Really old catfish?

[Emilywoodham1997]

So, this catfish is roughly 10 years old. I got him when I was about 13 and my mum put him in her fishtank when he was the last fish left in my tank and I had lost interest in the hobby. We believe he is a corydoras and we have heard that their lifespan is like 5 years max? Is he some kinda superfish or is this a normal lifespan?

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

What a beast! From the looks of it, I'd say he's definitely a corydoras, not sure what species though. Does he have any tankmates? Corydoras are a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 6 or more of each species you keep.

As for the lifespan, corys living this long isn't unheard of, but it is impressive!

 

[Emilywoodham1997]

What a beast! From the looks of it, I'd say he's definitely a corydoras, not sure what species though. Does he have any tankmates? Corydoras are a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 6 or more of each species you keep.

As for the lifespan, corys living this long isn't unheard of, but it is impressive!

Yes we call him Coriander because it sounds like corydoras haha. He has actually lived with a comet goldfish (who is almost the same age as me and I’m 23 ?) since my mum took him on. I have told my mum this is not ideal for either fish and have tried persuading her to get some friends for him but it’s just never happened. She just says “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.”?‍But I’d love to get some friends for him.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Yes we call him Coriander because it sounds like corydoras haha. He has actually lived with a comet goldfish (who is almost the same age as me and I’m 23 ?) since my mum took him on. I have told my mum this is not ideal for either fish and have tried persuading her to get some friends for him but it’s just never happened. She just says “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.”?‍But I’d love to get some friends for him.

What size is the tank?

This combination of fish is definitely not ideal, as you've already said.

Goldfish are coldwater fish, whereas corydoras are tropical fish - corys will need a heater for their tank.

Comet goldfish need huge tanks too. They should be in a tank that's at the very least 45 gallons. But bigger is always better. They can reach up to 30cm in length, and are by no means small fish. They'd probably do best out in a pond or a big display aquarium.

If you're able to find out what species he is, I would scout out a local fish shop that carries his species and get him some tankmates, even if it goes against your mum's wishes. Of course I'm preaching to the choir, but corys need to be in larger groups. They're very playful and active fish when kept together, and seeing them interact with one another is a lovely, unique experience that you really can't take for granted.

If you're ever able to persuade your mum to get him more pals, it'll definitely do him a world of good. If you're unable to, maybe you could ask around with friends or local fish shops if they'd be willing to take him in.

 

[Naughts]

Catfish are some of the longest living aquarium fish, you may have him for another few years yet. @Byron will could tell us more about your fish, perhaps you could add another photo of a full side view?
I kind of agree with your mum in that adding new fish could introduce disease or otherwise upset the balance that has worked for 10 years. Ensure any new fish are from a quality source and quarantine them before adding them. Also, sand substrate would be preferable.

 

[Emilywoodham1997]

Catfish are some of the longest living aquarium fish, you may have him for another few years yet. @Byron will could tell us more about your fish, perhaps you could add another photo of a full side view?
I kind of agree with your mum in that adding new fish could introduce disease or otherwise upset the balance that has worked for 10 years. Ensure any new fish are from a quality source and quarantine them before adding them. Also, sand substrate would be preferable.

Yeah this is the issue we actually don’t have a very good source for fish. The local shop is not the best, often dead fish in their tanks, riddled with Hydra and other pests. We don’t wanna introduce anything to a system that’s worked for so long. But the sand substrate is interesting I didn’t realise that was best!

 

[Byron]

It is a species of Corydoras, though which I won't guess. As for lifespan, 20-30 years is not uncommon, and Ian Fuller had one into its 40th year. They are highly social, and a group would be preferable, with a sand substrate. Tropical species and goldfish should not be together, but having said that, cories do at least like it slightly cooler than many "tropical" species, a range of 22-26C/72-78F is generally preferred.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Amazing! Pretty rare for Corydoras to live that long in most aquariums.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

But the sand substrate is interesting I didn’t realise that was best!

Sand is great for corys. They feed by digging around in the substrate and sifting through sand to get little bits of food. With gravel, it's hard for them to do this and can cause stress if they're unable to get food. Gravel, if coarse or unpolished, may graze their undersides or damage their barbels.

 

[Naughts]

Yeah this is the issue we actually don’t have a very good source for fish. The local shop is not the best, often dead fish in their tanks, riddled with Hydra and other pests. We don’t wanna introduce anything to a system that’s worked for so long. But the sand substrate is interesting I didn’t realise that was best!

That's a shame about your LFS, you may have to travel further afield then, or find a good online source.