When should I start looking for homes?

[gixeron1wheel]

These guys are about as big as a dime right now. This is my first batch (maybe last) and I'm looking for advise on selling/placing them. I'm not looking to go into business, this kinda just happened. It is a lot of work taking care of them. Should I look at selling all to a LFS? I was thinking of Pittsburgh Craigslist maybe.

Dad is PB
Mom is Fire Red

babies are already showing red color.

[AirCapital]

I wouldnt take them to your lfs that small, if and when you do I would say 2inches if going to a pet store and if yours are like mine they wont make it very long before they die so myself would find a better route or grow them up bigger so they have more of a chance at the store. you can sell fish as small as 1hr from being laid if you find the right buyer so that small someone would have to have a decent knowledge of discus to get them grown out and give them the care they need at dime sized

[AirCapital]

great job by the way:)

[snoopy65]

What are you going to be asking for them? I am 2 hours north of Pittsburgh and may be interested.

[gixeron1wheel]

I wouldn't even know what to ask...how many are you interested in? I guess make me an offer.

Thanks

[snoopy65]

I may be interested in the whole spawn, but I don't have the first clue as to what the price of them should be at that size. I do not want to insult you.

[LizStreithorst]

Back in the day I would sell quarter size fish for $10. each. Back then there was a market for them. I've never sold anything smaller than that.

You must let the buyer study them to maken sure that he likes them and that they are healthy when he buys them AND that whatever happens after they leave your hatchery is not your fault.

The market today is not as it was several years ago. And at dime size, the buyer is taking a great risk. I may be insulting you, but I think $1. each. You couldn't wholesale them at that size.

You asked on a open forum...

[mmorris]

I sell mine at two inches for $15. You'll have to cull any with defects, undersized or heavily peppered first.

[gwrace]

I sell mine at two inches for $15. You'll have to cull any with defects, undersized or heavily peppered first.

It seems a shame to cull a fish just for being peppered. This color pattern can change based on environmental conditions. Maybe they could be sold at a discount to hobbyists that just want some pretty fish but don't care about breeding standards. I've heard all the issues surrounding protecting breeding standards and preserving quality strain characteristics. I've had several people tell me that the peppering was attractive.

[Pardal]

I agree do not take it to the LFS , most of them don't know how to take care of discus I'm talking about the basics water temp,tank companions, etc.
You better check in Craigh list and here on SD they are many people that love
discus and can't afford it maybe not in the forum but general public.
I used to give one or two extras when people bought so they have at least the 6 minimum.
I also agree in do not cull the peppered ones, as it can be reduce by lighting and light color substrate. cull the one's with body defects ,gill plates, uneven
dorsal fins on the wrong place with wrong size big or small.
Take the fish one at the time, place in a small container and inspect all the body caractheristics one at the time and make your selection categorized
and destroy sounds cruel but it provide more room for the remained that will
grow faster.
Julian.

[nc0gnet0]

I agree do not take it to the LFS , most of them don't know how to take care of discus I'm talking about the basics water temp,tank companions, etc.


I see alot of bashing of the LFS's. Some is deserved, however, there are reputable fish stores out there and there is nothing wrong with supporting your local economy, other wise all we are going to have left is walmarts, petco's, and petsmarts.

While I agree that supporting SD sponsors and members is perferable, alot of these blanket statements about LFS's are a bit overeaching.

[Keith Perkins]

I agree with Liz and Martha on the pricing. In my very limited experience selling fry for $15 at around the two inch size seemed to be a very good price point. If you are selling your fry to a knowledgeable buyer, which if you list them on Simply will be much more likely than if you are selling them to your average LFS customer, you will have cull the more heavily peppered ones as Martha has stated. Yes, there are people who like the way peppering looks, but those are the people who have no idea what a discus is suppose to look like. Local fish stores will buy those fish, because for the most part they are selling discus to uneducated customers. I support my LFSs, I purchase supplies from them regularly and talk with the fish keepers even more. But when it comes to gaining discus knowledge, their shelves are in my experience basically empty.

