Guppies/Platys/Molly’s = $?

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello. I am thinking about breeding guppies, Molly’s, or Platys. Can you make good money selling them to your LFS? I notice they are constantly on a look out for more guppies and the fancy ones can sell for $4+ each.

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A quick side note: Could I also make some good money selling some of my cherry shrimp to my LFS? The shrimp trade is down due to the Coronavirus and even on eBay they are selling for 5$+ each.


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Back to our original conversation. Could I breed guppies in my 29g tank? I currently have the following stock: 8 neon tetras, 1 albino BNP (Male), 70+ cherry shrimp, and some snails.

I am just now recently interested in breeding live bearers, because I think the experience would be super cool. Thanks in advance!

 

[Essjay]

As has been said in other posts - how hard is your water? Guppies need hard water while your other fish are soft water fish.

If your shops are like those here, they won't give you anything for livebearers. These fish are cheap from the wholesaler and they know what they are getting from there. You are an unknown quantity - and they may regard your fish as potentially diseased. The best you'd get at my local shops is store credit for a third to a half of what they'd sell them for. And don't forget they any shop that agrees to take them will want them only when they've grown to the size of the fish they are currently selling, you have to keep them until they've grown.
Shrimps might be a different matter if they are hard to get at the moment.

Before jumping into this, check with your local shops if they'd take any fish or shrimps.

 

[kribensis12]

Hey!

I have personally never met anyone that made anything close to a substantial amount breeding common livebearers - typically this is because they breed so easily. Most LFS will offer store credit in exchange for fish, so it's possible that you'll get enough to help offset some of the costs of the hobby.

The two things that lead to making any profit in the fish keeping industry (as a single person, not a large operation) are usually rarity + ease of breeding (these are usually correlated).

If you're looking for something that is easy to breed and usually fetches $2-3 per fish would be albino bristle nose plecos or some species of cichlids (not convict cichlids).

All in all, livebearers are a lot of fun and may help you offset your hobby costs - but you'll not make any real money on them.

 

[Colin_T]

If you want to make money breeding fish, keep rainbowfish, some of the peaceful South American cichlids like Apistogrammas and Geophagus, and killifish.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I’ll check with them, thanks @essjay. I don’t know how hard my water is. No one around here knows.

I would guess pretty hard though, because of all of the lime stone up here.

I think for now, I’ll stick with shrimp. I traded them 15 cherry shrimp for 8 neon tetras a while back. That was a good trade IMO.

Do you think it would be best to ask them for in store credit? Or cash? I know in small businesses they prefer in store credit.

 

[emeraldking]

Well, I do keep and breed livebearers but more the rare varieties. And yes, money can be made but it will be harder if they're common livebearers. But I do participate relevant vivaristic events. And there are stores that ask me from time to time if I'm willing to sell to them. But that's because most of mine are rare.

I just read 5 dollars for a cherry shrimp on Ebay. That's quite expensive. Overhere, I can get them from private breeders for € 0,10 - € 0,25 each. The cherry shrimp are considered being the cheapest ones overhere.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Well, I do keep and breed livebearers but more the rare varieties. And yes, money can be made but it will be harder if they're common livebearers. But I do participate relevant vivaristic events. And there are stores that ask me from time to time if I'm willing to sell to them. But that's because most of mine are rare.

I just read 5 dollars for a cherry shrimp on Ebay. That's quite expensive. Overhere, I can get them from private breeders for € 0,10 - € 0,25 each. The cherry shrimp are considered being the cheapest ones overhere.

Yes, they rang from $4-$6 each. In some places even over $10. The shrimp trade is backed up apparently due to COVID-19.

I think I will look into getting some guppies maybe and do some research on how to breed more valuable variations.

 

[emeraldking]

Yes, they rang from $4-$6 each. In some places even over $10. The shrimp trade is backed up apparently due to COVID-19.

I think I will look into getting some puppies maybe and do some research on how to breed more valuable variations.

You're gonna breed puppies or guppies...?

Well, COVID-19 has not been of any influence overhere yet when it comes to the prices.

 

[emeraldking]

@PheonixKingZ :
Here's a link of a dutch add with cherry shrimps : https://link.marktplaats.nl/m1537300341

(garnalen = shrimps)

I know it's not in your country. But I'd just like to mark down the difference in price.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You're gonna breed puppies or guppies...?

Well, COVID-19 has not been of any influence overhere yet when it comes to the prices.

Lol, puppies would make me more money!

I think I’ll stick with shrimp for right now. What is the best place to get red/black crystal shrimp? I love the looks of them.

 

[LarsB]

Lol, puppies would make me more money!

I think I’ll stick with shrimp for right now. What is the best place to get red/black crystal shrimp? I love the looks of them.

If you breed up some Mutt Guppies,
No body bats an eye
But if breed up some mutt puppies
Some one out there wants you to die!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I found some guppies that sell for quite a lot, “Moscow Guppies”.

They can go anywhere from $10-$20+, which is killer good.

I’m going to look into this species and find their requirements.

 

[LarsB]

Breeding live bearers to sell to LFS is not a money making thing. As already stated, unless you have something rather rare, they cant get it from a wholesaler, then that is a sellers market. If they want to buy it for resale, and are willing to pay you cash/check for your stock, then that is going to be rare. And most often the arrangement is store credit for trade. I can not see that being profitable. Now, If you enjoy the hobby, and have several avenues of selling, and getting as much from a customer as the shop does, and provide better fish, then that is a way of doing it. but how many can you sell like that in your local area? Then, it comes down to this, are you going to ship fish??
Another way to look at it, you can get a rare color, type, etc... start breeding those, and lets face it live bearers, breeding fairly true at normal rates, soon, that rare colored fish is going to be as common as fleas locally, once the market reaches a saturation.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I only have 1 LFS that I trust will take care of them. The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly.

I would like to breed something that I can see for a reasonable amount of money. (When I say that, I speak as a broke person, lol)

I’ll call them today and ask if they would be interested in buying some once/if I decide to breed.

I’m pretty good with breeding A+ Cherry shrimp, so I might just stick with that for now.

 

[LarsB]

I found some guppies that sell for quite a lot, “Moscow Guppies”.

They can go anywhere from $10-$20+, which is killer good.

I’m going to look into this species and find their requirements.

Moscows are awesome!! I got 2 pairs in FEB, black, lovely one male is bluer and i have some breeding plans to work on getting a deeper blue, without buying more breeding stock. I just sent my first fish to a guy in Arkansas, he should have them today, so will see if I will be shipping fish in the future. I have about 3 pairs about 2 months, about 70 are a month old, in two tanks, m & f , and the 2 girls just dropped again a few days ago