What’s the most you have payed for a fish?

[SWilson]

This thread makes me feel much better and further confirms I've found my people.  So far, I have paid nearly $200 for a green phantom pleco at my LFS.  On the way out I contemplated naming him "Pleasedontdie."  He hasn't, as far as I know (I can count with my fingers the number of times I've seen him hah).   

All together for my 6 Amazon puffers, not including tax and shipping, I spent somewhere between $150-180.  It's best not to really know. 😅 

Luckily, my partner can't say anything to me because they're into panther chameleons, which are like $300-500 a pop and super finicky/don't want anything to do with humans.  And fancy bearded dragon morphs.  🙂

[ARMYVET]

On 10/2/2021 at 2:05 PM, SWilson said:

I contemplated naming him "Pleasedontdie." 

Now that is the funniest and saddest thing I have read all day....YOU WIN!!!🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭

[Torrey]

On 10/1/2021 at 8:48 PM, Mack said:

What is your quarantine set up? I have never quarantined my fish but I want to start, because about 4 months ago I added 2 new guppies to my fancy guppy tank and they ended up killing about 25 fish.

I keep a couple of 5 g tanks and a 10 g tank running at all times.

The 10 g has marks on the side, so I know exact measurements for meds. The two 5 g tanks are heavily planted, but easy to catch fish in. 

I use the 5 g for observation, and I use the 10 g for meds.... or right now, to QT 6 zebra danios, 2 blue tuxedo female guppies, and a 10 year old nerite snail who decided to play dead🙄

The fish had already completed the medication ritual, and were in the process of my slow desalination process for the tank. Some nerites are happier in a mildly salinated tank, and their eggs require brackish water to hatch and the first few weeks of life the babies also need brackish water, so this set up works for me.

Once the tank they are moving permanently to is ready, I will move the livestock, clean the tank with saltwater, do a 100% water change, and then ghost feed the tank so the beneficial bacteria in the filter stay healthy until I need the tank again. 

Easier for me to always have 1 to 3 tanks empty of livestock but set up and well seasoned, than scramble to set one up when a fish gets sick.... which is why my spouse is taking me to pick up another QT 10 gallon, since my current one will be occupied until January/February 😅

 

TL/DR: try to always have a tank ready, or at the very least run extra sponge filters in your established tanks in case you need a QT in a hurry.

I believe someone here stores all their meds/heater/dividers in a tub, and sets up the tub as a QT when needed and grabs an established filter off a tank.

(I apparently like to make things complicated)

[CJ Black]

if shipping is included, as well as long term survival, then $51.50 each for Peacock Gudgeons.  A 6 pack was $103 including shipping, 2 have made it over 3 months.  The rest died, one at a time, over the last 3 months.  I ordered 6 more a month ago from a different supplier, 4 have made it and are doing great.  All together I've spent about $140, and have 6 total survivors.  If all 6 survive to spawning size, and I'm able to successfully raise some of the fry - then they are definitely worth it😃

[Endler enthusiast]

On 10/2/2021 at 12:07 PM, Torrey said:

I keep a couple of 5 g tanks and a 10 g tank running at all times.

The 10 g has marks on the side, so I know exact measurements for meds. The two 5 g tanks are heavily planted, but easy to catch fish in. 

I use the 5 g for observation, and I use the 10 g for meds.... or right now, to QT 6 zebra danios, 2 blue tuxedo female guppies, and a 10 year old nerite snail who decided to play dead🙄

The fish had already completed the medication ritual, and were in the process of my slow desalination process for the tank. Some nerites are happier in a mildly salinated tank, and their eggs require brackish water to hatch and the first few weeks of life the babies also need brackish water, so this set up works for me.

Once the tank they are moving permanently to is ready, I will move the livestock, clean the tank with saltwater, do a 100% water change, and then ghost feed the tank so the beneficial bacteria in the filter stay healthy until I need the tank again. 

Easier for me to always have 1 to 3 tanks empty of livestock but set up and well seasoned, than scramble to set one up when a fish gets sick.... which is why my spouse is taking me to pick up another QT 10 gallon, since my current one will be occupied until January/February 😅

 

TL/DR: try to always have a tank ready, or at the very least run extra sponge filters in your established tanks in case you need a QT in a hurry.

I believe someone here stores all their meds/heater/dividers in a tub, and sets up the tub as a QT when needed and grabs an established filter off a tank.

(I apparently like to make things complicated)

Do you need to have light for a quarantine tank, I have some room under my tank racks for a 10gal tank. 

[Torrey]

On 10/2/2021 at 8:58 AM, H.K.Luterman said:

It's hard to remember but I recall paying $20 for one of my bettas a few years ago. Just a Ye Olde Petco betta, but it was one of the large "King" ones.

For inverts, I recently bought 10 Bloody Mary neos (my fav!) for $5 each, which is pretty pricey for neocaradina I think.

I have spent $60 for a Black CT betta before. 🧡

[ARMYVET]

On 10/2/2021 at 3:55 PM, Mack said:

Do you need to have light for a quarantine tank, I have some room under my tank racks for a 10gal tank. 

Nope...ambient lighting will be just fine

[Torrey]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:55 PM, Mack said:

Do you need to have light for a quarantine tank, I have some room under my tank racks for a 10gal tank. 

Most of the time, sick fish are less stressed with less light.

My QT get ambient light from the shoplights on my fishrack, but don't have dedicated tank lights.

Of course, none of the tanks on my rack have dedicated lights, except for the Turtle... the shoplights are predominantly for all the plants.

[PineSong]

The most I've paid is $25 for a trio of some kind of guppy (or maybe guppy/Endler hybrid) that I have forgotten the name of even though it was only a month ago!

I just happen to like inexpensive fish. I would not hesitate to spend more and I'm good at rationalizing it 🙂  e.g. I spent $30 on Indian takeout with a friend yesterday. My guppy/Endler whatevers will last much longer than that dinner did!

Anyway, fish costs are nothing compared to gardening costs: I spent $128 to grow exactly five gourds last year. Humiliating but true. I bought a $100 shrub this spring that now looks like something the cat threw up. You know if I spent $100 on fancy guppies they would still be beautiful--and there would be a thousand of them!

 

[Guppy Guy]

For me, 1st place is a school of 7 zebra danios that cost $15 total, and not a single one survived quarantine. So I went and got a second school of 7, and all of them died. The LFS was nice and gave me the next school for free, and 4 of the 7 are still alive today.

2nd is probably my angelfish. I got 1 for $25(it was locally bred), and later went back for more. I was very lucky and met the breeder at the LFS while I was there, and he gave me 2 for free! They might just have to be the most personable fish that I have.

3rd is my whiptail catfish(check out my profile for pics). He was originally $30, but after some negotiations with the LFS, I got him for $12(It was mainly because they’d had him for over 3 months, and wanted him to have a new home). 

Hopefully, you can see also that if you look hard enough, you can find fish at really good (or free 😃) prices.

One more instance is where my cousin gave me $50 worth of guppies from his 75 gallon tank. That was a score(It isn’t as big as the angelfish score though, as their guppies and some people will pay you to take them away! 😂 😆)

Edited October 4, 2021 by Guppy Guy

[WhitecloudDynasty]

250$ for 6inch Japanese import 

[Helan]

My enduring dedication….cost about a dollar