Breeding fish for money?

[Fishguy1111]

Ok, so I had this idea. I have 2 German Blue Rams (balloon ones, specifically), and was wondering if I could move them to my 10 gallon, and start breeding them. They are at least 6 months old, if not a year. My plan would be to breed the fish, and sell them to local shop(s). Is this profitable? Not looking to make big money, just a few bucks, and in plain the pleasure of raising the fry. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.

 

[sinibotia]

Breeding fish is never really profitable. Sometimes you'll make back what you paid for the fish and even equipment but that can take a long time. It's also a lot of work.

Rams can be a giant pain to raise too. I recommend you find the thread "GBR(Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) breeding". It's got some really good fishkeepers talking about what it takes to get a good survival rate for GBR fry- it's messy and fairly complex and fairly costly. The user who is trying to improve the survival rate of his fry is an incredibly experienced fishkeeper who has been working on breeding these fish for over a year and is still having some trouble with it.

 

[TheresaM]

Breeding fish is never really profitable. Sometimes you'll make back what you paid for the fish and even equipment but that can take a long time. It's also a lot of work.

I agree

 

[NigelK8485]

Please don't breed balloon rams. It's a birth defect that has been exploited for money on an already genetically weakened fish.


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[sinibotia]

Ok, all that negativity aside- if you pick the right fish, and you don't work so hard at it that it stops being fun, breeding fish to offset the cost of the hobby IS a really great thing to do. My dwarf puffer tank exists courtesy of the n. multifasciatus I bred; I traded some for the heater I needed and some plants (I had all the other stuff lying around).

It sounds like this is your first attempt at breeding fish so I don't think GBRs are "the right fish". But you could try breeding another kind of fish that would work well in a 10 gallon. Heck, the Neolamprologus Multifasciatus (shelldwelling cichlids) I mentioned above would be great for a first attempt at breeding. They're very hardy, they stay small, and they are top-notch parents; they practically raise the fry for you.

 

[coralbandit]

The GBR thread is mine.
I would not be breeding the balloon rams as mentioned before(shouldn't even be for sale IMO)besides the fact rams seem pretty diffacult(could be wrong?).
I got where I am breeding by doing swordtails,and gouramis.Both easy sellers but need more then a 10 g tank(so will the rams IMO).
Breed for fun not money as many stores will only do store credit anyways.

 

[Fishguy1111]

Ok, all that negativity aside- if you pick the right fish, and you don't work so hard at it that it stops being fun, breeding fish to offset the cost of the hobby IS a really great thing to do. My dwarf puffer tank exists courtesy of the n. multifasciatus I bred; I traded some for the heater I needed and some plants (I had all the other stuff lying around).

It sounds like this is your first attempt at breeding fish so I don't think GBRs are "the right fish". But you could try breeding another kind of fish that would work well in a 10 gallon. Heck, the Neolamprologus Multifasciatus (shelldwelling cichlids) I mentioned above would be great for a first attempt at breeding. They're very hardy, they stay small, and they are top-notch parents; they practically raise the fry for you.

Thanks for the info!! I have seen shellies before, just not sure if they would sell enough for me to sell them to the store. I will think about it more. Any more input would be great!

 

[sinibotia]

Thanks for the info!! I have seen shellies before, just not sure if they would sell enough for me to sell them to the store. I will think about it more. Any more input would be great!

They don't sell them anywhere around here so I've got the market cornered I dunno if they're common at any of your LFS. If they aren't then they might be a good option. I would ask around!

 

[Fishguy1111]

Would Petco or Petsmart take them??

 

[sinibotia]

Would Petco or Petsmart take them??

Nah, Petco and Petsmart usually only take fish for free if they take them at all.

Usually I sell either to one of the LFS, or directly to other fishkeepers.

 

[coralbandit]

Would Petco or Petsmart take them??

For free! They call them adoptions!
Only smaller "mom & pop" LFS take fish from breeders in my experience.
Another reason the LFS is better!

 

[sinibotia]

But the LFS is also more likely to have the fish you're trying to sell

 

[coralbandit]

As far as business goes,find the most expensive store in your area.
See what they sell and ask what they sell the most of.MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM!
My LFS will take anything and everything from me,
But I have done business with them for over 30 years(loyalty may pay off?).

 

[Fishguy1111]

As far as business goes,find the most expensive store in your area.
See what they sell and ask what they sell the most of.MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM!
My LFS will take anything and everything from me,
But I have done business with them for over 30 years(loyalty may pay off?).

I'll be sure to do that.


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