Mperkins92
Member
I've been wanting to start breeding fish for awhile but am having trouble getting started as I'm worried if I'd make any money Doing it? If not I'll have to wait unroll I can support it through other means.
Is breeding very profitable?
- Thread starter Mperkins92
- Start date
dmatt88
Has been struck by the ban stick
True. First green chromies. Then blue chromies. Now blue green. Still only 3.99.
........reefers rock!
there is always the injectable phosphorescent die
Mperkins92
Member
I've seen donis clowns and their beautiful. However what I don't know is her costs for her business. Or how many fish she sells. Of course I don't expect a direct answer of exactly how much anyone makes.
Luukosian
Well-Known Member
Just like any business plan...write up how much it's gunna cost you in overhead, how much profit you can make per unit, and what the market is in your area is(or if you're going to sell online...shipping costs). I have a feeling most people that do it just break even unless they get really serious about it.
Also I imagine not enough to quit your day job so figure out how much time you are going to have invested...I used to sell mouth brooding cichlids just because they started breeding but it was more just to get rid of them. There is a fish auction around here twice a year people sell alot of fish they breed too but most of those people just love the hobby they aren't out to make money.
Also I imagine not enough to quit your day job so figure out how much time you are going to have invested...I used to sell mouth brooding cichlids just because they started breeding but it was more just to get rid of them. There is a fish auction around here twice a year people sell alot of fish they breed too but most of those people just love the hobby they aren't out to make money.
sk8rdn
Has been struck by the ban stick
Most people breed for the love of the fish or to help "save" the wild species from being taken for aquariums. Profitable? Probably not. Break even? Probably. Just help to create a demand in your area for whatever you breed. That may help to drive sales. Managing costs is your side of the deal... Lol.
...."Fish" Happens!....
...."Fish" Happens!....
Seriously though.. the amount of people in the hobby that manage to bring about successful breeding is TINY! Woodstock is very smart, has had great help along the way but mostly she's determined, breeding is not an easy row to hoe
jedi82knight
Member
Doni's success is not typical. As already said, if you want to be really profitable you will need something nobody else has, and even that is a limited engagement as others will breed the offspring you sell. More profitability is found in coral propogation as people can hold more coral vs. fish in their tank.
If you're going to get into breeding, be sure it is for personal satisfaction not profitability and don't quit the day job Good luck
If you're going to get into breeding, be sure it is for personal satisfaction not profitability and don't quit the day job Good luck
If you're going to get into breeding, be sure it is for personal satisfaction not profitability and don't quit the day job Good luck
yeah, if you are doing it to see if you can get them to breed, or for the personal challenge go for it. you might be able to get a few local sales or trades with other reefers in the community for items you want or need. but, unless you go really large scale with your set-up and find a LFS to buy your stock you are not gonna make much
Over the years, I've known a few FW fish breeders. This would generally be considered a lot easier than anything in SW. Even for fish that would fetch good prices, I don't think any of them made any big money at it. Most likely just enough to cover the hobby. If they figured how much time and effort they put into fish breeding, I'd say they could have made more money getting a second job.
Also, most of them were from way back when, when many LFS were family owned, and would be from local breeders.
Also, most of them were from way back when, when many LFS were family owned, and would be from local breeders.
If you want to breed sea creatures, Freshwater Stingrays is where the money is at. I've debated for a few years now to invest in some black FW Rays. Once Rays start breeding, they don't stop, and they have tons of pups.
One problem is the investment in them can be very costly. You can save in some ways. If you have an open large room, buy a 500 gallon swimming pool or something from Target or Wal-Mart. Cheaper than a glass aquarium and is is actually more suitable for Rays. Get yourself some nice filtration, as Rays eat a ton and mess up water parameters quick. The cost mainly comes from the Rays. The Black Rays can fetch $2000 a piece. The reason for this is because the exportation of Black Rays has been banned from all countries that have them. You want a Black Ray you pretty much have to goto a breeder or find someone rehoming them.
Another issue is they are a delicate species. I recommend starting with Motoro Rays. Although they grow much larger, they are very hardy for Rays, and fairly affordable. I highly recommend not starting with the Reticulated Ray, which is usually what the LFS sell under the name "Teacup Ray." Although cheap, a novice Ray keeper probably shouldn't start there.
If you want to stay Saltwater, there are many Saltwater Rays but they can get very large for even a swimming pool. The Atlantic Stingray in Florida stays small and is a saltwater ray, despite many people putting them in FW. They will breed in the right conditions, but they won't fetch you much money. Maybe $50-75 a pop, because they are pretty much pests in Florida and can be had very easily.
The market for saltwater rays is also not that great. With the amount of water changes needed, roughly 50% twice a week for a 200 gallon tank with 2 Rays, it gets pricey.
Got me thinking about Rays again... dang it. 72 gallon reef might be on hold.
If I were to get into breeding rays as opposed to just owning them, I would do this.
