Fish That You Think Are Not Worth The Price Tag

Jon Warner

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So I have seen a lot of expensive fish and notice some of the (Less Pretty) ones have a hefty price tag that I know I would never pay for.
So I was wondering what fish you think are way too overpriced based on looks and etc.

Mine is going to be Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse, I just do not see why people would pay $200 for them. (Sorry if offending but)

So name away and why!

Over the decades, I've opened up the checkbook for all of them...

Conspicuous Angel, worth it
Gem Tang, great
Asfur angel, a bargain
Semilarvatus B'fly, a really hardy fish
Resplendens Angel, were common for about a year
Wrought Iron Butterfly, exquisite


None of the Genicanthus do much for me... and I have problems paying a lot for Clarion Angels ever since I swam with them in Guaymas.
 

Cassian

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It’s interesting to see so many people saying black tang. I have one and it is a gorgeous fish. (I traded for it, no way would I pay the full price. The fact that I traded for it probably affects my opinion on this though. Lol). The black is not dingy like most fish. It’s like a really classy black.

For me it would be:
Longfin clowns
Koi tangs
Angler/scorpion fish
Gem tang
 

Glenn Siegel

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Rumor has it prices on gem tangs are going to drop slowly, and purple tang prices are increasing.

But my vote has to be the peppermint angel. I would rather use that money for a down payment on a house, but because of how hard they are to catch i guess that's why the price is so high.
Gems have already dropped in price. I have a 2 inch gem that boldly swims amongst the other much larger tangs and stands out. Gorgeous fish IMO
 

mikeintoronto

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Most of the time the fish is worth the price. Sometimes vendors jack up prices because of popularity. I don’t like that.
I love anthias (even borbonius; shame on you all!) but my buddy thinks they look like goldfish.
I can’t say I don’t like gems or black tangs. They are nicer than many other tangs in the trade. Not worth it for me but if you like it (and not just because it’s rare) I guess the price is fine.
I don’t understand the interest in koi tangs or hybrid tangs. Koi tangs look like something is wrong with them and hybrid tangs make me feel the purity is gone. But if it’s something you like, I’m not one to judge.
 

flagg37

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Whitetail bristletooth tang. Imo they arent as interesting as a tomini or kole. Not really sure why theyre several times the price.
I had a bristletooth tang and would have to agree. Kole tangs are like 1/4 the price and pretty close to the same fish. My Achilles tang I would pay even more for though.
 

GoldeneyeRet

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Some fish that are not worth the price forme are: mismarked/mutated clownfish, borbonius anthias, any cardinalfish, any bristle tooth tang, genicanthus angels, flasher wrasse (because of lifespan, not that I dont like them). I'll think of more I'm sure...
 

Reefnman2

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Rumor has it prices on gem tangs are going to drop slowly, and purple tang prices are increasing.

But my vote has to be the peppermint angel. I would rather use that money for a down payment on a house, but because of how hard they are to catch i guess that's why the price is so high.
12 yrs. ago I purchased a Purple Tang for $45.00 at Petco a couple of yrs. later I gave it to my LFS and he sold it for $185.00, now that I'm back into reefing I wanted another one and $250.00 was the best I could find...seems like a pretty steep increase to me.
 
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NC122606

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12 yrs. ago I purchased a Purple Tang for $45.00 at Petco a couple of yrs. later I gave it to my LFS and he sold it for $185.00, now that I'm back into reefing I wanted another one and $250.00 was the best I could find...seems like a pretty steep increase to me.
250???
NYAquatics has them for like $70 sometimes.
 

S2G

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Joculator Angel $500-1k

centropyge_joculator.jpg

Long nose black 1k
lg_86395_Black_Longnose_Tang.jpg

Dwarf moray $400-500
lg_Golden_Dwarf_Eel.jpg
 

ca1ore

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There’s almost no correlation between the appearance of a fish and its price (maybe bred clowns as one example of an exception). Latter is based on supply, which is a function of collection/supply chain difficulty. Gem tangs, as example, used to sell for $3K .... now they can be had commonly for $500. Still a lot for a fish, but clearly changes the calculation.
 
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