Nana Luke Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 It's been a while since I last owned a fish tank with guppies in it, let alone been into a pet shop. And today I went in to have a look for the things i need for my little aquarium and I had a quick browse at the fish. Now the last time I bought guppies out of the very same shop they cost me about $5 for a male and around $4 for a female or something like that. I had a shock when i saw a male was $13.90 and a female was $11! What the hell happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindy500 Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 you went to animates didnt you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted April 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Nope, a pet shop in my local area. I live in Kapiti, it's just the one in coastlands. I usually use my super secret out of the way one, but they didnt have what i urgently needed. What is animates like these days? haven't been in yonkers. Overpriced by the sounds of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Go into Hutt Pets or Animalz. Hutt Pets sell guppys for $5 and I'm pretty sure Animalz do too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 I dont breed and sell Guppys but if the shop is selling them at $5, they possibly paid a max of $2.50 Now with food, power, time and a heck of a lot of other costs (Including even the petrol to take them to the shop) there is not too much money being made by the breeder and I would suggest that they are doing it at a loss To make say an average income of say $20,000 as a part time income and allowing for say $100 per month for power and $20 for food, the breeder would have to breed and sell over 8500 fish. $5 is really cheap in my mind (BTW I have never sold a fish) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 lol, this thread reminded me of the dream I had last night. I was in the warehouse, and they had a head of fishtanks and fish and stuff for sale. And I was looking and they had a few types I'd never ever seen before! Plus this awesome bright blue guppy, and instead of a big tail, it had huge bright blue pectoral fins. So I told the guy I wanted it and he wrote it down, along with a price tag of $50, and I went wtf!! I think one of the cats woke me up after that... :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted April 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Go into Hutt Pets or Animalz. Hutt Pets sell guppys for $5 and I'm pretty sure Animalz do too. I don't know the hutt that well, is animalz there too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 please dont think Im having a go at anyone....Im not, just pointing out that realistic prices are not too bad. Sorry if I did offend anyone as that was not my intention Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nana Luke Posted April 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 lol, I didn't see any offence there mate. People are very careful about what they say on this forum. If you wanna see an outrageously intense dodgy forum go to www.vorb.org.nz It is a mountain biking forum, but heck i swear everyone is out to offend someone. Aquarium Forum is a far nicer place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 As a person that DOES sell guppies to pet shops - I can assure you the breeder does NOT make any money. Firstly a guppy that I sell for $1.50 to the LFS (and they will not pay more at any costs!) will be sold on for at least $5.00 - this is to get ALL the costs covered (by the pet shop): Rent, salaries, kiwisaver, insurance, phone, electricity, advertising, interest on loans to get the shop up and running, any deaths (as fish not always take kindly to go from one tank to another with completely different water parameters) etc etc ...... The $1.50 will of course NOT cover MY cost of raising said guppy - I am selling him cause I cannot just "compost" the poor fellows. This is what most LFS are happy about. If they buy imported guppies then they often have the so-called "guppy disease" which kills the fish very quickly - or at least it will kill all the guppies that I sell to the LFS - as mine wouldn't have any resistance to that disease. So if any fish shop has bought "lovely imported guppies" (as in females with coloured tails) - they have no other choice than to sell them for 10 or 15 dollars each - so long as they can keep them alive. I would strongly recommend that if you want guppies for keeps that you buy of a local breeder that has raised several generations in NZ - WITHOUT buying any off-shore fish in!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 lol, I didn't see any offence there mate. People are very careful about what they say on this forum. If you wanna see an outrageously intense dodgy forum go to www.vorb.org.nz It is a mountain biking forum, but heck i swear everyone is out to offend someone. Aquarium Forum is a far nicer place. Vorb is the public Nana's best behaviour site! The real forums are invite only and rather riske, to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DantezGirl Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 my lfs has male and female at 10 and at the vets its 5.50 for guppy's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I sell fish and sometimes plant and turtles to the petshops. I would expect their markup to be around 150-200%. When I was breeding and selling 50000 fish a year we were selling to a wholesaler (they are the only ones who could take that many) and we would have been getting 10-20 % of the retail price. If I can get rid of a whole spawning of kribs in one go I would rather do that and let the shop make a living, that way they might want the next lot. If you don't think you are getting enough breed more. It is a numbers game and it doesn't cost much more to raise a thousand than a hundred. It also doesn't cost much more to breed good quality fish. The more we can breed the better as I don't think importing will get any easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 When all is said and done you have to want to breed fish for reasons other than financial gain to get