[rexpepper651]

i was concideringh breeding some fish to sell online like craigslist aquabid and a local forum. i know im not going to make millions or anything. just for something fun to do an make a couple pennies to go toward fish stuff. has anyone done this? and how hard or easy is it?

 

[jaysee]

Lots of people have done this. How easy or difficult is determined by the fish you choose to breed. Getting rid of fish that no one wants is tough Fish that are "special" are easier to unload. Also, the more money they cost you to buy, the more money you'll likely be able to get for them. Size is also an important factor - larger fish call a higher price, so you'll want to grow them out to a certain size first, which will likely require additional tanks. It all depends on how far you want to go with it.

 

[rexpepper651]

hmmm yeah im not sure how crazy i want to get lol

 

[jaysee]

I would start off small, though it would really be good to have a second tank.

 

[Thoth]

Another tank? more like several tanks. For egg layers, I would at least have a breeding tank and a hatchery tank. A grow out tank would be ideal and may be necessary based on what fish you are breading. Live bearers, you will want many small tanks.

I have been watching the Aquabid catfish section for over a year and would like to point out that fish that sell today may not sell 6 months to a year from now. Purchasing adult breedable age stock will reduce the time turn around but it can take over a year from obtaining a fish, learning how to breed the species and grow out fish to sellable product.


I am sitting on my first set of 12 C. sterbai and just missed my local fish assosiation auction; took me ~1 year. These dont really sell well on Aquabid anymore as there are tons of breeders now compared to a few years back. Trying to sell them localy.

 

[MoneyMitch]

keep in mind you have to really know your shiiping and have some type of DOA policy, all aprt of the online breeding scene.

 

[rexpepper651]

hmmm i donno if i can have 4 or 5 tanks. even tho i would love too i dont think my landlord would like that lol. yeah was a lil worried about shipping so i might scrap this idea unless im going to kleep them

 

[Tolak]

Do a bit of research, best start is looking at independent shops, see what they're looking for. Next is look at local clubs, see what's selling & who's breeding what. Being near the Twin Cities you've got MAS; Announcements - Minnesota Aquarium Society as well as the forum associated with their club; Minnesota Fish Keepers Forum • Index page

Depending on what you plan to breed & sell you might get by with a couple tanks with livebearers, up to several if you want to try larger cichlids or offer more varieties of a species. I do angels on & off, so it's a couple dozen tanks, maybe close to 35 when I'm really rolling.

Shipping can be a pain, I'd rather pop for a tank of gas & drive for a few hours to an auction or swap, sell 100-200 fish, dry goods, blackworms, whatever. It gives you an opportunity to see first hand what sells & why, and what doesn't. You can also come across some awesome deals, makes for setting up & running a breeding operation much cheaper.