How much should a proven breeding pair be?

Zoeshiloh · Post by **Zoeshiloh** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:00 pm

I've decided to take the plunge and buy my first breeding pair of L046. I have been offered three different pairs all proven but different ages and very different prices. A guide would be really helpful!

Stevie.K · Post by **Stevie.K** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:39 pm

Hi, they are only worth what you are willing to pay for them, breeding pairs a year ago would never be for sale & any females where very hard to get hold of & you would have to be very quick to get your offer in.
A year later due to illegal smuggling the prices have plummeted & you can buy as many females as you want, that is in the UK, if you can sex them 100%.
A breeding pair on ebay up to a year ago went for £1250

& another breeding pr this week went for around £430 so you see the difference smuggling has had on the prices.
All the fish I have bought had not bred before, some have some haven't some have had eggs & being eaten, & some I have had alot of success with, you can never tell.
Just because some fish have bred before, it does not mean they will breed for you & you may be disappointed, once they go into new conditions & routines are changed, they could not breed for months, years or not at all if not happy.
I have experienced this with proven pairs of Discus, the most success I experienced is from the ones i didn't mess around with & these fish just paired themselves up & I didn't pay for the proven pair price tag

There are wild pairs on ebay starting at £200, so I will leave it for you to decide & see what others say.
Hope this helps you decide.
I have just come back from the red sea & always loved marine but after been in the water & seeing it first hand I will be stting up a large marine tank very soon, so I may be selling some L46 in the future we will see, no proven pairs mind.

GrubbyGirl · Post by **GrubbyGirl** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:52 pm

Well said Steve.

I hope you're not looking at the breeding pair currently on ebay at the moment starting at £199. That seller has a bad reputation, I personally wouldn't touch him. I recommend if you're looking see what you can find on the forums, people here and on other pleco forums actually care about their fish

Zoeshiloh · Post by **Zoeshiloh** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:07 am

Thanks guys. No I'm not looking at the ones on eBay I encountered the same seller when my partner was looking for a new stingray and I was less than impressed.

Stevie.K · Post by **Stevie.K** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:35 am

Hi, the seller is Jose Tusset of Amazon Direct who also advertises on aquarist classifieds.
I can't comment on him & I don't know if he is a member on here?
But if people on here have had bad experiences then it is good to share them, to avoid other people getting poor service or ripped off.

I have had a bad experience non fish related with another company, were I have lost alot of money & also my company, his company went bust the guy did a runner & is there is currently a possibility he may be charged with fraud, theft & deception charges, he had been ripping people for years.

Other forums gave him such a bad name that it stopped people going to him & prevented alot of other people getting ripped off, unfortunately too late for me, but the power of the Internet

GrubbyGirl · Post by **GrubbyGirl** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:19 am

I think that's the important thing Steve, to prevent other people getting ripped off. As long as everyone is trutheful about their experiences I see no reason why we shouldn't name and shame, it protects true fish lovers. Afterall, people like Jo are good sellers and I know when I was looking people told me so, I would hope they would tell me who to avoid (and they did)

Zoeshiloh · Post by **Zoeshiloh** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:40 pm

One of the pairs I was offered has been sold, and one chap I am not 100% sure about as he seems unable to answer simple questions. The third is messing me about a bit and keeps changing the price.

So, would anyone be able to recommend a breeder/seller - to be honest I am not worried about having a proven breeding paid - I would like a healthy male and female, I am not worried if they are from different sources etc. I don't particularly want really young fish but I am flexible. If anyone can help me please get in touch.

Stevie.K · Post by **Stevie.K** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:12 pm

If you want to give me a pm, I am sure i can sort you I have surplus wild males & fry of my own that some are sexable, they are 2 1/2 yrs old & good sized fish, & I have others to choose from.
Like I said I may need to sell some to fund a marine tank, however you are welcome to come & visit, but I would not be prepared to post any fish.
Hope this helps.

Post by **TwoTankAmin** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:22 pm

The only advice I can offer is to point out the differences between wild caught and tank raised fish.

The same plethora of wild caught zebras that hit the UK also hit the USA. The part most folks don't hear about is how many of those illegal fish came in with all kinds of parasites etc common in the wild. It was not such big news that a lot of these cheap and plentiful wild fish did not live all that long. That is not to say every one of them came in diseased or that all the sellers of these fish did not know how to deal with these issues before trying to or actually reselling them.

If one can find either tank raised zebras or find a trust worthy seller who you know have had their wild fish for an extended period, then this is the best route to go.

jerry58 · Post by **jerry58** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:40 pm

Hi Stevie.K

Sorry to go off topic everyone.

Stevie.K said

But if people on here have had bad experiences then it is good to share them

This would come under my idea for a place to post lessons learn't to which nobody has replied to as of yet!.
Its in sit suggestions on the front of the forum.

Jerry

Zoeshiloh · Post by **Zoeshiloh** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:58 pm

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome and advice. Steve I will send you a pm tomorrow I completely agree with regards to sending fish personally I hate it but that is just my opinion. You might be a bit far away but I do travel around the country for work so I might be up your way soon.

Jo's Zebs · Post by **Jo's Zebs** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:35 pm

[quote="jerry58"

Stevie.K said

But if people on here have had bad experiences then it is good to share them

This would come under my idea for a place to post lessons learn't to which nobody has replied to as of yet!.
Its in sit suggestions on the front of the forum.

Jerry[/quote]

A bad experience in keeping and caring for your own fish shared is a great thing, although I agree with what you are saying regarding dealings with companies the legality issues for ZP might not be in our favor if a company disagrees with the comments made no matter how helpful they maybe to other members.

GrubbyGirl · Post by **GrubbyGirl** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:47 pm

Jo's Zebs wrote: A bad experience in keeping and caring for your own fish shared is a great thing, although I agree with what you are saying regarding dealings with companies the legality issues for ZP might not be in our favor if a company disagrees with the comments made no matter how helpful they maybe to other members.

There is nothing to be worried about Jo as long as people are only imparting facts. The company can disagree to its hearts content and there isn't a darn thing in law they can do about it. I am not a practicing lawyer, but do have a few letters after my name (and 5 years of study in the Law). The truth is never unlawful, unless of course you're in breach of the official secrets act, and I am not aware of any fish imprters or breeders that fall into that category!!