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Black Ruby Barbs... how much!?

Swampy

Member
Joined
4 May 2008
Messages
47
Location
Kent.
I have just been quoted £10 per barb and was told well they are quite rare, the retailer is the main aquatic dealer in the UK. I know these barbs are on the Red List at IUCN as their habitat is under threat from deforestation in Sri Lanka but £10 per fish bred for the pet trade more than likely in Singapore seems it bit OTT!?
 
They are captive bred nowadays.
https://www.ruinemans.com/en/product/35453-pethia-nigrofasciata-m

This wholesaler has them about always in stock with sufficient numbers. If they sell a Wild Caught specimen they will flag the picture with a green banner wild label. Thus quite rare? Maybe rarely imported into the UK, that i can't know.

This wholesaler also exports to the UK at several addresses, see the store locator. I have no idea about UK shop regulations. But if a shop in my region gets the fish from Ruinemans, i can ask the price even if it's not in store. And then i can decide if i want to order or not. The retail price is somehow calculated with the wholesale price they pay, could be a X 1.5 or something.

Anyway, you can look up several shops provided by them and phone them for a price and compare.

Edit, looked up a shop in my country.
€3,95 p/fish. :) retail. And they get them from the above wholesaler. Compare picture.
https://www.aquariumplantenshop.nl/purperkop-barbeel.html
 
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Lovely fish, I kept wild ones way back before they were flagged. The males became deep ruby red with age and the colours intensified when the males started sparing for females.
Typically, a couple of males would chase each other round and round in tight rapid circles till one gave up and broke off.
Worth the admission fee, although I'd probably think twice before parting with 10 quid a pop, especially since they'd need to be kept in a group of at least 6-10 individuals.
 
Normally around three quid a fish, normally pretty easy to find. As mentioned by Tim the males are beautiful once in full breeding/sparring mode. Would recommend a three foot tank or larger as they’re pretty lively.

cheers

conor
 
Purchased some this afternoon, they around 3.5 cm in length for £3.00 per Barb although I did have drive 25 miles for them. Locally no one seems to have any available in stock and like all of you, normally they are everywhere, even a humble pet shop with a few tropical tanks. At the price I was quoted over the phone it would have cheaper to get them mail order and paided the £14.95 for the courier!
 
There is a maidenhead near me that has some truly strange pricing, especially for barbs. I think checkered barbs were 6.95 each (when I can get five for not much more at my lfs), rosy barbs 8.95 and cherry barbs 4.95. It's all the more surprising when they also sell really strong coloured ember tetra 8 for £16 which I think is a good price.
 
There is a maidenhead near me that has some truly strange pricing, especially for barbs. I think checkered barbs were 6.95 each (when I can get five for not much more at my lfs), rosy barbs 8.95 and cherry barbs 4.95. It's all the more surprising when they also sell really strong coloured ember tetra 8 for £16 which I think is a good price.
9 quid a rosy barb and 5 quid for a cherry barb is madness, both normally two to three pounds each. People must buy them at that price otherwise I’m sure they wouldn’t be in business still, although you’d be mad to pay it lol.

cheers

Conor
 
Black ruby barbs (even tank bred) are much more expensive and less common than many of the other barbs - if a shop sells at similar prices to tiger barbs etc, they are subsidizing BRB cost by other fish sales
BRB also do not ship as well, especially if sub-adult/adult

Depending on how shops source fish, wholesale prices paid out for stock can be much higher
 
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