# How much did you spend or would spend on your Frontosa?



## des (Mar 30, 2011)

I believe most would agree with me that it's more rewarding to start with young fronts and raise them to adult size? It's less expensive, you know what they have been fed and you get many more years out of them.

I often browse to see what others are selling (tanks, equipment, fish) and hoping to catch a great deal. I came a across an ad today of a person selling "a breeding WC group of zaire kitumba frontosa 2 male and 8 female" for a firm price of $1600. The sizes of them are not indicated but from the pictures I'm guessing 8" to 12.". So that's $160 each. With some of your experiences would you say this is a good deal assuming they are all healthy and are well kept? This leads me to ask all of you how much would you spend or if you already have how much did you spend?

Also, how do you put a value on fish? I understand supply and demand but how does someone decide what a fish is worth? Up until now, I sort of use the LFS's price as a measuring stick. Too bad there's no Beckett price list for fish or is there one...?


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

I,ve seen that add,sounds like he is pesonally and emotionally attached to them,I would not even consider spending that amount,I have seen WC Blue Zaires(adult) for a third of that from a few reputable suppliers,that I am considering


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## RRasco (Aug 31, 2006)

Something is only worth as much as somebody is willing to pay for it.

I would pass on that. Most colonies I see for WC blues are around $500-750 for usually 8 fish. I have a buddy with a colony of 8 he's selling for $650, at least he offered it to me when I got 6 of his 4-6" F1 Moba for $300. I think I got a good deal getting these 4-6" Moba for $50 a pop.

I actually wouldn't even buy WC, you never know how old they are or how long they will live, are more susceptible to parasites b/c they are wild, and IMO they are more stressed in a tank since they are used to being in a lake.

Here are mine:


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

$160 for 8-10" (real) wild kitumbas are unfortunately very reasonable. 
however, i would not pay more than $150 for *good quality* wild zaires.
but i will pay $200 or so for an *awesome show quality* male.

so really, its how much you are willing to pay and you have to know
the quality yourself. 
otherwise, you can over pay for low quality fronts.

btw, i just recently spent $140 for an 8" wc moba male.

hey Rob, hows the 8' tank coming along?


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

just saw the ad. they look good and big.
however, i would be very skeptical without any **** on site.
also, i have not come across any kitumba **** on any local ad here in
ontario in the last year or so.


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## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

*mel_cp6*
hey Rob, hows the 8' tank coming along?

set backs and delays,one day I,ll have my Fronts swimming in my living room,at least I know where to get some quality :wink: :wink:


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## des (Mar 30, 2011)

Nice to see some Toronto-nians. :thumb: I already have a colony of Kigomas Fronts and hoping the group will turn out great.

Rrasco - I saw your tank photos in a different thread. Good work on the rocks and love the quality of your fronts. Thanks for your input.

Mel_cp6 - do you have any videos of your 125g and 75g?

newforestrob - are you building your own 8 ft tank?


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## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

After seeing Rene Kreuter's speeches at the ACA. I understand the high prices of Fronts and other deep water species. Especially Wild caught. It takes a week to bring the fish up from the depths they are caught at. If they bring them up too fast the fish get the bends and die. They have to be kept in special cages which also cost alot of money. Also the amount of time the divers can spend at those depths is very short. This also adds to the cost of collecting the fish


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

no video but i do have some pics.
heres my alpha.


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## RRasco (Aug 31, 2006)

Nice fish mel. I <3 Mobas.


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## Ron R. (Oct 21, 2003)

Spending between $150 and up for a 5"-6" wc moba was the norm about 3-4 years ago. The prices have come down some and I have seen smaller wc's on the market. F1 moba prices have come down some as well.

Back around 2003 or so any larger mobas that were sold were 100% wc since few had successfully spawned in the US. Even so, whether they were kaps, mobas and later Kits and Miks.........you couldn't be sure unless you were dealing with a reputable dealer or watched them caught in Lake T.

I started out with a group of 10 wc mobas back in Jan 2005. I didn't have the choice of getting smaller fish or even F1's. I just liked their coloring and that they were rare.

There is a special pride when you grow out your fish from babies into adulthood. Have to have alot of patience as well.


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## mobafrontlover (May 1, 2011)

you guys have some beautiful fish i paid 30 a piece for my f1 kitumba that i prefer over moba after having some :thumb:


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

I paid $1,200 for an allstar group of eight wild Kapampa (Larges) many years ago (they were the original Kaps which we have not seen come in the country in many years). Kaps are collected much deeper than any others and there is a lot more expense in collecting them. The group I bought was recognized as one of the finest groups of Kaps in the country and I made a lot of money selling fry for $35 each. Fry sales more than paid for the fish, the 265 gallon tank and anything esle I had for them. I sold them a year or so ago and got my money back.