[mmorris]

I do not recommend LFS for discus. The LFS are not in a position to do the wc's, feeding and quaranting that discus require. It is simply not economically feasable. Secondly, when buying, the quality tends to be poor. The quality they are sent is poor, and if the discus remains at the retailers' for long, they often become stunted and ill. I very seldom see a discus in an LFS that I would want in my tank. The expert may spot a nice discus there, but he doesn't need my guidance. Certainly, there are exceptions, but someone new to discus is not going to be able to identify them.

Heavily peppered pb's should be culled. The hobby is full of them because some breeder wants to make a buck. Think of your reputation. If you sell a heavily peppered discus, the next thing you know someone will post a pic of the fish on the forum and say, "look what Gixeron1wheel sold me! Isn't it a dandy?!" The reading audience will silently moan. Sell only the fish you know those with knowledge would like to own. Cull the rest. Make the fish you sell a positive contribution to the hobby.

I sold my last four fry from one batch to an LFS and I sadly saw them decline within a few days.

[Keith Perkins]

I do not recommend LFS for discus. The LFS are not in a position to do the wc's, feeding and quaranting that discus require. It is simply not economically feasable. Secondly, when buying, the quality tends to be poor. The quality they are sent is poor, and if the discus remains at the retailers' for long, they often become stunted and ill. I very seldom see a discus in an LFS that I would want in my tank. The expert may spot a nice discus there, but he doesn't need my guidance. Certainly, there are exceptions, but someone new to discus is not going to be able to identify them.

Heavily peppered pb's should be culled. The hobby is full of them because some breeder wants to make a buck. Think of your reputation. If you sell a heavily peppered discus, the next thing you know someone will post a pic of the fish on the forum and say, "look what Gixeron1wheel sold me! Isn't it a dandy?!" The reading audience will silently moan. Sell only the fish you know those with knowledge would like to own. Cull the rest. Make the fish you sell a positive contribution to the hobby.

I sold my last four fry from one batch to an LFS and I sadly saw them decline within a few days.

Well put.

[neon]

I live in Ca and a LFS that sells discus. He keeps there tank at 86 and he says it's hard to keep all the fish at the right conditions but he does and quarantine before he sell them. He had to move the discus to another tank and he put a heater in that tank so it would be at the right temp. So if the store is taking the time for right temp of 86 I would not have a problem buying from that store. This store is selling his discus for $35 to $100 per fish.

[gixeron1wheel]

Thanks everyone for the valuable input! I have only found one LFS here in Pittsburgh that I would even consider selling to. I didn't ask them if they were interested because I have decided to let them grow out some. All of the LFS that I have been to besides the one have terrible looking discus, and obviously no idea what the care requirement are for the fish.

Fry are doing well... about the size of a quarter now and eat like piranhas!

[Keith Perkins]

I think of I've come the conclusion that I'm only going to let my fry go to select LFS when I need equipment, otherwise just sell to individuals. I'm kind of in a weird distribution point, so it may be hard to just sell "locally", but I'm going to give it a try. I've got my second small batch of fry about ready to separate from the parents, and a possible larger batch of fry from another pair right behind it. There may be LFS equipped to properly handle discus, but I just haven't run across one in a while.

[Iggy]

Just a quick thought - Craigs List is not the place to sell fish - they prohibit the sale of any pets, and many people try to get around the system by calling their sale a "rehome" or "adoption". It is designed to adopt unwanted pets and any "fees" charged (which are not mandatory, BTW, have to be justified by recent vet expenses incurred in order to prepare the animal for its new home. I seriously doubt that fish bred in one's home aquarium fall under this category...and most CL users will agree and flag any ads "adopting" or "rehoming" fish. Same goes for trying to sell a whole setup - fish with tank. The tank can be sold under General For Sale, but the fish must be given away for free, and "free fish with purchase of tank" will not fly.

[John_Nicholson]

A fairly standard price is $10 per inch. If someone is coming in to buy the entire batch the price will be no more then half that amount and probably closer to $3. If someone takes the whole batch at this size its hard to cull on color. They are taking on the responsibility to cull properly. When I sale a whole spawn one of the strings attached is that my name never gets mentioned to potential buyers.

-john