Rare / hard to find fish supplier???

Pennoyer · #1 10/18/2007, 04:35 PM

I am looking to replace my red sea regal angel and would like to know if anybody knows a fish supplier who can locate and obtain hard to find fish. I want a juvenile, so it is difficult to find. I got the first through Phishy and have asked him to try to get another one, but thought I'd ask here for possible other sources. Anyone have any idead where to look?

thor32766 · #2 10/18/2007, 07:02 PM

live aquria?

lilchris · #3 10/18/2007, 09:06 PM

http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/ang...alangelredsea/
I think this is what you are looking for

Pennoyer · #4 10/18/2007, 11:45 PM

Live aquaria won't specify a size or even if the fish will still have its eyespot. They said watch the Diver's Den for a wysiwyg fish. I tried to even pre-order the fish and the rep said sorry. Marine Center gave the same vague response and only directed me to the website where the size is listed between 3"-5". That is a huge range; almost 2 years worth of growth between 3"and 5". A juvenile will be around 2.5" max. Any other thoughts???

triggerfish1976 · #5 10/19/2007, 10:44 AM

Unfortunetly decent red sea fish are becoming scarce again and Juvenile Regals were not easy to come by as it is. Phishy is probably going to be your best bet right now. I have yet to see any juvenile Regals on LA and I check their site everyday.
You're going to just have to call each place and see if they will tell you what they have in stock. Here are some other suggestions:

bluezooaquatics.com
Reef Tank Supply
justrarefish.com
atlantisaquarium.net
marinedepotlive.com
oldtownaquarium.com

Good luck.

Chooch1 · #6 10/19/2007, 10:49 AM

I feel your pain Pennoyer because I have tried the same thing. Phishybusiness does/did have what they call a subadult Indo-Pacific Regal. Juvenile Red Sea Regals are almost impossible to find. I've been looking for years and it does not seem they are collected much if at all. Last year I lost my 5 year+ Red Sea Regal and it has been a bear to replace. After waiting for close to a year on the waiting list I ordered a Red Sea/Maldives Regal from LA and they sent me an almost 5 inch Indo-Pacific specimen. Grrr!!! To their credit they did give me a refund. I'm not having much luck getting the angel to eat. It's very shy but will eat nori from a clip. I have not seen it eat anything else and I've tried about everything. The most adaptable Red Sea Regals seem to be in the 2.5 to 3.5 inch range. Larger specimens just don't seem to adapt as easily, if at all. I got my previous Regal from a place in FL that had been recommended to me by Julian Spring called Marine Life Designs. Unfortunately they no longer sell mail order. I have read that Sea Dwelling Creatures out of Los Angeles sells good Red Sea Regals but your LFS would have to order one directly for you as they are wholesale only. I too have found it's difficult to specify size. It's almost luck of the draw. Good luck on your search.

Pennoyer · #7 10/19/2007, 10:53 AM

Thanks. I'm sick over this since it was my stupid pig headiness that caused the problem. Never again will I push it thinking I have enough experience to handle the issues of putting to large teritory fish in a small tank. The one I got from Phishy was perfect and was about 2.5" when received.

Chooch1 · #8 10/19/2007, 11:04 AM

Pennoyer,

Does it have to be a Red Sea specimen? Phishy still has a very nice looking Indo specimen that they say is eating. I'd order it myself if I didn't have the large one that LA sent me. It seems a properly collected and acclimated Indo specimen should do well. IMO they're not quite as beautiful as Red Sea Regals but they're still stunning fush.

I can relate to to the stupidity issue. I failed to quarantine some anthias which ended up wiping out my entire fish collection including my 5 year + Red Sea Regal. Had I not been so stupid Im sure that fish would still be with me today. It ate everything and was reef safe. Lesson learned the hard way.

triggerfish1976 · #9 10/19/2007, 11:31 AM

The problem is red sea fish are currently coming mostly from Yemen which is like getting fish from the Phillipines i.e. poor collection practices so even the Red Sea Regals currently being collected or not doing as well as they use to. The juve's are not easily found on the reef so the yemen collectors generally do not waste their time trying to find one small fish that actually sells for less than the larger specimans that can be found much easier.

lilchris · #10 10/19/2007, 12:22 PM

Have you tried Reefermadness. I was looking for a panda goby and they called me like a week later telling me they just one in. I owuld try them.

