10 Aquarium Side Hustles: Making $1,000 a month from your aquariums

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Best Book for Neocaridina Shrimp
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The Neocaridina Shrimp Handbook is 97 pages packed with information about how to keep, feed and breed Neocaridina Shrimp (including the ever-popular Red Cherry Shrimp).
The book also includes chapters on setting up an aquarium, filtering, heating, and lighting, and how to successfully cycle the tank, creating an ideal environment for the shrimp to thrive.
The Neocaridina Shrimp Handbook is now available in digital form and as a physical book!
For a digital copy 👇🏻
neocaridina-shrimp-handbook.com
For a physical copy 👇🏻
amzn.to/3KOzcQb
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Help Support the Channel
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If you found value in this video and you wanted to support my channel, why not buy me a coffee ☕
Even a donation of $5 helps cover the ever-growing monthly costs of running the channel, and the money will be put to work making even more educational and entertaining videos
Donate here 👉🏻 www.buymeacoffee.com/FishKeep...
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Join us on Discord
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I run a small Discord server dedicated to fish and shrimp keepers who wish to learn more about fish and shrimp keeping and generally nerd out about the hobby:
Join today - / discord
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Products I Use
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Foods:
➤ Repashy Soilent Green - amzn.to/3TVMY7I
➤ Repashy Community Plus - amzn.to/3JmkbUZ
➤ Tetra Color Crisps - amzn.to/3Ugzy7D
➤ Fluval Bug Bites - amzn.to/3VVgEVc
Aquarium:
➤ Aquatop High Clarity Glass Cube Aquarium - amzn.to/3xMhJo2
Lights:
➤ NICREW SlimLED Aquarium Light - amzn.to/3Q0wv0H
Heater:
➤ Fluval E 50w - amzn.to/4aZZt91
Air Pump:
➤ Eheim 3704010 Air Pump 400 - amzn.to/3Joqzeg
Substrate:
➤ Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum - amzn.to/3Ui8wNg
➤ Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel - amzn.to/3Qa2fkb
➤ Tropica Plant Growth Aquarium Soil - amzn.to/3vJIoBC
Other:
➤ Catappa Indian Almond Leaves - amzn.to/4aS7y0d
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High-Quality Shrimp
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For high-quality Neocaridina and Caridina Shrimp across the USA and Canada, check out The Shrimp Farm - fishkeepinganswers.com/58re
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Important:
Any information provided in this video is for entertainment purposes only and is just based on my own experiences and should not be considered advice.
This description may contain affiliate links. FishKeepingAnswers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
The Neocaridna Shrimp Handbook is written by the owner of the FishKeepingAnswers KZbin channel.

[@Talons_N_Tails]

“Red Cherry Shrimp are very easy to breed” …. (Me: nervous laugh 😅)

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

😅

[@laurabustos6560]

They are so carefree and easy though! You just need to get past that first month or so where you may be losing some to acclimation issues etc. And buying/ starting with young shrimp will give you better results. They ship easier, if you're buying online, and definitely have a much easier time acclimating to your specific water parameters. Please don't give up, they're so much fun! Good luck! ✌️

[@LogacysAquaticLove]

Lol nice😂

[@ianwade4695]

​​@@laurabustos6560 this was very helpful for me. It explains why I keep losing shrimp, they were pretty big and I keep finding dead ones. But I also see babies. It makes sense that they're 3 weeks in that tank today! I had treated for parasites and everything 😂😂😂

[@jessevalencia1660]

Thanks! Your advice is great. I just bought a house so I'm Finally able to set up tanks again for the first time in 20 years. These are great side hustles. I love number 10. Gives me a great excuse to use the workshop that the previous owners built.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Thank you for the donation. It is really I appreciated. Would love to hear how you get on with one or more of these side hustles 🫶🏻

[@laurabustos6560]

I'd add that checking with your local fish store to see what they're willing to buy or trade before investing in things to breed or propagate, if that's the route you want to go to start that side hustle. A lot of lfs have standing orders for stem plants. So it might make more sense to focus on epihytes, mosses, floating plants etc. Mosses and other similar plants also don't require high end lighting and c02 like some of the stem plants. Great video as always!! ✌️

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫶🏻

[@Gelapeno]

I've been keeping neo shrimp for a few years now. I grew up with a family of carpenters so something I have done is made stands and racks for my tanks. I can make these very cheaply, about $25 based on the size of the tank(s) and sell them at a very good price. It allows me to bring 2 hobbies of mine together while making money :D

[@NYGOLD]

I've been selling and auctioning my fish for a few years now. Depending on the size of your fish room it may be better to have a "niche" fish. Something you specialize in and can dedicate more space to. When you are dealing with a store they don't want fry, they want decent sized fish. If you are breeding different kinds of fish you can spread yourself too thin and not have larger sized fish available. This isn't a HUGE problem BUT you will not have a MONTHLY income. More like every other month. New subscriber checking in!

