Top 10 Fish to Breed for Profit | Master Breeders Advice

[@KeepingFishSimple]

Thanks for stopping by bro!

[@ohsombraa2131]

the goat!!!! u need to make longer videos like this type of style on ur channel again

[@juancastaner2576]

Hi I bought 3 rabbit snails I put them in a planted tank with organic potting soil mix and capped with pool filter sand about 3 to 4 inches deep. I have supper hard water. After about 6 months they started dropping baby snails. They very easy once they start. The drop like one or 2 at a time. I have had the original adult for over 2 years.

[@sjpogi08]

How about betta fish?

[@Dot_dolo]

No problem

[@Shleeeemp]

Nick is so good on these longer videos, and really nice to see him being interviewed as opposed to being the interviewer. Top video, thank you! 🦐🦐

[@user-lf3hy7wl3t]

You're lucky to have such supportive parents! Don't forget to thank them every day.

[@Firebird894]

I have been breeding CPD's like mad I'm still growing most of them out, the trick is musical marbles get a bunch of chinese containers and a heap of marbles and drop the water level. They breed better in the marble bowls when the water level is low. I breed them in plastic 30L tubs just floating plants above, marble bowls on the bottom. I do them on deep sand and never do water changes every few days I take a marble bowl out put it in a hatching tub with plants etc in it put a new marble bowl in. I just started doing the same with the emerald rasboras I do them exactly the same. I raise fry of the same size and age and similar growth rate in the same tanks saves space and fuss I seperate them out as they get bigger. I run cheap ebay LEDS and don't heat most of those kind of fish most of the year I just set a heater to 18c over winter the fishroom stays pretty warm. Save money and insulate with foam boards. But have good ventilation so you don't get mould. All I do is top tanks off as needed and do small water changes every now and then they less I mess with them the better they seem to do. I try to keep live food producing in tanks with small fish so feeding is minimal so the water stays clean. The rice fish are another good one because you can breed them outside in tubs with almost no work except to collect mops. I play musical mops like the marbles, I make the mops myself I make a heap I just pull mops from breeding tank toss in hatching tank and put a new one in breeding tank so I dont pick eggs off them. Thats just how I do it it has been working well. Out of everything I still make the most off guppies shrimp and easy to grow plants and pothos cuttings lol.

[@bigbotno1]

For everyone who wants to build a fish room, do it for yourself because you like it and if you can make some money off of it that's nice for maintaining it.

[@mende9132]

You guys have prices like crazy. I will emigrate to AUS to become a pro fish breeder. 😮😮😮

[@TedH71]

You have to have a skill in a category that the Australians can't fill in order to be able to immigrate. Also you need to be under age 45 for the work visas.

[@midnull6009]

@@TedH71 or a millionaire, and forgo all those silly limitations ;) they only applies to the rest of you :)

[@absolutelyunepic3072]

Double edged sword mind you

[@BasicAquariums]

I breed guppies. I give them to my local shop to get store credit. I then use the store credit to get things my main tank needs, usualy plants or food. Its a suppliment for my hobby more than a wage.

[@HarlanFord]

That’s great! Yeah how cool hey to be able to supplement the hobby and make it cheaper, and fun.

[@701delbronx8]

What if you used the store credit to get more guppies?

[@JohnPritzlaff]

​@@701delbronx8infinite guppy glitch

[@johnykiwi2722]

great video Harlan, very helpful and interesting to watch, your videos a such high quality. Cant wait to see more :)

[@HarlanFord]

Appreciate that man!

[@boristheamerican2938]

Im getting ready for retirement and during covid work from home I set up a fish room. I used to breed African Ciclids as a side hustle back in the 1970-80s. For tanks I have 55 (2), 40 (2), 29 (3), 20 (4), and 10 (16). The fish I decided to breed for profit is rice fish. Its something quite a few people are looking for and they are hard to find here in America. Have 4 varieties of them and plan to add 2 more. May need to add a few more tanks.

