i dont care if you hate me for this
- Thread starter jagsandpits
- Start date
I certainly can't speak for all cichlid clubs, but the scope of fish available for next-to-nothing to CCA members is pretty amazing.
Of course no one ever wants anything that's available at any given time, either because it's available (i.e. no longer seems "rare"), it's not a female festae or because it's not next-to-free, adult-size and sex-able (and would you drive it to me in BFE?)...
Most clubs have BAP (breeders award programs) where members can only receive points for breeding fish if they sell them in the monthly auction. I usually embarrassed at how cheap bags of legit fish go for. And there are usually 150+ bags per monthly auction!
There are fish hoarders in this hobby. But, as Ryan's experience demonstrates, the number of people willing to pay anything for rare fish, especially if they aren't the cool-fish-of-the-moment, is very few, even if you're willing to go through the PITA of shipping. I've probably donated more F1s and CARES fish than I've sold or auctioned in the past year. And I'm fine with that, especially if the proceeds of my donations go to support fish clubs and/or conservation.
Guys like newworld (SS) and others are what this hobby is about: he goes to really cool places, brings fish back and makes them available for reasonable prices. I've got tanks dedicated to three variants of "convicts" that I got from him (A. coatepeque, A. siquia "Rio Monga" and A. siquia "Grenada, Nicaragua". Ryan is also an EXTRAORDINARILY generous dude...
In the end, all we can hope is that modeling positive, generous, honest behavior becomes the norm and fish-hoarding, mis-labeling and other douchebaggery become rarer and rarer...
Matt
Of course no one ever wants anything that's available at any given time, either because it's available (i.e. no longer seems "rare"), it's not a female festae or because it's not next-to-free, adult-size and sex-able (and would you drive it to me in BFE?)...
Most clubs have BAP (breeders award programs) where members can only receive points for breeding fish if they sell them in the monthly auction. I usually embarrassed at how cheap bags of legit fish go for. And there are usually 150+ bags per monthly auction!
There are fish hoarders in this hobby. But, as Ryan's experience demonstrates, the number of people willing to pay anything for rare fish, especially if they aren't the cool-fish-of-the-moment, is very few, even if you're willing to go through the PITA of shipping. I've probably donated more F1s and CARES fish than I've sold or auctioned in the past year. And I'm fine with that, especially if the proceeds of my donations go to support fish clubs and/or conservation.
Guys like newworld (SS) and others are what this hobby is about: he goes to really cool places, brings fish back and makes them available for reasonable prices. I've got tanks dedicated to three variants of "convicts" that I got from him (A. coatepeque, A. siquia "Rio Monga" and A. siquia "Grenada, Nicaragua". Ryan is also an EXTRAORDINARILY generous dude...
In the end, all we can hope is that modeling positive, generous, honest behavior becomes the norm and fish-hoarding, mis-labeling and other douchebaggery become rarer and rarer...
Matt
and on practically every other fish sales site I know of too ;-)
TUIC is not more expensive than other vendors. any pricey fish are special imports, large specimens or rare. F1s are often priced lower than elsewhere. His customer service is very enjoyable, even on small orders.
I'm not someone who often buys $100.00 in fish (+ $70.00 shipping) & I have no local "group" to pony up with for combined orders. So those vendors can't be my first choice.
:-/
It'd be awful nice if some of those big clubs would make stock available for shipping to some of us living in the outer limits of the twilight zone. The funds would still support your Club.
Like for instance, I have mostly SA fish & missed some of neat smaller species imports that Rapps sold this year.. surely some hobbyists are breeding.
It's not that you can't get them anywhere else or his are ''better''it's just allot of people have have shopped from him and have had good experiences so obviously they are going to recommend him, that's what you typical do with someone who gave you good service.
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Sent from my C5155 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
I just bought from Jeff for the first time last week after being in the hobby for a few decades. Im not new to fish keeping, but Im a relative newbie with cichlids. I also had no problem spending the money on the ornatum because they have been on my wish list for quite some time. I received pics of the actual fish and had very good communications with Jeff throughout the sale. I have no interest in fattening up somone's wallet either, but I assure you, it was cheaper for me to order them from him than to book a trip to South America (aside from the safety issues) and lose time at work to do it. And, nobody I'm friends with currently have any laying around that they didn't want. Trust me, Id love to find some F1 ornatum for sale, but wc is the only option at this point.
Ive bought fish from alot of different vendors and have had very different experiences with each one. Some had reasonable prices and the fish showed up with lymph, some have terrible customer service with great fish. Some box and ship fish better than others, have great fish and good communication with customers. Jeff is one of those and I look forward to buying from him again based on all the variables above......
but, at the end of the day, I buy based on what Im looking for and what a fish is worth to one person may not be the same for another. I used to sell sports memorabilia and something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. Jeff came very highly recommended and at this point, I would have to agree with those recommendations, but that would never stop me from buying fish from Gage, Dan, Jennings or whoever if that fish showed up on their lists.
