Reasons behind why average fish only live for 3 weeks after sold

Keeping fish in an aquarium can be fun, and it is one of the most popular hobbies among pet keepers around the world. However, the sad truth is that the average life span of all aquarium fish sold on the market is only about 3 weeks. So many fish had died because many beginner fish keepers have made some common mistakes. Extensive research of information is needed before getting any fish at all.

NOTE: The full article has been officially republished at
http://petskeepersguide.com/reasons-behi...after-sold



If you have any questions or comments, you are more than welcome to post replies right here in this thread.

These are really good tips and very important to proper fish care. I realize many people do not get the full enjoyment from fish because of improper care and mishandling. I'll have to keep these in mind when I get more fish.

Good to know...thanks for the post!

Yeah, once people get to know the basics, it is really not that hard to keep the fish alive and healthy. Unfortunately, most people are not interested in getting to know the basics, because they think they already know everything while what they do is wrong.

I have had a friend who kept a betta in a soup cup. Well it was one of those tiny fish killing bowls. With no filter, no heater. Of course the betta died after just two months. He simple said "It must be too old". Most fish sold on the market are quite young, usually no more than half to a year old. Betta can live for 4~7 years if cared properly.

I wish people pay more attention on how to properly keep the fish. They are live creatures, not some replaceable toys.

I'll have to look into this. I'm not sure why but we had walmart fish that lasted upwards to two years before.. and we were relatively new to the situation.

The point of the article isn't about how long these fish suppose to live. It is about the newbie mistakes which causing fish to die in average 3 weeks in the United States.

Most fish can live much longer than just two years.

Sure Walmart sells cheap fish, so it is generally low quality mass produced inbreed fish from cheap fish farms. Even among weaker fish, there are exceptions. So some fish can last longer than others when taken care of properly.

I have a friend who bought a pleco from Walmart at least 5 years ago if I remember correctly. It's now 13" long.

For some fish, it's merely days after they're sold, if that! I'm referring to goldfish sold at funfairs or carnivals in plastic bags. They must be treated terribly. Poor kids who win one of these after paying to play a game might feel happy at first, but then when the little fish dies after a couple of days it can be quite saddening. I was one of those kids. But obviously, I myself must have made a few newb mistakes, although my fish bought from a pet shop (also goldfish) lasted much longer.

People also won goldfish from fair. I think they should stop giving out live animals as prize. Goldfish is one of the worst thing you can have as a prize, because it takes time to prepare a tank to receive a fish. These prize fish mostly die because the winners often don't even have a fish tank to begin with, and many of them don't have the necessary knowledge for keeping fish when they won the fish. Nor there is any time to prepare the fish tank to receive fish safely even if you know what you are doing. Unless you have existing well established fish tanks.

Well, as far as I remember, they would usually sell small fish bowls for those who don't have one. Indeed, small children won't usually have the knowledge of how to look after a pet properly, and parents would often just provide fish food. But it's often kids' first introduction to owning a fish. So, even though it sucks that goldfish are treated badly, I'm sure some of these kids ended up as experienced fish owners.

Most people just give up after the first fish died. They would conclude "Fish is hard to keep" instead of trying to find out why.

It is not just small children. Most adults don't know anything about fish keep either. They think all they need is a fish tank and a fish. That can't be more wrong. I have to admit until I started to keep fish seriously, I had no knowledge about many basic things such as what equipments I need. I didn't even know what a filter was for. No, a filter is not for filtering debris.

Thankfully this doesn't seem to happen as often in New Zealand as most of the stores who sell fish have instore fish experts who give a detailed talk to potential customers. They also give you free manuals explaining a great deal of information. Most pet stores in New Zealand are keen in educating people about the commitment owners make when puchasing a new pet.