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to share. Welcome to the channel 🫶🏻

[@moqiman8882]

Looking forward to the shrimp series

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🤜🏻

[@sicilianotoronto]

I love the idea of creating stock images.

[@andrewyeats1787]

Keep up the hustle man. Great content and information!

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫶🏻

[@jkapp8617]

Mate, what a video! Great content. I hope this video blows up over time.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Thank you 🫶🏻. I hope so too 🤞🏻

[@Agnus78]

These are some amazing, quality advices , Man! Thanks for your willingness to share your thoughts.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Glad you like them!

[@Oneshotelite1996]

I really enjoy your videos, please ceep up the good work. I have learned so much 🦐🦐

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Thank you! Will do!

[@LogacysAquaticLove]

Bro this episode was great, awesome awesome advice/ideas! And not fantasy non reachable ideas. These are all feasible real ideas! 💯

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🤜🏻

[@Batmancontingencyplans]

Always a pleasure watching your videos bro 🔥

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

You are too kind 🫶🏻

[@ganeshbhoye4083]

So much information and inspiration …😘👌🏻

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

💪🏻

[@anitabegley8456]

Great video. Gonna try some of these. Already got my angelfish babies up for sale. Got about, well, 500+ of 3 kinds, lrl. But I wanted to thank you again and can't wait for the video on the shrimp set up step by step.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment. Angelfish are a great ‘for profit’ fish. They always sell so well. New tank arrived today for the new breeding for-profit series 🎉

[@metametameta69]

Good luck! 😱

[@gojakeman]

I appreciate this video, I’ve been interested in starting an aquarium cleaning & design business for some extra income. I have a car, supplies, knowledge, and I live in a city. The only thing holding me back is fear. Your video makes me feel like maybe I should just do it

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Go for it! Start off slowly. Get your first customer. When that is going well, find your second customer. You have to punch fear in the face! 🤜🏻

[@ONEFUNFONE]

Remember 98% of your customer base will be saltwater so if you don't have at least 10+ years of salt experience or a degree most potential customers won't call you. If you have competition in your area you've gotta be cheaper the better then the other guy while trying to survive. Been there, tried that. Didn't work or wasn't worth the hassle.

[@stoneysscapes7544]

@@ONEFUNFONE looks like the energy from the video just got the % of freshwater nature aquariums and African Cichlids , Koi pond owners and the new Dentist up to 4% 🍒🍒🍒

[@bensonb99]

Great video with good ideas 💡

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫶🏻

[@aMinivanLife]

I really like your videos!

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🙏🏻

[@tomlawler8293]

This had the feel of David Mitchell's farming bit 😅 but seriously really good advice

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

I’m not familiar, but I’ll take it as a compliment 😂

[@1963patto]

Hi mate, I am enjoying your videos. Very informative. I have a small KZbin channel myself goldfish with ghost aquariums and I find it hard to find good people to listen to now and I will be adding you to My list of people to listen to. Well done

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hey, thanks for your kind words. As you know, creating KZbin videos is hard. It’s good to know they are providing people value 👍🏻

[@1963patto]

Yes, hitting that algorithm can be hard work sometimes

[@malcolmmcguire2876]

Thanks for another great video Richard. I have a couple of tanks with hundreds of shrimp I could sell but I struggle with culling single quality individuals amongst so many especially when they seem to know you are on to them. Can you explain one day how to cull single shrimp from hundreds without losing your rag. Cheers mate Malcolm

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. First question, why are you culling? Is it because of color, deformities or another reason?

[@malcolmmcguire2876]

@@FishKeepingAnswers Yes many are quite low grade with little or no colour while others are more valuable. I thought of selling a lucky dip bag.

