Does the LFS location affect the Price of Fish?

[SALTYDAWGY]

I was just sitting here wondering about something. I know that the population of the fish (meaning the easier it is to find and collect) directly affects the price we pay at the store. But does the distance between collection and resale affect the price as well. Like a yellow tang, here in Maryland USA, they go for about $25.00 give or take $5.00. Being that they are schooling fish easy to capture and transport from Hawaii (US waters), does this make them more expensive to a hobbyist in say Germany. I guess what I am asking is, are fish cheapier in other parts of the world if they are indigenous to the country where they are sold.

I am just going to put some prices of fish in my area of the country (USA) Can anyone tell me what they are going for in other countries?

Emperor Angel (3-4inches) $100.00
Yellow Tang (3-5inches) $25.00
Powder Blue Tang (3-5inches) $65.00
Blue Hippo Tang (3-5inches) $75.00
Auriga Butterfly (3-5inches) $35.00
Damsels (Blue, three stripe, Domino) $5.00
Queen Angel (3-5inches) $75.00
Sharpnose Puffer (2-4inches) $30.00
Humu Humu Trigger (2-4inches) $35.00
Clown Trigger (2-4inches) $85.00
Firefish (2-3 inches) $20.00
Royal Gramma (2-4inches) $25.00

Thanks in Advance for any comments. I was just curious...

 

[zacdl]

You have it cheap.

Damsels here are $10.

Yellow tangs are about $40 I think.

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

WOW 10 for a damsel and 40 for a yellow tang. Geese that is a lot!

 

[zacdl]

Chromis are $10 here as well.

 

[fishfreek]

Supply and Demand and competition are the three factors that affect these prices the most.

In some areas of the country there are many stores selling to the same hobbists so the prices will naturally be driven lower compared to other locations where the store owners can maintan a larger margin on the livestock they sell. Supply is also a factor as you pointed out. If there is a large demand for a fish and the supply is limited then the prices from the wholeseller will be higher and thus the final in store price will be higher. The final factor thats not really been discussed or thought about much is the survivability of the particular species in transport. This is something many hobbists dont realize but often the mortality rate is has high as 50% from the collector to the final store so a collector whom collects 100 fish sells to a import/exporter at say a cost of $1 per fish. ($100 to collector). The import/exporter then brings the fish into the US to a wholeseller whom might only get 75-60% of the shippment. The importer must account for the fish losses as well as their expenses so the cost to the wholseller might be $4 per fish ($300 to importer/exporter assuming 25% losses). Wholeseller then holds the fish or repackages them and sends them to the final store and lets say the store has a 10-20% loss so they order 20 fish and only get 16-18 fish. They pay for all 20 usually and eat the loss on the dead fish and might pay a price of $6 per fish from the wholeseller ($120 per fish) and to then make up for the losses due to transport as well as labor and operational costs of the store they might put a price of $12-$15 per fish and hope to sell the 16-18 remaning fish before losing any more as each fish that dies before its sold will ultimatly affect the stores margins and ulitmatly reflect in the live stock costs.

You can see where in the total chain of custody a single fish might end up bringing in $23 per fish but the overall number of fish that survive the chain of custody is far from the number that initally left the ocean. This is why tank rased or tank breed fish if at all possible should be selected even though the cost per fish is often higher than the wild caught fish. What is different is that for every fish sold in the store there is likly another fish or another two fish that have died on their way to the store where as with tank rased or tank breed fish for every fish sold in the store there isnt a single fish being removed from the oceans.

 

[kukki]

man, damsels are 4 a pop here lol... bout all i can add tho

 

[gooyferret]

Damsels here in MN are about 6-8 depending.....I agree with fishfreek on the captive raised fish being better and should be bought before the wild caught fish. On the opposite side of fishfreeks post is that all of the losses of fish that a fish store has are deductable and usually written off as a bussiness expense or loss.

Another good example is this.... I went to the LFS and seen a Orangeshoulder tang that was in bad shape and hadnt been eating. And was being bullied around by some yellow tangs. So i talked to the store manager and offered him $15 for the fish. He said he had to take $20 since that was his cost on it...and wouldnt selll it lower or he would lose money. I then told him if the fish dies he lost 20 insted of only losing 5. He said if it dies he wont lose any money, and would just write it off as bussiness expense. So for a fish that they wanted $60 for and only initially paid $20 THATS A HUGH markup on price. IMO. Well i ended up taking the fish and when i got to the registar he gave it to me for $15 (I do alot of bussiness there)

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

Okay, so being that this is not a perfect world LFS are kept on the honor system as far as what fish dies and what lives? That is a pretty scary thought being that I know of some pretty shady stores where I live. I was also curious in a more general term. Like, is the guy in Australia paying less for an Australian Emperor Angel or a fish that is native to his waters then I would pay here. And I mean substantially less.

