How old is old for a rainbow shark?

dwayne

AC Members
Jul 12, 2001
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Boston, MA
Just wondering because mine is looking very pale in the face?! We've had him exactly 4 years now. I don't know how old he was when we got him... but he was teeny, probably 2" and now he's big, maybe 7" long or so...

His face is almost white... he's eating and everything though. I noticed the white when I turned the lights on yesterday morning, but I just thought maybe I startled him (he sometimes will pale a bit all over when I first turn on the light). But he was pale all day long, last night at lights out, and again this am...

Nobody is beating up on him.

Water parameters are perfect (some nitrAtes, water change is being done right now)...

Thanks in advance. He's my husband's fish, and he'll kill me if I did anything that would have caused this to happen.

~Tara
 
Doubt it's anything you did (or didn't do). They can change color for a variety of reasons, with no harm. Mine is about 5 years old now, and hasn't changed color, nor behavior--still a cranky booger.
 
Thanks OG... I hope he's OK. About.com says that rainbow shark life spans are between 4 and 10 years (tiger barbs 6 years :) ) If *knock wood Darth Maul should happen to pass on, I can show hubby that...

~Tara
 
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