Still waiting to set up a tank, things still up in the air over here (UK) due to covid, and to some extent, Brexit. One thing I am finding is that CA and SA cichlids are a poor second to Africans over here, in numbers and price. Had a trip to a local store-part of a national chain, to have a look, and was shocked at the prices. 3" Severums £40 GBP (approx $55 US) Red head Tapajos 1" - 2" £20, a few other common species, Jags,Texas,Salvinis, all a similar price range. I was just wondering, any UK members know of any shops in London or the south east with a good selection of American cichlids ? I found a place with an online supply, but the prices were so low, I was thinking it may be a scam, address listed hosts several hundred businesses . How are supplies and prices like in the US? I guess over there, a "local" store could be 40 or 50 miles away, that distance round here would be a 2 hour journey by car.
Cichlids in the UK, price compared to US
- Thread starter RAB60
- Start date
Honestly, the stores in central Florida which actually sell South American cichlids are highly priced unless they are the common farm-bred fish like firemouths, convicts, Jack Dempseys, oscars, etc. There is a local store here with Geophagus sp. Red Head Tapajos 2" @ $30 each, 4" for $120 (!). Hoplarchus psittacus 4 - 5" @ $140. Mesoheros festae 4 - 5" @ $100. IMO all those prices are insane for fish that are relatively easy to acquire, especially since things like festae and Red Head Tapajos are very popular cichlids and are frequently available from wholesalers.
A lot of the reputable online stores in the US are cheaper but of course you can expect $50 - 80 overnight shipping on most of those, so I think the local stores assume if you just want one or two fish you'll bite the bullet and pay the higher local price instead of ordering online.
Does the UK get a lot of its nice tank-bred cichlid stock from places like Germany/Czech? I could see where Brexit may be hindering that now. Wild cichlids from South America have been very expensive here in the US because freight prices doubled and in some instances tripled during COVID, so the fish prices had to go way up to recoup that.
A lot of the reputable online stores in the US are cheaper but of course you can expect $50 - 80 overnight shipping on most of those, so I think the local stores assume if you just want one or two fish you'll bite the bullet and pay the higher local price instead of ordering online.
Does the UK get a lot of its nice tank-bred cichlid stock from places like Germany/Czech? I could see where Brexit may be hindering that now. Wild cichlids from South America have been very expensive here in the US because freight prices doubled and in some instances tripled during COVID, so the fish prices had to go way up to recoup that.
Are all states similar ? See some of the videos on you tube and they make it out that cichlids are 10 a penny (or a dime a dozen) . There also seems a lot swimming in Florida waterways, fun watching them being caught, but the handling of the fish leave a lot to be desired . One of the UK sites I clicked on did mention Czech republic, though a lot are probably tank reared in the UK. One issue is lack of stores. The last time I kept fish there were about 6 stores in a 5 mile radius from me, all selling American cichlids, but they have all shut. If the site I mentioned in my first post is legit, it could be worth a punt, Sajica, Spilurum, Nicaraguan, firemouth, Melanura, friedrchstalii, managuan, salvini- all between £2 and £6, sounds like wholesale prices to me.
If you go to LFSs in the U.S. prices are often up there. But....
If you go directly to breeders, who often sell on-line, young Central American species can be quite inexpensive.
I would often see prices at $3 per juvie if bought in groups of 6 or more (which was the way I liked to purchase Central (and South Americans)).
I once acquired 6 beanii, for $3 each from a breeder that way. or
I bought 15 Guianacara at $2 each at a Chicago cichlid extravaganza event from a breeder.
The thing is, ... with large cichlids, there is often a very small market base (because of the size tanks needed to keep them properly), and unless the breeder has an excess of space, the need to reduce stock is great.
When I had a pair of haitiensus spawning, I started out selling them at $2 each for 1.5" juvies, but after a while, ended up giving most away, and had a hard time getting rid of them for free.
Or.....I would take bags of 10 motaguense, managuense or Vieja that had spawned in my tanks to my local aquarium club auctions where the bags could go as low a $3 for the 10 cichlids.
Yet when I had African cichlids spawn, prices easily went from $8 to $10 per fish at the same auctions.
Its all about timing and what's hot at the moment.
After my beanii spawned, I offered them for sale on the MFK marketplace for $3 each, and the cost of shipping, only had 2 takers. (timing)
If you go directly to breeders, who often sell on-line, young Central American species can be quite inexpensive.
I would often see prices at $3 per juvie if bought in groups of 6 or more (which was the way I liked to purchase Central (and South Americans)).
I once acquired 6 beanii, for $3 each from a breeder that way. or
I bought 15 Guianacara at $2 each at a Chicago cichlid extravaganza event from a breeder.
The thing is, ... with large cichlids, there is often a very small market base (because of the size tanks needed to keep them properly), and unless the breeder has an excess of space, the need to reduce stock is great.
When I had a pair of haitiensus spawning, I started out selling them at $2 each for 1.5" juvies, but after a while, ended up giving most away, and had a hard time getting rid of them for free.
Or.....I would take bags of 10 motaguense, managuense or Vieja that had spawned in my tanks to my local aquarium club auctions where the bags could go as low a $3 for the 10 cichlids.
Yet when I had African cichlids spawn, prices easily went from $8 to $10 per fish at the same auctions.
Its all about timing and what's hot at the moment.
After my beanii spawned, I offered them for sale on the MFK marketplace for $3 each, and the cost of shipping, only had 2 takers. (timing)
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Air freight is a mess right now. Covid has canceled so many flights there is a lot competing for the limited cargo space. Pre-Covid things were cheaper. It is usually going to be cheaper to find something farm raised than wild caught. As
duanes
said a local breeder is going to be the cheapest route because most of these fish pump out more fry than people can handle.
