Does anyone else hate these fish prices these days

[RichWise73]

Here’s a screenshot from my email confirmation from Dr. Foster & Smith from May 2004.

 

[TardWrangler]

No fish wholesalers, death rate for livestock is huge.

How many years you been in the business of wholesale?

That’s a lie. You also mentioned this in relation to yellow tangs which is an exaggeration of a lie. Where are you getting this information and do you have any proof or sources that are credible? Because I can back up my statements with scientific study

 

[Glowurm]

If I understand what you’re asking here…The same thing as always. You think the price going up or down changes transit mortality and DAA(death after arrival)rates? No.

Forget that i was talking about economics...

Fish wholesalers, its not rubbish, i know a few LFS owners who often cite a 50% mortality rate for fish caught in the wild.

 

[Glowurm]

That’s a lie. You also mentioned this in relation to yellow tangs which is an exaggeration of a lie. Where are you getting this information and do you have any proof or sources that are credible? Because I can back up my statements with scientific study

Go on then, provide me with the scientific study on fish mortality from the wild during transit etc.

Rant all you want, im merely citing numbers provided to me by a wholesaler.

 

[TardWrangler]

Well maybe those LFS owners should work to find better suppliers as those figures are whack. Since you mentioned yellow tangs, there’s a survivability study of capture, holding, shipping, and long term survival of the captive yellow tang out of Hawaii. Not even 1% died.

 

[TardWrangler]

The effects of venting and decompression on Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) in the marine ornamental aquarium fish trade - PubMed

Each year, over 45 countries export 30 million fish from coral reefs as part of the global marine ornamental aquarium trade. This catch volume is partly influenced by collection methods that cause mortality. Barotrauma in fish resulting from forced ascent from depth can contribute to...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[TardWrangler]

Go on then, provide me with the scientific study on fish mortality from the wild during transit etc.

Rant all you want, im merely citing numbers provided to me by a wholesaler.

Yeah…I’m the one ranting

 

[Glowurm]

The effects of venting and decompression on Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) in the marine ornamental aquarium fish trade - PubMed

Each year, over 45 countries export 30 million fish from coral reefs as part of the global marine ornamental aquarium trade. This catch volume is partly influenced by collection methods that cause mortality. Barotrauma in fish resulting from forced ascent from depth can contribute to...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This doesn't prove what you think it proves.... did you read it? More importantly did you understand what the study was in relation too?

Anyways ill go with the wholesaler, suspect he knows a little more than you or I on the subject.

 

[X-37B]

this idea is golden

Your still in high school, and have a reef tank, your lucky! Stay in school and plan for the future and you will be rewarded later in life.
Its hard to even see the future when your young and plan for it.
Dont be like the people my age, i.e. retired, and forced to work forever.
I was fortunate that I learned this in my late 20's. I have friends my age that can never retire.
Just like your reef tank plan get a life plan and things will fall in line.
Everthing will continue to go up so plan for it the best you can.

 

[TehBrainz]

WHAT!? I wish they were still that cheap

Right before the export ban, I was seeing them for ~$60-80

I didn't buy any since I had only my 75g tank...now with my 200 I'm wishing I would've taken the risk haha. Live and Learn

 

[William Chiavetta]

Your still in high school, and have a reef tank, your lucky! Stay in school and plan for the future and you will be rewarded later in life.
Its hard to even see the future when your young and plan for it.
Dont be like the people my age, i.e. retired, and forced to work forever.
I was fortunate that I learned this in my late 20's. I have friends my age that can never retire.
Just like your reef tank plan get a life plan and things will fall in line.
Everthing will continue to go up so plan for it the best you can.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[William Chiavetta]

Prices aren't going up. Your dollar is worth less.

Its going up faster than inflation

 

[ZoWhat]

Absolutely.... two fish and a fry is like $12

 

[William Chiavetta]

Absolutely.... two fish and a fry is like $12

Welcome to McDonalds

 

[Biota_Marine]

This is “your understanding”??? Lol. Where did you hear this nonsense? From Biota? Or the anti trade/hobby activists?

Only butting in here because we were mentioned but I'll link a few outdated papers below that show high mortality rate after collection for certain species. Always happy to help out with increased research and education but admittedly there isn't much data in the past 15 years where much of the industry has improved. You also can't really compare the cost of a captive-bred fish and wild collected, it's not the same thing.

https://waltsmith.com/Newsworthy/WCMC-GlobalTrade-Wabnitzetal.pdf

FA124/FA124: The Ornamental Fish Trade: An Introduction with Perspectives for Responsible Aquarium Fish Ownership

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet.

edis.ifas.ufl.edu

http://www.nord-com.net/a-kunzmann/CS-AK-LRFT0105.pdf

The main reason for increased cost in both captive-bred and wild collected marine life is the shipping costs around the world are so high and water is heavy. The rates out of many of the popular locations are as much as 3-5x higher in just the past few years. That being said higher pricing on a fish can impact how it is treated throughout the chain of custody with higher value fish usually being packed with larger bags/boxes and extra care taken during collection or transit.

