Breeders Selling To Shops

[soybean]

What you could do is ask the lfs what THEY would want to take off you, they could already get an influx of rams from elsewhere whereas if you said you were breeding a less common apisto they might be more interested. Find out what the demand actually is and go from there, else you're wasting your time really - yes, it's fun as a hobby, but you've got to be able to move them on for cash, credit or free, else you're stuck with a load of fish.

 

[soybean]

And while Akasha may have taken 10 young platys to a shop and had them gladly received and exchanged for two others, I once took 80 to a place and they said from the start they don't give anything in return - they were doing ME a favour by taking them, cos I was sick of the sight of the little gits.

 

[tribalbrit]

Few years ago I used to sell guppies, cories and angels to my lfs. I didn't get paid in cash but in goods. food, fish etc. You dont make a fortune but it helps fund the hobby.

 

[CezzaXV]

I agree with what's been said so far.

I wouldn't go down the livebearers route. Yes, they're incredibly easy to breed but at the end of the day you may struggle to give them away, let alone get anything for them.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

I used to sell apple snails to my LFS due to the immaculate care they had great shells, sell them to the store at like 60p at 100 at a time and they sold them for £3. Then moved on to Apisto which are great but harder to shift as people tend to only buy a pair at a time prob going to try discus next and up the game. I must add that everything in my care tends to breed be it my frogs,snails,fish,toads even the wife

 

[Steve GT]

Cool sound advice there guys

I'm really lost to what to try. I don't want something too common but don't want something too difficult too. Been thinking maybe green terrors cause there cool but can't find much info on them. Wanting something worthwhile but not impossible to start off with


The Missus is on about trying to breed axolotls too but got some serious reading up and learning before we try that lol

 

[soybean]

I'm really lost to what to try

Hence asking at the shop what they might like to take!

I get the impression you don't really mind what you breed as long as you're enjoying it. So find out what's in demand, it doesn't commit you to anything, but might give you a starting point.

Ugh, axolotls, whatever floats your boat though - they're certainly popular in my local shop!

 

[Steve GT]

Yeh I get on really well with my LFS owner plus he's willing to try anything. Il go ask him of there's anything he can think of see what he says is in demand or sells well

And yeah I wasn't overjoyed by the axolotls but they seem to be quite easy to keep and do sell on quite well might be worth trying

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Yeh I get on really well with my LFS owner plus he's willing to try anything.

Ekkk

 

[Steve GT]

Hahaha trust you

 

[mattyeatsmatts]

What you could do is ask the lfs what THEY would want to take off you, they could already get an influx of rams from elsewhere whereas if you said you were breeding a less common apisto they might be more interested. Find out what the demand actually is and go from there, else you're wasting your time really

I agree with soybean, all that "Knowing what your customers want"

 

[Steve GT]

Cheers guys il go see him see what the demand is

 

[Liquid skills]

I breed my Bettas now and Supply a small fish shop in Essex with Betta young and may supply things like bn etc he's just started out and would like me to supply him with Bettas

 

[Steve GT]

That's good then

It's probably better to find a smaller place to supply too than a big chain as said earlier. Il go have a chat to my LFS and see if he has anything he may want

 

[dwarfgourami]

Going to start off easy with live bearers, im already on my 4th batch of mollys which as everyone knows are easy to breed. thinking of doing mollys, swordtails, guppys, platys and endlers fo now.

I believe there is money to be made in breeding fish. A Lady I 'met' on an apisto forum said she made a small profit by selling 60+ SA apistos she'd bred in her tank and raised from fry. If I remember correctly she sold them via ebay...

However, you don't 'breed' live bearers. My lfs once told me that livebeaers will give birth in a toilet bowl if you let them. And as a result he rarely has to order them in because the customers (not breeders) replenish his livebeaers supply daily The species can give birth repeatedly for upto 6 months after being seeded by a male.

Personally I'd try and breed a species that requires a small amount of effort as opposed to none at all.

Sorry, just being a pedant here, but could we get away from the idea that all livebearers are guppies and platies and a) require no effort at all b) are totally boring? It's like saying all catfish are bristlenoses or cories. Just because that may be the case in a small badly stocked bread and butter fish shop doesn't mean that that is the whole world. Just a quick look at Tropicalfishfinder turns up much more interesting livebearers currently in stock in UK shops, including goodeids (primitive placenta-like function, how cool is that?), halfbeaks and a number of small poeciliids that are not the common ones.

Livebearers are a varied category. Some of them are very rare. Some are difficult to breed. Some (I believe) have never been bred in captivity.

Anyway, to get back to the OPs question: I have occasionally sold fish at a profit. But I have also found myself in a position where I have to give fish away because no shop wants to pay for them. Ime it is an uncertain business unless you are able to provide a predictable enough turnout of a desired fish to get an agreement with a shop that they will buy x individuals off you/month or something.

So talking to the shops before you decide on your species sounds like the way forward.