live stock prices

[sp1187]

just got back from the NSLFS (that's Not So Local Fish Store) and can't believe the prices on corals.
$200 row.
$250 row.
$300 row.
who's buying this stuff?

 

[Mjl714]

You got me, that does sound pretty steep.

 

[Here we go again..]

My lfs has prices like these also, but on their much larger pieces. The smaller pieces and frags are much more reasonable. They even have a small "loose coral" bin for ten bucks a piece ( single polyps, single stalks of various xenia, single small heads of candy canes, things like that.) Some of their frags are a bit high though for what you are getting, small genaric coral pieces.

 

[sp1187]

My lfs has prices like these also, but on their much larger pieces. The smaller pieces and frags are much more reasonable. They even have a small "loose coral" bin for ten bucks a piece ( single polyps, single stalks of various xenia, single small heads of candy canes, things like that.) Some of their frags are a bit high though for what you are getting, small genaric coral pieces.

These were on their so called much larger pieces. But $300 for an elegance no bigger than my fist?
Tragic what’s happened to pricing in this hobby. Talked to my LFS about it and he sez prices will drop back to “normal” maybe two years. I laughed. Why would suppliers and sellers ever lower prices unless demand goes away.

 

[samnaz]

Psh I’d never pay that much for a coral. I don’t care what kind. My limit is $100 and I’ve never even spent that much!

 

[Flippers4pups]

On the flip side of things, LFS are struggling across the US with what's going on. I would expect things to get ugly in the coming months.

Could, I say could be why the prices are inflated as of late.

Even with prices where they are, please do shop with the LFS when you can.

 

[X-37B]

Most of mine are $30ish like my blue tort but it was a nub.
Max was $50-60 for fox flame and pink floyd.
Then bought a Walt Disney for $150 and it was a 1/2" nub.
Its now the size of a silver dollar and growing well.
I have a wild Tenius the size of a softball now thats all green and was $10.
Its all relative as the nicest corals I have are from trades but not big name ones.

 

[ichthyogeek]

What Flippers said. There’s a pandemic going on. The West coast sellers are having a hard time getting shipments in, whether that be fish, coral, etc. People are having to make choices (employees? Or raise the prices). The economy’s expected to tank even more in August/September.

A lot of the fish are having to have a price raise of 2.5x what they normally are. I can stomach $40 for a flame angelfish. But $100 is a lot.

If it was a recent change (ie since March), it’s probably pandemic caused. Anything else is probably something else down the line. Hopefully something good like employees being paid fair wages, and not something bad like companies increasing profit margins by increasing prices.

 

[Gernader]

That’s crazy! Even during the pandemic, my LFS still have the same prices as before. For example, they have 6-7 inch elegance corals for only $170. They even have like a $20 dollar tank, $30 dollar tank, and more expensive corals in their own tanks! I’m definitely lucky to have a LFS with lower prices than other stores.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

We are our own enemy, if no one buys them, they have to reduce the prices. The most ridiculous price I have seen is a frag of gsp sells for around $29.99 or even higher, can’t remember. That’s last year in Florida.

 

[sp1187]

On the flip side of things, LFS are struggling across the US with what's going on. I would expect things to get ugly in the coming months.

Could, I say could be why the prices are inflated as of late.

Even with prices where they are, please do shop with the LFS when you can.

I buy all my dry goods local.
Haven’t seen any “gotta have” live stock locally lately.

 

[sp1187]

We are our own enemy, if no one buys them, they have to reduce the prices. The most ridiculous price I have seen is a frag of gsp sells for around $29.99 or even higher, can’t remember. That’s last year in Florida.

Or go out of business, which I don’t want to see that.

 

[Here we go again..]

We are our own enemy, if no one buys them, they have to reduce the prices. The most ridiculous price I have seen is a frag of gsp sells for around $29.99 or even higher, can’t remember. That’s last year in Florida.

Thats what my lfs sells gsp frags for also. I have seen a price increase since the pandemic. And they arent getting shipments in regularly. But also there are only two lfs that I know of in a pretty good radius around me (that deal in salt water, and have clean tanks). The closest one is about a 20 minute drive, and the next is about 45 minutes. My favorite one is over an hour..... I dont buy from him unless its late fall/winter early spring. Its hot here in Texas!!!!!

 

[tehmadreefer]

That’s crazy! Even during the pandemic, my LFS still have the same prices as before. For example, they have 6-7 inch elegance corals for only $170. They even have like a $20 dollar tank, $30 dollar tank, and more expensive corals in their own tanks! I’m definitely lucky to have a LFS with lower prices than other stores.

my lfs has the same prices. However I could care less if lfs’s go out of business. I get all my equipment, tests, etc online, corals from other hobbyists andI’m pretty much stocked on fish but if needed there is always live aquaria.
Keep raising those prices, lol

 

[fishguy242]

it's all in shipping , gov approvals,1/3 increase ,fees,lfs are feeling it

 

[Flippers4pups]

That’s crazy! Even during the pandemic, my LFS still have the same prices as before. For example, they have 6-7 inch elegance corals for only $170. They even have like a $20 dollar tank, $30 dollar tank, and more expensive corals in their own tanks! I’m definitely lucky to have a LFS with lower prices than other stores.

We are still in a Pandemic. Unfortunately.

From the people I know on the business side, its hitting them hard due to the lack of sales and cost of importing right now. That's on the wholesale side. Trickles down to us.

 

[Gernader]

We are still in a Pandemic. Unfortunately.

From the people I know on the business side, its hitting them hard due to the lack of sales and cost of importing right now. That's on the wholesale side. Trickles down to us.

I agree. It is a really bad time for busineeses to earn money and make profit. However, my LFS told me that they are actually getting more customers and more money than usual due to their prices and offer great advice when needed!

 

[92Miata]

What Flippers said. There’s a pandemic going on. The West coast sellers are having a hard time getting shipments in, whether that be fish, coral, etc. People are having to make choices (employees? Or raise the prices). The economy’s expected to tank even more in August/September.

A lot of the fish are having to have a price raise of 2.5x what they normally are. I can stomach $40 for a flame angelfish. But $100 is a lot.

If LFS think that raising prices on luxury non-essential items during an economic downturn is going to help keep money flowing enough to pay employees, I think they're going to find otherwise. Demand is low right now - there are tons of people losing their jobs, and tons of livestock being firesold by people shutting down tanks.

If they're going to charge $100 for a $30 frag - most people will just wait. They should be trying to get rid of stuff quickly, lower expenses/maintenance,etc.


I disagree that it's a bad time for businesses to make money - there's a ton of opportunity right now because a lot of companies are continuing to not adapt - so there are all sorts of gaps to fill for companies that are willing to make adjustments. I've bough 6 fish in the last 2 months from The Reef Farm - they're an LFS in the carolinas who started selling online because of the pandemic - and they're doing pretty well because of it. Prices have been reasonable, fish have been in great shape (and my understanding is they're buying captive raised fish from hobbiests in addition to ORA/Biota/Etc).

My LFS is still trying to act like things are normal - employees aren't even wearing masks. No Thanks.

 

[fishguy242]

.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Wow. I'm totally not experiencing the same:
$15 each for large red decorator crabs
$65 for biota captive bred yellow tang
$100 for a zoa rock about 10 in x 6-7 in with probably 400+ polyps.

I've found all of those things at my local lfs's in the last few months.