Azul's Value
- Thread starter pupumole
- Start date
haha slow i mite be xD cant keep up wit the game like yall ballers out there when i dont have an income xD
and hey max, IF u do get azul or anythin else rare in, do me a favor n mark em up REAL high for me
keep the azul value up xD
wats gonna happen in ten years though ? ._.
and hey max, IF u do get azul or anythin else rare in, do me a favor n mark em up REAL high for me
keep the azul value up xD wats gonna happen in ten years though ? ._.
once azuls get to Australia then they'll definately drop in value lol that's how far behind aus is in the cichla game 
i hope the price drops way down on all the cichla.
i just love the beatuiful colors of an azul
and think its out rageous to spend hunderds of dollars on a 2 - 3'' fish
people just price them based on the market so if people keep buying them at high prices they will continue to be sold at high price
so i say sit back and wait diferent species of bass will soon be avaible
they arent going anywhere think about it... people in these countries where the cichla are collected EAT THESE HUNDRED DOLLAR FISH EVERY DAY TO SURVIVE THEY ARE A HUGE FOOD SOURCE
i just love the beatuiful colors of an azul
and think its out rageous to spend hunderds of dollars on a 2 - 3'' fish
people just price them based on the market so if people keep buying them at high prices they will continue to be sold at high price
so i say sit back and wait diferent species of bass will soon be avaible
they arent going anywhere think about it... people in these countries where the cichla are collected EAT THESE HUNDRED DOLLAR FISH EVERY DAY TO SURVIVE THEY ARE A HUGE FOOD SOURCE
Well this is a good and bad situation. this is good for the people that dont like to pay alot for nice cichla and they are in it just for the bass not for the money. but it is bad for the people that are in the game to make a profit on the bass. I dont think that this cichla movement will last forever.. just my opinion though I think all the azuls and kelberi comming around will eventually stop for a while.
The prices will fluctuate and of course the prices will go back up when the demand goes back up. The sun will not shine forever on us Cichla keepers. Truthfully speaking how many people are going to have these into adult hood and other factors will make a big difference. Also the age old question still loom's over the head's of a lot of these keepers. Where you going to keep a 24''+ Cichla for life? 
A lot of variables! As for now if you noticed the price went down on the last purchase because of the size they came in at. But the life span of a 2'' Cichla is more of a challange because of the size also. Now I know were not paying as much as they were a few years ago but I also know that we will not be able to keep taking from the wild for very long and that's for sure. 
So let's wait and see.
Just curious how much did you pay for the Azul pupmole?
A lot of variables! As for now if you noticed the price went down on the last purchase because of the size they came in at. But the life span of a 2'' Cichla is more of a challange because of the size also. Now I know were not paying as much as they were a few years ago but I also know that we will not be able to keep taking from the wild for very long and that's for sure. So let's wait and see. Just curious how much did you pay for the Azul pupmole?
I've been in the cichlid game a loooong time and here are a few observations I have made over the years:
1. Fish are cyclical. What is common as mud today will be very hard to find tomorrow. That's because the market gets flooded with a particular species, everyone gets tired of it and then nobody wants them. People stop breeding and importing them. All of the sudden they are rare and hard to find again. I've seen this more times than I care to remember. 4 years ago I couldn't find a real parrot, Hoplarchus, to save my life. Jeff Rapps finally got some in and I plunked down $100 a pop for 1.5" specimens. Within a couple of years they were all the rage and you were seeing captive bred specimens for $10 ea. They are starting to fade from memory again and I predict that in another 2-3 years they will be virtually impossible to find.
2. Cichla are big fish that require special care, especially after a year in captivity. Most Cichla that are purchased are dead or traded off within a year for a variety of reasons. Too large to house, too expensive to feed, too hard to keep with other fish, etc. Of all the Azul that were brought in 3-4 years ago there are only a handful of them still kicking around. That's because most have died and a few were pawned off on public aquariums. People don't think ahead and don't understand that these fish require highly specialized care. The baby Azul are really cute when only 3" but a year later when you have 6 and all are pushing 12"-14" and your food bill is over $100 a month and what you thought was a "monster tank" at 180 gallons is not so monster anymore...
3. People get bored. How many times do you see people here get all excited about finding a certain species and then 6 months later have it listed for sale.
