I was in my LFS and I mentioned to them that my longfin bristlenose bred and I now have 34 fry (from what I can count - little guys move fast!). They are interested in buying them from me, as obviously I don't need 34 more plecs. LOL
I know in my area, the longfine bristlenose adults sell for around $65-$85. What should I tell them for a price on the fry? He's interested in them when they get to be 1.5 inches long or so....
I'm new to this whole having an excessive number of plecs so quickly (first batch of fry!). And good news - NONE have died yet! WHOO HOO!
I change their water almost everyday and they swim around all happy and their bellies look good (not thin). None have died. I'm feeding them a mixed diet of fresh zuchinni (blanched), kelp discs, shrimp pellets, and brine shrimp. Is there anything else I should give them?
At what age do they get their bristles so I can tell the males from the females?
Those Bristlenose Fry I have.....
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MatsP
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Prices that he LFS will pay depends on the LFS and the "usual margins". I get very little from my LFS for my "regular" fry, but it covers a few bits of food or other consumables from time to time...
And one of the problems is that if you ask a whole lot, the LFS will only take a few - ask less, and they'll take all that you can supply - a fish that is $70 or thereabouts will not sell quite as quickly as the $10 version, so you don't need as many in stock, if you see what I mean.
Generally, the wholesaler charges around 30% of the "RRP", but then you can order the fish as and when you need. That would make it around $20 each. But if you want to get rid of a bunch in one go (rather than three or five at a time), then you can't expect to get paid the same as a wholesaler that can supply as and when the LFS runs out of stock.
You can also make a better deal if you take "shop credit" rather than cash - as cash has to come out of the shops earnings, credit only costs the "incoming price of the goods you buy", so say you get $100 credit, and you use that to buy a $100 RRP filter, then the shop probably only pays $50 or something for that filter, so it's only costing them an actual $50 to "give you $100", if you see what I mean.
[I don't know exactly what sort of margins the shop has for filters and fishes, but I have some idea - and please don't walk into a shop and demand to get a filter for $50 based on my writing so here on the forum - it may well be that it's less margin than that, and more importantly, if you still want to have a shop there in a few months or years time, they need to make money on what they sell, or the won't stay in business!].
Bear in mind also that you may want to sell more to the same LFS next time they spawn, which is more likely to happen if you agree a price that the LFS is very happy with...
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Mats
And one of the problems is that if you ask a whole lot, the LFS will only take a few - ask less, and they'll take all that you can supply - a fish that is $70 or thereabouts will not sell quite as quickly as the $10 version, so you don't need as many in stock, if you see what I mean.
Generally, the wholesaler charges around 30% of the "RRP", but then you can order the fish as and when you need. That would make it around $20 each. But if you want to get rid of a bunch in one go (rather than three or five at a time), then you can't expect to get paid the same as a wholesaler that can supply as and when the LFS runs out of stock.
You can also make a better deal if you take "shop credit" rather than cash - as cash has to come out of the shops earnings, credit only costs the "incoming price of the goods you buy", so say you get $100 credit, and you use that to buy a $100 RRP filter, then the shop probably only pays $50 or something for that filter, so it's only costing them an actual $50 to "give you $100", if you see what I mean.
[I don't know exactly what sort of margins the shop has for filters and fishes, but I have some idea - and please don't walk into a shop and demand to get a filter for $50 based on my writing so here on the forum - it may well be that it's less margin than that, and more importantly, if you still want to have a shop there in a few months or years time, they need to make money on what they sell, or the won't stay in business!].
Bear in mind also that you may want to sell more to the same LFS next time they spawn, which is more likely to happen if you agree a price that the LFS is very happy with...
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Mats
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3bdesigns
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Thanks for that Mats - I was actually more hoping for LFS credit. 
Not like they won't get my money anyway! LOL
I have another LFS that has a WONDERFUL selection of "odd" and not so common plecs and they always sell really fast. I am going to that store tonight - so I was going to talk to the owner there too. I did buy one of my longfin BN from him and the other from the other store. I like the LFS I'm heading to tonight - the owner knows me well - and when he got his Hummer H3 - we had to put them side by side and compare them. He thinks his is better - but I told him it was "grandma tan" and mine was cooler because it was black with chrome. LOL He's a fun guy - and he knows his fish! If anyone comes to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area - I would highly recommend visiting his store.
Not like they won't get my money anyway! LOLI have another LFS that has a WONDERFUL selection of "odd" and not so common plecs and they always sell really fast. I am going to that store tonight - so I was going to talk to the owner there too. I did buy one of my longfin BN from him and the other from the other store. I like the LFS I'm heading to tonight - the owner knows me well - and when he got his Hummer H3 - we had to put them side by side and compare them.
He thinks his is better - but I told him it was "grandma tan" and mine was cooler because it was black with chrome. LOL He's a fun guy - and he knows his fish! If anyone comes to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area - I would highly recommend visiting his store.-
MatsP
- Posts: 21038
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- Spotted: 187
- Location 1: North of Cambridge
- Location 2: England.
If you have two stores that may take your fish, you have a bit more chance to get a slightly higher price, as you could sell 15 or so to each shop, and get a little more since both shops now have a smaller stock-level, rather than selling 30 or so to one shop.
Something I was going to write in my previous post but forgot:
Try to avoid feeding too much of the meaty types of food - yes, the fish love them, but just like kids like McDonalds food, it doesn't make it "good" food. Keep the vegetable foods at high levels. Do feed a bit of algae wafers and other meaty foods, but make sure they eat LOTS of vegetables. Otherwise they may get intestinal problems and not survive well...
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Mats
Something I was going to write in my previous post but forgot:
Try to avoid feeding too much of the meaty types of food - yes, the fish love them, but just like kids like McDonalds food, it doesn't make it "good" food. Keep the vegetable foods at high levels. Do feed a bit of algae wafers and other meaty foods, but make sure they eat LOTS of vegetables. Otherwise they may get intestinal problems and not survive well...
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Mats