Also FWIW I bred clownfish in college to support my 30 gallon biocube and had a 75 gallon filled with tropical marine fish I wild collected that the gulf stream pushed up to the northeast. You can find tons of small carribean angelfish and spotfin butterflies at the end of the summer/early fall before the cold weather kills them. All my corals were from frag swaps or trading with friends. The hobby doesn't have to be expensive damsels and cheap zoanthids are sometimes more rewarding than high end sps and rarity systems.

 

[Max23]

Years ago we had lots of selection for bio cubes and nano cubes, they still make them but now with LED hoods that are good enough for beginner coral, and they can be upgraded down the line with led bars or the hood can be removed and you can use any light you want

Just checked,
biocube 32g with led hood is 400$
Jbj nano cube 24g is $315

Jbj nano cube 28 is $500 but comes with 89w of 14k led and they claim it’s equal in par to the old 150w halide it replaced, and comes with a free skimmer

these are decent prices for someone new to get started with

i know that are cheap options like these but i mainly mean for basic any non nano cube kit or something. like a 90 gallon red sea reef kit for 5.5k geez once again i know there are cheaper options but still its like 2.5k for a 40ish from waterbox and it just is stupid.

 

[Tamberav]

i know that are cheap options like these but i mainly mean for basic any non nano cube kit or something. like a 90 gallon red sea reef kit for 5.5k geez once again i know there are cheaper options but still its like 2.5k for a 40ish from waterbox and it just is stupid.

For those in the US, 40g at petco right now is $65, 75g is $145 and the 60g is $100

Great beginner tanks to see if the hobby is right for them... so many get in, spend thousands only to get out. Money they will never recoup.

If you want rimless, a deep blue 80g is $650 at my LFS, was $550 over memorial day sale. It was $395 in 2019 but still a good option to not step into a tank that costs thousands. That tank is rimless, low iron front glass, and reef ready. They have many different shapes/sizes.

Red Seas warranty is 3 years and Deep Blues is 5 years, Waterbox is only 1.

There are options, they are just not plastered all over BRS website

 

[VintageReefer]

i know that are cheap options like these but i mainly mean for basic any non nano cube kit or something. like a 90 gallon red sea reef kit for 5.5k geez once again i know there are cheaper options but still its like 2.5k for a 40ish from waterbox and it just is stupid.

It is stupid. And that’s why I have been promoting the tank deal I found from a contact at Current USA

They are selling direct to public and discounting heavily. Once sold out the deal is over

83g rimless, low iron glass on 3 sides, rear painted black
48x20x20
Custom ghost ext overflow
26g custom glass sump
9g custom ato container
An actual quality cabinet, designed and hand made by a cabinet shop in California. Over engineered for strength, and the whole thing is made with marine grade real plywood, skinned inside and out in waterproof laminate
Complete Plumbing kit with unions, gate valve and lock line
Return kit comes with herbie setup, but it’s convertible to bean animal if desired, you would just have to buy a few extra things from the hardware store

1599 shipped nationwide with plumbing kit
1399 shipped nation wide no plumbing kit

Local pickup from Current USA in cali -
999 no plumbing kit
1100 with plumbing kit

And this goes on sale even further with 10% off every few weeks

They have 15 left and then the deal is over forever

Best reef ready tank deal of 2024 - whose looking for a new tank?

I’ve been holding off on posting this but now I’m ready I came across what I believe is the absolute best deal you’ll ever see on a reef ready system Background - Current USA had a custom tank built for their marketing photos. It’s all over their website under the sections for r24 led reef...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Tamberav]

By the way, at red seas prices, you can get a custom tank and stand made. It was just over $3,175 for a 6 foot 150g and cherry wood stand with 4 doors (2 front and one on each end) and a separate place for all electricals on one side when I got quoted just in May.

We are talking about something made to my exact specs and warranty is lifetime.

Spend your money how you want, if you don't like red sea or waterbox, etc prices. Don't buy those! They are not the only tanks available

 

[MnFish1]

How much were they when they were the "cheap fish"

When they were 'cheap fish' - they were also expensive - first - many of them died - second - there has been huge inflation since then