How To Make The Most Money Breeding & Selling Aquarium Fish

[@AquariumCoop]

If you'd like to learn more about breeding fish for profit, we have a playlist with several videos that can help you. kzbin.info/aero/PLNM4mDAXGxWwoL7Cnyic_DAnaE7PHBtIP

[@Holyblayze]

I poured my heart and soul into starting a fish for profit side hustle that I wanted to turn into a physical store. Was going great selling to 3 different LFS constantly experimenting with new species. Then I lost my job, had to sell all my fish just to make mortgage one month. Never been the same since. I still have my display tanks in the living room but the basement has been offline for about a year now. Maybe one day I can restart.

[@rashawnbrown4262]

Definitely start back bro don't give up on your passion you sounded like you loved your fish and business don't stop following what you love I'm fairly new to this haven't even started really didn't know this was a hustle till 1 hour ago but I love fish and recently moved here, share your tips and inspiration keep motivated you can do it

[@reviewithme9913]

Please try it again.. maybe just the process and seeing the fish start new life will give you a brand new start and new way of looking at your old hobby / passion. Trust me life sometimes does throw curve balls and you feel overwhelmed but the feeling that your accomplishments bring is priceless!!😅

[@pumpkincoffee983]

Start again! Maybe at least do shrimps and plants? Give it time for everything to grow, make sure your shrimps develop nice colors, etc. with Aquaswap, Aquabid, and EBay you might have an easier time getting started again

[@Tommy-i9j]

sorry that is the past know keep trying or you will never know

[@agr_]

I pray that you will take control and pursue your passion once again. 🙏

[@MJW173]

i dont euthanize my guppy and molly fry, i just bring them to the store and they give me massive discounts/free stuff almost every time i go, even if i dont bring anything. sometimes a friendly, "i scratch your back you scratch mine" kind of relationship is easier and a lot less stressful than a business one. plus, i know im helping them out by giving them free deliveries of fish, and i want to see them stay open for a long time

[@dabskiiboii74]

Do you call them ahead of time? I just have so much social anxiety that I really just want to know people's routines to sell fish. I have platies that bred like crazy and my tank is now overrun and I don't have friends or family that have the necessities for their care, they're the type to still put them in bowls and never see it as an issue😬😭

[@MJW173]

@@dabskiiboii74 i dont call. i just show up and pull a quart sized deli cup full of mollies out of my bag (I re-use takeout containers to save plastic). unless the fish look actively unhealthy, they'll be thrilled. if you say something like "I was hoping to trade you for a few shrimp" its casual without seeming like your expecting free stuff. 9 times out of 10 getting fish from a local person is cheaper for them than buying from box stores, and the fish are usually better quality too because they're bred in local waters. the only place they've said no to me is the big box stores like petco and petsmart since they have like, a nation wide system

[@dabskiiboii74]

@@MJW173ok makes sense, I asked the PetSmart where I got the original platys from and the employee there recommend going to smaller local stores as well since they don't take any outside sellers, what kind of bags do you use to transport the fish in? and where do you aquire them? I started with 3 platys and currently have about 23, the bio load is becoming too much without very frequent water changes. It's a little stressful at the moment..😅

[@MJW173]

@@dabskiiboii74 like I said in my last reply, I use re-useable deli cups, not bags. I get them from when I order takeout. I just wash them real good before I put fish in there. Theres no need to waste all those plastic bags the pet stores use

[@sarsvfx]

@@dabskiiboii74Lmao I have social anxiety too I hate it how big is your tank I have guppies and swordtails in my outdoor ponds and they breed like crazy gotta get rid of some too 😂

[@sarahwoodring5587]

These are great tips! I'd add that there are additional markets for the true hustlers out there. I sell lots of mollies to local livestock farmers, who keep them in livestock watering tanks for algae and mosquito control. I'm also working with a local plant nursery to display one of my mini ponds at their store. It's a decent profit for me when the pond sells, and they display my contact info as "designer" and "fish supplied by."

[@dallasearle7394]

I really like this post because it thinks outside of the box of selling to LFS or online (Aquabid, ebay, etc). This would be a great thread topic on the acoop discussion board if it is not already.

