[Subtletanks91]

Why are Taiwan bees so expensive? I understand it takes time and money to breed out a select color in a shrimp and to even catch the slightest variation in color to breed it out... I just don't see the reasoning behind the high prices.

 

[MsNemoShrimp]

They used to be like $75 - $100 each just about 2 years ago. Thanks to some importers like Speedie (Nick), prices have gone down by a lot. Now they are about 1/2 that which is still high, but not completely nonaffordable.

The harder it is to keep something alive will drive prices up. That goes for anything. For example, if you keep 20 cherry shrimps, by the end of the year you can have about 1000 shrimps. However, if you have 20 Taiwan Bees, you'll probably have at most 100 by the end of the year.

My bf and I have spent so much money on shrimps for the past few years and the higher up we go on shrimps, the more money we have to spend on getting there. If I were to sell any of my Crystals, I would want at least $10 each given all the time, money, effort I had put into them so I can see why Taiwan Bee breeders could demand higher. Importers that resell are different since they don't spend 2+ years to develop their own strain, etc.

 

[orhunterfisher]

They used to be like $75 - $100 each just about 2 years ago. Thanks to some importers like Speedie (Nick), prices have gone down by a lot. Now they are about 1/2 that which is still high, but not completely nonaffordable.

The harder it is to keep something alive will drive prices up. That goes for anything. For example, if you keep 20 cherry shrimps, by the end of the year you can have about 1000 shrimps. However, if you have 20 Taiwan Bees, you'll probably have at most 100 by the end of the year.

My bf and I have spent so much money on shrimps for the past few years and the higher up we go on shrimps, the more money we have to spend on getting there. If I were to sell any of my Crystals, I would want at least $10 each given all the time, money, effort I had put into them so I can see why Taiwan Bee breeders could demand higher. Importers that resell are different since they don't spend 2+ years to develop their own strain, etc.

+1 MsNemo

When I purchased my brood stock I paid between $75 and $150 each for my TB's and after years of selective breeding etc I have my own stabilized colonies. Your point on homebred vs import is very true and insightful as most people don't realize the difference, or don't care. Everyone has their own opinion on this.

 

[Soothing Shrimp]

+1 MsNemo

Very well put. It's what goes on behind the scenes that people don't know about. All that time, space, money, bloo, sweat and tears that is put into the shrimp makes a high price too. Something I don't mind paying- even with new var of neos- because the breeder has put in such effort and hard work.

 

[ravensgate]

There are a couple of reason right off the top of my head. Taiwan bees are known to have the longest gestation periods of the shrimp we keep, often going over 40 days. Due to the stress of being berried, the females sometimes die before their eggs hatch. Then add that in with the slow growth of the Taiwans. By the time the shrimp is 'sellable' size the keeper has invested 6 months of time in that one shrimp (especially if you figure in gestation with that). Some of this is due to slow growth rate naturally, the other is due to the fact many keep them at colder temps. Then you add that with how many of what color you have born into the clutches (for example, much less chance of Blue Bolts born than BBK or pandas), that makes some a little more difficult to find.

So there are many factors of the Taiwans that I feel keep the prices higher. The more breeders that are successful the faster those prices come down. The fact they come down so slowly should also tell you how many truly 'successful' breeders are out there.

 

[Subtletanks91]

This makes sence, so it's all driven by the work and effort put into breeding these guys. How long it takes to breed any amount close to selling, years to stabilize a good colony. And how difficult it is to keep them.

 

[Forumsnow]

I have also read they produce a much higher percentage of males than females. Less females means less shrimp being produced.

 

[sbarbee54]

Plus supply and demand. Other shrimp have become abundant and Taiwan bees are still being developed. They are a newer shrimp in the hobby.
But msnemoshrimp was spot on with it.

When I started keeping them they were as well 75-100. Heck back the. Even btoe were 40$ each and royals were 50$ and oebt were 20$

 

[Soothing Shrimp]

+1 Well said, Subtle.

 

[Subtletanks91]

That makes sence. It's like medication in 3rd world countries (bad example guys) it's in such a high supply and demand that the prices are outrageous and not a lot of people can afford it.

I didn't know that about the percentage of female to males they give birth to though that's interesting

 

[bostoneric]

Dont forget all the additional fees involved in importing that get tacked onto the price of the shrimp, another whole bucket of $ that most consumers aren't aware of.

 

[usgetata]

And importers and breeders have to endure the cost of dead shrimps during transportation and before they reach mature size.

 

[Subtletanks91]

This is all good information. I knew about breeding and time and cost but never thought of the other fees involved. This is good not only for me but others who don't understand the higher prices on taiwans and other high end shrimp.