Yellow Tangs - less and less available

[mch1984]

@OrionN & @4FordFamily here is my baby biota yellow. For got I had this pic, this was a few weeks ago, he’s gotten a little bigger and color is still improving.

 

[OrionN]

He looks good. The deformities of CB yellow tangs I saw are the deformities of the fins

 

[n21benson]

I have noticed the price increase quite a bit over the last few years. Which would back up the post by @4FordFamily .

Sydney, Australia ... $299.95

 

[vetteguy53081]

After the big hurricane, the Hawaiin fish became scarce and the prices shot up due to demand and now clampdown on collecting until 2021. $20 tangs are now $40-50.00!

 

[OrionN]

I can’t believe some of the price Australian pay for fish, corals, and anemones.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

My Local LFS, Harry's Marine in Gardena, which is actually the new retail side of Cortez Tropical Marine ( an importer/wholesaler been around over 20 years) has literally hundreds of yellow tangs in stock and the price is normal. They said they are still getting Hawaii shipments every week or every other week. OP, your LFS guys just don't want to order them or don't know where to order them from...

 

[Rooneski]

Yellow tangs go for around $150 in Melbourne australia. What website is that from?

 

[n21benson]

Yellow tangs go for around $150 in Melbourne australia. What website is that from?

https://www.sydneydiscusworld.com/yellow-tang-hawaii-zebrasoma-flavescens/

 

[Whisperer]

Sydney, Australia ... $299.95

Is that a real yellow tang? The eyes are obviously different and the shape of the body is not exactly that of the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens).

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

It's funny I have a wholesaler that has had about 100 of them in last 6 months and I think hes down to 90 and they are not selling very fast.
Price is really cheap too.

 

[nismo_32]

I have one of the Biota and his shape is fine. He was very dull in color but I think a lot of that was the fact he was about the size of a quarter when I got him. I have had him for about 6 weeks now and he has put on some size and the yellow is coming in nicely.

I have 6 of these biota yellows and we’re almost transparent when I got them. Now are turning yellows and are like little tanks. Body shape are perfect and I love the fact I know the exact day my fish were born so I can know the exact age of them not to mention to support the breeders to hopefully make it profitable so they keep on doing it with multiple specifies. Would love to see some captive raised gems or blacks

 

[User1]

I have 6 of these biota yellows and we’re almost transparent when I got them. Now are turning yellows and are like little tanks. Body shape are perfect and I love the fact I know the exact day my fish were born so I can know the exact age of them not to mention to support the breeders to hopefully make it profitable so they keep on doing it with multiple specifies. Would love to see some captive raised gems or blacks

You raise a interesting point here - known age.

I always look to see if the fish I'm after is captive bred. Not a huge selection but there are possibilities never the less.

 

[Rooneski]

https://www.reefsecrets.com.au/products/yellow-tang

That $299 website is a bit overpriced. Just for accurate references.

 

[nereefpat]

A Petco I was recently in had two of them. $49.99 I believe.

The days of $29.99 yellow tangs seem to be over, but that's probably okay. Maybe it will keep the riff raff from buying them for their inadequate systems.

 

[jda]

One of the wholesaler lists that I get has 600-1000 available every week out of Hawaii.

 

[nereefpat]

One of the wholesaler lists that I get has 600-1000 available every week out of Hawaii.

That's good to know. Any idea what the import was, say, a year or two ago?

 

[JDowns]

The orange variant is readily available.

 

[Corey Baker]

I live in southern CA and i hear a lot of rumors from the LFS about Hawaii bans on commercial fish harvesting. Heard this for the last 8 or so months and it was around that time i notices yellow tangs disappeared for LFS for a month and then when they showed back up the price had drastically increased. I noticed the same with the Flame Angels as well.

 

[Shredder99]

Agreed, my local stores here in Denver always seem to have them. Last time I checked a price it was $29 for juveniles; about the size of a silver dollar.

 

[jda]

Prices went up a few bucks wholesale for Hawaii fish and most stuff is still available except for small-net stuff (potters wrasses, for one). If your LFS does not know how to order directly from Hawaii and skip LA, then tell them to get their stuff together.