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Because of you I saw a particular fish on your videos when I spent the winter in the hospital.when I met you at the last Aquatic Experience I was just getting my breeding group together. Now I can not keep up with the demand, I even have a large buyer that drives from Connecticut to New York to buy from me,he takes them to different swaps and says mine are of better quality and sell out faster then the others he sees! The only thing I would add is have an idea of what you want and cull until you get that to sell!

[@mattkinsella9856]

Your comment was so relatable! About 7 years ago I was taking a short break from the hobby during a time I was relocating. When I was starting to get settled I saw one of Cory's videos about a particular guppy and that set me off on the path of finding and breeding show guppies. I also had a similar experience about 20 years ago when I saw a photo on the front of a fish keeping magazine in a pet store. It's a "That's the fish I want" moment that can turn into a real quest and mission.

[@johnwood738]

@@mattkinsella9856 Thank you, I was in and out of the hobby a couple times and spent from November 2017 until April 2018 in various hospitals learning to walk talk, move arms and even swallow again. I was unconscious for about a month with a fever or 104, after I woke up my family brought me a betta in a less than gallon tank. Best thing that ever happened to me, I forced myself to move and take care of him. That’s how I found Aquarium Co Op videos. He lived out his days in a fifty five gallon tank when we got home. The fish that I fell in love with was the Super Red Bristle Nose, I drove stores nut having them order them in and cherry picking what I wanted. Now those stores and other people wait for my fish. One is a pet/ feed store and I pay for my baby chick order with super reds. Getting sick was can’t say a good thing but it opened up a great new part of the hobby for me.

[@mattkinsella9856]

@@johnwood738 Great to hear you made a recovery, that sounds about as rough as it can get! I have a calico super red and he has such an interesting pattern. Just yesterday I put him in a breeding tank with the only female bristlenose I have to see if I can get some young that look like him. I wish I had a similar female to put him with but I guess I'm just going to have to try and "make one". All the best to you and I hope all things keep getting better for you.

[@Kirks_Aquariums]

Im living this dream all thanks to Cory many years ago with the fish for profit series. This was a nice fresh version 🐠

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

My local fish store gives me a discount on the food I need or supplies for my locally bred fish. I am satisfied with that. Great advice though.

[@NYGOLD]

As a small time fish seller I agree, the first part is the hardest. Once you break the ice and get customers it gets easier. One big thing Cory left out was HAVE INVENTORY, if you just spawned one fish and sell those people will call you for more fish. If you don't have anymore it's a bad look for you and you become unreliable to stores especially. If your a small time basement seller try to get cash, forget credit cards, checks. or anything of that nature. Also try not to take store credit. This is a great topic, we need more like this.

[@njmoonfrost6145]

That is what I was about to ask. Like do I wait for the next spawn THEN sell? So when the people ask for more I have some ready? Or do I just not sell all of them right away?

[@NYGOLD]

@@njmoonfrost6145 If I have more than 40 or 50 fish I'll tell the store I have 20 or 30 available, then if they sell well you will have more to give them. It also buys you time to breed more fish.

[@samh5490]

Thanks Cory for your knowledge and experience! I took the leap and started selling plants in a plant selling group on Facebook and I made my first $15 today!

[@polarberri]

Hey, that's awesome! Congrats!!

[@Pennysfishkeeping]

Thank you for always making the most fantastic content and sharing all of this great knowledge!

