Cheap vs. Expensive Angels

[Dan White]

I was in one of the huge pet shops earlier and they had two large angels for
$11.99 each! These are not the "assorted" marble angels, but the "old
fashioned" striped ones whose name escapes me. These are not fully grown,
but the bodies are about the size of a dollar bill folded in half...quite
large. I've been in other "high end" fish stores where tiny angels were
about $5, quarter sized were about $8 and I even saw half dollar sized ones
going for $25!

Is this large difference in price simply due to the typical undercutting and
economy of scale, or are you buying the security of healthy, expensive fish
against fish of questionable health? I do have to add that I believe I got
a gourami with a parasite that might have also killed a beautiful smallish
angel I had in the same tank. I paid more for those fish at an expensive
store expecting them to be in good health. The 15 day guarantee makes me
want to buy them in any case, but I have to take my chances as I have no
quarantine tank.

dwhite

[luminos]

"Dan White" > wrote in message
. net...
>I was in one of the huge pet shops earlier and they had two large angels
>for
> $11.99 each! These are not the "assorted" marble angels, but the "old
> fashioned" striped ones whose name escapes me. These are not fully grown,
> but the bodies are about the size of a dollar bill folded in half...quite
> large. I've been in other "high end" fish stores where tiny angels were
> about $5, quarter sized were about $8 and I even saw half dollar sized
> ones
> going for $25!
>


These are silver angels. In general, I have found the price of angels to be
rather high compared to past decades, and the specimens around here are the
small ones. If these happen to be Altum angels...grab them!


> Is this large difference in price simply due to the typical undercutting
> and
> economy of scale, or are you buying the security of healthy, expensive
> fish
> against fish of questionable health? I do have to add that I believe I
> got
> a gourami with a parasite that might have also killed a beautiful smallish
> angel I had in the same tank. I paid more for those fish at an expensive
> store expecting them to be in good health. The 15 day guarantee makes me
> want to buy them in any case, but I have to take my chances as I have no
> quarantine tank.
>
> dwhite
>
>
>

[Dan White]

"luminos" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dan White" > wrote in message
> . net...
> >I was in one of the huge pet shops earlier and they had two large angels
> >for
> > $11.99 each! These are not the "assorted" marble angels, but the "old
> > fashioned" striped ones whose name escapes me. These are not fully
grown,
> > but the bodies are about the size of a dollar bill folded in
half...quite
> > large. I've been in other "high end" fish stores where tiny angels were
> > about $5, quarter sized were about $8 and I even saw half dollar sized
> > ones
> > going for $25!
> >
>
>
> These are silver angels. In general, I have found the price of angels to
be
> rather high compared to past decades, and the specimens around here are
the
> small ones. If these happen to be Altum angels...grab them!

Altum was the name that escaped me. I don't know anything about Altums
other than having black vertical stripes. Are all angels with the vertical
stripes Altums? The two I saw today had the stripes, and more are due in
Friday. I plan on picking up 2 as I don't care for the marbles.

dwhite

[Dan White]

"Dan White" > wrote in message
. net...

> Altum was the name that escaped me. I don't know anything about Altums
> other than having black vertical stripes. Are all angels with the
vertical
> stripes Altums? The two I saw today had the stripes, and more are due in
> Friday. I plan on picking up 2 as I don't care for the marbles.

Answering my own question after a quick search. It looks like maybe they
are Peruvian (last one in list below) but I don't really know. I'll have to
ask and see if the fish store knows.

http://www.timstropicals.com/Inventory/Angel/AngelInfo.asp

dwhite

[Margolis]

"Dan White" > wrote in message
. net...
> I was in one of the huge pet shops earlier and they had two large angels
for
> $11.99 each! These are not the "assorted" marble angels, but the "old
> fashioned" striped ones whose name escapes me. These are not fully grown,
> but the bodies are about the size of a dollar bill folded in half...quite
> large. I've been in other "high end" fish stores where tiny angels were
> about $5, quarter sized were about $8 and I even saw half dollar sized
ones
> going for $25!
>
> Is this large difference in price simply due to the typical undercutting
and
> economy of scale, or are you buying the security of healthy, expensive
fish
> against fish of questionable health? I do have to add that I believe I
got
> a gourami with a parasite that might have also killed a beautiful smallish
> angel I had in the same tank. I paid more for those fish at an expensive
> store expecting them to be in good health. The 15 day guarantee makes me
> want to buy them in any case, but I have to take my chances as I have no
> quarantine tank.
>
> dwhite
>
>
>


sometimes you just get lucky and find a very good deal ;o)

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Dan White]

"Margolis" > wrote in message
...
>
> sometimes you just get lucky and find a very good deal ;o)
>

I'm going to pick up 2 on Friday and not worry about why they are so cheap.
The fish look nice and are "pre-grown" you might say. The store is going to
order a couple more for Friday so I have a few to choose from.

dwhite