buying frontosa (pick me up off the floor I died!!!!!!)

[fraggle]

I've seen some really neat pics of fronts and thought I would do some research so when I get another tank I could look at doing a tank. I nearly had a coronary!
How much do you guys pay for fronts?

The cheapest that I could find was for a 2" 6 bar and that was $75
A 1.5" kigoma was $111
a 2" Blue mpimbwe $110
2" 7 bar $104
5" Blue Zaire is $499!!

[Gemini]

Fraggle check out the tradingpost.com.au in your area. I find quite a few people have fronts. Another great place is the Aust Pet Link web site. Similar to trading post, one site for equipment and one for livestock. Links below. I haven't priced them in store sorry....
http://www.petlink.com.au/Classifieds/Fish-and-Aquarium/Aquariums-and-Supplies/
http://www.petlink.com.au/Classifieds/Fish-and-Aquarium/Fish/index.html

[rageybug]

Frontosa are wicked expensive in Canada too.

[Deleted User]

Here in the UK. In my area. Burundi fronts are £ 22.00 each @ 2" don't know about the other types you mention.:ssmile:

[kaybee]

Wow, those are ridiculous prices.

Kigoma's and burundi's are most common in my area.

1.5" kigoma: $16-20.
1.5" burundi: $8 (at the cichlid speciality shop), $16 at the LFS, and as much as $28 at the franchise LFS's (way too expensive).
7" burundi: $90-100.

Typical fellow hobbyist prices:
group of four wild caught (1m/3f) 8" mpimbwe's: $300-350 for the breeding group.

[fraggle]

You're not joking they are ridiclous pricing!! I was looking at the prices thinking "get off the grass!!!" LOL

Hmmmm, maybe it won't be a frontosa tank (although if they are that expensive it might be worth getting some a breeding them! LOL)

Thanks for the links Gem, I'll keep my eye out, and I hadn't even thought of the trading post either

[cocoa_pleco]

small theyre a few bucks here

[Gemini]

Thanks for the links Gem, I'll keep my eye out, and I hadn't even thought of the trading post either
Keep an eye out fraggle because I always see fronts going on the pet link site.

[Brookfish]

Fronts around here are definitely an expensive commodity, to buy a
mature colony you would need to re-mortage the house lol,
If you buy juvies and grow them on like I did they are affordable,
They are a gorgeos cichlid but I wouldn't pay $499 for a 5" Blue Zaire :ssuprised: HOLY COW!!

FRONTS RULE!!


http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp277/fishpicsmike/111front_800x531.jpg

[fraggle]

How big are the juvies Brookfish?

[Northernguy]

Frontosa are wicked expensive in Canada too.

How much are they in T Bay?
I have never seen them here yet.

[Crispy]

They are about $25 for any kind of fronts here (when you can even find them). I got lucky and found a breeder a few years back and got 9 one inchers for $60. One magically disappeared on me a few months after I got them and I've had the other 8 ever since. Love my fronts!! Not sure if that breeder is still around tho.

[Crispy]

Here's the prices from my guy at the moment...
Frontosa
Cyphotilapia Frontosa 6 Stripe 1 ¼” $12.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Bulu Point 1” $18.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa 7 Stripe 1” $12.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Kipili 1” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Ikola Lightning 1 ½” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Cape Mpimbwe 1” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Samazi 1” $25.00

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Tangs in general are more expensive for some reason. I look at the tanks at my LFS and all the Tangs are priced about 25-50% higher then any of the Lake Malawi fish.

[fraggle]

Here's the prices from my guy at the moment...
Frontosa
Cyphotilapia Frontosa 6 Stripe 1 ¼” $12.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Bulu Point 1” $18.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa 7 Stripe 1” $12.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Kipili 1” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Ikola Lightning 1 ½” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Cape Mpimbwe 1” $25.00
Cyphotilapia Frontosa Samazi 1” $25.00


LOL, can you ship them to Australia? $25 I can deal with!!! (well that would be more like $200 for a bunch of them LOL, but better than flaming remortgaging my house!)

[fraggle]

Tangs in general are more expensive for some reason. I look at the tanks at my LFS and all the Tangs are priced about 25-50% higher then any of the Lake Malawi fish.


I had to think there ILMGB, LOL, I was thinking Tangs as in S/W fish, then realised it was the lake! (Not very smart but I can lift heavy things :shappy: )

Is the Tang lake harder to get to or something?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

They are not as common in fish stores, at least around here they are not. Probably not as popular as Malawi fish because of the extreme water conditions they live in, and if you are keeping wild Tanganyikan fish, you need to keep the right water conditions. They are about the only fish you will find that thrive in water that has a pH of 9.2.

[Brookfish]

How big are the juvies Brookfish?

My juvies are about 2.5 Fraggle, here's one of the little fellas ...

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp277/fishpicsmike/1frontR_794x600.jpg

The Front in the first pic was a 5" specimen I picked up seperately

[Deleted User]

Aww what a cute little guy Brookfish. Great shot too. :ssmile:

[cer]

They are pretty cheap where I go.

[Brookfish]

They are pretty cheap where I go.

How much is cheap cer?

[cocoa_pleco]

i saw some $8 ones at petsmart a few days ago

[fraggle]

Great shot Brookfish! And yup, so cute :) and even at that little they still look impressive!

Is there an easy way to tell if they are male and female?

[Brookfish]

Great shot Brookfish! And yup, so cute :) and even at that little they still look impressive!

Is there an easy way to tell if they are male and female?

Fraggle at that small size there is no easy way of sexing Fronts, the best
way is by venting, and even experts find it difficult in small fish.
If you buy a group (colony) chances are that the fastest growing fish
in the colony will be the alpha male, but again it's not guranteed.
both male and female develop the nuchal hump but females can grow
larger nuchal humps than say sub dominant males so again not a certain way to sex them. I think the only certain way is to let them mature and pair off,
then we can sort the guys from the gals, lol.