Discus mafia and pricing fish way beyond their worth

[Mazain]

I have been having discus for about 8 months now and my discus cost me only US $ 6.83 a pair. Discus fish prices are a mafia in Sri Lanka and true, genuine fish keepers can't ignore the fact that the hobby is highly commercialised for personal gains and interest.
Spending more on discus food and adding variety for the fish help its growth and overall health, than spending more on a fish which is a mania.
I would rather sell my discus at $6.83 and share the experience for the Buyer which is what they look for rather than the greed for the hobby.
In most cases the fish are highly over rated price wise and later regreted when you find fish at $ 6.83. Issues are when you get them to actully rare.
I don't know what's the retail price abroad but I'm sure people pay alot more than what it's worth for a fish.

 

[Colin_T]

Well at $6.83 a pr you got an absolute bargain. That's about $3.42 per fish and that is way less than what we paid for them when we brought them in from the Asian exporters. We used to pay $20.00 per fish (about 3 inches in diameter) for common basic brown discus and the prices went up from there. Those were the prices we paid the exporters in Indonesia and that was 20 years ago.

Discus used to sell in the shop for $60+ each and that was 20-30 years ago. These days they regularly sit on the $80-100+ price for one fish. Fish are around 3-4 inches diameter. Bigger fish cost more.

Do I think they are overpriced, absolutely yes, they are overpriced. People are greedy and want as much money as they can get. People also feed their fish the wrong foods and have loads of trouble keeping them. They need plant matter in their diet and a well planted tank will give them the best chances of survival. The fish breed readily in well planted tanks and don't have intestinal issues when they get lots of plant matter in their diet. If breeders kept them in well planted tanks they wouldn't have as many health issues and the price could come down, but probably wouldn't due to plain old greedy people.

 

[Rhysp87]

I guess suppliers charge what people are willing to pay for them though? Is it really greed or is it just that that’s their value on an open market? That’s obviously assuming there’s decent competition between sellers.

 

[Mazain]

Well at $6.83 a pr you got an absolute bargain. That's about $3.42 per fish and that is way less than what we paid for them when we brought them in from the Asian exporters. We used to pay $20.00 per fish (about 3 inches in diameter) for common basic brown discus and the prices went up from there. Those were the prices we paid the exporters in Indonesia and that was 20 years ago.

Discus used to sell in the shop for $60+ each and that was 20-30 years ago. These days they regularly sit on the $80-100+ price for one fish. Fish are around 3-4 inches diameter. Bigger fish cost more.

Do I think they are overpriced, absolutely yes, they are overpriced. People are greedy and want as much money as they can get. People also feed their fish the wrong foods and have loads of trouble keeping them. They need plant matter in their diet and a well planted tank will give them the best chances of survival. The fish breed readily in well planted tanks and don't have intestinal issues when they get lots of plant matter in their diet. If breeders kept them in well planted tanks they wouldn't have as many health issues and the price could come down, but probably wouldn't due to plain old greedy people.

The imported blood lines from Malaysia, Indonesia and other F1 graded discus fish would definitely be above $ 6.83 in Sri Lanka however, "its over priced". I don't trust the local market as most of the breeders mix the strains or import low quality strains and sell them at a high price.
I wouldn't wana take a high risk and get imported discus "which is over priced", until the local discus adjust to my variables and parameters.
Just an Example, discus are considered very sensitive fish and tap water is a risk for water changes. However, my discus are used to tap water and have adjusted well during water changes. Like you said I find them very healthy with plants in the tanks.
Flakes, pellets and frozen blood worms are essential however, In diets with less or no spinach, less heart and more tiger prawns or tiger shrimps with krill and garlic provides an active digestive system making them pass feces every feeding. Plant matter is what my discus feed on when problems with digestion.
Many said my discus were stunted at the start and now they are grown to 8cm to 12cm in size ☺. Luckily my discus were an absolute bargain .

 

[GaryE]

Worth is a relative thing. I would pay a higher price for wild Discus, and wouldn't pay $6 for linebred ones. Others would reverse that. Prices on the open market are set by greed and how much sellers can get away with, and I haven't seen anyone undercutting the price of Discus. They are luxury purchases, and in many places, they wouldn't sell if the prices were reasonable. How could people show off their status and wealth? That seems very important to too many.

I've known sellers who had to double their prices to sell their fish. Buyers decided they must be poorly bred to sell at their prices. The same fish selling at $100 each sold well. Markets are ruled by greed, but we have to factor in stupidity too.

Around here, we are seeing a huge spike in the price of all aquarium fish. Shipping costs more, but the wholesale price of the fish hasn't risen that dramatically. The mark ups are insane. I don't think it'll work for a nerdy luxury market like freshwater tropical fish, and I see a drop off in interest because of it. It's a very tough business here, and I doubt it has a great future. Wholesalers/distributors are shutting down, and stores are closing or barely hanging on.

I may look at a linebred Discus and think it's worth $3 in my mind, but it will sell for $50.

 

[Mazain]

I would pay a higher price for wild Discus, and wouldn't pay $6 for linebred ones. Others would reverse that. Prices on the open market are set by greed and how much sellers can get away with, and I haven't seen anyone undercutting the price of Discus.

Everyone loves the original. It's a nostalgic feeling I guess even I would like to have wild caught one's but never seen any till present.
However, in my part of the world not many WC discus are out for sale since its not been introduced to the local market.
Most of the discus that are imported are linebread from Asia, so relatively theres a comparison with the American and other markets.
So since I have not seen a WC discus, in my mind it will be the price I buy it at and introduce it to the local market. And I Agree with everything you said about the industry having high mark ups irrespective of the market.

 

[Mr Limpet]

If I were in Sri Lanka I’d concentrate on keeping and breeding Malpulutta kretseri, which is no longer being exported. Just sayin’.

 

[GaryE]

It's not nostalgia that makes me like wild form Discus. It's their beauty. A good wild discus is astonishing, although a good wild discus can cost between $500 and $1000. I've never seen a linebred discus that even got close. The linebreds have colours that punch you in the nose. You can't miss them. But they are too one dimensional to me.

But I am not a fashion influencer or a guy known for good taste. Whatever you like, keep it well.

If I were in Sri Lanka I’d concentrate on keeping and breeding Malpulutta kretseri, which is no longer being exported. Just sayin’.

In North America, Malpulutta kretseri used to be available. I saw them a couple of times. No one set up any breeding projects I ever heard of. No one seemed to even try. We just consumed them, in our usual way.

 

[Mazain]

If I were in Sri Lanka I’d concentrate on keeping and breeding Malpulutta kretseri, which is no longer being exported. Just sayin’.

We call it paradise gourami, they are mostly seen in public aquariums and zoos. The local species of fish are interest of to research centres mostly, not in the ornamental fish community. Sri Lankans love mostly Asian, African, Central and South American species of fish.

 

[Mazain]

they are too one dimensional to me

You cant blame them in barebottom tanks you only find 2 dimensional.

Whatever you like, keep it well.

This I like GaryE, I'll definitely keep it well .

North America, Malpulutta kretseri used to be available.

That's nice ro hear. A TFF delegation should visit Sri Lanka some day.