16 replies to this topic

[Knasan]

Good day fellow Fishies

I try to remain calm as I type this but frustration seems to get the best of me.
From all the fronties the Zaire Blue Moba is surely one of the very best.

Why is Perth in such a shortage?
All experienced fishies are welcome to help me understand

I understand that these guys are caught from deep depths in the lake with decompression issues etc.
Breeding this type is the most difficult and so forth...

Why has this hurdle not been overcome? I am reasonably new to this hobby but I find it hard to understand that
none of you experienced guys have cracked the Moba code by now.

If I have to investigate spending hundreds of dollars to bring a Moba from interstate then how come they are doing so well and Perth is not.

From my chats with other pcs guys the demand for Mobas is high but
supply is zero.

Please don't mistake me for trying to be rude but surely this Society has identified this issue by now and are working on a solution.

Does anyone have a solution to increase Moba numbers in Perth?
What is PCS doing about this identified shortage of Mobas in perth?
What are the LFS doing to help increase Moba numbers?
Are the sponsors aware of this, why are they not helping to increase Perth Moba numbers?

Regards
Knasan

[Buccal]

They are not popular enough or people to push past the high price and pay.
Frontosa takes a long time to mature and breed.
East, especially Sydney are far more serious about fish keeping for number of heads
Their brood size or fry number is alot less than other fronts.
And breeding cycles are very far apart.
The East was always much bigger on tangs',,, now that's changing,,, Malawi and rare Malawi are now gaining intense interest.

[Bowdy]

Maybe these questions would be better asked on a frontosa forum.
The PCS itself isn't doing anything to specifically address your described problems. How is the PCS supposed to help with your situation.

[sajica]

Does anyone have a solution to increase Moba numbers in Perth?
What is PCS doing about this identified shortage of Mobas in perth?
What are the LFS doing to help increase Moba numbers?
Are the sponsors aware of this, why are they not helping to increase Perth Moba numbers?

I have a solution on how to increas Moba numbers in Perth. Put up a wanted ad and offer a tempting price for adults (something ridiculous) that's too good to resist and I'm sure you'd probably get a few bites and get the fish you're after. Coincidently there's some small ones up for sale on the classifieds atm. Buy a large number of them (hopefully from different people and sources) and build a large colony and house in a large tank. When you eventually get them to breed, sell them at the same price as regular 6 bars which will increase the number of fish floating around Perth and LFS.

You'd have killed the price and market for them but they'll be common which is what you want.


The PCS has more important things than trying to encourage people to keep and breed a species that's on the allowable imports list. Quite a few species have been identified at being at risk of becoming lost to the hobby and have extra BAP points allocated to breeding those species. It's a far cry from the "Cichlid Species Register" that myself and a few of the old timers remember from the earlier days of PCS (circa late 90's early 00's) but to run and maintain that kind of register would be time consuming and difficult at best.

At the end of the day LFS and Sponsors can only sell what is offered to them. This comes from a price and availability issue. I'd love to have Neon Jewel Cichlids but I haven't seen them for probably 6 or 7 years now, nor do I know anyone that keeps them or the space for them. If no one's breeding or offering them to LFS or wholesalers, how are they expected to acquire those fish? There's also price issues. It's hard to sell fish in a retail environment when (for example) the new wholesale price is the old retail price. I remember when N.multifasciatus could be bought in LFS for under $10. I've seen a wholesale catalog where the price for them was more than $10. If you're used to paying less than $10 for a fish and the next time you see it retail at twice the price.... you walk and wait for the price to drop again.... eventually.

And that's my $0.02

[Knasan]

Thanks guys, I now better understand the situation from different perspectives.

