I still don't understand why you disagree that demand for livestock is determined by price. I'm not just quoting Economics. This is the real world. Its common sense. Ask this board how many people would buy a clownfish for $20. Then ask how many people would buy a clownfish for $40, $60. You will then see that as the price goes up, less and less people will buy it. Its common sense. You can keep denying Economic theory until you're blue in the face but Economic theory is still the most generally accepted theory for explaining market behavior.
I really would like some references that denies Economic theories for the Aquarium market. In order for price not be an issue in demand, the demand curve has to be vertical (by definition). This is fundamental first and 2nd year Microeconomics.
Here's a reference:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~kaplan/eco.../section4.html
"The other extreme is a good with a vertical demand curve and is perfectly inelastic. Perfectly inelastic goods have no substitutes and are necessities. An example of this type of good is insulin or other pharmaceuticals that are required for someone to live. If the demand curve is vertical, the firm can raise prices by 1% or (higher) and the quantity demanded will not change. Consumers find a way to continue buying the good."
So this seems to contradict your claim that the livestock demand curve is not affected by price due to it not being essential. In fact, the only time that price does not affect the demand curve is when a good IS essential.
In fact, the demand curve for livestock is very elastic and very sensitive to price change because 1. livestock is NOT essential, and 2. livestock has many substitutes. If the price of clownfish is too high, people will either buy a cheaper fish (because there are substitutes) or not buy the fish at all (because its not essential).
Here's a reference:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~kaplan/eco.../section4.html
"Perfectly elastic goods have a horizontal demand curve reflecting the presence of identical substitutes. For example, assume that you are shopping for flour at the local grocer. You find two bins of wheat flour located side by side. One is full of flour labeled "wheat flour from wheat grown in Zeppo County, Kansas" and costs $0.75 a pound. The other bin is also full and labeled "wheat flour from wheat grown in Harpo County, Kansas" and costs $0.40 a pound, otherwise the attributes of the flour are identical. Which would you purchase?"
Nothing I see at the aquarium stores betrays what I learned in Economics. Everything matches exactly as expected. I can't see any reason at all why the Aquarium market should defy Economic theory and behavior. What I see on this board and in the stores matches everything that is taught and documented to the Tee.
If you have any references why the Aquarium industry does not follow Economic theory, I would love to read it.
If we took a poll here, we should see that the reefers' buying behaviors agree with Economic theory.