[@kevinw4648]

Shoutout to one of the Twin Cities LFS, Quality Aquatics at 1:41

[@aquariumhacksbymarcus5653]

I've been selling fish, plants and fish equipment for years I love doing it is a lot of fun but of course it is not my main source of income but just a little extra money on the side oddly enough just to buy more fish stuff LOL 😂

[@puirYorick]

Recycling is good for the planet. 👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼

[@SchusterFishes]

This video has good timing as I’m currently building a rack for 10 gallon tanks to breed more of my fish 👀

[@UniquelyRobinsandfriends]

Glad you and your affiliate are here for us

[@ronlafond5288]

Great stuff, Cory. Thanks! I'm kind of in one of those situations here in the Coachella Valley, CA. We've got a couple PetCos that are really worth a . . .well. And a couple PetSmarts with pretty good selections. There are also three private shops - one salt water only, one mostly salt and another that I think is on your Aquarium Co-OP list. That one is coming along. I think they just bought it recently and last time I was in he was making great strides. It's a slow start for me. I used to keep and breed fish when I was a kid and I'm trying to get back into it. There's loads of people selling tanks and other gear on Offer Up - some at good prices and others - not so much. My bigger goal is to find fish I can breed in our high pH and hard water that will sell best locally. Thanks for the great content and keep it coming!

[@THandP_org]

With the exception of a handful of fish that require soft water for eggs to hatch.... Give any fish 3 to 6 generations to acclimate to your water, and you can be the supplier of gorgeous fish bred in your local hard water. My experience in the 80s and 90s, with the exception of some S. American black water species (discus, neon tetras, leaf fish...) almost everything could be bred in the liquid rock we call tap water within 6 generations. Most could transition in 3 generations (1st gen I purchased, 2nd gen in blended water, 3rd gen raised in my tap). Occasionally it took a couple more gens to acclimate eggs to my tap. My fish sold for close to retail prices, because they didn't die in the store, and they didn't die in their new homes, so the LFS didn't have to refund fish. Most LFS plan on at least 10% of stock (in the 80s they planned on 30% of each order) dying. If you supply "bomb proof fish" the store doesn't have to deduct those proposed losses from what they pay you. I took almost a third of each batch and pushed the limits to see what the fish could withstand, so I would **know** what high nitrates, ammonia, rapid pH or temperature changes looked like on my fish. Those kodak pictures helped improve both my fish lines and the educational information provided by the LFS. Not everyone needs to geek out to that degree, but it helps when those of us who did share what we learned. Bolivian rams can be acclimated fully to hard water, and their eggs will hatch in increasingly harder water with each generation. Discus eggs have to have soft water to hatch, but once hatched can be slowly transitioned to local, hard tap water (and semi cooler temps... like 78°) with each water change... as long as the water is increased in GH & KH slowly and ammonia/nitrites/nitrates are kept non existent. 1st gen discus are fairly intolerant of change, so wait until parents are easily caring for their offspring before taking half a batch to start acclimating (generally the parents eat the first 3 to 6 attempts before they figure out parenthood, and fry not raised by parents are less likely to acclimate well, and less likely to take care of their own offspring). Once you have a half dozen reliable breeding pairs in your tap water, you can sell off everything else. To accommodate the few egg layers that need soft water for eggs to hatch, prime the breeding pairs to lay with multiple water changes (imitating the onset of rainy season) along with adding live foods (BBS, worms, daphnia) and watch your hatch rates go up. You may have already known all of this since you bred fish before. I typed it all out for anyone new to breeding to learn. Jack Watley was the only reason I had any successful discus hatches... and he's also the reason I decided that there absolutely had to be a better way!😅 Feeding discus fry egg yolks by hand was absolutely not my idea of fun in the hobby.😂

[@ronlafond5288]

@@THandP_org Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.

[@larryhenry719]

I started selectively breading guppies this year thanks for the info video.

[@nicoletiana]

Great video!!!! I'm breeding Guan Yu guppies and trying to grow out my egeria densa plants in my tank and sell them when theyve finally grown to their full potential. so excited!

[@voultronix761]

I literally rewatched the series last week , he timing of this 👀. Love this , hope you continue to update this series ❤

[@jamesdarley8656]

Good info!!! This is True in Australia where in from and Asia where I live.

[@jamiej.5680]

This helped me out so much thank you !

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

Excellent information & video. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@jeffkane4391]

Great information. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@bunnyfishstories]

Still great information! Breeding fishes is definitely one of the most fun aspects of the hobby but I fear that if I get more into it and if I weren't be able to sell any fry I would then be stuck with too many fish and run out of tank space :D

[@eveningclicks7767]

Have a bigger fish pet and have some free food for it if you can't sell. Not trying to sound crude, but it can help. Especially if you come from an ecosystem perspective.

