Hemichromis lifespan

[Hybridfish7]

From what I have seen, allegedly jewels only live around 5 years. However that's just the lifalili types. Do the big ones also only live 5 years? Not sure if I've asked this already. I personally like fish that live almost unnecessarily long, 5 years feels short to me.

 

[Milingu]

I gave may last pair H. guttatus away after having them for around 5 years. I don't know what happened to them after but they were not showing any signs of aging or that they are close to the end at that time. I guess 7-8 years is not that uncommon if kept under the right conditions. I noticed that a lot of people tend to keep their west African cichlids too warm. Depending on the location a few colder month per year around 72-73°F can increase health and lifespan a lot.