This fish cost How much now ?

[vetteguy53081]

The cost for damsels and chromis is stupid high now. I'm old school enough to have used them to cycle a tank @ start up since they cost so little as you said four for 5$ was the deal that couldn't be beat. I just saw at my local LFS generic blue & yellow tail damsels @ 8.99 a pop as of a few weeks ago. Saw a poor guy buying a bunch of them and I calmly told him as hes paying for them that they are like 10 little indians, you'll end up with one. Sad part is that he didn't understand or that those little devils will just kill each other off.

I will disclose this- At my LFS damsels were 99 cents and I paid 46 cents in quantity of 12 or more.
An lfs in my area is charging $19.99 for a blue/green chromis- Those back then were $1.69 and even 5 years ago were $4.99

 

[doubleshot00]

Ive only been in this for a short period but I don’t think prices for most fish are crazy expensive. Yes yellow tangs are ridiculous but the fish that has always shocked me price wise were Achilles and gem tangs.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

A "koi" scopas tang cost around $600 dollars when I got into the hobby back in 2020. Now, a certain site sells them for upwards of $2000, or even more. I haven't been in the hobby for nearly as long as some of the old salts here, but I can say that the prices have already gone up like crazy. If I'd known that green slimers would be $50 and rose BTAs $150 even just 2 1/2 years ago, I would have thought that was ridiculous.

 

[albano]

Madagascar Flasher Wrasse! I remember when they were $90 or maybe $110 or $130 dollars at most. Now if found are sold for over $1000 dollars.

I think that it’s only $3500 at Reef Pro!!!!!

 

[albano]

Strangely, if I remember correctly, in the 70s, a flame angel was ~$50… always the same price until a few years ago. Still worth $100, IMO.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Back in 98 I really fancied the little domino damsel fish. They were like $5 each.

When I left the city in 2001 to my hometown they were 20 bucks each. But then again the lsf had to do for our return trip from the Winnipeg airport.

I remember spending $80 on a real small sail fin Tang. He was maybe 2 in by 2 in size and that was back in '98. That's also when I learned that a nem could eat fish. I put my new fishy friend in my tank and the next day he was gone and I had no idea where the heck he went. I can't remember if it was maybe two or three days later the nem spent out the Tang. So that's when the lsf received their nem back.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Also back in 98 I drove truck down to Toronto and we would always have a day off so I ventured down to a lsf and since I love Dottiebacks so much and still to this day are one of my favorite fish. Anyways I've searched the web up and down and all around and cannot find a picture of him. The lsf in Toronto wanted $110 for a species that I still can't find.

He was completely black and he had neon red striping from his nose along his gills and down 2/3 of his body. Also his pupils were neon red as well. I can't remember if they called him the devil Dottie back or what but Google is not being very friendly doing an image search. I wanted him so bad but he would also have a 36-hour drive through Ontario bouncing around in a big semi truck. So I'm guessing it might be worth $500 today as I've never seen another one again in the rest of my time checking out lsf or even online sites.

 

[Crabby48]

And don’t let them make you think it’s shipping and price increase. I can get flasher wrasse from Madagascar for $500. A sponsor of this site had them for sale for 6 grand. I can qt them and be a third of that price
Same place selling wrasse as males with male price but can’t even sex them lol

 

[Waters]

The price of Volitan Lionfish boggles my mind. They used to be about 40.......they are now considered invasive in many waters where they are paying people to kill them, and for whatever reason the price is often over a 100, with Divers Den sometimes asking close to 200.

 

[mijan]

Still to this day the most money I ever spent for a fish was $69 for an Achilles Tang. Of course that was in 1994.

 

[Petcrazyson]

I think that it’s only $3500 at Reef Pro!!!!!

Yea lol I saw that

 

[Flatearth]

The midas blenny and bangdai cardinal. The midas blenny is 100$ at my LFS although 70$ is more the norm online, these used to be around 30$ here if I recall. The bangdai cardinal is 25$ and they used to be 10$. I think the only fish i know of that has stayed the same price is the lawnmower blenny, these have been 15-25$ for at least 10 years here.


