Is a zebra pleco worth it?
- Thread starter Ijustlikefish
- Start date
Oh, no. You do NOT get to claim the moral high ground for conservation when you're charging several hundred dollars for an individual. If you were serious about conservation you'd reduce the price and get the fish into the hands of talented breeders who can't afford those high costs. THAT is contributing to the conservation of a species. And I don't care about how much work or what your costs are to breed them. Blah blah blah. You're justifying the prices you charge. What you're doing isn't conservation. It's capitalism at it's finest, without any mind for conservation. You said it yourself right here, "Any fish is only worth what you will pay for it." If you were actually being altruistic, your costs wouldn't matter and distributing the species to as many hobbyists as possible would be your top goal, not ensuring that your costs are recovered. You wouldn't find ways to justify charging the prices you do. As it is, you and other breeders are keeping the prices inflated by charging so damn much for the species (and others) that prices will never be driven driven down and it won't become common in the hobby. Of course, if more hobbyists started breeding and distributing them, you wouldn't have a market at $300.00 per fish, now would you? And believe me, you're not special. You are no more capable as a breeder than many other folks I know.
I've been a member of the American Cichlid Association and Rocky Mountain Cichlid Association. With the exception of auctions where the proceeds went directly to conservation efforts either in the wild or at public zoos or aquariums, I have NEVER had to pay more than $50.00 or $60.00 dollars per fish, and those occasions have been rare. Usually it's been $25.00 to $30.00. I can buy an entire breeding colony for what you charge for one zebra pleco. Many of the species I've had the privilege to work with are extinct in the wild already, some only had maybe a thousand or couple thousand individuals in captivity. Others are Critically Endangered in the wild. I was thankful to have the opportunity to work with these species and to help ensure their survival, contributing to the possibility and the hope that one day they could be reintroduced and distributing fish so that there is a broader captive population that isn't susceptible to being wiped out due to disease. I felt a sense of satisfaction that I had the opportunity to acquire and breed a rare species. I've worked with Victorian cichlids that are down to a thousand or so individuals in captivity. I've given the offspring away (and know others have as well), and seen other folks only charge a few tens of dollars for the offspring of these species. In general, the prices are just enough to make somebody think, "Do I really want to spend $30 on one fish?" That gets folks wondering why a fish costs that much, and helps educate folks to the plight of these fish in the wild when they ask or research the species. But these prices don't prevent skilled, serious hobbyists of medium income, who are legitimately concerned about conservation, from acquiring the species.
And you know what, when I was breeding the rare species I've worked with, never once did I think about what it cost me to breed and raise these fish to a distributable size. THAT is conservation.
When a few individuals of Iranocichla hormuzensis made it into the U.S. in the early to mid 2000s, very few made it into the hands of the general cichlid community. That wasn't because of cost; it was because so few were imported that there just weren't enough to go around. I saw one list that offered them for $30.00 each, but admittedly that was to a short list of folks in the hobby and I'm not well enough known to even make the long list. I've seen various Danakilia spp., most of the Madgascar cichlids, the various species of Alcolapia, and numerous species of rare West African (like those species from Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon), among many, many other rare species from both Africa and the New World, offered for sale at $50.00 or $60.00 when they first appeared on the scene. People could have charged $300.00 a fish. People could have limited the availability by keeping the costs high. But a lot of these you can now get for $15.00 or $20.00. These are rarer in the wild than zebra plecos and just as endangered. Folks aren't using that as an excuse for charging high prices.
I'm very well aware of the plight of the Xingu. Actually it isn't the only river in South America facing the same issues due to dams and development. There are other loricariid species that are facing the same issue, as well as characins, livebearers, cichlids and catfish from other families. Are you as worried about all those species as you are the zebras? You probably couldn't charge $300.00 per fish for these, but you may put part of your great conservation-conscious breeding talents to breeding some of these.
I agree with you 100%. Zebra plecos probably will go extinct in the wild. I respect your experience with the species. But neither you or any other breeder of zebra plecos has any business claiming you're contributing to the conservation of the species with your current financially focused breeding and distribution practices. Start reducing the prices and getting the fish into the hands of more people, then we'll talk about whether or not you're a conservationist.
WYite
I pretty much agree with this. If you want to save a species, as many people as possible should be able to get it without such a huge financial risk if it dies. It’s not just the cost that stop people from buying expensive fish, it’s the possibility of being out $300 in a week. I’m good with capitalism and making money if you can. Just be honest about the intentions. I’m nowhere near the breeder that WYite is, but I did breed some Xmas fulu, which I believe are endangered. I sold about 400 fry at $4 each and then I later sold my group of 3 females and 1 male for $40. I still have one and a friend has around 15, so I like to think I contributed somewhat, but intentions were to make a little cash on the side.
I don't think anyone with any sense would get into breeding zebra plecos for profit.
I would expect that a selling price should take into account the cost to breed and raise them, and often the public selling price is far higher than the price offered to folks interested in breeding groups just to aid conservation and keep the cost of ownership out if the hands of the majority who want one single centerpiece fish and/or don't have the knowledge to keep them alive.
I am not going to look at the specific prices from some folks But I know a pet store by me (well 150 miles away) got 3 zebras of unknown size this AM and were selling them for ~$200 each
I have see prices much lower than that between honest breeders, but the fact is that it takes a lot of time and care to get to the point of sale.
If you are looking to breed fish for profit, outside of suggesting you shouldn't, I would suggest bettas (wild or domestic) or shrimp would be a far more profitable option.
I would expect that a selling price should take into account the cost to breed and raise them, and often the public selling price is far higher than the price offered to folks interested in breeding groups just to aid conservation and keep the cost of ownership out if the hands of the majority who want one single centerpiece fish and/or don't have the knowledge to keep them alive.
I am not going to look at the specific prices from some folks But I know a pet store by me (well 150 miles away) got 3 zebras of unknown size this AM and were selling them for ~$200 each
I have see prices much lower than that between honest breeders, but the fact is that it takes a lot of time and care to get to the point of sale.
If you are looking to breed fish for profit, outside of suggesting you shouldn't, I would suggest bettas (wild or domestic) or shrimp would be a far more profitable option.
I suppose, the prices should be lower to possibly start helping the species. The reason why they are pretty rare even with hobbyists is because many people don’t want to pay that price. I mean I would of course pick up a zebra if it’s price was under a 100 usd, I’m sure many other people would also love too.
I don’t know what goes into breeding plecos, but when I was another forum getting suggestions for fish to breed to make a little cash, zebra plecos and apistograma were the two that were suggested the most.
The problem with breeding L046, is the fact that they are not prolific at all, and really slow growers... so you have to spend a long time and amount of effort on their upbringing.
Apiatos are sort of everywhere now, and only really aquarists know much about them.
hence suggesting bettas and shrimp, they are quick to breed and grow, and appeal to non-aquarists too.
I know lots of folks that breed shrimp, many who breed bettas, at least from a financial standpoint, I know very few breeding zebra plecos or apistos expecting to make any money
Zebras are probably very expensive to start up nowadays, but WYmite has a point if zebras were slightly cheaper than much more people would start breeding them
Shrimp were suggested to me as well but not like the others. I was breeding the fulu, S Fryeri and Herotilapia multispinosa. I did ok with the haps but I couldn’t give the rainbows away. My logic with the rainbows was that they’re the perfect cichlid for your typical casual fish keeper. Small, peaceful, colorful and no local LSF carried them, but for some reason I never got any interest, not one person even inquired about the rainbows