4. Many people jump on the bandwagon because a particular fish is "hot". Right now Cichla are the in fish. Many people that are buying them are doing so simply because it's cool. Unfortunately for these fish they are the ones most likely to end up dead due to neglect. Those that do survive are sold off. Don't be surprised to see 12" Azul for sale in your local pet store in a year for $25-$50 because they outgrew their owner's tank, are too big to sell and nobody wants them any more. Hobbyists will be desperate to unload them and pet stores will need to take special measures to get rid of them.
5. I see too many people buy fish with the express thought that if it is worth $100 at 3" it will be worth $1500 at a foot! I can make big bucks!! Honestly, I've thought about selling my kelberi. Especially 6 months ago when kelberi were very difficult to come by and I was seeing some crazy prices being paid for larger fish. I think I've missed that window of opportunity since kelberi are becoming quite common. Then again, I love my fish and I'm glad that I still have them. I sincerely regret having sold some of my other Cichla. Plus, if I hang onto them for another 5 years, they'll be uber rare again.
If you like Azul, who cares what they are worth? Buy them and enjoy them for what they are. Just make sure you can care for it properly.
Lastly, it doesn't matter how common a fish is, if you have a large mature specimen of anything that is well taken care of and housed properly it will be a spectacular sight and will make even the most jaded and experienced hobbyists sit up and take notice. Even fish as common as Jack Dempseys or Firemouths are highly impressive fish when mature and well cared for. Again, most people get bored or their fish die before they get to the point where it is an impressive specimen. Even with hundreds of Azul kicking around, make sure your Azul is the biggest and best by treating it right. It will still be an impressive fish!
1. Fish are cyclical. What is common as mud today will be very hard to find tomorrow. That's because the market gets flooded with a particular species, everyone gets tired of it and then nobody wants them. People stop breeding and importing them. All of the sudden they are rare and hard to find again. I've seen this more times than I care to remember. 4 years ago I couldn't find a real parrot, Hoplarchus, to save my life. Jeff Rapps finally got some in and I plunked down $100 a pop for 1.5" specimens. Within a couple of years they were all the rage and you were seeing captive bred specimens for $10 ea. They are starting to fade from memory again and I predict that in another 2-3 years they will be virtually impossible to find.
2. Cichla are big fish that require special care, especially after a year in captivity. Most Cichla that are purchased are dead or traded off within a year for a variety of reasons. Too large to house, too expensive to feed, too hard to keep with other fish, etc. Of all the Azul that were brought in 3-4 years ago there are only a handful of them still kicking around. That's because most have died and a few were pawned off on public aquariums. People don't think ahead and don't understand that these fish require highly specialized care. The baby Azul are really cute when only 3" but a year later when you have 6 and all are pushing 12"-14" and your food bill is over $100 a month and what you thought was a "monster tank" at 180 gallons is not so monster anymore...
3. People get bored. How many times do you see people here get all excited about finding a certain species and then 6 months later have it listed for sale.
4. Many people jump on the bandwagon because a particular fish is "hot". Right now Cichla are the in fish. Many people that are buying them are doing so simply because it's cool. Unfortunately for these fish they are the ones most likely to end up dead due to neglect. Those that do survive are sold off. Don't be surprised to see 12" Azul for sale in your local pet store in a year for $25-$50 because they outgrew their owner's tank, are too big to sell and nobody wants them any more. Hobbyists will be desperate to unload them and pet stores will need to take special measures to get rid of them.
5. I see too many people buy fish with the express thought that if it is worth $100 at 3" it will be worth $1500 at a foot! I can make big bucks!! Honestly, I've thought about selling my kelberi. Especially 6 months ago when kelberi were very difficult to come by and I was seeing some crazy prices being paid for larger fish. I think I've missed that window of opportunity since kelberi are becoming quite common. Then again, I love my fish and I'm glad that I still have them. I sincerely regret having sold some of my other Cichla. Plus, if I hang onto them for another 5 years, they'll be uber rare again.
If you like Azul, who cares what they are worth? Buy them and enjoy them for what they are. Just make sure you can care for it properly.
Lastly, it doesn't matter how common a fish is, if you have a large mature specimen of anything that is well taken care of and housed properly it will be a spectacular sight and will make even the most jaded and experienced hobbyists sit up and take notice. Even fish as common as Jack Dempseys or Firemouths are highly impressive fish when mature and well cared for. Again, most people get bored or their fish die before they get to the point where it is an impressive specimen. Even with hundreds of Azul kicking around, make sure your Azul is the biggest and best by treating it right. It will still be an impressive fish!
