Why are some fish so expensive?

aquarob

aquarob

I give up!
Jan 1, 2006
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Why do fish prices vary so wildly even in the same species? For instance, cichlids. I can buy a yellow lab for less then $5, but from the same lake, a moori, is about $50 each.

Discus I can understand, they are an expert level fish and difficult to keep healthy and more so to breed. But cichlids? They breed like rabbits and are nigh impossible to kill with regular maintenance.

Just doesn't make sense to me. Anyone care to explain?
 
It's simple economics. Fish that are more commonly kept are also going to be more commonly spawned. Because more fry are available from them, the price gradually falls over time. Yellow labs haven't always been $5 ;). If fish are difficult to spawn, need to get larger to have mature adults, require larger tanks, or even are just terribly popular at the moment, it can drive up the price. As someone that regularly spawns types of dwarf plecos, I'm personally quite curious to see how the recent ban for export from Brazil is going to affect the price of many of the species I work with. Zebra plecos are an extreme example as they're a very distinctive fish. The price has been steadily climbing for fry for more than 4 years now. They're hard to breed, hard to get, slow to mature, and they have very small spawns (when they're doing anything besides eating and hiding from you!).

Barbie
 
Basically, what Barbie said. The blue eyed rainbows would be hugely popular fish in the hobby, but they don't spawn like rabbits, so they're not. There is also breeder control, where females are not commonly sold, which also drives up the price.
 
The same reason as with cars... some cars have the same engine power, but people would rather pay more for a brand name(mercedes) than a honda. Bad example, but thats kind of how it is.

People will pay for more expensive fish just because the $50 moori HAS GOT TO BE a better fish than the $5 yellow lab, right? more money means better fish... riiiiiighhtt?

Not to mention the exotic name... Moori.
Yellow lab is a dog.

Unless im completely wrong, and they're actually harder to spawn/import
 
Barbie said:
LOL Jpappy! Think they make a script where you can just auto reply that? :lol:

Barbie
Click to expand...
:silly::silly:

Hah, but I do have something to add. Some fish also come from regions where it is unsafe to collect from. A lot of frontosa variants are not very common in the wild, come from war-torn countries where most people do not regularly visit, and are hard to ship therefore are hard to come by in the shops. Thus they are mucho expensive.
 
Lupin said:
Law of Supply and Demand.

1. Low supply.
2. High demand.
3. Size.

4. They're cute and rare.
5. They seem so exotic.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

And some are just simply worth it! ;)
 
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