Buy the biggest pool I can fit into my basement. Buy a very nice heating element and put guards around it. Rays WILL burn themselves. Setup a very large Algae Scrubber filtration system. This, if done properly, will end the need for water changes twice a week. I'd add a couple of lights, but nothing too fancy. I would keep it for Rays only. Plecos and other fish like to graze on the rays. If they lose their coating they will be prone to infection and in most cases, will die.
I'd start with a breeding pair of Motoros.
I would feed them a lot. They are pigs. I would be buying bags of frozen shrimp every week and tossing them into the tank, keeping the shell on for their enrichment. Other Rays enrichment foods would also be good.
Not too bad overall. If you invest in black rays and are successful, the price they sell for will outweigh the food costs. If not, at least you have stingrays which are awesome.
One problem is the investment in them can be very costly. You can save in some ways. If you have an open large room, buy a 500 gallon swimming pool or something from Target or Wal-Mart. Cheaper than a glass aquarium and is is actually more suitable for Rays. Get yourself some nice filtration, as Rays eat a ton and mess up water parameters quick. The cost mainly comes from the Rays. The Black Rays can fetch $2000 a piece. The reason for this is because the exportation of Black Rays has been banned from all countries that have them. You want a Black Ray you pretty much have to goto a breeder or find someone rehoming them.
Another issue is they are a delicate species. I recommend starting with Motoro Rays. Although they grow much larger, they are very hardy for Rays, and fairly affordable. I highly recommend not starting with the Reticulated Ray, which is usually what the LFS sell under the name "Teacup Ray." Although cheap, a novice Ray keeper probably shouldn't start there.
If you want to stay Saltwater, there are many Saltwater Rays but they can get very large for even a swimming pool. The Atlantic Stingray in Florida stays small and is a saltwater ray, despite many people putting them in FW. They will breed in the right conditions, but they won't fetch you much money. Maybe $50-75 a pop, because they are pretty much pests in Florida and can be had very easily.
The market for saltwater rays is also not that great. With the amount of water changes needed, roughly 50% twice a week for a 200 gallon tank with 2 Rays, it gets pricey.
Got me thinking about Rays again... dang it. 72 gallon reef might be on hold.
If I were to get into breeding rays as opposed to just owning them, I would do this.
Buy the biggest pool I can fit into my basement. Buy a very nice heating element and put guards around it. Rays WILL burn themselves. Setup a very large Algae Scrubber filtration system. This, if done properly, will end the need for water changes twice a week. I'd add a couple of lights, but nothing too fancy. I would keep it for Rays only. Plecos and other fish like to graze on the rays. If they lose their coating they will be prone to infection and in most cases, will die.
I'd start with a breeding pair of Motoros.
I would feed them a lot. They are pigs. I would be buying bags of frozen shrimp every week and tossing them into the tank, keeping the shell on for their enrichment. Other Rays enrichment foods would also be good.
Not too bad overall. If you invest in black rays and are successful, the price they sell for will outweigh the food costs. If not, at least you have stingrays which are awesome.
Anselth
Well-Known Member
I don't know much about breeding, but Reef Addicts did a very good podcast about it. Reef Addicts - Monthly Podcast
They don't go into costs and whatnot, but they do discuss how breeders can maximize profitability. Some of the key points I can remember:
-Clowns breed easily, but don't expect to make much money at it, since just about everyone who breeds SW fish, breeds clowns.
-Find breeders across the country and network with them. Saltwater fish are a niche, and as was said earlier, it's a lot easier to make money with corals because people can keep more of them. If someone has a pair of clowns or a Jawfish, chances are they aren't going to get another. Even if you breed something nobody else has, you can saturate your local market. If you network with breeders across the country, you can sell to them or trade your fry for some of theirs to supply your LFS.
-Once you start breeding, build good relationships with your LFS's. Find out what their needs are so you can figure out how much stock to keep local, and how much you can ship out.
-Breeding is tough. Chances are you'll have more failures than successes. So find fish you love so even if they don't breed you can enjoy keeping them.
They don't go into costs and whatnot, but they do discuss how breeders can maximize profitability. Some of the key points I can remember:
-Clowns breed easily, but don't expect to make much money at it, since just about everyone who breeds SW fish, breeds clowns.
-Find breeders across the country and network with them. Saltwater fish are a niche, and as was said earlier, it's a lot easier to make money with corals because people can keep more of them. If someone has a pair of clowns or a Jawfish, chances are they aren't going to get another. Even if you breed something nobody else has, you can saturate your local market. If you network with breeders across the country, you can sell to them or trade your fry for some of theirs to supply your LFS.
-Once you start breeding, build good relationships with your LFS's. Find out what their needs are so you can figure out how much stock to keep local, and how much you can ship out.
-Breeding is tough. Chances are you'll have more failures than successes. So find fish you love so even if they don't breed you can enjoy keeping them.