I think there is a bit of scamming going on though. Seems a lot of businesses(not just fish stores) have used covid and now inflation to raise prices and offer less services.


One of my LFS claimed they raised prices because it now costs them 4x as much to have fish shipped to them which I know for a fact is not true. Their shipping price increased by around 7% not 400% lol.

While the economy does appear to be heading for disaster, some places are definitely taking advantage of the perception that things are bad to take advantage of people(not just fish stores either).


Also I hate to say it ,but I have always felt fish keeping attracted a shocking amount of unsavory people and ever since getting into saltwater I have seen a lot more. I could write pages about this, but for now I'll just say there is a lot of bad business in a hobby where you wouldn't really expect it.

 

[Heabel7]

I haven’t bought a fish since before covid when they were “reasonable”. I set up a 40 breeder 18 months ago and it still is fish-less because I refuse to pay the crazy prices. The corals in there are LPS and softies I transferred from my larger SPS system. I’m pretty sure they don’t look as good now because the lack of fish poop. I know I have to bite the bullet. But saltwater fish now start at 39.99 at all my local stores. And just like cars, the cheap ones are not the lookers.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

The midas blenny and bangdai cardinal. The midas blenny is 100$ at my LFS although 70$ is more the norm online, these used to be around 30$ here if I recall. The bangdai cardinal is 25$ and they used to be 10$. I think the only fish i know of that has stayed the same price is the lawnmower blenny, these have been 15-25$ for at least 10 years here.


I think there is a bit of scamming going on though. Seems a lot of businesses(not just fish stores) have used covid and now inflation to raise prices and offer less services.


One of my LFS claimed they raised prices because it now costs them 4x as much to have fish shipped to them which I know for a fact is not true. Their shipping price increased by around 7% not 400% lol.

While the economy does appear to be heading for disaster, some places are definitely taking advantage of the perception that things are bad to take advantage of people(not just fish stores either).


Also I hate to say it ,but I have always felt fish keeping attracted a shocking amount of unsavory people and ever since getting into saltwater I have seen a lot more. I could write pages about this, but for now I'll just say there is a lot of bad business in a hobby where you wouldn't really expect it.

There was a time.that bangai cardinals were stupid expensive. Then someone figured.out how to tank raise them and they've been Petco favorites ever since.

 

[Gomez Adams]

Back in 1991, I paid $45 for a Passer Angel, and I felt I got ripped off, but I really wanted that fish. Last time I saw a price on one it was over $450.00.

 

[Reefer_kano]

The cost for damsels and chromis is stupid high now. I'm old school enough to have used them to cycle a tank @ start up since they cost so little as you said four for 5$ was the deal that couldn't be beat. I just saw at my local LFS generic blue & yellow tail damsels @ 8.99 a pop as of a few weeks ago. Saw a poor guy buying a bunch of them and I calmly told him as hes paying for them that they are like 10 little indians, you'll end up with one. Sad part is that he didn't understand or that those little devils will just kill each other off.

I wish someone would ha e told me that when I bought 5 of them last yr...yup, the one I ha e left killed all the other ones

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

1988 - bought a 4” clarion angel, $150

Jay

 

[Petcrazyson]

The midas blenny and bangdai cardinal. The midas blenny is 100$ at my LFS although 70$ is more the norm online, these used to be around 30$ here if I recall. The bangdai cardinal is 25$ and they used to be 10$. I think the only fish i know of that has stayed the same price is the lawnmower blenny, these have been 15-25$ for at least 10 years here

Good point. My LFS has them at 120 and I remember when they were like 40 or 50 bucks.

 

[Jubei2006]

Just saw copperband butterflys for $500 quarantined and eating on more than one site.........

 

[Kmst80]

I just acquired a flame angel for 450 Au$. They go here for up to 600. A frieds dad had one years ago where he paid 50 Au$. Yellowtangs start at 1500 here.