Why is tank bred Hyp. Zebras so rare in the LFS´s

[Anders]

I wonder why tank bred Hypancistrus Zebra is so rare or even impossible to find in
the LFS´s. I have never heard about any shop selling tank bred Zebra´s.

I don´t have any experience of the Zebra myself, but I have read quite a lot about
the Zebra and as far as I can find out, it seems to be relatively easy to breed this pleco.
So why is it so rare

I´m just about to get me a few of these myself so I wonder what the problem with
this species is. It must be something.

[Caol_ila]

Hi!

I cant speak for sweden...
But i know only 2 out of 7 here that accept private fishes. Second my dealer told me if i a want to supply him with fishes he would like to get them on a regular basis with appealing sizes. In order to do this with L46 youd prolly need no less than 4 breeding pairs to raise a good amount of fry. And the delay would be prolly 1-1.5 years (not so sure about the growth rate for Hypancistrus zebra )combined with quite high costs for you.
No facts here just what i think...

[Jools]

Most shops will only take then if they are more than 4cm SL. At that size you will have have to have been looking after them for at least 1.5 years. Then you will be lucky to get about £10ukp (say, US$17) each for them so that the LFS sells them at £25 / $35 or there abouts. I think a lot of people lose interest in them before they get to this level, many LFS are reluctant to take them and, if it was me, I'd stuff a big display tank with my zebras! Clubs and societies are also more of an outlet for breeders - this is where I have seen captive bred zebras for sale - but not often.

If we find a way to get the fry to grow more quickly (with no bad side effects) then we have the solution.

Jools

[flyinmike]

Most shops will only take then if they are more than 4cm SL. At that size you will have have to have been looking after them for at least 1.5 years. Then you will be lucky to get about £10ukp (say, US$17) each for them so that the LFS sells them at £25 / $35 or there abouts. I think a lot of people lose interest in them before they get to this level, many LFS are reluctant to take them and, if it was me, I'd stuff a big display tank with my zebras! Clubs and societies are also more of an outlet for breeders - this is where I have seen captive bred zebras for sale - but not often.

If we find a way to get the fry to grow more quickly (with no bad side effects) then we have the solution.

Jools

My LFS (both of them) have told me IF they get any they will be more like $60.00us.
I see tank raised ones on aquabid.com going for $75.00us and up. The breeders are selling there because as Jools said the LFS will only give them $15.00-$20.00 each.

[Jools]

Yes, I know the end retail price may be higher but what will your LFS pay you for your fish, especially when you starting bringing 10 zebra plecs to them every 3 months regularly. LFS will vary and it's good you have ones that will take stock from breeders.

Have they told you what they will pay you for a zebra and at what size that fish will have to be?

That is great news about aquabid even if it seems a little expensive to me, I have less of a problem with that as it (hopefully) means they are going to homes where people will look after them properly at least becuase of the great cost of ownership.

Jools

[flyinmike]

The one I deal with the most said he would give me $20.00us each and they have to be 1.5".

Of course thats a lot more than the $2.00 he offered me for the dwarf albino bristlenose. Same amount of work, food,etc. (of course not the same initial investment nor the same demand supply ratio)

I have to agree on the better care when sold on aquabid. Most people probably pamper a fish they pay 75.00 for.

[doctorzeb]

Sorry to hijack, but, on the subject of aquabid, is it possible to use it for UK sales, ie. is it purely lack of interest and postings that prevent uk listings from being entered?


On the subject of tank bred, I H.Z> i have a shop that is willing to take as many as I can breed. He's quite unusual in the the sense that he is careful who he sells to, ensuring the fish is going to the correct environement,( well as much as he can be). I would rather sell privately on UK Classisfied for example, as that way you have the ability to find out where they're going.


rob

[flyinmike]

I don't know about the UK but there are Canadian listings on Aquabid. Some will and some won't ship to the US.

[Silurus]

Aquabid does allow for (and have) listings outside of the North American continent. But because the traffic (read potential bidders) is largely US-based, these listings don't get any attention at all.
If I were a seller in UK, I would not post an auction on Aquabid for this very reason.

[hyde]

I'd really like to get some and for £25 I would. My LFS has them for £70, so I'll be giving them a miss for a while.