Reef Discussion

[Wrangy]

Now I know we have ALL spent our fair share of dosh on these wonderful animals but how much would you be willing to pay for a single fish? I'm not talking any fish and not an "if I won lottery, I would buy...." situation but a real example, would you save up to buy a fish you've always wanted and what point would be too much for a single fish?

I'm curious because I've recently learned that something on my list that I've always loved can actually be sourced and flown here! Chaetodon tinkeri is a butterflyfish that I have always admired from afar but after some new information I've become aware that getting one is going to be a very real possibility for me :) the problem is they're not cheap :p lol the other butterfly I've always looked at is c. mitratus but they're $1k so I'm definitely not getting one haha Tinkeri is a little less but still above $500!
C. tinkeri in all it's glory :D

So my question is how far would you go for a fish you'd always wanted and what holds to back to a specific amount?

 

[Lesley]

my dream fish is the Achilles tang
I would not hesitate to spend $695 needed (would have to save as don't have that kind of spare cash to be honest) if the survival rate was higher than 20%
:(

 

[slin1977]

my dream fish is the Achilles tang
I would not hesitate to spend $695 needed (would have to save as don't have that kind of spare cash to be honest) if the survival rate was higher than 20%
:(

The Achilles is quite the regal show stopper have to agree.
Did not know they had such poor survival rate.

 

[Sam Parker]

I'd happily (edit, not happily, but i would do it) drop up to a couple of grand on a fish. Obviously I'd need to be in a position where I wouldn't be eating bread and water for a month as a result of buying it.

 

[slin1977]

So my question is how far would you go for a fish you'd always wanted and what holds to back to a specific amount?

If the opportunity presents then act on it.
I'll never forget passing up a Centropyge hybrid for $50.00
Having your all time wish fish in your glass cage, priceless.

 

[Buddy]

I must have cheap taste. I don't think I have seen a fish over $250 that I wanted! That fish was a Mystery Wrasse but I decided against it because they are supposed to be aggressive and I had a Cleaner Shrimp at the time.

 

[MagicJ]

I'm a bit like @Buddy - I don't think I would pay more than $200 for a fish.

 

[slin1977]

I must have cheap taste. I don't think I have seen a fish over $250 that I wanted! That fish was a Mystery Wrasse but I decided against it because they are supposed to be aggressive and I had a Cleaner Shrimp at the time.

Mystery wrasse , yap on my wish list.

 

[Wrangy]

my dream fish is the Achilles tang
I would not hesitate to spend $695 needed (would have to save as don't have that kind of spare cash to be honest) if the survival rate was higher than 20%
:(

Why am I not surprised by this :P they're definitely a gorgeous tang and would look amazing in your tank ;)

I'd happily (edit, not happily, but i would do it) drop up to a couple of grand on a fish. Obviously I'd need to be in a position where I wouldn't be eating bread and water for a month as a result of buying it.

I'll be honest, I'd eat bread and butter for two months but I don't think my girlfriend would see eye to eye on that one :p At the moment given my income source I think that $750 would be my max but once I'm finally out of uni lol I think it would change a great deal haha

If the opportunity presents then act on it.
I'll never forget passing up a Centropyge hybrid for $50.00
Having your all time wish fish in your glass cage, priceless.

That's true :) I'd be kicking myself for a very long time if I missed out on getting an all time want in the tank!

I must have cheap taste. I don't think I have seen a fish over $250 that I wanted! That fish was a Mystery Wrasse but I decided against it because they are supposed to be aggressive and I had a Cleaner Shrimp at the time.

I'm a bit like @Buddy - I don't think I would pay more than $200 for a fish.

I don't think that's cheap lol $200-300 seems to be a common max spend that a lot of people have when it comes to fish, a mystery would be totally worth it though! :)

 

[suta42]

is:p lol the other butterfly I've always looked at is c. mitratus but they're $1k so I'm definitely not getting one haha Tinkeri is a little less but still above $500!
C. tinkeri in all it's glory :D
View attachment 54039

So my question is how far would you go for a fish you'd always wanted and what holds to back to a specific amount?

I've kept a Tinkers and declivis in the past. Things have changed a lot in their collection areas.

A few years a go tinkeri hybrids were exceedingly rarely available in the hobby and fetched over 1k in the states when on offer.

Times have changed and now the reverse is true. I know because I've asked for photos from the international wholesaler / collector before placing an order. What's available cheaply now are not true tinkers. They're collected outside Hawaii and have other roas especially burgess, mixed in with them, but are offered as tinkers. True tinkers are seldom available ATM due to Kona collection restrictions and cost considerably more than 500. OTOH mitratus and declevis should be much cheaper, especially if you use a shop that imports directly via Hawaii for declivis (they are from Marshall Islands) or Sri Lanka for mitratus. If they use a tra shipper via the U.S. you pay a lot more.

But, to answer your question I would pay zero for an Achilles (!) and a helluva lot more for a pure tinkers, half that for either mitratus or declivis.

Edit: sorry if this came across abruptly, I'm on my iPad and was in a rush... Hope you find your dream fish whatever it may be


Angie

 

[thepubenator]

tinkers are nice, who can you get from? have you seen declivis, i think they are nicer and should be cheaper.

 

[Trentwalsh]

$200 ish for the purple tang i have in quarenteen at the moment....
.... Who knows what the future holds...... Id be willling to drop $500 if its a knock out wow factor i must have that!!!