Thanks for the input fishfreek, I was not aware of how big a role mortality played in the scheme of final cost to the customer.

 

[haus]

I found damsels for $2.99/ea. at one lfs, but they usually go for about $6. I don't like my domino damsel though because he chases the yellow tail and sometimes the clown.

 

[revhtree]

I have a price list from one of the major exotic fish suppliers in America...hehe..

The reason I have it is that Me and my brother in law have obtained business liscence for resale in my city and are thinking about opening a store...anyway...

Here are the prices for the fish you listed. I know this isnt exactly what you wanted, but I thought you might like to know. I'll leave your price first and then the supplier next.

Emperor Angel (3-4inches) $100.00-------54.00
Yellow Tang (3-5inches) $25.00------------11.00
Powder Blue Tang (3-5inches) $65.00-----16.00
Blue Hippo Tang (3-5inches) $75.00-------29.00
Auriga Butterfly (3-5inches) $35.00--------10.50
Damsels (Blue, three stripe, Domino) $5.00-----1.15
Queen Angel (3-5inches) $75.00-----------no listing
Sharpnose Puffer (2-4inches) $30.00-------5.75
Humu Humu Trigger (2-4inches) $35.00----Large 30.00
Clown Trigger (2-4inches) $85.00------small 38.00---5" 50.00
Firefish (2-3 inches) $20.00---3.70
Royal Gramma (2-4inches) $25.00-----4.95

Also a box of coral medium sized softies 25 peices 350.00

 

[gooyferret]

rev who would you contact to get wholesale cost on fish and coral? I have been thinking about starting a store for the last year....And am seriously considering doing it. The LFS here is overpriced and can be because they are the only one in about an 1 1/2 hours away....Competition would be good.

 

[wils0n]

i got my damsels at 3 for $10
and my hippo tang that's about 5 inches long was $40

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

OH MY GOD Rev. Are you kidding me? Some of those mark ups are crazy. Like the powder blue and the sharpnose puffer. I can't believe it. I mean I know a lot goes into supporting the fish until resale but Holy Crap. I feel robbed

 

[revhtree]

I am seriously not kidding!

One thing to consider is this. To ship from this supplier to Ga cost $0.80 a pound. There are however closer suppliers who's prices are not as good, but the shipping makes up for it.

 

[i have crabs]

50-60 for a yellow tang and 300 for a clown trigger

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

That was what i was looking for i have crabs. Is there any one else outside the US who can relate?

 

[StripesTheEel]

Howdy guys,

Being from Australia the prices are alot different, heres some of the prices for the fish i'd pay.. For the ease of confusing everyone i'll convert the aussie dollar into american for all of ya!

Emperor Angel (3-4inches) $100.00 in oz - 180
Yellow Tang (3-5inches) $25.00 in oz - 150
Powder Blue Tang (3-5inches) $65.00 in oz - 80
Blue Hippo Tang (3-5inches) $75.00 in oz - 50
Auriga Butterfly (3-5inches) $35.00 in oz - 25
Damsels (Blue, three stripe, Domino) $5.00 in oz - 7
Queen Angel (3-5inches) $75.00 in oz - 400
Sharpnose Puffer (2-4inches) $30.00 in oz - 30
Humu Humu Trigger (2-4inches) $35.00 in oz - 25
Clown Trigger (2-4inches) $85.00 in oz - 90
Firefish (2-3 inches) $20.00 in oz - 15
Royal Gramma (2-4inches) $25.00 in oz - 100

the big difference is the queen angel.. i'd pay minimum of AUD $350 here for one of them.. which is about $400 USD..!!!

Im trying to track down a king angel at the moment.. (MONEY MONEY MONEY!!)

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

i would pay 150.00 american dollars in aust. for a yellow tang? That is the question that I was pondering.

Queen angels are 400.00? and a royal gramma 100.00?

 

[StripesTheEel]

for a good specimen easily.. yellow tangs easily priced between 120-150 mark!

King and Queen angels are very rare out these parts i only know a few people with them.. and the cheapest i've heard is 350 for a king angel..

royal grammas.. ive been quoted between 80-100.. go figure..!

 

[srgetz]

Prices vary greatly in the Philadelphia suburbs; from store to store the price may vary by 2-3x!

A little store nearby has very good deals. Never saw an ich outbreak there, once in a while some minor bacterial problems. Here are some prices I remember there, most fish are juvenile.

Assorted clowns (false percula, clarkii, maroon) - 9.99
dwarf angels (lemonpeel, coral beauty, bicolor) - 19.99
Heni banner fish - 27.99 (med)
Pacific blue "hippo" tang 39.99 (small)
Blue Koran Angel - 25.99 (small)
Purple Pseudochromis - 9.99