[@austrelforgefeu5888]

Thank you for this video ! It took me back in the right perspective. I have begin to make a buisness planification for my horticulture project. Iwant to use aquaponie, to mix fish and plants. Now i need to think the same way for the fish part (i feel a little stupid to not have thi k about sooner lol) time to do some survay for my region 💖

[@poulsondavid1]

Good video. Could you do one specifically on selling for store credit? I don't want a business. I enjoy breeding. And minimally offsetting my costs would be a nice bonus.

[@stevenadkins7611]

I have 20 kiddie pools and three 15 x 30 ft grow out raceways. Any ideas what fish i should grow

[@ShrimpinAquatics]

Great info 👍 keep up the good work

[@williamjansson]

Its a supply and demand thing. If you get a price one time, doesnt mean you get the same 3months later when the store already have 100 in stock.. or they notice you sell all you can in private and the rest you try to unload at the store.

[@kevincollis2172]

Great video!

[@speedracer9132]

Aqua swap forums are the best, we GIVE fish away for FREE to other fish keepers! Personally the only time I’d sell my stock is to a pet store for store credit

[@ricardosmythe2548]

Rather than cash? What's the strategy there?

[@hejbeautiful5488]

Do you have a list of these forums?Thanks

[@speedracer9132]

@@ricardosmythe2548 being KIND to fellow humans rather than focusing on profit motive

[@speedracer9132]

@@hejbeautiful5488 I personally use r/AquaSwap

[@ricardosmythe2548]

@@speedracer9132 fair play giving them to people but why vouchers from sales to shops instead of cash?

[@gordongrier2172]

That was a great video thank you

[@joevangordon3451]

Any idea what's going on with aquabid been waiting on registration for almost 2 months

[@azntactical4884]

I'm currently working in selling my fish to a local breeder. I helped him move 100lbs bags of gravel for a couple of hours. I adked him how I can esrn money from him (currently getting credit). He said that we need to build up a report before money gets involved. So, that's what we are doing right now. He is into exotics and always wants the latest/rare type of fish.

[@1markymark1]

I sell my APistograma’s to a local fish store for store credit. Works good for me

[@Wulfenite295]

I saw your video on celestial pearl danios but I would like a more in-depth breeder guide video so I can breed my own please.

[@matthewsmith22]

You can breed angels the size of fifty cent 😮 that's impressive, sorry couldn't resist!

[@charlesdavis2891]

Was that quality Aquatics entrance in the beginning??

[@Ronald2Shaoling]

Do I need a license in florida to sell these to the market ?

[@HopeB555]

Corey, I'm planning out a stock list for my tank (guppies and blue dream neocaradina shrimp). Would I probably have an easier time getting the LFS to be interested in my guppies if I started witha really nice looking variety of mutt guppies or if I stuck with a single higher end strain that breeds true and just did pretty mutts with my culls (and offer both as an option) I'm trying to avoid MTS because my husband will kill me. Lol. At most I'm going to be able to use a quarantine/hospital tank as possibly a grow out for a week or two at a time and I'm working on some sort of guppy pond summer outdoor breeding project (if I can manage that in far northern Minnesota).

[@AquariumCoop]

Yeah, I think it's easier to get them interested on a nice strain, you just don't sell quite as many, but it's a good way to get the door open.

[@GadzWolf11]

I work firearms retail and I absolutely hate when people bring in firearms to sell and, when asked how much they were thinking, say "I know what I paid for it" or "as much as you'll give me." Even worse if they're asking over the phone where I can't see it for a proper appraisal.

[@joeppathuis6548]

1:15 which fish is that?

[@DanBenton-i9z]

What a joke. When I was buried in 1200 quarter size angelfish they could not take any, Thank goodness that I found someone else to help me so I can continue my hobby.

