I just visited the local chain called Petland. The fish dept. manager offered me a fire eel for $100. The creature was 10-12 inches with the girth of a hotdog? Is that a good price? He was marking it down from $200. He also had t-cup rays marked down from $60 to $40 and a host of other fish such as shovelnosed cats for $30. I aksed him why he was reducing price. He said he's gotta move inventory.
Price Check on Aisle 3
- Thread starter phillydog1958
- Start date
I've seen fire eels that size for $50, but I'm in CA. I've also seen a 15 incher for 100 bucks, so I think price varies greatly.phillydog1958;3392226; said:
groovitudedude;3392270; said:
thanks. i sort of felt that it was not the best deal going, but geography could be the issue. i'm in wichita, ks.
I got my fires at that size for about 40$ each. I'de go to another LFS private not corporate and ask for a price on special ordering one from them. and compare it. If it's comparative.. the eel is eating well and in good shape.. if you like it .. buy it?... teacup ray price sounds about right though. I wouldn't say it's a good deal but thats what those go for around here. Only I'de have to special order it. and contrary to alot of belief.. fire eels are almost always on the LFS list of fish they can get.. but because they are jumpers and fetch a good price compared to alot of other FW fish most places don't keep them in stock.
I see fire eels on wholesaler price lists for around $15 all the time. I paid $13 for my fire eel from a wholesaler, and it was around 10"- maybe a hair over. Typical fish markup is 65-85%, so you're talking somewhere in the range of $25 retail. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than $35 for a 12". $100 is ridiculous.
I've always heard fire eels were way more expensive, and my supervisor told me last year they were all $30+ from wholesalers. However, the laws of supply and demand follow through- if the store is paying less, you should, too.
And finally, Petland is known for being an awful company. I hesitate before doing any business with them, and don't even like buying dry goods there. They buy from awful suppliers, including puppy & kitten mills, and their reptiles & fish are known for being disease ridden all across the country. You're definitely getting ripped off if you spend $100 on that fish.
I've always heard fire eels were way more expensive, and my supervisor told me last year they were all $30+ from wholesalers. However, the laws of supply and demand follow through- if the store is paying less, you should, too.
And finally, Petland is known for being an awful company. I hesitate before doing any business with them, and don't even like buying dry goods there. They buy from awful suppliers, including puppy & kitten mills, and their reptiles & fish are known for being disease ridden all across the country. You're definitely getting ripped off if you spend $100 on that fish.