[@HarlanFord]

That’s super neat! Love that. Hope it goes well for you.

[@midnull6009]

I still don't get why ppl are gun-ho about rice fish. They're basically a feeder/throw away fish...and in the same category as those feeder fish you find at petco/petsmart...

[@ouroboros2866]

I have 6 African Cichlids too, but how do I get them to breed? What’s your secret?

[@boristheamerican2938]

@@ouroboros2866 make sure you got males and females, you probably did that. Now feed them good with brine shrimp and bloodworms. Quite a few are mouthbrooders, that means one of them incubates the eggs in their mouth. If you see one that has a full mouth gently remove it to another tank for they wont be fighting back while holding eggs and may get killed.

[@boristheamerican2938]

@@midnull6009 They come in many different colors. Here in the states we only have a few of them here. They are nice pond fish and are to be viewed from above.

[@MacPNW]

This is low key a really great video.

[@BigStevesGlassBoxes]

I sure would love to get some of those honey blue eyes!

[@footagemissing]

Great video mate, I visited KFS today, great little store. Earned yourself a sub, looking forward to following the journey.

[@HarlanFord]

Cheers!

[@livefishonline]

Two legends right there… loved the video!!

[@HarlanFord]

Much love :)

[@livefishonline]

@@HarlanFord ❤️🙌

[@jeffharris4558]

I keep and breed Mbuna here in the UK as a hobby, I’ve invested thousands in equipment and wild caught fish and the returns are tiny, I used to make enough to pay for food and some equipment but since the Gas and electricity price increases here so many have given up the hobby it’s ruined the little I was making, two reasons, 1. Market flooded with fish from those quitting and 2. Less potential buyers. Even with a buoyant general market it pays to keep an eye on what’s out there and what’s wanted, you need to plan ahead, I’ve cocked up in the past by obtaining and breeding species that were in demand, by the time the juveniles were a saleable size, roughly 6-8 months, nobody wanted them, I ended up selling to a wholesaler for pennies, fish that were easily getting £20 each now worthless. Over here shops give you very little money for fish, in fact my locals won’t pay anything for them, they’ll take them from you for nothing then sell them on, at best, if I travel 40 minutes there’s a shop that pays about a third of what they sell for which isn’t bad I guess.

[@HarlanFord]

Yes it’s definitely a tough one

[@andreashessler838]

Same with shell dwellers. Used to breed loads of different types. Nobody seems to want them at the minute. Used to give them to a fish shop 45 minutes down the road for shop credit,. He sold them for between £10 and £15 a piece! God only knows who was buying them. The UK market is just completely inundated with fish now.

[@boristheamerican2938]

Thank the conservatives and their brexit. Atleast the rich will pay less taxes.

[@benmilner9672]

Oftentimes the price that the breeders want for their fish is on-par with what the wholesalers want, but the wholesalers will guarantee the health of their fish, whereas the local home breeders will not. So if any fish die within that one-two-week quarantine period, the wholesaler will re-credit those losses to our account; there's little to no chance we can call back a local home breeder to compensate us for a bad batch. So an LFS is often taking a substantial risk in purchasing fish from a home breeder with little to no financial gain. Secondly, a lot of times the home breeders lack courtesy, and many of them will rock up unannounced on the weekend when it's busy, expecting to off-load a bunch of fish that you now suddenly have to count and credit/barter for when you are run off your feet - this is surprisingly common! Thirdly, many home breeders do not offer anything we can sell! Bring me 100 neon tetras, or even guppies or livebearers! Or some nice little comets. Don't bring me some obscure species of cichlid that I need to sell for $20 each which may start showing some colour in 3 months time, or another L-number pleco that looks like a bristlenose that I'm expected to sell for $80; those things are for your fish society clubs, not for the LFS.