[@jamesdavies9918]

@@malcolmmcguire2876can’t u sell them lower grade shrimp cheaper

[@euansgaming227]

Where can I get cherry shrimp online? In future I would like to start selling shrimp but I can’t find anywhere that sells shrimp that I can afford I have been keeping fish for a few years now and just last year I started keeping shrimp.

[@Cleeon]

Check your online marketplace

[@saianishchalamalasetty2984]

Hey dude I don't know from where but I just gain a sudden interest in breeding cherry shrimp for profit I did a lot of research and while I was doing so is how I found you channel. You inspired me to also set up something like your cherry shrimp breeding setup. Anyways I had a few questions 1. what size tubs do you use for breeding 2. how long should I wait to sell the babies 3. Any more tips to grow large colonies (I all ready saw your video on It but and wondering If I can get more tips.) my fish store is asking for 30 shrimp per week so I need to make sure I have enough Thanks for your consideration

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. I am working on a breeding shrimp for profit series, so look out for that. To answer your questions, I typically use 25 or 30 liters tubs (which is 6 - 8 gallons). Time frame to selling the babies varies, but as I will show in my series, I typically leave a colony for 3 to 4 months before selling true babies. As for growing colonies larger, it’s all about the food. The more you feed, the more they eat and the faster they grow (within reason) 💪🏻

[@saianishchalamalasetty2984]

@@FishKeepingAnswers Thank you

[@andystokes8702]

I've only just started with shrimp, I've been keeping fish for over 40 years. I started with 10 red cherry shrimp (allegedly, I had to buy them online). As it turned out I got a mixture of red and orange so I split them between two tanks to keep the lines separate. I was interested in your comment about just breeding basic red cherry shrimp because they are the best sellers at 2 quid a time and I agree, the market for £30-£50 shrimp is tiny. Maybe it's simply because they are so expensive. My thought is - is it harder to breed £30 shrimp than it is to breed £2 shrimp? If it's just as simple to breed high end shrimp why not do it and sell them at well under their true value? How many people would by £30 shrimp if they were only paying £5 - £7? I appreciate the initial outlay is greater, maybe £300 but after the initial outlay the costs of electricity, food etc is the same. The £300 outlay would easily be recouped if you were selling them at £5 rather than £2 for the red cherries, you only need sell 60. The market for £30 shrimp is tiny but maybe £5 for a good quality shrimp is realistic? Just a thought.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I agree with much of what you said. The great thing is, we can all experiment. If you do travel down that road, would love to hear how you get on 👍🏻

[@MKSouthernStar]

My thoughts exactly.

[@khoile5102]

It is harder. The more costly ones are harder to breed and maintain. Selling a 30 shrimp for 5 is a great way to make very little money and seriously bad business. Just sell for $5 less at 25.

[@skippa510]

I’ve very recently found out I’m the same with flipping fish tanks. A guy on FB marketplace had 2 tanks for sale, a 1 foot and a 2 foot for AUD$20. I only wanted the 1 foot so I pre-sold the 2 foot. As soon as I picked them up, I had sellers remorse. I sold it to a friend for the same amount I paid for the 2, but I really didn’t want to let go of it because as soon as I picked it up, I had a great scape in mind for it. 😂

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

😂 There’s always another scape to do 😂

[@skippa510]

@@FishKeepingAnswers it’s never ending. My wife will kill me though. 😂

[@skippa510]

But the tips in this video might just save my backside.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

😎

[@joaosalvado8668]

I’m breeding in uk as well, selling on eBay! Took some/several ideas from your videos. Allow me the question. How do you do with taxes? Does the eBay sells count? Thanks

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Whilst I can not offer financial advice, we filled out a tax return each April and paid tax as required 👍🏻

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

You and I are going to quickly become fast friends 😊, I am looking for side hustles and I have two aquariums and am disabled from M.S. ❤.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

🫶🏻

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

@@FishKeepingAnswers 🫶

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

We arent allowed to have shrimp where I live, also not allowed to sell fish without a licence but I make a few hundred a month on plants just selling all my excess. I just think of it as paying for the electricity I use running multiple tanks.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Yep, local laws really vary around the world. However, I think you are spot on by finding things you can do 🤑

[@isaacnuoah2023]

Hello is there a good, popular shops or online store for aquatic life in UK like ebay or amazon

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Personally I use either eBay or Tropco.co.uk

[@isaacnuoah2023]

@@FishKeepingAnswers thanks, actually I'm looking for that repashy food here in the UK

[@theduck4469]

Hi! How do you actually sell fish and shimps to the pet stores? You need to have a firm or LTD or documentation that you're a fish breeder? You have to pay taxes after the money that you recive?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Best thing to do is check the local laws, rules and regulations where you live. They vary the world over 👍🏻

[@ColdStoneRacing]

What they don't know won't hurt them.. Give the LFS a fake name if you're that worried about it.

