fish breeding project questions

chucklesdead

I know this proubally comes up once and a while and ive seen some outdated info and posts.
but nothing very recent so i figured id log in and ask.

current equipment
30 gal sitting
55 gal set up
110 gal set up

i have heaters and waterfall filters for all three
im in the military so this would not be at all any means my income.

i just like the hobby

what i am trying to figure out is with these tanks, what would be my best course of action to profit at all from the hobby.

i have not talked to my lfs yet but i have been going to the same one for atleast 4 years and know the owner and his son quite well.
have traded in fish for cash and in store creadit to him countless times.

what plants/fish catch a decent dollar for the amount of work put into them, beside the work that would already be required in a normal tank.

current fish in tanks,
110 gallon fresh setup only 2 weeks with fish in it 20+ guppies 20+ ghost shrimp and one pleco4-6" not Common Pleco tall dorsil fin but not sure species kinda pokadotted

55 gallon fresh setup 3 years old 12+" Common Pleco 6" fire eel 2 ciclids younger one i belive is a blue moon one is almost solid yellow,3-6 barbs 3-6 tetra's 1 pesky Guppy that would not get eaten\


basicly what i am looking for is a way to maybe condence all my fish to the 110 gallon start over new with th 55 and 30 and breed some fish maybe while growning plants,
maybe make a few bucks here and there or more

not really concerned on the current setup was going to transfer into the 110 untill the guppies started spawning when i was useing them to cycle the water

got me thinking maybe it would be fun to breed fish on the side.

zof

One of the hardest parts in breeding fish for profit is usually finding a distribution method, good relations with a LFS is a good start, talk to the owner and find out what fish he would like to see more of in his shop and will bring a good sum of money. He will be able to tell you what fish he has a hard time getting a hold of from his distributors but sell like hotcakes in store. Then from there narrow down your list by doing research on the breed and which ones will be economical to breed, you have to think of how many tanks you will need and how large they will have to be for each stage of fry development. Will one pair be sufficient for your wants to be a part time breeder or will you need multiple pairs to cushion yourself if something happens to a pair.

Everything really comes down to what species you decide to go after and what their breeding/fry requirements will be. But as always start with the person who will be giving you money, you don't want to end up raising 50 fry and costing you $20 when you can only sell those fish to the store for $.25 each for a grand total of $5 in charity.

chucklesdead

thanks for the info.
yea i seen on other posts thats what they were saying.
i guess what i am really looking for is say you have a 200 $ budget on a fish purchase and wanted to see a turn around atleast with in the 6 month range with already have those tanks what would be a possible pair to get started with. i know its money makes money world and fish seem to not escape this aspect. so what is a good started fish for that price range i have breed feeder fish before but that is my only experience in the breeding seen is brime shrimp and guppies

zof

Angels are a pretty easy fish from what I've done so far, and they usually move quick in a retail location hard part is getting a good pair, now you can go the method of getting 5-6 fish and throwing them in the tank and see what happens or you can spend about $50 for an already mated pair if and when they show up at the fish store. The 30 gallon you have would be a good place for the pair, you would need another smaller tank (say 10 gallons) for when you remove the eggs and hatch them and then raise them for the first couple of weeks, then your 55 gallon should make a good grow out, as I believe most stores wont touch angels until they are 2-3 months old.

Just be prepared to buy more tanks/equipment as you go along and run out of room the rear the fry until they are sell-able. As angels will lay a fresh brood every 2-3 weeks, or you can leave the eggs with the parents to see if they will raise them or eat them either way it will help delay the spawning cycle so you don't get over crowded.

Also expect delays, breeding fish never goes as planned until you master it ( which I have not) hopefully a couple of the breeders around here will chime in.

chucklesdead

Thats not a bad idea,
angle fish

my wife wanted some of them awhile back and the fish stores as i can remember sells out of them and does not have them often

j dizzel

I have recently joined TFK because I to have started breeding my fish just to keep my interest going. Just a beginner at breeding egg layers and going through all the growing pains. Played around with tiger barbs and I think I final have them solved. Gourmais will be next. Like zof stated these fish are no money makers, there just a hobby and the fish I have. I'm hoping this fourm is loaded with hands on breeding info because I have problems all the time. The guy who I bought my tanks from did very well with flowerhorns but start up looked to be tremdous if that is any help.

chucklesdead

so i have found a ten gallon with a lid no filter though but that is ok i think i may use this with one of my small bublers for a hatchery since water changes must been done very often anyways

zof

You just want a sponge filter (you still need to convert the ammonia the fry produce plus you can keep the sponge in another tank to keep the bacteria going and then just move it over once the fry become free swimming and you start feeding) in the small fry tank anyways, power filters have a habit of unneedingly culling your spawn, just remember the heater.