[@jesthelmanimtim8786]

I really love watching your videos, the way u showed the fish,

[@Firebird894]

I just spawned a pair of saphire blue angels I got from you months ago as juvies first spawn failed they just spawned again it was a good one they got them to wiggling egg stage I moved them to a net in the baby tank and they have been hatching and theres a stack free swimming already. I have them in a baby tank with deep substrate and a live food web already established so they should be off to a good start. Looks like another couple of the blues are pairing off too and the rest I got more recently are growing and doing well. I'll order some more Rams soon.

[@Alexander.makinano]

Love Nick! Awesome video

[@markfranklin8831]

Really cool video thanks for sharing 💗👍✌️💯

[@HarlanFord]

No worries! Glad you enjoyed!

[@SoupCatJJ]

why does fish shop guy have the most beautiful luscious eyeballs, gosh darn dreamy af

[@gillianmarshall5710]

Thanks, great ideas

[@PureAndShrimple]

Loved this video! Wow, $60 for a yellow rabbit? I paid £4 for one here in the UK.

[@alfiegaming1044]

Great video!!!

[@HarlanFord]

Thank you!!

[@CharlsenTV]

I love hillstream loach❤

[@goomtoob8714]

are the racks made from treated pine ? if so would that not be poisonous to fish?

[@andrewbooth-gg4dv]

I personally think super red longfin bn, red ramshorns, shrimp and hybrid guppies with plants would be the best set up for profit

[@Betty_Feltersnatch]

Wow, that's an expensive hobby in Australia. $100 for a Boesemani? That's the equivalent of fifty odd quid. I currently pay £6 for a young fish and £15 for a very good male.

[@eksit101]

When did checking pH become hard work? I used to breed tilapia and all I ever did was throw in baking soda to raise it. Within a day or two at least a few females were carrying eggs.

[@Panpacific2023]

How do you take care of your plant? Cause i saw some they dont have that high light

[@HarlanFord]

What plant were you thinking?

[@Panpacific2023]

@@HarlanFord i have anubias plant

[@Panpacific2023]

How do you take care of anubias plant?

[@HarlanFord]

That’s been a tough one for me to, tbh because they are a slow growing plant they easily get covered in algae if exposed to bright lights which helps growth. So it’s basically a happy medium between the 2 or luck. But I’m not a plant expert. Maybe co2? Would help a bit. All my Anubias plants seem to just grow slow under all my lights so not to sure haha

[@Panpacific2023]

@@HarlanFord what plant do you recommend that is super easy to take care of

[@RiverbankAquatics]

Yes finally another tip video

[@csharpe5787]

Aren't the honey blue eyes the ones he court?

[@Firebird894]

Shrimp have spread themselves to every un covered tank in my fishroom. They must go walkabout at night they turn up in tanks I never put them in. The blues are dominant they have ended up in every single tank.

[@HarlanFord]

Haha that’s so funny. Sounds like good problem to me.

[@count0nz]

KZbin Sugested you're Video Cos i Watch KFS. :) You sound like a Cool person too. and look forward to seeing more of you e contect. I Currently have a Ton of Non Fancy Guppies. and in another Tank Some Bristle Nose Placo (+ Albino) I plan to build up my Comunity Tank and start of breen Hillstream Loches etc. etc.. :) You got a Sub from me. And Greetings from New Zealand.

[@HarlanFord]

Cheers

[@adamnagy4544]

So you can breed hill stream loach or pigmies in a tank with snails and shrimps? They wont eat the eggs?

[@HarlanFord]

Yes with shrimp snails maybe not depends on the type

[@adamnagy4544]

@@HarlanFord thanks bro! Good luck with the breeding project! 🤞

[@HarlanFord]

@@adamnagy4544 appreciate it thanks man :)

[@swampfox945]

whose tanks do you use in your shop

[@Emylou642]

Mad in uk rainbow 🌈 are 6 pound 80 at my local

[@Lorenzo-vz6mj]

it's crazy .here in italy boswemani babies ( 4 cm ) are like, 5 euro each

[@stephenorourke2297]

Liked the video

[@csfilms2572]

what is the best nano fish easy breeding with shrimp ? :) thanks

[@HarlanFord]

Maybe Pygmy Cory’s they are a great one or maybe some live bearer like endlers or something

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

When you mention Luminatis , are these glowing tetras?

