Good sizes for an aquarium wall? planning to breed more

[Cmike15]

I was planning on a shelf of 10 gallons and another with 20 gallon longs for the bigger fish and grow out tanks for the fry. 

 

I'm planning on breeding up things i can sell largely online to recoop some of the costs in time. I think i mainly just want to keep more fish and i don't currently have the tanks for it.

 

I saw homedepot had a shelf and they also have a steel shelf that's much stronger i also was looking at to hold everything. 

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-Tier-Industrial-Duty-Steel-Freestanding-Garage-Storage-Shelving-Unit-in-Black-77-in-W-x-78-in-H-x-24-in-D-N2W772478W4B/319132737

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tough-4-Tier-Wire-Shelf-Unit-Chrome-1400-lb-Capacity/559553159

I looked at both of these and I also have some possible plans for building one with plywood. I might be able to make one, i'm kind of handy but it takes me a while.

 

So any tips on tank sizes and any insight into the stand type. 

[Miska]

I bought a shelving unit with the idea for doing it, and it looked similar to what Simply Betta has in her new Fish Room. She added wood on top of the wire rack, I believe? 

 

I plan on spray painting it and using it for fish and miniatures (my husband is a mini lover, and I am hoping he will make some things for my aquariums). 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Me personally, I would stay away from the wire shelving. We use them a lot in the restaurant world and the way I’ve seen them bend and sag would prevent me from ever putting an aquarium on them. You gotta remember that every 1 gallon = ~10 lbs with water/substrate/wood/decorations. Things get heavy quick.

 

My rack in my living room is more like the Home Depot link you posted. I personally have 4 10 gallon tanks on the bottom level, a 20 long and a 29 on the middle level, and a 20 high and a 55 on the top level. I’ve had it up for about 3 years without issue. 
 

I just simply don’t trust the wire racking from what I’ve seen with my own 2 eyes without aquariums on them. 

[Fish Folk]

@Cmike15 I have no idea how developed your hobby currently is, nor how much you seriously want to invest.

If you want to make any money, you need to find a fish that is in reasonably high demand, figure out how to breed it prolifically, and have a ready supply of buyers to off-load your fish to. You must learn the ropes of selling online, and positively dial in your shipping of fish across country. You'll need to begin keeping an organized account of profit / loss / expenses. Write your itemized expenses on on spreadsheet, and your profit. Be sure to notate the amount of time you spend, gas driving, etc. I think you'll learn that it is very rare to make much money breeding for profit.

To your question, you can buy a solid metal rack at Lowes, or similar store. Consider the Gladiator EZ Connect Steel Heavy Duty 5-tier Rack. Each shelf is scheduled to hold up to 1,000 lbs. Current cost is between $190-$200. Provided that you have a solid, level -- preferably cement basement or garage -- floor, you could instead purchase concrete blocks and boards to build custom racks.

Be sober-minded about doing your business math. If you  bought 20x 10-gal aquariums at $10 each on a dollar-per-gallon sale ($200) added 20x sponge filters, airline -- even if you have an linear piston pump or similar already going (ca. $200), acquired your brooders (minimal $60 . . . possibly much, much more), added in food over 9 months (rough shot -- $200), you are _barely_ there yet -- no lights, no heaters, no lids . . . and your investment cost is already at $860. For every box of fish you sell at $100, you'll have spent half of that or more getting those fish to that sale point. In other words, you'd have to sell about 18x boxes of fish at $100 each to just break even.

I sold about $500 worth of fish last month (not counting these expenses sketched above). That may sound impressive. But I also spent over $700 on a four-day trip to collect fish. In the end, that is why this is just a hobby, not a day-job.

I have had to learn that what I love is breeding fish. I am pleased to make money, but actually not in love with making money. If I were, I'd find a far more efficient way to turn a dime.

[Cmike15]

On 3/26/2023 at 10:31 PM, Fish Folk said:

 

Be sober-minded about doing your business math. If you  bought 20x 10-gal aquariums at $10 each on a dollar-per-gallon sale ($200) added 20x sponge filters, airline -- even if you have an linear piston pump or similar already going (ca. $200), acquired your brooders (minimal $60 . . . possibly much, much more), added in food over 9 months (rough shot -- $200), you are _barely_ there yet -- no lights, no heaters, no lids . . . and your investment cost is already at $860. For every box of fish you sell at $100, you'll have spent half of that or more getting those fish to that sale point. In other words, you'd have to sell about 18x boxes of fish at $100 each to just break even.

In the end, that is why this is just a hobby, not a day-job.

I have had to learn that what I love is breeding fish. I am pleased to make money, but actually not in love with making money. If I were, I'd find a far more efficient way to turn a dime.

I did a spreadsheet a few years ago so i have an outdated template. Thanks for the number reminders. It is a hobby and i think if i am going to start breeding again like i did when younger before college when things were easier i need to pick one piece at a time. 

For safety sake i plan to breed a few things mainly for myself at first and I plan to sell to my local area first. i had found sites i could buy shipping materials for ok prices if i go all in but it's a slippery slope so i reign that in knowing selling something is not the same as making profit. 

I talked to a fish keeper today when i went on a fish run an hour away. I've talked on facebook to him and i bumped into him at the store. He has over 48 tanks mainly for himself selling off a few batches at the fish auctions nearby. i am no where near that. I just plan to get a few more tanks to be able to buy a few more fish for now and try to breed them. 

If things were simple i'd pick all sorts of fish and breed them like selectaquatics does bringing out the colors over time. They found a niche market but i am just trying to expand my hobby for now knowing i need to be a bit smart about it or i'll spend way too much..

 

Trying to organize a little space so i can get to all of the tanks also which is why i'm looking at different shelving options. i have a big wooden work bench that will probably do for now until it's warmer.

[Fish Folk]

On 3/27/2023 at 12:04 AM, Cmike15 said:

I did a spreadsheet a few years ago so i have an outdated template. Thanks for the number reminders. It is a hobby and i think if i am going to start breeding again like i did when younger before college when things were easier i need to pick one piece at a time. 

For safety sake i plan to breed a few things mainly for myself at first and I plan to sell to my local area first. i had found sites i could buy shipping materials for ok prices if i go all in but it's a slippery slope so i reign that in knowing selling something is not the same as making profit. 

I talked to a fish keeper today when i went on a fish run an hour away. I've talked on facebook to him and i bumped into him at the store. He has over 48 tanks mainly for himself selling off a few batches at the fish auctions nearby. i am no where near that. I just plan to get a few more tanks to be able to buy a few more fish for now and try to breed them. 

If things were simple i'd pick all sorts of fish and breed them like selectaquatics does bringing out the colors over time. They found a niche market but i am just trying to expand my hobby for now knowing i need to be a bit smart about it or i'll spend way too much..

 

Trying to organize a little space so i can get to all of the tanks also which is why i'm looking at different shelving options. i have a big wooden work bench that will probably do for now until it's warmer.

If you can dial n breeding US Natives, you will find there's a niche market. No heaters needed -- that saves cost. I breed a few species. I can sell every fish I have any time easily to buyers.

Guppies, on the other hand, can be trickier to sell. My LFS loves them -- because they survive for him and for local customers -- but it is hard to make much money. I like to throw by best Guppies outside into the mini ponds over the summer to multiply like rabbits.

German Blue Rams are my favorites. But they take a while to grow out and pair off. I'm working on Killifish right now, but no-one wants to pay much for them. They're the orchids of the aquarium hobby. so beautiful . . .