[@ONEFUNFONE]

I've never seen that aquarium club map on the co-op site, how do you find it? Didn't even know it was on there. Most lfs want to offer 25% of what they sell a fish for, mostly store credit and refuse cash, plus they want fish at a certain size when I know growing them a little bit bigger will not only give the fish a better chance of survival but the shop and I can charge a little bit more for that fish. Years ago when I was mostly doing bottom fish I had sold a bunch to my lfs, couple days later I found one sitting in a vase with a betta in a local thrift store I use to frequent often, one of their employees brought that vase in, did the usual spew on how fish need filtration and heat which basically went in one ear, out the other. Even offered to buy the vase for double of what she had put into it- obviously didn't happen but it definitely made me second guess if the lfs had mentioned the fishes requirements before it was sold or if ignorance had just taken over.

[@AquariumCoop]

It’s in the footer under links. www.aquariumcoop.com/apps/store-locator

[@technomad9071]

i really wish you'd go more global how big is a dime???

[@simonsmith6074]

Can u help me please I need to get a good amount of brin shrimp egg need a website

[@TazawaTanks]

www.aquariumcoop.com/products/aquarium-co-op-brine-shrimp-eggs

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

I rather sell plant's when it comes to shipping to sell if I want to sell fish I'd do it with a local fish store & right now my local fish store is like 15-20 miles away. Your big fish stores have their own fish people they buy from & they will tell you up front they don't buy from outsiders, so that's what I have seen heard & was done from the "BIG" box store fish places.

[@ohandanotheronebitesthedus6247]

I used to sell fish and the ones that lived for a year or 2 used to receive complaints on their size lol but if i gave them out fully grown they would complain about the length it lasted lol cant win

[@godlikeike]

Fish id at 2:36??

[@michaelsmith3341]

I Have to bettas a male and a female and I am planning to breed them in 2024.

[@Nomadistar]

I made it to 1:18 what did I lose? Nothing!

[@wabajack8250]

My local pet store aka petco has had sick fish for the past 3 years they bring fish in and they die and they put new sick fish in and bam dead again

[@Unknownwaves]

Do you need a license

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@TedH71]

For me, I only can sell my fish to a certain pet store here for store credits. So frustrating. I've been able to sell a few to out of town people via FB. I have tons of Black Flame Endlers but not 500 of them though. I have maybe 60 to 80 of them in a 20 gallon tank and yes, they're all healthy and do quite well. I sell 20 to 40 fishes at a time every 2 to 4 weeks. I've also got a spare tank that I'm thinking of filling up with another Endler variety. Can't make up my mind yet which one.

[@FrozT99]

You can't sell fish on offer up. I tried a couple of days ago and my post got removed. I know you used to, and some people get away with it, but you'll have to dance around their rules. Fyi

[@ReneesZooTube]

I wish my local fish store did store credit. The most I've gotten is 25% off whatever I buy the day I bring in some of my guppies. Then they go on to sell them for $4-$10 each. So what I get back doesn't even come close to the level of what they would pay a supplier wholesale. I don't know that I'm physically able to ship due to disability issues. Just kinda frustrating... I'll have to look into my local fish club and maybe something like craigslist.

[@eveningclicks7767]

Someone summon Tom Nook!

[@hostagnathoma6364]

Please make more less but more intresting content😢 i know i like to watch a lot of vids but i loved high quality and intresting content

[@hikertrash2956]

My pet store offers a gift card and he gets the dollar amount back as a store sale, he pays 25-30% of the sale price, if he buys bulk (quantity) he goes 25% roughly, then u get the gift card amount and use that with out any discount on purchases. He wins but he also has alot more overhead and a sale is a sale when it's a hobby. Both party's win and don't dare bring in any sick fish! There's no Holla back with him.

[@melaniearnold616]

you should promote cash, instead bash it.

[@Joey-Jdi]

first

[@mrfish.-]

Woah! What was the fish at 1:30 ?? It looks super cool!!!

[@AquariumCoop]

It looks like some type of apisto. ~ Zenzo

[@mrfish.-]

@@AquariumCoop it’s body is a bit too flat to be an apisto, also the red eyes. Could it possibly be a blackbanded sunfish? Or are those not sold in the aquarium hobby yet?