What is the lifespan of livebearers?

Question

I have had some mollies, platys and guppies for 8 months and some have died. Are they getting old? I have also had some swordtails for 6 months that are doing fine. How long do these fish normally live? All my ammonia, ph, and nitrate levels are normal and no one was sick.

Answer 1

the average lifespan of a livebearer is about up to 3 years. they die of old age at age 3 usaully if you take goodcare of it.

when they are six months they are at adulthood because they are able to breed. the platys and mollies probeley died of not getting enough food cause other fish hog the food or because they started getting stressed.

Answer 2

Mollies, Guppies, and Platys live 3-5 years, as do swordtails. What is "normal?" Different fish need different levels. For example, Mollies like hard water.

What size is your fish tank? It sounds like you have quite a few fish. Definitely too many for a 10 or 15 gallon. Also, how often do you do water changes? And when you do, how much do you change?

Answer 3

You can never tell how old adult mollies, platys, guppies, and swordtails are when you buy them. Your fish may have been 6-8 months old when you bought them. I usually purchase juvenile or fry and that way I raise them and I know how old they are. Keep doing your water changes and checking your levels. It sounds like you are doing everything right. Where did you buy the fish? Petco and Petsmart sometimes sell fish that tend to be older if you buy the adults. mI have some mollies that are 4 years old and I raised them.

Answer 4

I have some wild-type live bearers that are at least 10 years old. (Xenotaca eisenii and Illyodon furcidens) The secret to longevity in aquarium fishes is low stocking levels,frequent small water changes, and keeping fish that will do well in whatever you get when you de-chlorinate your tap water.  In other words don't try to keep African Rift Lake species in soft,neutral-to-acid water,and don't try to keep Amazon species in the "liquid rock" that the Africans would thrive in.