Wild caught SA fish are often more affordable in the US because we have tremendous traffic from South America to major US airports like Tampa, Miami, and Orlando. I would suspect the UK gets much cheaper African fish. There are very few flights from Nigeria, Kenya, and Cameroon to the US, but there are many into the heart of Europe. The Czechs and Germans do produce some cool fish, but to my knowledge they don't do as many of the large cichlids. Those are much easier to do in outdoor ponds like is done in Florida.
duanes
said a local breeder is going to be the cheapest route because most of these fish pump out more fry than people can handle. Wild caught SA fish are often more affordable in the US because we have tremendous traffic from South America to major US airports like Tampa, Miami, and Orlando. I would suspect the UK gets much cheaper African fish. There are very few flights from Nigeria, Kenya, and Cameroon to the US, but there are many into the heart of Europe. The Czechs and Germans do produce some cool fish, but to my knowledge they don't do as many of the large cichlids. Those are much easier to do in outdoor ponds like is done in Florida.
I am a 1/2 hour drive away from The Wet Spot, so no complaints here at all.
Hi, another UK here,
For what it’s worth I have probably tried most of the well known stores both online and in store since I have been running my tank for about 18 months, I also started of with the usual Maidenhead aquatics type of stores and although some of them do have good stock they always tend to have tiny sizes, iv found the best for London was Wildwoods I think they are north London. The 2 best stores overall for me have been:
Wharf Aquatics (check their stock list they have lots of CA/SA and one of the few that also stock Vieja)
Pier Aquatics, for example I bought a green terror from here that was already 8 inches big and I haven’t seen that in any other UK store. Lots of big chocolate, true parrot, severum etc
Both do online and delivery and when I do travel with the family I always find a way to past them
)
[
QUOTE="RAB60, post: 8363796, member: 180110"]
Still waiting to set up a tank, things still up in the air over here (UK) due to covid, and to some extent, Brexit. One thing I am finding is that CA and SA cichlids are a poor second to Africans over here, in numbers and price. Had a trip to a local store-part of a national chain, to have a look, and was shocked at the prices. 3" Severums £40 GBP (approx $55 US) Red head Tapajos 1" - 2" £20, a few other common species, Jags,Texas,Salvinis, all a similar price range. I was just wondering, any UK members know of any shops in London or the south east with a good selection of American cichlids ? I found a place with an online supply, but the prices were so low, I was thinking it may be a scam, address listed hosts several hundred businesses . How are supplies and prices like in the US? I guess over there, a "local" store could be 40 or 50 miles away, that distance round here would be a 2 hour journey by car.
[/QUOTE]
For what it’s worth I have probably tried most of the well known stores both online and in store since I have been running my tank for about 18 months, I also started of with the usual Maidenhead aquatics type of stores and although some of them do have good stock they always tend to have tiny sizes, iv found the best for London was Wildwoods I think they are north London. The 2 best stores overall for me have been:
Wharf Aquatics (check their stock list they have lots of CA/SA and one of the few that also stock Vieja)
Pier Aquatics, for example I bought a green terror from here that was already 8 inches big and I haven’t seen that in any other UK store. Lots of big chocolate, true parrot, severum etc
Both do online and delivery and when I do travel with the family I always find a way to past them
)[
QUOTE="RAB60, post: 8363796, member: 180110"]
Still waiting to set up a tank, things still up in the air over here (UK) due to covid, and to some extent, Brexit. One thing I am finding is that CA and SA cichlids are a poor second to Africans over here, in numbers and price. Had a trip to a local store-part of a national chain, to have a look, and was shocked at the prices. 3" Severums £40 GBP (approx $55 US) Red head Tapajos 1" - 2" £20, a few other common species, Jags,Texas,Salvinis, all a similar price range. I was just wondering, any UK members know of any shops in London or the south east with a good selection of American cichlids ? I found a place with an online supply, but the prices were so low, I was thinking it may be a scam, address listed hosts several hundred businesses . How are supplies and prices like in the US? I guess over there, a "local" store could be 40 or 50 miles away, that distance round here would be a 2 hour journey by car.
[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]Hi, another UK here,
For what it’s worth I have probably tried most of the well known stores both online and in store since I have been running my tank for about 18 months, I also started of with the usual Maidenhead aquatics type of stores and although some of them do have good stock they always tend to have tiny sizes, iv found the best for London was Wildwoods I think they are north London. The 2 best stores overall for me have been:
Wharf Aquatics (check their stock list they have lots of CA/SA and one of the few that also stock Vieja)
Pier Aquatics, for example I bought a green terror from here that was already 8 inches big and I haven’t seen that in any other UK store. Lots of big chocolate, true parrot, severum etc
Both do online and delivery and when I do travel with the family I always find a way to past them
[
QUOTE="RAB60, post: 8363796, member: 180110"]
Still waiting to set up a tank, things still up in the air over here (UK) due to covid, and to some extent, Brexit. One thing I am finding is that CA and SA cichlids are a poor second to Africans over here, in numbers and price. Had a trip to a local store-part of a national chain, to have a look, and was shocked at the prices. 3" Severums £40 GBP (approx $55 US) Red head Tapajos 1" - 2" £20, a few other common species, Jags,Texas,Salvinis, all a similar price range. I was just wondering, any UK members know of any shops in London or the south east with a good selection of American cichlids ? I found a place with an online supply, but the prices were so low, I was thinking it may be a scam, address listed hosts several hundred businesses . How are supplies and prices like in the US? I guess over there, a "local" store could be 40 or 50 miles away, that distance round here would be a 2 hour journey by car.
I think I will have to go down the delivered route. One place I saw online was aquasnack, but I think they are wholesale. Thinking I may set up several tanks in my shed.