Fish Breeding On A Small Scale

[breezer40]

I have sold to shops but normally now sell to friends and on ebay http/stores.ebay.co.uk/dls-aquatics_W0QQ...Q3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm

In January I will be getting keys to a shop of my own so they will then all move in there.

I am gradually building my stocks of wild caught fish and every one of them came from Natural World in syston Leicester...Stunners!

 

[BigC]

The problem is, can you keep it small scale? I personally don't think so.

 

[blue acara]

I have sold to shops but normally now sell to friends and on ebay http/stores.ebay.co.uk/dls-aquatics_W0QQ...Q3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm

In January I will be getting keys to a shop of my own so they will then all move in there.

I am gradually building my stocks of wild caught fish and every one of them came from Natural World in syston Leicester...Stunners!

good old ebay! always a good way to sell.

i bet you cant wait to get into you shop, good luck!

 

[breezer40]

I think you have hit the nail on the head there BigC! I don't think its possible from my own experiences.

 

[blue acara]

The problem is, can you keep it small scale? I personally don't think so.

i wouldnt call this a problem i would love to quit my job and do something like this. my job is crap which makes it even more appealing

 

[Tsi_User]

This is a definately an interesting topic, I have thought about trying to turn a profit for quite a while but unless you ENJOY the ride then it doesn't seem worth it.

On another note though, if you consider all of the variables you have to include to turn a profit(initial costs, cost per month, maitenance time, fish breeding time, how long they must grow before the sell etc...) it seems like if you stuck to a few key, easier breeding fish that reached maturity quickly but weren't that large and were at a high demand you COULD turn an allright profit.

Hell, fish shops manage to do it somehow

 

[demonmagus]

I think most fish shops make more money out of dry goods

 

[CFC]

I had a little dabble into the breeding side of the hobby, nothing really fancy just a couple of goby species, some easy to breed killies, a pair of wild caught kribs, dwarf snakeheads, bristlenoses , severums and congo tetras.

It soon came apperent that there is no way to make money from a home breeding project as by the time you have raised them to selling size the costs of food and heating far outweigh what the shops will buy them for as they can get them much cheaper from fish farms in the far east and from wholesalers. I was basicly spending 2 to 3 hours a night after work doing water changes to then give the fry away, often at a loss.
Now i use my tanks to keep fish for my own pleasure only.

 

[madmom]

If you want to make it a prime income then no . Costs of setup and maintenance will get you in the red immediately. If it is only to lower costs of your own tanks then maybe. There are alot of things to thinkn about. Where to sell them. Ebay or aquabid may be your best bet. The kinds of fish also will affect monies coming in.
You may start small and get equipment second hand or through a freecycle org. but there will still be costs: electricity food etc.
It sounds more like it would do for a person who doesn't work and really doesn't need to make extra money ; more like a putter or hobby job; not for someone who needs a second income.

 

[BigC]

I was basicly spending 2 to 3 hours a night after work doing water changes to then give the fry away, often at a loss.

Certainly been there done that CFC.
Most invariably you will want to breed a species that you particularly like which in turn (although you may well be very sucessful in doing so) might not be other peoples cup of tea. Do you see what I'm getting at.
As CFC has mentioned most of the time you end up giving them away.
When I used to attend the show circuits up and down the length and breadth of England the fish that was the most abundant at the auctions and always sell well were Guppies.
In my opinion and I have sold quite a lot of fish over the years is, if you make enough to cover part of the cost of your hobby then your doing OK after that it ceases to become a hobby.
Ive bred Killifish for 25 years now, paid money to acquire stock, paid money to buy food for adults and fry, (the fry might take a year to become sexually mature and have a saleable value) electricity costs and postage and packaging all add to the mix. So I'm lucky to break even.
Small scale breeding of tropical fish does not a millionare make.
Regards
BigC

 

[pica_nuttalli]

something that i want to point out from my experience with fish breeding is that unless there's a large market in your area for fish, it can quickly become glutted. so my first batch of kribs went like hotcakes. the second batch took a couple of months to sell. the third batch wound up being sold on the internet.

the only fish which i can see being easily sold and having a near-constant market appeal would be specialty cories. but even then, it'd take a long time to break even, just due to the cost of the initial stock. i think that's the mistake made by the most newbie breeders; they start out by breeding something relatively common and easily bred. there's just no way that you can compete with the fish farmers in kribs, german rams, or albino cories.

 

[BigC]

I know it's a bit off topic but,
Fish farmers are always on the lookout for a new species of fad. Take Dennisoni of recent times, can you remember what you'd have paid for them when they first hit the market. the big breeders (commercial) have a field when this happens then the market is saturated and prices fall and on to the next big thing.

 

[blue acara]

completly agree with all points made, the time it takes fry to grow is a major factor. as Big C says it may take a year for the fry to become sellable-this isnt true for all fish, but it will take a while for all fry. so on a small scale you are not making a profit-but you are cutting youre expence slightly.

choose the right species for your enjoyment and which also has a reasonable sale price.

im in the process of making an african tank-i was going to have a mixed hap tank, but now i will focus on one species-peacocks, which will still be a beautiful tank and i should have some fry to sell

 

[BigC]

im in the process of making an african tank-i was going to have a mixed hap tank, but now i will focus on one species-peacocks, which will still be a beautiful tank and i should have some fry to sell

Most of all enjoy your hobby!