Why is a Zebra Plec like a bank account?

[dave]

Well the answer is if you don't need a loan you can get one, if you have zebra plecs it seems that you can get more.

But on a serious note, and it is just an idea, and those of us that are breeding this fish know that when they start breeding, you end up with quite a few.

The idea came about because of the fish mentioned in adverts recently and the variation in price.

I'm doing it anyway, lets introduce 2 people a year to zebras, more if you have more fish, as it seems to me that people are paying the amounts of money asked out of sheer desperation.

If we can give people hope, and realistic hope, we may be able to prevent people keeping and stockpiling the fish for profit, but just because they love the fish.

I do realise we are someway off meeting the demand for this fish, but if we can remove the profiteering element even by a small amount, then surely it is a step in the right direction.

Any thoughts welcome

Dave

[lrry93]

October004 tried selling them cheaper here in the U.S. and all that happened was some peope turned around and made big profits from them. They were selling them for double what he sold them for.

[dave]

It's a chance I'm going to take, and if I find that people are making a profit out of my fish, not much I can do.

I will name and shame. but through this site I have come across people who I believe to be dedicated, also other things I do with this fish has allowed me to obtain more.

I have to exercise judgement, and I may get it wrong at times, but hopefully, I'll be right more often than not, only time will tell.

Dave

[zeberdy]

Good on you Dave! I have only just started to breed with my three Adults and still trying to build up another group but if I am lucky enough to have more spawns in the future then I would love to give someone else the chance to own and breed these.

[chanettt]

i love your idea and hope to see it happen here in thailand too. in thailand, the price of zebra pleco go crazy! it's hardly for people to buy even one. right now i use all my money from my bank to just buy a 2 inches one cost around 275 USD. i am still a college student so that money is very expensive for me. (i put all money on the zebra so right now i don't even have a money to buy a nice filteration) however, i hope one day i can have a nice couple for breeding and so that i will be the one who make the price of the zebra in thailand goes down!!! there are many zebra lovers here who cannot effort the price of a zebra. however, it will take me another year to buy another zebra and a few year to breed them... anyway thanks for such a nice website and great community. i learn a lot from all information you all provided and it's very helpful for the zebra lovers who really want to take a good care of it.
sorry for the langauge mistake since this is not my native one.

[discusbabe]

I agree also, certainly something to seriously consider. I'm a way off yet but would like to think I can do the same in the future.

[Rob]

Hi Dave

I think it is an excellent idea, but one that each individual would have to be responsible for. i.e. trust can only really be gained by individuals as opposed to groups. i.e. when I give away zebs I prefer to decide for myself who they are going to.

How woudl you see this working? If ti was a puyblic thing, we would have to be very careful of the disciminative concerns. Who decides who shoudl have some.

I will send you (dave) a PM.

rob

[madmoroccan]

Good on you Dave. Many have come, seen the prices, and ran away...

I would hope that all those on this site who have breeding groups would use the same restraint.

Sub 50 pound juveniles are possible if you meet the right people here. (Please do not PM asking who, you won't get a reply.)

Now why is it that some people price their excess fish fairly and others choose to charge the rediculous "rare fish" prices... The answer is simple some just want good homes for their fish and others prefer top dollar.

I remember suggesting that as a collective pricing structure would eliminate high prices... But as remember that fell on deaf ears.
Of course such a structure would only apply to known members who are prepared to make an agreement not to sell them on for more. How this could be enforced? I don't have that answer. But in carefully choosing your buyers you could weed out the speculators quite easily.

Good luck with your plan. In the end most members only want whats best for the species. And with any luck you will succeed

PS. Instead of giving them away... Why doesn't everybody club together and suggest what a fair price is (new thread maybe)?

[Lifted193]

Hi all, while reading this thread I came up with an idea (might not be the right one but an idea that might spark someone else with a better one).

We could start a lottory system or list for all the people who don't own these fishes and are serious about keeping them.

To get on the list maybe a honor system (sometime this doesn't work) ...or better yet someone to sponser you or vouch for you.

Now we need breeders that are willing to participate, sell few of their Zebra's for a very reasonable price.

How it works is once a month a random name on the list (like the lottery) will be drawn and they get to buy a few Zebra's at a great price from a breeder. The breeders will also be on a lottery.

Once your name is drawn from the list and you buy your fish, you are out of the lottery.

I don't think this could work as one large lottery cause how we are all spread out over the world.

Well, sorry about the rush rought draft. I know there are loop holes but hopefully this will "spark the branch that will ignite the fire! "
Got to go and start getting read for my daughter's B-Day!
Ken

[Barbie]

I tried this. Sold a group very cheaply to help someone get started with them. He'd raised lots of other species of fish and already had a couple adults. It sounded like a great idea.

