Fish Help?

[Deadmau5]

Alright, so I'm really interested in selling my fry that I get from my fish, but all my LFS don't buy fish. I considered eBay, but I have no education at all on shipping fish. And is there anyone willing to buy? I currently have Black Molly fry, and soon will have Gold Platy fry, not yellow platy, gold, really shiny scales and everything, love her c: but I can't just tell my fish to not reproduce, :L and fish have personalities I've figured. So I have these two swordtails, Marlin and Coral (named after nemo's parents xD) and so Marlin is all wanting to do the nasty with Coral, ._. But every time he goes after her, shes all "no!" and swims away, and he tries and tries but she is so stubborn with it, and she isn't pregnant, I've had them for three months now and it's been the same routine, and she isn't big, so she can't be pregnant, xD it's pretty funny cause Marlin wants some and she shuns him, :3 they are the perfect pair though, they are a Petco made breed, I forget the name, but they won a contest with them and got to name them, forget the name, but they are a nice peach/light orange color with a black stripe on the tail. Bu anyways, after beig sidetracked xD um, yeah, so if anyone is looking to buy some fish or has any places or tips for me, please reply!!!!! O-O please

 

[CameronN]

Alright, so I'm really interested in selling my fry that I get from my fish, but all my LFS don't buy fish. I considered eBay, but I have no education at all on shipping fish. And is there anyone willing to buy? I currently have Black Molly fry, and soon will have Gold Platy fry, not yellow platy, gold, really shiny scales and everything, love her c: but I can't just tell my fish to not reproduce, :L and fish have personalities I've figured. So I have these two swordtails, Marlin and Coral (named after nemo's parents xD) and so Marlin is all wanting to do the nasty with Coral, ._. But every time he goes after her, shes all "no!" and swims away, and he tries and tries but she is so stubborn with it, and she isn't pregnant, I've had them for three months now and it's been the same routine, and she isn't big, so she can't be pregnant, xD it's pretty funny cause Marlin wants some and she shuns him, :3 they are the perfect pair though, they are a Petco made breed, I forget the name, but they won a contest with them and got to name them, forget the name, but they are a nice peach/light orange color with a black stripe on the tail. Bu anyways, after beig sidetracked xD um, yeah, so if anyone is looking to buy some fish or has any places or tips for me, please reply!!!!! O-O please

So you want a local pickup or someone who will understand shipping errors? P.S. if your going to breed/allow your fish to breed, you need to learn to cull (as gruesome as it may be for some people).

 

[OldMan47]

A few quick tips. I attend all of the local club auctions and sell all of my surplus fish there. the clubs use their auctions as fund raisers and keep 25 to 30% of the auction price as their share, but I get enough for my surplus fish to pretty well pay my fish food bills. Clubs, at least the ones around here, let anyone sell fish who brings their fish to the auction. I ask for a seller number in advance so that I am not caught up in trying to label my fish bags at the last minute. It is nicer to simply walk in, register at the registration table and go sit down after handing over your bags of fish.

 

[Deadmau5]

>~< I can't kill living things, no matter how small, so that's out of the question. But how do I ship fish? I mean I'd sell them on eBay if I knew how to ship them properly so they won't die, I have 13 baby black mollies now in counting, two died, i had 16 in, andd I went to check them this morning and only counted 13, so one magically disappeared, but yeah, it someone could tell me how to ship properly, I'll do it.

 

[the_lock_man]

In the UK, try Gumtree, or if you're in the US, try Craigslist.

Are you pro-actively saving the fry, or is this just what is naturally surviving in the aquarium?

The reason mollies (and other common livebearers) have so many fry is that in the wild, the majority will be eaten, and not make it past the first few days. These fish do not have the same mothering instinct that mammals have, they have evolved to produce copious quantities of fry to ensure that at least some make it to maturity.

If you are having difficulty moving fry on, then stop actively saving them (if that's what you're doing) and allow nature to take its course.

If you aren't actively saving them, then it may help to remove some of the plant cover that is helping them survive, to allow nature to take its course.

 

[CameronN]

Is the mother with them? If so she probably ate em. Here are some resources for shipping, and I'll be more than happy to buy some of those mollies or platys when they come.

 

[Deadmau5]

Is the mother with them? If so she probably ate em. Here are some resources for shipping, and I'll be more than happy to buy some of those mollies or platys when they come.

Thanks! And no, she is in the big tank while the babies are separated into a breeder to be safe. I don't like knowin they get eaten, so I want to save them, and get them good homes.

 

[OldMan47]

I will repeat myself a bit here. Club auctions mean that people that understand fish are buying your surplus fish. If I wanted to sell fish over the internet, I would need to deal with things like heat packs, insulated containers, etc. but at a club auction I walk into the place, check in and can forget the fish that I brought until we settle accounts at the end of the day. I tend to sell mostly my adults and raise the fry for me. That means that I seldom have fish that suffer from old age in my tanks. All of my retained fish are young and vibrant breeders. If you don't know about club auctions near you, try contacting the nearby clubs that can be found here. Even if they do not run an auction, they will know who does.

 

[Deadmau5]

^^ Kk, thank you!

 

[CameronN]

^^ Kk, thank you!

Once your understand how to ship, I will buy some of them off you. I've got a 2 29 gallons, one of which is fishless.

 

[Three Ring Circus]

The only issue is that livebearers are rather common and you are more likely to spend way more in shipping that you will get for the fish. If you want to breed fish, you may invest your time into a fish that is a little higher in demand.

 

[the_lock_man]

Is the mother with them? If so she probably ate em. Here are some resources for shipping, and I'll be more than happy to buy some of those mollies or platys when they come.

Thanks! And no, she is in the big tank while the babies are separated into a breeder to be safe. I don't like knowin they get eaten, so I want to save them, and get them good homes.

The problem, IMHO, is that you are human, you (and I) have an instinct to nuture the young. The fish are not encumbered by this, and as someone else just said, they will often eat their own fry. Trying to fight Mother Nature is often a hopeless battle.

Try looking into the fish club auction scenario that OM47 suggests.

 

[ultimatebob]

i understand the concept of not letting lives go to waste. so is there a craigslist in your area, somewhere where you can go online and sell, or give away your fry to others in your area? that way they can physically come and pickup the fry, instead of all that shipping mumbo jumbo? i am sure others in your area can propelry take them in. there is always an easier way.