No regrets.

Since then, I have not paid much attention to wild prices so I can't comment.

Russ


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

I think I remember spending $570 inc. shipping on a "quad" WC Mikula, before Mikula became the next Moba...lol. They were a splurge for my 40th Birthday. The quad was actually 2m, 2F, from a not so reputable seller...but they were beautiful fish. Here they are when I had them.


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## tirzo13 (May 26, 2004)

When Moba came out and EVERYONE learned the name and wanted one, it was not unheard of to pay $250 plus for a single wild fish from a dealer.
Now wilds are much cheaper, and the original kitumba, moba and kapampa are not the same. 
There are many secrets in catching fish, but my thoughts are that shallower zaire are being caught as its much cheaper and quicker and safer to do, and these fish are being "sold" as the big three.

Still wild Frontosa will always sell for a premium.
Wild frontosa is not the same as Frontosa shipped from Africa, but thats another story.

I can find adult F1+ moba for $50 each now and then, id not pay much more than that, but we have plenty of fish in California so our prices tend to be lower.
I paid $200 each at various times for Kaps, Kits and Moba.
still not even close to what i paid for 13 Zebra plecos.


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## Vtwin60 (Sep 21, 2007)

mel_cp6 said:


> no video but i do have some pics.
> heres my alpha.


WOW! That has to be one of the prettiest I've ever seen. That is a fantastic specimen!


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## des (Mar 30, 2011)

Heyguy74 said:


> After seeing Rene Kreuter's speeches at the ACA. I understand the high prices of Fronts and other deep water species. Especially Wild caught. It takes a week to bring the fish up from the depths they are caught at. If they bring them up too fast the fish get the bends and die. They have to be kept in special cages which also cost alot of money. Also the amount of time the divers can spend at those depths is very short. This also adds to the cost of collecting the fish


This is interesting stuff. Is there any publication to read on the entire process of catching wild caught in detail? The novice in the hobby like myself would appreciate wild caught a whole lot more. Thanks for the brief insight.


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## des (Mar 30, 2011)

From the reads, it's clear that the fronts from the far deep south is where the bread and butter is at. Where does it leave the rest of them - Kigomas, Burundis, etc. in the rank? All of a sudden I don't feel proud of my Kigomas... :roll: But my kigoma will have one extra stripe that your mobas, kitumbas, and kapampas will never have! muhaha 

Anyone want to trade? :lol: (j/k)

Thank you for posting pictures of your fronts everyone.


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

des said:


> From the reads, it's clear that the fronts from the far deep south is where the bread and butter is at. Where does it leave the rest of them - Kigomas, Burundis, etc. in the rank? All of a sudden I don't feel proud of my Kigomas... :roll: But my kigoma will have one extra stripe that your mobas, kitumbas, and kapampas will never have! muhaha
> 
> Anyone want to trade? :lol: (j/k)
> 
> Thank you for posting pictures of your fronts everyone.


Yours are just still small. Wait until your dominant male grows those long fins and develops a nice hump. A front is a front theres just ones with different variations that have come more readily available at different times.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I paid $800 for 3F, 1M Kapampa wild caughts.
No shipping costs as I bought from someone who had imported them a couple years prior.
They range 8-12 inches in length. Prior to this I had never spent over $30 for one fish.
Last year I sold other cichlid fry for $800 so considered this purchase "a freebie".
I do hope they spawn as it would recoup some of the purchase price but if not - not a real loss. I have had them for 8 months and no spawning so am starting to lose hope that they will spawn.


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## @socal_cichlids (Sep 21, 2021)

punman said:


> I paid $800 for 3F, 1M Kapampa wild caughts.
> No shipping costs as I bought from someone who had imported them a couple years prior.
> They range 8-12 inches in length. Prior to this I had never spent over $30 for one fish.
> Last year I sold other cichlid fry for $800 so considered this purchase "a freebie".
> I do hope they spawn as it would recoup some of the purchase price but if not - not a real loss. I have had them for 8 months and no spawning so am starting to lose hope that they will spawn.


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## Scooby915 (Oct 28, 2021)

I paid, 1,000 for 10 WC Moba 3 males 7females from a importer here in the states. In my opinion Moba frontosas show the most blues/purples


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## A.C.socali (Oct 25, 2021)

I spent 125.00 on a 1.75 inch nightstar. now hes about 7 inches..... still looks good.


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## KitumbaKing (Sep 22, 2018)

I spent $525 including shipping for a 1M/3F WC Kitumba group this last spring from a very reputable importer. These fish are absolute stunners. I would do it again in a heartbeat.


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

Spent $1,530 on 3M/6F Moba from my usual supplier in the U.S., should receive these in about 2 weeks. Really nice fish.


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