[@dragzy8992]

Hi mate, genuine question. Why red cherry? when say. Bloody Mary's look so much better and cost the same.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Ok, so I’ll address that in the shrimp breeding for profit series, but essentially, it’s about setting expectations. If you sell ‘Red Cherry shrimp’, your buyers are happy no matter the color of the shrimp. If however you sell a set strain, such as Bloody Mary, you increase the chances your buyer will be unhappy with the quality of your shrimp. If they sell for the same money, why set expectations so high 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@dragzy8992]

So would you just list the bloody Mary's as 'red cherry shrimp' to avoid this? I wonder sometimes when seeing red cherries how ppl can list them as that when some are pink and others translucent, whereas the bm are pretty much a stable colour. Anyway thx for replying and providing a great channel. Luv u bye

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

If it were me, I’d list them just as Red Cherry shrimp. Much better to have a bunch of customers who are pleased with the high quality of your Red Cherry shrimp than risk customers leaving back feedback/reviews or asking for refunds because they dispute the quality of your bloody Mary’s. Believe me, RCS will out sell BM shrimp 10 to 1 anyway 👍🏻

[@dragzy8992]

Thank you, appreciate the advice.

[@510subzero]

Do you need a license to sell pet fish? Looking to get started selling fish maybe shrimp

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

That probably depends on where in the world you are based. I would check with your local government/council 👍🏻

[@chrisweston3029]

What is your online store called please

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Unfortunately I shut down my breeding operation in favour of making KZbin videos 🙁

[@jasonstouder]

Just joined. Thank you for making relevant and focused content. I wonder if snails are a beneficial part of my shrimp tanks. I say yes, because the snails eat the shrimp pellets I feed, then they poop the pellet crumbs out with clear slime and the shrimp love it. Are mystery snails a good add on to a shrimp breeding tank, in your opinion?

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Hi. Thank you so much for joining. It always humbles me. To answer your question, in my opinion snails are a great addition to ANY aquarium. Exactly as you say, they clean up fish poop and uneaten food. Mystery Snails are great as a ‘breed for profit’ snail. However, they do require slightly specialised conditions for breeding. Mainly they lay their eggs above the water line, meaning you have to leave sufficient space between the waterline and the lid of the tank 👍🏻

[@jasonstouder]

@@FishKeepingAnswers Thank you for your response. I have learned, recently, just how productive mystery snails can be. I am nursing 10 clutches from 11 snails, right now. I saw something, today that may or may not be true.- It looks to me like the mystery snails release their poop directly under the spot they plan on laying her clutch, so that the released baby snails fall into beds of partially digested goodness. It sure looks like that is what is happening, per 4 identical cases. so cool.

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Well that is very interesting! Research is not my thing, but I would love to set up half a dozen tanks and see if that theory holds true 🤔

[@scottseabury4014]

Ive just come here to ask about snails too 😅 any thoughts on other types of snails too? Like the blue or pink ramshorns etc?

[@catchdjaks]

Waiting for the series.. And please tag me in the comment whenever your link is ready, just in case I miss it.. I'll be notified with the tag... Thanks for the great video.. Keep up the good work..

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

Will try to remember to let you know 🤜🏻

[@AgxntOrange]

I don’t like the idea of going into a strangers house for anything if I’m being honest. I think I’ll stick with selling shrimp and plants 😂

[@raymondtay5184]

I throw away a tub of water sprite every month

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

That’s a great potential income source 👍🏻

[@arifstadvi07]

Hi pls use copyright free images in video for more defined information

[@FishKeepingAnswers]

To be fair, I use hours of stock footage taken from my own tanks in every other video I’ve ever released. 👍🏻