Gem Tang
- Thread starter cb747
- Start date
you always keep me laughing :lmao:
Anthony Calfo
New member
there is a quota of around one hundred annually from the usual exporting country (Mauritius). For their rarity and greater distance to America, they are more commonly found in Europe. US specimens often come from a European holding station and as such have added handling fees. Wholesale ranges 400-700 USD... retail needs to be at least double if not triple that for risk if not standard profit margins.
I know a chap in Sri Lanka that ships to LI... was visiting him last week and he commented that he can get Gem tangs from Madagascar if the gov will issue the permits. If that occurs, then there will be more Gem tangs entering the US... and of all places: New York as the port of entry
They will be expensive though for a very long time. They are collected in remote regions at great expense and risk (to divers and fish alike).
I know a chap in Sri Lanka that ships to LI... was visiting him last week and he commented that he can get Gem tangs from Madagascar if the gov will issue the permits. If that occurs, then there will be more Gem tangs entering the US... and of all places: New York as the port of entry
They will be expensive though for a very long time. They are collected in remote regions at great expense and risk (to divers and fish alike).
pecan2phat
Active member
So Anthony,
Does that mean you can hook up us LIRA folks
Does that mean you can hook up us LIRA folks
Anthony Calfo
New member
heehee... have chatted with Eric offline about this 
But for all/else: I strongly suggest (beg really) that you do not(!) group buy animals sight unseen... especially transshipped animals. 
Its not only irresponsible aquarium keeping IMO, but it statistically translates into higher mortalities overall for any given shipment. There are exceptions, of course, but the numbers do not lie overall.
Animals that are forced to stay in transit longer (direct transshipments beyond LAX typically) automatically have higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Those that are fielded by less experienced wholesalers or hobbyists fare even worse overall (see net mortality after 2 months, 6 months, one year).
There are very real and definable reasons for this starting with the degradation of water quality in the bag, chganges in fishes blood chemistry from X hours of exposure, and then how that can be improved (or not) by handling on arrival. We often see (and can predict) percentage mortalities after days or weeks in captivity from shipping impositions. These are many of the "mysterious" deaths of siehs that look great weeks after import. Blood chemistry and irreparable damage issues, etc.
The best wholesalers in LA have acclimation systems that cost more than most folks houses! And it is not money spent unwisely... they do it because it increases profits which in this case thankfully means more fishes and corals survived import.
My advice to fellow hobbyists that want to do grou buys is (again) to always and only buy animals on sight. When that is not possible (or ignored) please at least buy from a regional wholesaler with fishes that have had a chance to be tanked and stabilized for some time to improve long term survival chances. Although there is a big difference in price sometimes, I promise you that you get what you pay for!
It breaks my heart to see ignorant folks order cheap fish/corals over and over again. Its a waste of a precious living resource indeed.
Please remember, "Good things and seldom cheap, and cheap things are seldom good."
OK... sorry for the soapbox but the door was wide open
But for all/else: I strongly suggest (beg really) that you do not(!) group buy animals sight unseen... especially transshipped animals. Its not only irresponsible aquarium keeping IMO, but it statistically translates into higher mortalities overall for any given shipment. There are exceptions, of course, but the numbers do not lie overall.
Animals that are forced to stay in transit longer (direct transshipments beyond LAX typically) automatically have higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Those that are fielded by less experienced wholesalers or hobbyists fare even worse overall (see net mortality after 2 months, 6 months, one year).
There are very real and definable reasons for this starting with the degradation of water quality in the bag, chganges in fishes blood chemistry from X hours of exposure, and then how that can be improved (or not) by handling on arrival. We often see (and can predict) percentage mortalities after days or weeks in captivity from shipping impositions. These are many of the "mysterious" deaths of siehs that look great weeks after import. Blood chemistry and irreparable damage issues, etc.
The best wholesalers in LA have acclimation systems that cost more than most folks houses!
And it is not money spent unwisely... they do it because it increases profits which in this case thankfully means more fishes and corals survived import.My advice to fellow hobbyists that want to do grou buys is (again) to always and only buy animals on sight. When that is not possible (or ignored) please at least buy from a regional wholesaler with fishes that have had a chance to be tanked and stabilized for some time to improve long term survival chances. Although there is a big difference in price sometimes, I promise you that you get what you pay for!
It breaks my heart to see ignorant folks order cheap fish/corals over and over again. Its a waste of a precious living resource indeed.
Please remember, "Good things and seldom cheap, and cheap things are seldom good."
OK... sorry for the soapbox
but the door was wide open 
cb747
Active member
Wow my thread has become a lesson in transshipped fish..... While i can certainly agree that the longer animals are in transit the mortality risk goes higher i can see the flip side too. Some things are just so crazily priced that it pays to take the risk. IMO i would never pay 1000.00 for a fish but might be willing to take a risk for a much cheaper price. Its all about the economics of my wallett.
