soft discus market?

[FishFanMan]

I don't buy many discus but I've noticed that prices seems to be significantly lower recently. Is this due to low demand or over supply from asia? I don't want to name specific suppliers but I'm not talking about LFS. Just curious about the state of our beloved hobby.

[Keith Perkins]

Nothing concrete or definitive about my response, other than I'm personally aware of more people importing than I've ever been. Might just be my awareness level, but if not supply levels would certainly be part of the answer.

[Pardal]

Supply and Demand has to do of course plus the holidays but now that a new year start prices are going back to normal. And this is mostly for juveniles . Adults for established importers are about the same.

[HappyFace]

I would ask to see pictures of the exact fish you will be getting. I recently spent a good amount of money on what I thought were six excellent quality 2.5"-3.5" discus at a good deal. The shipment arrived full of big-eyed, football and triangular shaped, nonexistant foreheaded fish. The yellows were orange and severely peppered. The reds were orange and black. They were nothing like the advertisement pictures and they would never turn into the gorgeous round adults this person advertised. I prompty gave all the fish away. I noticed 2 other people online shipping fish that may be from the same breeder- same size, same unique color names, similar price.

[Keith Perkins]

May the holidays feel like they were ages ago and it's really less than a month. Good point on that one.

[FishFanMan]

I'm lucky enough to be in Chicago where there are several reputable suppliers. I always visit and see the discus before I buy. I ask them to feed the discus to make sure they are eating well too if I suspect there might be an issue. Pricing is probably dependant on location and perhaps the season too. Beginning of the year is probably the slowest for everyone.

[HappyFace]

I'm lucky enough to be in Chicago where there are several reputable suppliers. I always visit and see the discus before I buy. I ask them to feed the discus to make sure they are eating well too if I suspect there might be an issue. Pricing is probably dependant on location and perhaps the season too. Beginning of the year is probably the slowest for everyone.

Ah you are Lucky Koji! :) I was considering driving up to San Fran to pick out discus this spring. It is 5-6 hours away from us.

[Keith Perkins]

Ah you are Lucky Koji! :) I was considering driving up to San Fran to pick out discus this spring. It is 5-6 hours away from us.

That would make for a nice weekend if you could work out a visit to Kenny's.

[HappyFace]

That would make for a nice weekend if you could work out a visit to Kenny's.

It would! I just asked my husband "Remember you were saying you wanted to go to San Fransicso last year? What was it you wanted to do there?" His looks up from the game and says, "What kind of fish are up there?"

[Keith Perkins]

I just asked my husband "Remember you were saying you wanted to go to San Fransicso last year? What was it you wanted to do there?" His looks up from the game and says, "What kind of fish are up there?"

:D And you said "nice ones!"? I've driven about that far to pick up some of his fish from someone getting out of the hobby. It definitely would be worth the trip IMO.

[HappyFace]

:D And you said "nice ones!"? I've driven about that far to pick up some of his fish from someone getting out of the hobby. It definitely would be worth the trip IMO.

Good answer! :)

[rickztahone]

I wouldn't call it a soft market. Although I see a lot more importing, I actually see the opposite, I see prices going up for newly named "strains". This has been my observation, and this may be the opposite of what others think.

However, I have seen an uptick on wild purchases. Maybe we have Pat to thank for that? Either way, I think wild discus are very competitively priced compared to domestics, and typically for much larger sizes. YMMV

[John_Nicholson]

I think the market for quality fish is about the same, but there are more crappy fish being brought in and sold cheap. I know becasue people post pictures of them talking about how great they are and I just click the back bottom.....

I am still selling my small ( less than 4 inch ) fish for the same price I was selling them for 20 years ago...$10 per inch. I should probably go up......LOL>

-john

[rickztahone]

I think the market for quality fish is about the same, but there are more crappy fish being brought in and sold cheap. I know becasue people post pictures of them talking about how great they are and I just click the back bottom.....

I am still selling my small ( less than 4 inch ) fish for the same price I was selling them for 20 years ago...$10 per inch. I should probably go up......LOL>

-john

Supply and demand bud :). You sell quality discus, I'm sure people would buy them either way.

[Schatz]

John, how can I get some of your fish?

[John_Nicholson]

Normally people come and get them but I do ship from time to time. Where you at?

-john

[Schatz]

Denver

[navarro1950]

John how far are you from Houston Tx ?

[alcastro]

I agree with John, you see more B grade sold, i remember i could not find discus good or bad in Los Angeles three years ago, now you see all over Craig's list, people advertising wholesale all the way to San Diego, i think it makes it hard to compete unless you have a very different type and quality discus.
AL

[John_Nicholson]

I am 35 miles northeast of Dallas.

-john

[navarro1950]

I have one of my brothers that lives in Little Elm Tx which is north of Dallas and the next time I visit him I'll email you and see if you have any juveniles for sale.

[John_Nicholson]

Sounds good.

-john

[Fundulopanchax]

5 hours for nice fish is not bad. I have driven 15 hours each way to pick up nice orchids from a guy who does not ship. I belong to a group that follows licorice gouramis. Recently someone in Germany said that a person about 850 miles (I translated the km) away wanted him to ship some fish. He exclaimed on the site that if someone was willing to "only" drive 850 miles, he couldnt be very interested and told the fellow that he would not sell to him!

Ron

[CliffsDiscus]

I agree with John, you see more B grade sold, i remember i could not find discus good or bad in Los Angeles three years ago, now you see all over Craig's list, people advertising wholesale all the way to San Diego, i think it makes it hard to compete unless you have a very different type and quality discus.
AL

Hi Al,
Did you check out Prosident, they called me and said they imported a ton of Discus but I never visit them.

Cliff

[alcastro]

Hi Al,
Did you check out Prosident, they called me and said they imported a ton of Discus but I never visit them.

Cliff

Have not heard of them, care to elaborate a bit

[CliffsDiscus]

Have not heard of them, care to elaborate a bitS

Hi Al,
Sorry had a typo, but the place is PoseidonAquatics, www.poseidonaquatics.com. I didn't have the time to visit this place yet.

Cliff

[FishFanMan]

Hi John, wow $40 for 4 inch discus here in Chicago would be a terrific bargain. Can you bring a truckload of them during the NADA meeting? I'm sure you'll have no problem selling them. I'll be first in line!

[alcastro]

S

Hi Al,
Sorry had a typo, but the place is PoseidonAquatics, www.poseidonaquatics.com. I didn't have the time to visit this place yet.

Cliff

they are 1 mile away and never heard of them lol

[Keith Perkins]

they are 1 mile away and never heard of them lol

Typical discus person, never gets out of the fishroom. :) Thank God for being able to order fish supplies on-line and having them delivered to the door.

[alcastro]

Typical discus person, never gets out of the fishroom. :) Thank God for being able to order fish supplies on-line and having them delivered to the door.

Hahahaha, you know me so well, i go to lfs every now and then.

[John_Nicholson]

Hi John, wow $40 for 4 inch discus here in Chicago would be a terrific bargain. Can you bring a truckload of them during the NADA meeting? I'm sure you'll have no problem selling them. I'll be first in line!

LOL...Doubt I haul any up with me.

-john