Glofish

[Jay jay]

So I best wait till I'm more ready before I try selling

 

[Luananeko]

From what I've heard from most fish breeders, it's more a labor of love rather than a "get rich quick" scheme. Most either lose money doing it or break even at best. Very few people actually earn money, and most of them are the Asia breeders that practically manufacture fish and cut corners...

People stay into fish breeding because its fun and because you enjoy trying to breed toward a specific goal, not because they're trying to make easy money. It's very challenging to do well, but if it's something you love doing then I would say it's worth it.

 

[dmolavi]

You should also post on your local Craigslist, and ask a LFS if they'd be interested in buying from you. Show them your setup, quarantine tanks, etc. It's better to start local than to try to make your first sale to a person across the country.

 

[Darkseid76]

I've probably spent more selling than buying. But I like to share and I actually make enough on the aquatic plants vs my swordtail stock.

I sold fish mainly because they needed homes that I couldn't provide. I used Kordon breather bags, packing tape, shipping containers, bubble wrap, heat packs, shipping labels.

Those cost factor into shipping as well for most private sellers. It's not difficult and the standard on these forums is priority mail and PayPal for payments.

 

[Jay jay]

That's the plant I have

 

[Legit Fish]

where do you live i have many good pet stores that i kno in several states

 

[bud29]

This is an example of shipping a 2lb package, 8 inches cube, from my zip to California. Not cheap. You will have added expense of padding around the bag plus chill packs to keep it from overheating in the summer heat.

Overnight is pretty expensive - the good thing is that many species of FW fish and invertebrates can actually handle priority mail, though, usually $10-$15. It does depend on the fish but I have been able to ship plecos, livebearers, apistos, rainbows, and inverts all priority. It does depend on the fish, some fish (cardinals, rummynoses, discus, rams) are less tolerant of shipping. However, usually if priority doesn't work the second option with FW fish is express mail. Express is usually overnight, and guaranteed within 2 business days. At around $30-$35 It's definitely a much cheaper option than fedex or ups overnight IME.

 

[dmolavi]

Agreed overnight is pricey, esp for freshwater. Priority is 3 day delivery, I think, which means Monday/Tuesday shipping only so it doesn't sit somewhere over a weekend. It can be done, but I wouldn't want to risk the livestock.

Regardless, shipping for the small guy is always a losing battle.

 

[jetajockey]

It's really not if you do it right. Pick something that ships relatively well via priority (which is 2 days in 95% of shipments) and is worth shipping, i.e. sells for more than a buck or two each. Or sell something that sells in large numbers, like dwarf shrimp or schoolers.

Priority flat rate in a medium box is ~$11, and if you are shipping small fish, juvies, or inverts, you can ship by weight. You can get an insulated box down to 1-2lbs, which means shipping is $6-9 or so.

Nearly every online shipper apart from the big stores does priority shipping for their livestock, so it's safe. It just doesn't make sense to pay $30+ for express unless the fish are extremely pricey/sensitive to begin with.

The biggest hassle as far as selling online goes is just the time and effort put into it.

 

[Jay jay]

I just have fancy guppies lol. So I should try something else

 

[Luananeko]

I'm not saying you definitely need to go with a different fish, but... Take a look at Aquabid.com and see who the competition is If you're dead set with selling online then you'll really have the best luck with either something you go and win fish shows with, or with something that not many people are selling. Honestly plant sales seem less competitive and cheaper to do well than fish sales.

 

[Jay jay]

Ok will do and I tryed looking up fish shows and can't find nothing. What site do I go to to see if any is near me?

 

[dmolavi]

Ok will do and I tryed looking up fish shows and can't find nothing. What site do I go to to see if any is near me?

Google

 

[Luananeko]

I've never done the fish shows personally, but if Google fails try looking up whether you have a aquatics club/society nearby. Go to one of their meetings and talk to the folks there. Not only will you meet other breeders, but it's a great source of local fish, plants, and a wealth of information about what sort of aquatic events happen nearby. Most major metropolitan areas have groups that meet monthly, but if you're more rural you may have to find a state-wide club instead.