Can I make money selling fish?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Christmasfish

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Jan 11, 2004
Messages
1,601
Location
The South-SOoTHWEsT that is
Why shouldn't I try to start breeding fish for money since I was already able to accidnetly raise those royal knives to recognizeable form?

How much money could I make?
Is there something Easy that is still popular?

(I said I'd ask..)
 
There's plenty of fish (Specificly some cichlids) that could be bred for a profit.. The issue is that to make a real profit or living off of it, you got to make a whole lot of fishies.

Some of the african cichlids run $60 a pop.
 
You can't really make anything. Only breed fish if you will have fun doing it, because there are large wholesalers that will be able to outsupply you for cheaper. If you are dead set, try getting something that is more difficult to breed. These fish are usually in shorter supply. There are a few exceptions, I know of a few people that trade fancy guppies for store credit sometimes. It is really a matter of what your lfs wants.
 
This all depends on whether or not you're talking a few bucks to help support a hobby, or a business venture. Either way, both are possible but in anything you'd have to consider the investments in time and money vs. the reward.

There are plenty of people on aquabid.com looking to sell off fish that they've spawned. Most species are difficult to sell that way because the shipping usually costs as much or more than the fish. But I've noticed that some are doing quite well. Eg: bristle nose plecos and blue rams.
 
I'd suggest going around to your local fish store(s) and see what they's be willing to buy or trade and for how much. Maybe that would give you a better picture of your local demand. Chances are, they buy from a huge distributor and even if you spend a lot of time and money breeding the perfect specimens, they will offer to buy your prized bettas for 3 cents each. Unless you have an eloborately set up fish nursery that you've spent thousands on, I doubt you will make ANY money breeding fish.
 
If your talking about doing it for a living then the answer is no (unless you have like a big ware house with 100s of tanks and fish ect), but for just getting money on the side then yes.
Cus when you think about it you've first got to buy good quality fish, which can be 100s of dollars depending on the kind, and you'd want a variety, then you've gotta buy tanks, and heaters, plants, filters, and not to mention food. Plus you've gotta pay bills, like your water bill will definatly be higher, same with hydro.
So unfortunalty you have to have money to make money :roll:

ashley
 
If other people are correct in their assertions that you won't make any money out of it you won't have to worry about really paying taxes on any income earned this way either (you can subtract the costs of maintaining the hobby of fishkeeping from the amount of income earned from selling fish)...Just had that on my brain since I was going through my taxes right now.
 
patryuji said:
If other people are correct in their assertions that you won't make any money out of it you won't have to worry about really paying taxes on any income earned this way either (you can subtract the costs of maintaining the hobby of fishkeeping from the amount of income earned from selling fish)...Just had that on my brain since I was going through my taxes right now.

Ooo, good thinking :wink:
 
fish for money...

I helped out in a pet store for a while once... There were very few people we would buy from... most of the time things were traded for store credit. First, get to know the lfs... second, choose something you'll enjoy..., third, when you do have luck, show the lfs the quality you can produce... The pet stores around here sell things for 3 times what they buy them for... it sounds outrageous but with all the costs of running a store, it really isn't something you do to get rich, unless you work in an office running a chain... Talk to the lfs, find out what's in demand... after you get to know them, go ahead and ask if they'd be willing to deal with you and what they might think is something useful. There are some fish they buy that the quality goes up and down and the prices fluctuate... find something that everyone wants or like someone else said, is a little more expensive... When you talk to the store, let them know how much you care for your animals and what kind of quality you can raise, and that you would be competitive with prices, not to mention you would be local... no shipping, no taxes... it really could be beneficial to everyone if you can work something out. I'll mention one more time... Something you enjoy..... Good luck...

oh yeah, don't forget things animals eat... some people breed feeder fish, mice, and other things that are easy to mass produce...
 
Back
Top Bottom