How much is too much??

[Kimberely]

Most I've spent on a single fish was $60 for a male melanurus wrasse from LiveAquaria that disappeared after 3 days never to be seen again. The majority of my fish have been between $20-$50 with the exception of my green chromis and azure damsels that cost about $6. I just can't justify spending hundreds on a single fish.

 

[Handegard]

Needs one more option I think.

I don’t have much disposable income to blow on fish, and I work at the best LFS in WA so I stumble on deals, but that said...

I think, even if I won the lottery, $6-700 would be my max. There are a lot of $500 fish that I can’t afford, but I look at and say “yeah, I get it” (want a pair of crosshatches someday)

But beyond that price range, I just couldn’t do it. Do I like Gem Tangs? Yeah. Is it worth more than a Purple Tang to me? heck no. Beyond $700 most fish I’d say “no, I’d get more enjoyment from 2 $350 fish”

And the most I’ve ever spent, hmm. Maybe $200 for my first Purple Tang, in 2002 or so.

 

[mattzang]

I just don't have faith that I can keep fish alive to spend anything more than$50-60 on a fish. I was starting to have a good record lately, then lost a fish in my first attempt at QTing.

I'd pay at least double that for fish if I knew they had QTed legitimately, but I'm not sure that's a thing anywhere?

 

[Xanthurum]

Price is relative to the buyer. 2 decades ago I would have said you are crazy if you think I would spend 100 on a fish. As the years have gone by my desire to keep “rare” fish has increased to the point that I have spent darn near $100 on firefish and far more than that on n Achilles tang. I remember when an Achilles cost less than $50 but now they are $300. Don’t get me wrong spending $900 on a Gem tang is still crazy but try spending it on 2 and I’m not rich.

 

[Nano man]

I’ve had two bandit angelfish die in quarantine. First one to a gram negative bacterial infection about 3 weeks into quarantine. Second to a negative buoyancy swim bladder infection that appeared about two weeks into quarantine after trying to save for a month after that. So... I got another. Starting to approach the $2k mark on a single fish after shipping and a vet bill... is that nuts??

Three’s a charm man!
Go for it.

 

[KrisReef]

I don’t flinch at a $400K fish, I just don’t want to pay the scales tax.

 

[Funky12]

Kept fish for 20 years. Finally purchased one of my dream fish, a broom tail wrasse. He looked amazing and happy. I also got a filefish that looked 50/50 as if he would make it. The next day, the wrasse ate the dieing filefish. He seemed lethargic, got sick, and died couple days later. A $400 fish died after he ate a sick $20 fish. Life lessons.

 

[aabjones888]

I paid $90 for a small purple tang and still have him. I couldn’t see paying much more than that.

 

[BryanD]

I don't think I could spend more than $100 ... and it would have to be something I was 99% sure I could keep alive.

 

[MSB123]

Needs one more option I think.

I don’t have much disposable income to blow on fish, and I work at the best LFS in WA so I stumble on deals, but that said...

I think, even if I won the lottery, $6-700 would be my max. There are a lot of $500 fish that I can’t afford, but I look at and say “yeah, I get it” (want a pair of crosshatches someday)

But beyond that price range, I just couldn’t do it. Do I like Gem Tangs? Yeah. Is it worth more than a Purple Tang to me? heck no. Beyond $700 most fish I’d say “no, I’d get more enjoyment from 2 $350 fish”

And the most I’ve ever spent, hmm. Maybe $200 for my first Purple Tang, in 2002 or so.

I am looking for a pair of crosshatch

 

[Reefbuds]

I voted 100 to 300, for now at least. Maybe when I'm making enough to comfortably spend more... most I've ever spent was 140 for a pair of flame hawkish. I had coupons tho and got the price down to 100 shipping included

 

[JCTReefer]

Voted for 100-300... Long ago I stumbled upon this beautiful fish on the cover of a magazine. I knew it was some type of centropyge angel. Finally figured out it was a Japanese Pygmy Angelfish "centropyge interruptus " Then I found out this fish was WAY out of my budget!!! Still a beautiful/pricey fish to this day. They're quite rare though. They seem to never be in stock. Bluezoo has them listed at about 3,000 per specimen. Saltwater fish has them listed at about 2,200.

