Tiger Oscars

[patrickhall]

what do you guys think a 12" oscar, normal or albino is worth?

[dennysfishroom]

Unfortunately, probably not as much as you would like (if you're selling). It's a supply and demand question. Not many people are interested in the bigger fish. But if you find someone who is trying to find a male or female as appropriate to whatever you have, its value might be more just because there are not many of those available out there. I wish you luck if you're trying to sell, and say you might get a good deal if you're in the market to buy. This is also assuming the really good condition of the fish. Denny

[dennysfishroom]

After re-reading that, I guess I really didn't answer your question. When I was working at an aquarium store in NW Indiana, we would have them brought in as donations occasionally. They usually were around for quite awhile, and usually sold for $15-20. There may be someone who can update that with regard to present prices and local conditions. Denny

[Jackielee]

Lane might give us $ 5 for a fish like that if he would take it at all. He is one of few KC pet stores that will even take a larger cichlid. Good luck. There is usually someone who want a big oscar. The last big ones I had I disopsed of humanely. Sad but true, no one wanted them. I have not bought an oscar since that.

[patrickhall]

well thanks for the quite replies guys. im a reptile keeper who has recently been sucked into keeping fish. and now im addicted. anyways im acquiring a couple big oscars and a couple of other american cichlids in a trade and just curious as to what they would run if i decided to sell them. in the reptile world prices increase drastically with size considering time and food invested in the animal so i figured the same was true of fish, i guess oscars are just flooded in the market.

[mewickham]

Oscars are great fish. They're hardy and have personality. And, except for aggression toward each other (mainly in specimens that were not raised together), fairly peaceful. Unfortunately, the resale value is low or nil. When I was a retailer, we only took in large oscars as donation (if we had space) and we tried to sell them for $20. Based on the amount of food an oscar consumes, we would be lucky to break even at $20 on a fish we got for free. Dealers tend not to have the tankspace for them or a clientele wanting large fish. If you can find a hobbyist who wants a big oscar, though, you can probably get $10-$25 easily.

If nothing else, oscars are highly edible and delicious!

[snakeskinner]

it's the same problem here in Oklahoma... As much as I like Oscars (and almost bought some), that's one fish I'd like to see disappear from the hobby. They are over-sold and over-soughtafter as young fish to newbies who don't know how to properly keep them. to make matters worse, they are very dirty fish that foul the water quickly so the vast majority of them rarely see adulthood in these conditions. Those that do make to adulthood are usually given away in poor conditions on craiglist or dumped on the local fish shop. Most of the ones you see have lots of Head and Lateral Line Errosion (large pits and holes in their head and along the lateral line) and are missing eyes and fins. The people that have the proper knowledge and tanks to keep them tend to seek out harder to find species so they are not so willing to take them on. Kyle