Because keeping fish can be a costly hobby, many aquarists wonder if they can make money by breeding aquarium fish. We’ve compiled the most important information you need to know about the best fish to breed, what supplies to buy, and how to sell them based on our experiences running a fish store, speaking with many fish breeders, and personally breeding fish to sell.
Is it possible to make money by breeding fish?
The truth is that selling fish as a full-time job from home is not very profitable, and most other jobs can pay you more for the same amount of time and effort. Fish farms produce millions of fish and do fish for sale for less than $1 each, making very small profits. Breeding fish as a side business, on the other hand, is a great way to supplement your aquarium hobby income. The goal is to make a profit rather than lose money, so our first piece of advice is to not put too much money into this project. Start small and avoid purchasing a large number of tanks and equipment at first.
What Are the Most Profitable Fish to Breed?
Go to a mainstream pet store and observe what sorts of fish they sell in large quantities if you want to choose the most profitable fish that are easy to breed and unload. Don’t breed discus, stingrays, or rarer African cichlids, even if they sell for a higher price, because there won’t be enough buyers, and you’ll end up with an overabundance of fish. Instead, breed assorted guppies, which sell for a lower price but are always in demand.
What is the best way to sell your fish to a fish store?
Going to your local fish store is the simplest and most convenient way to sell fish. Because they already have contracts with giant fish farms, most big-name pet retailers won’t buy fish from local breeders. You could earn a bit more money selling to individuals online or in person, but you’ll wind up spending a lot of time on customer service, catering to each person who has a unique request or a problem with your fish. Because the store manager is the only customer in a fish store, you can devote all of your time and attention to making that customer extremely happy.
Fish reproduce constantly, and just because you caught one doesn’t imply you can sell it. Don’t raise more fish than you can sell to prevent having surplus inventory. Because a single spawn of angelfish can produce enough kids to sell for a year, let any future spawns be consumed naturally or separate the adults. Also, look into the optimal size for each species you want to sell. A 2-inch Oscar is charming, and everyone wants one, but a 12-inch Oscar is tough to find a home for, even if it is free. It would be a better idea to grow many smaller spawns with varied hatch dates so that you always have fish of the right size to sell at the fish store.