[@HarlanFord]

Red Neon Blue Eye (Pseudomugil Luminatus)

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

@@HarlanFord Oh great, thank you 😊!

[@ProjectEditzzz]

Where did you get the racks? (The racks that you put the tanks on)

[@HarlanFord]

They are second hand pallet racking from market place. Pretty cheap option

[@SanderBauwens]

100 dollars for a boesmani?! Wow! Here in Belgium they are 7 dollars.

[@Pleco_Haven]

What video editing program/app do you use?

[@mrwhiskers1471]

Good video!

[@garysoutar451]

European tropical fish keepers over the age of let's say 40 yrs+and more. Are trying too figure out the cost of a Boesmani in Australia its native land,when 40 years ago i paid £40 for 8 F1s here in the UK. Have they became endangered.! Do you breed Any Endangered species? That was my motivation in the hobby.

[@Tivon1995]

What brand are those shelves?

[@HarlanFord]

They are metal pallet racking not sure what brand unfortunately but they are pretty good!

[@GUPPYHOUSE-u2s]

This two fish keeper's is my idol,I'm from Philippines 🇵🇭..I love this hobby and Xtra income, I have two pair of guppy ,,and other pets betta ,I wish I could have fish of yours,,but umm..you know, budget to buy .I only have 2 basin, here and that's all I have ,cause my space is not big😢,i wish

[@HarlanFord]

@@GUPPYHOUSE-u2s ❤️

[@mariovalentino7360]

Why you guys dont have glofish tetra, are those illegal in your country?

[@HarlanFord]

Yeah I believe they are

[@benmilner9672]

I work at an LFS in Aus, so I will tell you what sells based on my experience in fish retail. Goldfish sell best by far (basic comets, fantails, shubunkins, moors). Why? Most people choose fish as an easy pet, and tropical fish are hard to care for, so goldfish are the natural inclination. Next most popular are guppies and live bearers. Then neon tetras and Bristlenose. Then African cichlids. Most people aren’t willing to pay much more than $5 for a fish. Angel fish, gouramis and bettas sell okay too. The other commonly known species (clouds, danios, various tetras, etc) also sell, but sporadically. Considering the cost of living in Australia, it’s very hard to see a single dude with a small fish room as running a viable business. Even running an LFS, sometimes you wonder if fish sales are even worthwhile considering everything. Generally speaking, I’d say fish keeping is a not-for-profit business unless you are running a huge commercial operation. Again, this is just my personal experience; others may have a more commercially optimistic experience.

[@KeepingFishSimple]

I actually disagree. It depends which shop you are working at and the demographics of your local area. If customers are only paying $5 for a fish then it's highly likely they are more casual hobbyists or first time keepers. Not enthusiasts. I think running a small 'business' out of your garage or spare room can actually be quite profitable if you are able to select the correct species and find a good market for them. Like the fishies listed in the video. This might require you also to ship fish to areas if you don't have demand in your region. :)))

[@HarlanFord]

@@KeepingFishSimple Thanks bro yeah that makes sense. Agree!

[@Chrisvx220]

Goldfish are actually worse first fish than many tropicals, they get large and produce a lot of waste. It’s a common misconception that goldfish are easier.

[@benmilner9672]

Firstly, people's perceptions dictate their behaviour, so the truth is irrelevant. Every new comer automatically assumes goldfish are easy fish. Secondly, I don't think they are wrong. Tropical fish are sensitive and exhibit wild behaviour, which complicates their care. Tropical fish are very susceptible to infections and other inexplicable deaths; I can look through the losses on any given day and goldfish are almost never on the list. Plenty of customers are successful with goldfish and often have them live for several years following basic care guidelines; yet virtually no customers come in telling me they have had tropical fish that have lasted more than 6-12 months at best, with the exception of the pros who breed discus and cichlids. Goldfish don't get very big in most people's tanks and larger fish tend to be tougher than a lot of tropical fish that remain quite small. When new fish keepers come in with goldfish problems, it's always related to algae control; when new tropical fish keepers come in with problems, it's always, "Why do they all keep dying so quickly?" @@Chrisvx220

[@ramsesmorales2747]

Where would I be able to find stands like this ?

