What it takes to turn your aquarium hobby into a profitable business.
Number of Tanks Needed for Breeding Fish
People who enter the aquarium hobby are advised to start out with a small tank and buy fish that are inexpensive and easy to maintain. After a while, some hobbyists are satisfied with what they’ve got and others start searching for more.
For those who want to expand, there are two choices. Buy a bigger tank and fill with more fish or buy additional tanks for breeding fish.
You will need more than one tank because most fry have to be isolated in their own tank. If the adult fish are breeding often, there has to be more tanks for additional batches of fry and juveniles. Do you have the room for numerous tanks?
Research the Fish Species You Want to Breed
Ask yourself the following questions:
- How many fry are produced at one time?
- Can the parents stay with the fry as they grow?
- What size of tank will I need to grow the fry to selling size?
- Will I be doing just one tank of fry at a time or several?
- How often will the parents breed, and still give out healthy fry?
- Are the fry going to need special attention as they grow, or special foods?
Identify Fish That are Popular Sellers
Now that you have narrowed down your list to a few species, you should find out which fish are popular sellersby talking to store owners or joining forums on the Net. There is wide selection of species for sale so the decision could be hard to make. Some breeders will carry more than one fish in order to adapt to the changing market.
Believe it or not, there are cycles in the fish business. Angelfish may be popular for a year or two and then cichlids take over, then discus. If you can’t get a good deal on adult fish, consider buying juveniles because they are cheaper and they will grow up quickly.
Explore the Fish Breeding Market
Go out and introduce yourself to pet store owners and wholesalers, this may help you in the long run. Some pet stores will only give you credit on merchandise rather than cash. That’s not a bad deal but there could come a point where you no longer need supplies from the store at the time you want to sell your next batch of fish. If you establish a solid business relationship, store owners are more apt to pay cash for your fish.
Factor in Additional Fish Breeding Costs
You will need additional tanks, lights, heaters, filters, gravel and food. Expect to pay more for electricity because heaters and filters are never turned off. In order to save money, buy used tanks and equipment.
Determine the Birth Cycle of Fish
To get an idea of the birth cycle of fish, here is an example of an African Cichlid called a Peacock. A pair can produce 50 to 60 fry per month. In 3 months time, the fry can be sold. If some of the fry are held back for the future, they can reproduce in about 6 months time.
As you can see, fish can multiply quickly but don’t expect to make money immediately. In order to start to recoup your costs, you have to sell several batches. If you save some of the fry for breeding when they reach adult age, it is a very inexpensive way to increase your breeding stock.
A breeding pair of Peacocks that may have cost $50 could conceivably bring in $600 annually if the fry are sold at $3 each. Even if start up and maintenance costs are factored in, there is still a handsome profile to be made.