something out of it - maybe because you have friends who want some, or maybe because you just want to see if you can do it - there is very little money to be made. The only exception I've found are things like the Guppies, or in my case Whiptails, which take relatively little money and effort to breed, raise themselves, and can be sold off from time-to-time to subsidise the cost of having the tank in the first place. The real cost of rearing most fish locally far exceeds their value in the local marketplace, which is why it will probably never be much more than a cottage industry at best. Ironically making imports harder might actually improve the situation, but only if people are willing to financially recognise the effort that goes into breeding fish by paying the local breeders / retailer who buy from local breeders a reasonable price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayci Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I sell fish and sometimes plant and turtles to the petshops. I would expect their markup to be around 150-200%. When I was breeding and selling 50000 fish a year we were selling to a wholesaler (they are the only ones who could take that many) and we would have been getting 10-20 % of the retail price. If I can get rid of a whole spawning of kribs in one go I would rather do that and let the shop make a living, that way they might want the next lot. If you don't think you are getting enough breed more. It is a numbers game and it doesn't cost much more to raise a thousand than a hundred. It also doesn't cost much more to breed good quality fish. The more we can breed the better as I don't think importing will get any easier. When you were doing this, how much were yr expenses? How do I get a hold of a list of wholesalers if I wanted to do the same thing? What were you breeding? How much space was needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 It's been a while since I last owned a fish tank with guppies in it, let alone been into a pet shop. And today I went in to have a look for the things i need for my little aquarium and I had a quick browse at the fish. Now the last time I bought guppies out of the very same shop they cost me about $5 for a male and around $4 for a female or something like that. I had a shock when i saw a male was $13.90 and a female was $11! What the hell happened? The ones at $5 they most likely breed themselves. The ones they currently stock will be from the wholesalers. The wholesale price on guppies is surprisingly high for surprisingly low quality. The shop will be making surprisingly little on these fish, they know how guppies are generally perceived and will be cutting it as fine as they can. Cheers, KA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I'm not sure about other pet shpps but I know Hutt Petrs will take any fish and will pay you 1/2 of what they're selling it for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Now if you want to see expensive look here: http://www.guppylodge.com/catalog.htm And remember these are US prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Jayci--- I had a purpose built fish house with over 50 tanks 30 years ago. I was breeding angels, tetras, swords,platties,barbs,killies,fighters, gouramies etc. I also did it in conjunction with another guy who had a similar set up and we used to get free food (tubifex worms) The wholesaler we supplied had 125 outlets I believe. I don't think there are any around like that now. There is an economy of scale but the market has changed and the overheads are higher now. People I know who used to wholesale now only sell to their own retail outlets. Many people think there is a packet to be made at it but they overlook the risks and expenses. For example, if you want to stop or realy slow up the importation of angels you would need to have every type available for sale when people want them and have them better and cheaper than imported ones, and you wont get it right so you will have to discount the ones not purchased. Good luck but keep the day job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 In those days we could send an import poly box of fish airport to airport for $20, I would hate to think what it would cost today (if they would take it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spink Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Back to what the hell happened! Things do change, but if you do look around there are places to go that have reasonably priced fish. My LFS in Upper Hutt doesn't have a great variety and the fish prices aren't that great, so I travel to Lower Hutt to Hutt Pet Centre. I have found their prices very reasonable: guppies $5 but at Animates $12.95. Some other fish Animates may be $3 - $5 dearer depending on the type of fish. Animalz is in Petone on Jackson street - they have really neat set ups, and their prices are OK. Trade Me also has a lot of things like guppies for sale, just check what's available in your area to save on too much running around. Your other option is this forum - there are some fabulous people on here that will gladly either sell you fish at a good rate, or offer you some of there over stocks. I have given some of my fish away for a low price to help someone out, and have been offered things by others as well. I tend to stay away from places such as Animates, purely because they generally over-charge, and aren't as knowledgeable as other places and people - who sells a supposedly purebred puppy with no papers for $1600!!! My personal preference is Hutt Pet Centre - good staff, they're making big improvements, they have good prices, and they are more than happy to order specific fish in for me - I got Pygmy Cories this past weekend for $10 and they're adorable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 The pics in the link that Kerri Anne posted, can anyone answer a couple of questions about a couple of the guppies. #802...is that a "curved"/"bent" spine that I've seen people question about???? #813...is he/she supposed to look like that Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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