[Leigh]

Simple economics...supply and demand. If there was the demand you outline, supply will surely follow. I suspect you may have overestimated demand. However, if you have spotted a real gap in the market, what a great opportunity for a enthusiast like yourself to fill the gap.
I see Classifieds this morning has these exact fish for sale. Why don't you purchase them and build yourself up a breeding colony. In a few years, you are then uniquely positioned to supply the region with as many fry as you can breed at a price determined by you. Keep the price low and i am sure that these fish will become much more prevalent

http://www.perthcich...showtopic=52365

[sajica]

BTW if you're still after some Moba's I saw a colony 3M 1F at Avid Aquaria today. $1000. Become a club member and they're yours for $900

[fishking123]

You have all forgotten about fishlips (dave) he has all the zairs. Shiping is not to bad. $250 and you can get a colney sent over. Also mikula and kalolo blue are the hardest to breed. Zaire moba are somewhat easier. Dont blame pcs for not having the fish you want. Iv spent over $1500 on shipping all my fish i have and had. If you want something bad enough you will pay ad much as you need to get it. You will find there are about 5 people in perth city. It might pay to visit frontosa.com.au

[frogspad1]

I have whole colony for sale that you saw when you came to buy some kitumba fry
I told you then that I would sell them less than what i paid so obviously your looking for give away prices

[Knasan]

Not after your whole colony mate. Like I told you over the weekend - just finding it difficult to get females.
Trying to avoid buying a colony as I have 4 Mobas.

Your response Frogspad1 is disappointing.

[Buccal]

These fish are uncommon.
So if it means having to buy extra unwanted fish in the form of a colony to get the few you want,,,, then this you must go for, or you may be waiting for years.
I've lost count ages ago of unwanted fish I've bought to get to particular individuals or to be given preference too, to buy.

[Knasan]

Thanks gents. I now understand that I have to go this route as Buccal is pointing out.
Good to get advice from all u experienced guys.

[Gibberosaman]

You have all forgotten about fishlips (dave) he has all the zairs. Shiping is not to bad. $250 and you can get a colney sent over. Also mikula and kalolo blue are the hardest to breed. Zaire moba are somewhat easier. Dont blame pcs for not having the fish you want. Iv spent over $1500 on shipping all my fish i have and had. If you want something bad enough you will pay ad much as you need to get it. You will find there are about 5 people in perth city. It might pay to visit frontosa.com.au

 

How did you come to the conclusion mikula and Kalolo are the hardest variants to breed? Thats a bit of rubbish.

[fishking123]

Have a look on afk. Mikula are hard to breed and if you can breed them the female's are crap at holding. Hence why you see more moba then mikula. And kalolo? Tell me where you see lots of fry to sell? Only a few people have them. Even one of the biggest frontosa keepers is struggling to breed them. So im sorry to say I bet you have never had kalolo? Or wild caught kalolo? feel free to come over and speak to other afk members
Looking at the time mikula have been in Australia there is not to many fry going around. I suggest you come to afk and see what is going on

[Gibberosaman]

Brad the reason you see more moba than Mikula is because moba have been in Australia for a long time, where as Mikula in numbers has only been imported in that last few years. As you would know frontosa take a long time to mature, and the frontosa fry take a long time to grow. Same with Kalolo, there is not a lot of fry because there was not that many adults brought into Australia in that last few years, not many breeding colonies means less fry available. 

 

The Zaire/Congo variant is the hardest to breed ( and when i say breed, getting them to spawn is easy, getting them to hold the distance is that hard part), some have speculated that its because they live so much deeper in that lake than the Tanz, zambia and North Sp. Its not mikula harder than moba or kapampa etc. 

 

Im not disagreeing that Mikula are hard to get to hold, along with all Zaires, but to go say the specific variant of Mikula and Kalolo are the hardest to breed is a bit silly. And people should not be miss informed about the great fish.

 

And i am a member on that site and i have read every post and there is nothing worthy to support the claims.

[fishking123]

If you have spoken with the owners of lots of types then you will change your opinion. Im not going to argue about childish crap. So all im going to say is do and say what helps you feel better

[Gibberosaman]

Brad i own and breed 5 different wild caught colonies of frontosa, 3 being a zaire variant, I also know numerous breeders that have all available zaire variants to Australia and the same consensus as i previously stated with them as well.

 

Im not starting a battle with you mate so no need to get your back up, i just don't think it is right to inform people of things that are not true. And it does make me feel better knowing that people can now be a little more educated about frontosa.