... Idunno how people spend $750 ish on designer clowns..... Above and beyond me

 

[Franklin Dattein]

$120 bucks is my top. Above that and the fish starts looking "ugly" to me :P

 

[chimaera]

I am considering paying (I expect) $300ish for a watchman goby and shrimp. Which has taken me a long time (ie years!) to decide to do, so I guess that's about my maximum. But then I have a nano tank so not like I can add just any old fish whatever the price.

With a bigger tank and more freedom of choice, I might stretch up to $500.

 

[suta42]

$120 bucks is my top. Above that and the fish starts looking "ugly" to me :p

You'd get on really well with my husband!

 

[Wrangy]

I've kept a Tinkers and declivis in the past. Things have changed a lot in their collection areas.

A few years a go tinkeri hybrids were exceedingly rarely available in the hobby and fetched over 1k in the states when on offer.

Times have changed and now the reverse is true. I know because I've asked for photos from the international wholesaler / collector before placing an order. What's available cheaply now are not true tinkers. They're collected outside Hawaii and have other roas especially burgess, mixed in with them, but are offered as tinkers. True tinkers are seldom available ATM due to Kona collection restrictions and cost considerably more than 500. OTOH mitratus and declevis should be much cheaper, especially if you use a shop that imports directly via Hawaii for declivis (they are from Marshall Islands) or Sri Lanka for mitratus. If they use a tra shipper via the U.S. you pay a lot more.

But, to answer your question I would pay zero for an Achilles (!) and a helluva lot more for a pure tinkers, half that for either mitratus or declivis.

Edit: sorry if this came across abruptly, I'm on my iPad and was in a rush... Hope you find your dream fish whatever it may be


Angie

hahaha didn't come across abruptly :) How did you find the tinkers??

Considerably more than $500 is right lol but that's interesting what you're saying about getting a pure breed tinkers. If I do go ahead and go after one or c. mitratus depending on how I feel lol I'll be ensuring that it's a true tinkers and even beyond that I completely trust my lfs to be getting me a true specimen, he's a bit of a fish nut so I know he would get me something that wasn't a true tinkers lol he's worse than most hobbiests :P

Thanks for the info though, it's a great insight on things :)

tinkers are nice, who can you get from? have you seen declivis, i think they are nicer and should be cheaper.

They're definitely nice, I prefer Tinkers though :) And just from my lfs :)

I am considering paying (I expect) $300ish for a watchman goby and shrimp. Which has taken me a long time (ie years!) to decide to do, so I guess that's about my maximum. But then I have a nano tank so not like I can add just any old fish whatever the price.

With a bigger tank and more freedom of choice, I might stretch up to $500.

Definitely worth the extra spend :D and I agree with you on that, I think tank size does have a lot of impact on max spend that people set :) I certainly wouldn't have even considered any chaetodon sp. in my cade!

 

[Savage Henry]

My max has been $100 simply because what I have really wanted have not costed more than $100.

My Yellow Tang was $100 and I can't think of any fish that would better it.

Ah, actually, forgot my now deceased Tiger Blenny was $130 I think, but that was an extraordinary buy for me. I'm no longer willing to spend more than $100 unless I know in my hands the fish is going to be virtually bullet proof.

I'm not confident I have the time (and in some cases experience) to keep some of the more expensive fish. I feel the same about corals.

One other thing, I'm pretty selective about my fish. Even if a particular species only costs $25, I'd be looking for really good specimens over several shops before I'd buy one. My Coral Beauty is spectacular and I looked at many before I chose the one I have. So, I'd happily pay ten times the standard price for a common fish if it is a really good one.

 

[brendan88]

Well I have to say, I think we have got our prized fish and would be the most we would spend on fish. Diffidently wouldn't drop more the $600 on a fish.

A pair of bellbenus anthia $700

Chevron tang $400

ROSE band wrasse $380

Like lesly, Achilles will be the ultimate for us, but we are waiting for a juvi from our LFS. Which that bloke can make things happen.

 

[Mattres]

Now I know we have ALL spent our fair share of dosh on these wonderful animals but how much would you be willing to pay for a single fish? I'm not talking any fish and not an "if I won lottery, I would buy...." situation but a real example, would you save up to buy a fish you've always wanted and what point would be too much for a single fish?

I'm curious because I've recently learned that something on my list that I've always loved can actually be sourced and flown here! Chaetodon tinkeri is a butterflyfish that I have always admired from afar but after some new information I've become aware that getting one is going to be a very real possibility for me :) the problem is they're not cheap :p lol the other butterfly I've always looked at is c. mitratus but they're $1k so I'm definitely not getting one haha Tinkeri is a little less but still above $500!
C. tinkeri in all it's glory :D
View attachment 54039

So my question is how far would you go for a fish you'd always wanted and what holds to back to a specific amount?

WOW! I love him

I reckon I would talk myself into doing a one off buy of about $500 for a fish.
It can be justified if it's the "show" fish of the tank :D
Saying that I'd be much more likely to spend that much if I knew they wouldn't touch coral. Is that a big risk with the C. Tinkeri?

 

[Tom H]

Not sure how much I'd be prepared to spend on a single fish. I'd probably spend $300 on a nice clam. I think once my livestock is worth more than the aquarium setup it'll be a good excuse to upgrade!