Chooch1 · #11 10/19/2007, 12:47 PM

Triggerfish1976,

Interesting. Have other Red Sea collection areas shut down and Yemen the only option now? I have noticed that Red Sea Regals have not been available that much in the last 10 months or so. I guess the Maldives would still be an option.

triggerfish1976 · #12 10/19/2007, 01:10 PM

I believe that Saudi Arabia used to be the good place to get Red Sea fish but ever since the Irag war heated up fish have been scarce out of that area.

kb27973 · #13 10/23/2007, 07:38 AM

All it shows on his site at the moment is a Marshall Island Regal, but this guy has super nice fish and is very responsive to customer needs. I got a very fat Red Sea Regal and Copperband butterfly 6 months ago and they were both eating right away. Michael really knows what he's doing with Angels... Here is his info:

Michael Stern
Michael@NYAquatic.com
914-661-3128

Ken

Pennoyer · #14 10/23/2007, 10:34 AM

No it does not have to be from the RedSea, but I do want the yellow chested variety. I've called Sea Dwelling Creatures in LA and they told me that they rarely see smaller than 3" fish coming in. I emailed Marine Center, but got no response. I also emailed Atlantis Aquarium and they said they would keep their eye out. Didn't try Michael, but will d so today. Lesson learned for sure.

triggerfish1976 · #15 10/23/2007, 10:46 AM

Juve. marked Red Sea/Maldives regals never make it to the general retail market. The very few that get collected eiter get snatched up by collectors out west or never even make to US soil as they get snatched up by the Asian Market.
I would call Old Town Aquarium in Chicago and get their take on it since they seem to be able to get the rarest of the rare fish that are available.

ZIN22 · #16 10/23/2007, 01:06 PM

http://justrarefish.com/html/wrasse.html
this guy is pretty good to talk to he gets some pretty rare stuff.
http://www.aqua-dreams.com/rareexoti...fish&UID=10036
Another one I just came across.

LargeAngels · #17 10/23/2007, 03:51 PM

Do you have an LFS that orders from the LA wholesalers and has a good relationship with them? I was lucky to get a 1 1/2"-2" Yellow belly from Quality Marine through my LFS. As triggerfish stated they rarely make it to the US market.

triggerfish1976 · #18 10/23/2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LargeAngels
Do you have an LFS that orders from the LA wholesalers and has a good relationship with them? I was lucky to get a 1 1/2"-2" Yellow belly from Quality Marine through my LFS. As triggerfish stated they rarely make it to the US market.

You just hit the nail right on the head. You usually have to have an LFS with some clout with one of the LA wholesalers to be able to get one.

Pennoyer · #19 10/23/2007, 04:00 PM

I sent an email to OldTownAquarium this morning and they have an African Regal I am probably going to order. Waiting on a response back from a few questions that I asked.

triggerfish1976 · #20 10/23/2007, 04:04 PM

Indian ocean side or Atlantic Ocean side?

Pennoyer · #21 10/23/2007, 04:19 PM

Didn't say. All he said was it was very similar to the Red Seavariety and eating well. I asked to confirm the yellow chest and a few other issues. Is there a problem that you know about with one side versus the other? Never looked into African origin fish.

Cantonesefish · #22 10/23/2007, 04:22 PM

This place has about 4 or 5 juvenile regals:

http://www.b-boxaquarium.com/shopbrand/002/002/X

Unfortunately it's in Japan!

triggerfish1976 · #23 10/23/2007, 04:45 PM

It was probably a stupid question because I don't know of any regals collected on the Atlantic side so I would assume that it is the indian ocean side which may mean that it is a yellow belly from the Maldives.

Hormigaquatica · #24 10/23/2007, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by triggerfish1976
Indian ocean side or Atlantic Ocean side?

Just for the record, Regal Angels dont exist on the Atlantic side of the continent (unless someone has released the odd individual there, but that doesnt count I suppose...).

zemuron114 · #25 10/24/2007, 01:46 AM

juvi regals are rare no matter where they come from. I have got a few from the marshalls at a really good size. I had one a little smaller then a half dollar. It was so cool. I kept him for a while and then sold him (which i still regret

) The average size i get is about 3", but have had some larger and smaller. They are never plentiful though, even from there.