Could Someone Breeding Mbunas Actually Make Decent Side Money?

[TheeMon]

ok well a little back story, im a super poor college student and love fish, i had a mbuna(mixed) tank last time i visited this forum but have since gotten rid of them... i was wondering if i bred Demasoni and yellow labs could i make some side cash? i got a 40gal breeder tank 18x12x22(i think not sure) its got a big footprint anyways i was thinking 16 fish 1 male 7 females per species and well what do yall think? no i dont plan on just doing it to make money, or actually doing it at all, its just a thought i had. how many babies do mbunas normally have per litter? i dunno remember its just a tought and IF i did do it it wouldnt be for a few months

 

[freddyk]

When you consider the fry tank, grow out tanks to get them to a size worth selling, maintenance on all of them, food, etc. plus the ready availability of these fish already, you'll find there's little profit to be made off of it.

 

[TheeMon]

well actually i got everything...


how much do med size mbuna sell for? i know the ones i was gonna buy was gonna sell for like 8$ per, so around 3-4$?

 

[Luke & Penny]

well i got my yellow labs for £20 which was for the 5 or they were priced at £6 each, I know it may be different in the Uk to the states and canada but on that sort of species its not usually worth it, The shops make little profit on the livestock and mainly all on the after care and products, thats normally why they push these items on you.
When i bred reptiles I had to admit defeat on some of the species that got more and more common therefore readily available.

good luck though with any venture

luke

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

i think you'll find that most people only make enough to cover any running costs they have, all but those with the likes of the florida fish farms will make very little actual profit.

 

[TheeMon]

it dont really cost much to maintaine them, and im not looking to make a living off it, 50$ a month will make me more then happy... could i atleast make 50$ a month? lol

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

it does cost quite a bit when you have lots of tanks though!!
think about having say 10 tanks, you have to buy 10 filters and media, substrate and decor, lighting tubes and starters, water conditioner, food and adult breeding fish (which cost more). Add the time it takes to raise the fry to saleable size, and the food they need to grow, water changes every 2-3 days, and the time it takes to do all the water changes on those tanks (after a years practice , I can do 6 tanks, 20% change, in 45 minutes). you can see why there is little money in raising fish for selling.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to discourage you, just trying to make you see the hard work that goes into a breeders fish house, and mine is a small one compared to most.

 

[TheeMon]

you breed fish? if so tell me about your setup n other junk


honostly this is what i planned, buying the fish at 8$ each(got it lined up whenever i want um) then setting up 3 tanks, my 40gal breeder tank for the parents, my 10 gal tank for fry then the other 40gal breeder tank for the small fish to selling age, i got everything to set these tanks up now, besides more food and that junk u feed fry and water what else would i really need(got everything for all 3 fully operational tanks) so could i make like 50$ a month with this setup?

 

[Tolak]

The market for fish is very inconsistent. It always seems when you have fish to sell, the market is swamped, when there is a market you have fry the size of a speck. Eight weeks later when you are ready to sell, it's swamped again.

I spend around 3 hours on the weekend with water changes, tank cleaning & maintainance, along with anywhere from 10 to 60+ minutes daily on feeding & other fishroom related activities. My electric bill is around $50 more per month, water is maybe $10. I buy food in bulk, probably sets me back $15 monthly. Add in another $20 monthly for dechlor & other supplies. I figure it's around $100 monthly to run 14 tanks, 380 gallons total. This doesn't count in setup costs, I didn't figure that, as your setup is paid for.

It's mostly an angel setup, I get $1.50 each for juvie angels if the market is good, a buck for 3 if I can get rid of them at all if the market is swamped. Once in a while I make over $200 a month, some months I bring in ziltch. If I break even, I'm lucky. This just covers fishroom costs, not the hours I work. Reading the market for fish is nearly impossible.

You could give it a try, I have. I've found it mostly gives me a reason to hang out at auctions & swaps, looks like I'm working when I'm really enjoying myself, pretty much goofing off. If I really pushed it, I could probably get a more consistent profit going, but I'm enjoying myself as it is.

Tolak