Are some fish available seasonally?

[Alaeriel]

I'd like to get a firefish goby for my 20 gallon high tank (EVENTUALLY, just started cycling today). When I first started researching, it seemed like they were available at every LFS, online retailer, and everywhere else you could possibly look. It seems now that all of them are sold out (except for a single, sorry guy missing his dorsal fin and very lethargic at Petco.) Just wondering about fish availability in general, since I won't be able to pick one out for at least the next few weeks anyway.

 

[mattzang]

Some definitely are

I don’t think firefish are. Maybe the rarer varieties but red and purple should be readily available

I saw both types at the lfs last I was there a few days ago

 

[Alaeriel]

Some definitely are

I don’t think firefish are. Maybe the rarer varieties but red and purple should be readily available

I saw both types at the lfs last I was there a few days ago

I was looking for just the standard red firefish, I've been able to find purple in droves but haven't seen a reputable dealer with reds lately. Hopefully they're back in stock when the tank is cycled!

 

[ichthyogeek]

Reds are all wild caught. It's most likely a symptom of the pandemic disrupting the global supply chains. I had to fight tooth and nail to get my trio in back in March, since the prices for the LFS (wholesale, not retail) were significantly higher. Luckily, I supplied like 200 cherry shrimp to them (which retail for like 3$ each) so it wasn't a big hit for them, since I took 6 of the ones they brought in (three of them had complications).

 

[BlennyTime]

A lot of fish are captive bred, and they are available all year round (or as released by the breeder). Some are wild caught though, and availability can depend on government quotas, supply chains and seasonal harvest schedules.

Generally, captive bred fish are more used to and comfortable with home aquarium living. But wild caught ones can definitely adapt.

 

[Alaeriel]

That makes sense considering shipments during the pandemic; it would also explain why most places are out of common cleaner crew species, too.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Most commonly kept reef fish are not seasonal. Most of them spawn monthly, not annually.

The supply chain, shipping logistics, and religious holidays play more of an affect than natural cycles of the fish themselves.