How long can Sunfish live?

[MonsterCichlids75]

Hey everyone, I've got a young green sunfish that's about 3.5 or maybe 4 inches. It's in a 75 gallon tank and I got it about a year ago when I found it in a feeder fish tank at a Petco nearby. It was only 1.5 inches when I got it and once it got a little bigger, I treated it with prazipro to kill any parasites. It eats pellets but really loves bloodworm, mysis, and mealworms. How long can I expect this little guy to live? Hopefully at least 5 years.. Here's a picture! And does anyone know if it's a male or female?


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[Gill Blue]

mine aren't that old, but I found this while doing research before I got them.

 

[tanker19]

I believe only the males have the white around edges of the fins


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[JIM]

Depending on the species, in the wild about 5-7 years, kinda like a cichlid, But well cared for in a tank, maybe 10 Years

 

[MonsterCichlids75]

Depending on the species, in the wild about 5-7 years, kinda like a cichlid, But well cared for in a tank, maybe 10 Years

Sweet! Just out of curiosity, does a constant year round room temperature of the low 70's effect the overall life span since there's no winter time hibernation like in the wild?


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[JIM]

There are conflicting views on that. Personally i feel that a fish that essentially never goes thru the hibernation cycle, will live a shorter total lifespan. Also they will grow faster such as you would see in Florida Bass, and say Indiana Bass. A 2 year old bass, that feeds actively for 12 months out of the year, will be much larger than a Bass in colder climates, where the feeding cycle is essentially stopped throughout the winter months in the North.

 

[MonsterCichlids75]

There are conflicting views on that. Personally i feel that a fish that essentially never goes thru the hibernation cycle, will live a shorter total lifespan. Also they will grow faster such as you would see in Florida Bass, and say Indiana Bass. A 2 year old bass, that feeds actively for 12 months out of the year, will be much larger than a Bass in colder climates, where the feeding cycle is essentially stopped throughout the winter months in the North.

Yeah I see, is there any studies or something that have shown that sunfish in Florida for example have shorter average life spans in the wild compared to Massachusetts where I live? Because my tank would basically be like Florida conditions in terms of the year round temp


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[JIM]

I havent seen any studies as such, however my comparison above relates to wild fish in both cases. In your case, since your fish is in captivity, and you control the environment, the lifespan should be on the upper end of that scale anyway.