 YO gibbiceps plec dying. He was in my first batch of fish, the only surviving one from back then. I'm thinking I might actually bury him rather than flush or drop him into the septic tank like the others.

sounds like he had a good life, given that he went suddenly leads me to believe he probably just went to sleep and died, not uncommon for a pleco his age, once a common or sailfin aproaches 10 yrs of age or so I consider it to be in its golden years.