 

[spartanman22]

My most expensive was likely the golden dwarf moray and it was totally worth it to me. Granted I got mine when they could still be had for about $100-150.

I would comfortably spend in the $200 range for some nice wrasses, but not much more than that. My splurge fish would be a bandit angel. There’s just way too many attractive affordable fish to venture into crazy-price-land.

 

[RtomKinMad]

my most expensive one in the tank is my color morph angel. Spend 10.000€ (11.578$) and he is
worth every penny. But wouldn't spend much more on a fish.

That’s an amazing fish!

 

[RtomKinMad]

We bought a scribble angel for 400$. We loved that fish. Had it 1.5 yrs and it got a bacteria infection and before I could treat it, it died we were very sad. Also paid 250$ for Scott’s fairy amazing fish and it got swim bladder and was swimming upside down. We moved it quarantine and had to pick it up and ha d feed it. It would be still and eat for us while we held it. We put a powder brown from the same tank in quarantine with it and the powder brown killed it when it couldn’t even swim away. We were so sad but didn’t know if the swim bladder would ever get better anyway. We also paid 300$ for 10yr old full grown Sohal. Lov that fish too! Our normal budget is about 150$, but will go up to 400$ for something cool.

 

[Brittany Marie]

$350 for my golden dwarf moray...
Then $150 for my wartskin angler

Unfortunately my warty didn’t make it...but I can’t just throw him away, im going to preserve him as a wet specimen

 

[JCTReefer]

Most I've spent on a single fish was $60 for a male melanurus wrasse from LiveAquaria that disappeared after 3 days never to be seen again. The majority of my fish have been between $20-$50 with the exception of my green chromis and azure damsels that cost about $6. I just can't justify spending hundreds on a single fish.

I'm curious. Did they actually send you a male Melanurus. I ordered two. First one was supposed to be male and was clearly female. They refunded me for the wrong gender. Died on third day in Quarantine anyways. Ordered a second one. Second was supposed to be male and was also a female. I didn't email them about this one being the wrong gender. Figured it'll change into male anyways. It made it through a full 30 days of copper and then 2 Treatments of General Cure. The first one was the small size from Melanesia. Second one was medium sized from Fiji. Roughly 3 Inches. Both Female. That's a bummer about the wrasse disappearing. First one I paid 70.00 for, and the second bigger one from Fiji was 60.00. Female or male, the fish has a great personality!

 

[Kimberely]

I'm curious. Did they actually send you a male Melanurus. I ordered two. First one was supposed to be male and was clearly female. They refunded me for the wrong gender. Died on third day in Quarantine anyways. Ordered a second one. Second was supposed to be male and was also a female. I didn't email them about this one being the wrong gender. Figured it'll change into male anyways. It made it through a full 30 days of copper and then 2 Treatments of General Cure. The first one was the small size from Melanesia. Second one was medium sized from Fiji. Roughly 3 Inches. Both Female. That's a bummer about the wrasse disappearing. First one I paid 70.00 for, and the second bigger one from Fiji was 60.00. Female or male, the fish has a great personality!

It was a male.

 

[code4]

My favorite, scratch that, I love them all. Accept for my white tailed bristle tooth tang. Over $200. He is a bit of a bully. If he keeps bullying the mandarins he is going to be rehomed! Yellow belly regal angel, $300. And that tang is starting to bully it. Yep, got to go! Honestly though, right now I think my inexpensive mandarins are the best. Cheap, beautiful, long lived and easy to care for it you don't t mind hatching brine shrimp. And my cat loves to watch them. But price is relative to ones income and addiction. Yep addiction is a nasty thing.

Shelley

 

[JCTReefer]

It was a male.

Thanks for the response! Definitely a male. You should try another! Was a pretty fish