[@HarlanFord]

These were custom made.

[@al20o33]

He should tank breed special strains of guppies like Koi, red dragons, purple dragons/mosaics, full red albino [they eat the babies] or any of the full color Moscow Guppies [green, purple or blue]. Some of the special plecos can also fetch a bit of money but they do take a while to grow so you spend a lot of money growing them out.

[@HarlanFord]

Thanks for the tips 🙏

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@jonno3600]

Is it a good thing to encourage breeding for profit?

[@HarlanFord]

Depending on how you look at it yes definitely. There are many reasons why. It’s good for the hobby in general to encourage more people to breed fish and keep the hobby going. Plus being able to make a fun business out of it at the same time. It’s an exciting factor of the hobby being able to get paid for doing something you love. It’s not millions of dollars but it’s something and it makes it fun for people :). So yeah I recon it is

[@RyanStonedonCanadianGaming]

Don't know if he's Dean level master yet, but he's definitely not a novice.

[@moshesabovich9362]

Can you please make a video about breeding Oscars?

[@HarlanFord]

Yes I can try Oscar’s when my fish room is fully setup

[@moshesabovich9362]

@@HarlanFord thanks ❤

[@KaizenDesign-y4c]

I live in iran and we buy full gold guppy for 50 toman its like less than 1$ for per 😅

[@teachingrounds]

What’s his “bug buffet”?

[@HarlanFord]

New food

[@teachingrounds]

@@HarlanFord do you have a link where it can be purchased

[@HarlanFord]

@@teachingrounds keepingfishsimple.com/collections/food

[@briananuvattanachai6646]

What about rice fish? I breed rice fish and I think they are much better than guppies in terms of like hardiness.

[@HarlanFord]

Great suggestion! Yes I believe that they could be a good one.

[@nick_5397]

Bug buffet??

[@HarlanFord]

keepingfishsimple.com/collections/food Yes Bug Buffet is the new food KFS brung out you should try it. It’s really good! And full of good ingredients that freshwater aquarium fish need.

[@narendranaramala]

come on..! no angels?

[@alternativeaquascaping517]

Stupid cheap wholesale and you’ll probably have too many babies to sell locally. If you do angels, i would do a higher end strain and only sell 5-10 to your shop at a time so you dont flood the market.

[@herrrechtschreibpruefung]

100 bucks for a rainbow?

[@Joseph-qf6xc]

Master Breeder?

[@theWazimu]

bristlenose is flooding the markets stop breeding them xD

[@mexico_verde]

So much "yea... yea... yea" :( Just let him talk

[@HarlanFord]

agree

[@hieroglyph321]

Master Breeder .... LMAO ... you should have that on your Linkedin Profile ... I know nothing about fish, this is a drive-by comment

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

Far from being a "master" breeder. The ego you have is mind boggling. More people have been breeding longer than you have been alive and still dont call themselves master breeders.

[@HarlanFord]

@@eccentricsmithy2746 anyone with over 400 aquariums breeding thousands of fish successfully for a living is master breeder in my books but each for there own. As for the people older you must be talking about, I am yet to meet one I have not called a master breeder, that breed fish professionally.

[@knabdank]

tbh im not a fan of turning my hobby into a job XD i get alot of people want to just make a lil bit of money to pay for their hobby but the last thing i want is to turn my hobby into a chore.

[@HarlanFord]

Could be more right! It’s more to help people fund there hobby and make things super interesting and fun. Adds another realm to the hobby being able to reproduce something and watch nature do it’s thing.

[@absolutelyunepic3072]

Well for me breeding and growing your own fish, especially rare/difficult ones, is the highest level of mastery in the hobby. Selling them is also a way to get money for more fish!