We were both pretty devastated when they were all lost a few months down the road. It did greatly influence my thinking on where my babies go, I'll have to admit. All the altruism in the world isn't necessarily going to benefit the plecos themselves.

Just my experience though. I do still intend to sell the fry. I give preference to people that are close enough to pick them up and someday I'll have to figure out who I want to ship to again I guess, now that they're spawning again.

Barbie

[TwoTankAmin]

I have already devised a plan for selling my fry that is designed to work sort of this way. I really want to see my fish go to folks who will grow them out and try to spawn them but may not have the money to buy them at going prices. I also whish to avoid putting them into the hands of folks who have not got the experience to do this.

I spent a lot of money to get my fish, and getting my investment back is important. So some fish I will sell outright for market prices but others I intend to sell in order to get more folks breeding them. I will offer some fish for below market pricing. However, I also do not wish to be taken advantage of by folks who would merely buy and resell them. So here is my basic plan:

Zebra Buying Rules:

1. You must be buying with the intent of growing out the fish and attempting to spawn them.
A. Min quant is 6 fish.
B. If you decide to sell the fish at any time before they have spawned, I must have right of first refusal to buy them back at the same price I sold them to you for.
C. If you are successful at spawning the fish, you will send me three 1 inch or larger fry taken from the first two successful spawns.
D. You will sign an agreement/contract stipulating to the above terms and conditions.

2. I must feel reasonably assured of both your sincerity and your ability to fullfill Number 1. above.
A. To do this means I must have known you online or in person for some period of time.
B. References from folks I know help if I don’t already know you.
C. The best way to get to know me and me to know you in terms of fish keeping experience and ability is in live fish chat. This does not mean a fast fly through to PM your ‘credentials”. It means chatting about fish etc. a number of time over a month or two.

I am thinking a price of $75 per fish and might even work with folks to allow them to pay over time if needed.

I have a number of fry (exact number unknown) currently growing out and do not want to sell any until they get a bit of size.

Any comments or suggestions about this plan are most welcome.

[dave]

I do know it's a chance, and I would hate to think that people who receive fish at a reasonable price wouldn't go on to breed them, and even if 25% go on to breed them hopefully it will lead to more Zebras in the market place.

It may or may not work.

Dave

[Shimmy]

The fact that these fish are so expensive will ultimately drive their price down. Few shops will buy them off any breeder at the right price, why because most fish shops look to make a minimum of double what they paid for.

So hyperthetically you sold your fish for £100, the fish shops would want to charge £200 plus. Well we have all searched different sites and know even the highest price fish are going for around £150 plus.

Therefor few shops will sell. This leaves ourselves and ultimately people trying to make money out of them. The only real way to do this is too buy groups and breed them yourselves the profits are higher at the end of the day though it takes a little longer. This will over a short period of time reduce the fish price and when it slowly starts to fall the people looking to make money will move onto somethig else as the hassle will begin to out weigh the profits.

The only people to kill this are the trophy collectors who are looking to own as many L number plecs as possible, but when all these people are satisfied you are then left back with us, people breeding to increase numbers.

It is always a risk when buying selling the fiah that they are going to genuine breeders or people who will care for this fish.

All we can do is make a valued judgment and hope for the best.

[discusbabe]

Zebra Buying Rules:

A. Min quant is 6 fish.

This would be my issue, do you mean 6 from the same breeding group and therefore 6 related fish? If it's 6 from two different groups in total maybe but surely it would be better to get unrelated specimens if you are hoping for the buyer to breed them? Other than that sounds good!

[madmoroccan]

Zebra Buying Rules:

A. Min quant is 6 fish.

This would be my issue, do you mean 6 from the same breeding group and therefore 6 related fish? If it's 6 from two different groups in total maybe but surely it would be better to get unrelated specimens if you are hoping for the buyer to breed them? Other than that sounds good!

I actually agree with twotankamin on that one... Once you have 6 of them it won't be that hard to swap three... or get more from another source since your intentions are clear (6 = intention to breed). Another thing to add is that exchange programs would be much easier to operate if there were more people with Zebras in the same area... and since lower prices would encourage this everybody wins.

I like the idea of the lottery system... Though it won't work. More likely to work would be a priority list... People with proven experience should get priority over first timers.

Another thing to add would be that without breeders agreeing to participate this idea won't work EVER! I don't have a group that is adult let alone ready to spawn. But I would participate when good things start to happen in my tank.