Choosing Fish to breed for profit in a 10 and 55 gallon

[Augustjd27]

Hi everyone. I'm looking for suggestions on species to breed for profit in my 10 and 55 gallon aquariums. I'm open to pretty much anything that can sell well and be reasonably easy to breed (German Blue Rams would be the highest difficulty I'd go for). I'm thinking at least one livebearer...not sure which tank to designate for that species though. Thanks for your suggestions!

[ange]

If you're breeding for profit I think you'll have the most success with guppies as your livebearers. They're a lot easier to sell which is why I recommend them. Almost any strain of Neocaridina shrimp will likely profit you as well in the same tank! Cherry are the most popular but there are strains like green jade, blue velvet, pumpkin etc.

Angelfish and bristlenose plecos are other popular choices that are relatively easy to spawn (my angels spawn every 7-9 days but I have yet to see any wigglers).

[Casual aquatics]

@Cory has a video on you tube about this very subject. The key is to breed what people want most not necessarily what’s unique or what you want I have a mated pair of oscars they breed twice a month but have only let them successfully raise young once cause the demands just not there for oscars

[Ken Dyer]

I totally agree with guppies, as my LFS burns through guppies faster than I can grow them to a sellable size. But, there is always a but in fish keeping, I would keep an eye on what your LFS can't seem to keep in stock. If your local market is crazy big into African cichlids and is luke warm on live bearers then maybe something like yellow labs might work better. Also if there is another local fish breeder cranking out guppies then you may face stiff competition.

Ultimately the "right" choice will be something you enjoy that has a market (that your LFS sees). "Feeder" white clouds are what my LFS carries and sells the most of, so no matter how much I love my long fin golden white clouds they are never going to be a great breed for profit fish for me as they just don't sell well here. But bristlenose plecos they struggle to get regularly and sell through fast making them a great choice for me.

[Jay]

Guppies. Lots of people like guppies and they're super easy to breed. They are fish Gremlins just add water and they multiply

[Trey]

On 11/12/2020 at 10:09 PM, ange said:

 

Angelfish and bristlenose plecos are other popular choices that are relatively easy to spawn (my angels spawn every 7-9 days but I have yet to see any wigglers).

If your Angels spawn weekly but you've never seen any wigglers, then it's likely that you have two females.

Yes, really.

[ange]

3 minutes ago, Trey said:

If your Angels spawn weekly but you've never seen any wigglers, then it's likely that you have two females.

Yes, really.

He's definitely a male. I've seen his papilla during spawns + he's had wigglers with a different female. The main difference in this pair vs. that is the new female is an egg eater.

[Trey]

There used to be a kind of Platy called the Sunburst Tuxedo.

It was awesome.

For some reason, though, they've pretty much vanished.

If you could figure out how to recreate it, you'd never be able to keep up with the demand.

It shouldn't be too terribly hard to do.

 

As for guppies, they're always in demand. However, quality is a very important factor. Good fish are worth a lot more than junk.

[Fishmonger_X]

Ask your LFS what they want the most that is within your breeding knowledge and capability. When I lived in the PNW I made my first $100 in two months from platies in a single 29 gallon. Now I live in the southwest and I'm lucky if I can get a few bucks credit for platies that looke even better than the ones I used to breed in Oregon. The market varies from state to state.... like a lot.

[FrozenFins]

black midnight rams would be cool in a 10 gallon or some grade A cherry shrimp, cool guppies, bettas (that maybe too hard with what you wanted)

as far as your 55, I would try angelfish they are very easy to breed the only diffucuclty is finding a pair. 

[Kirsten]

And, branching beyond your local fish store, you might want to think about what's easy to ship with a high survival rate. Plants and hardy snails might be where it's at for ROI.

[Fish Folk]

All very helpful feedback here!

Kirsten is spot on -- you'll make money selling good plants if you can develop a reliable system. Depending on your water, you may do well with something like Wisteria or Anacharis. Our Rotala Indica grows quickly and sells well too. Also try Ludwigia Repens. 

Invest in a dozen or more quality guppies. Be sure to run Cory's recommended med trio on them (General Cure, Mycin, Ich-X), and let them jam. If they're gorgeous adult stock to begin with, you'll get a good strain you can be very happy with.

As others have said, Red or Blue neocaridina shrimp are pretty easy to sell, but beware that you may need to cull a lot of poor quality ones to find the brightest colors. Try making a rock pile in a corner or two in order to allow them to colonize. 

If you're thinking about adding plecos to the mix, consider trying something like yellow or red ancistrus. They're hardy and beautiful. You'll want to buy pleco caves for them on the bottom of your tank. 

Use sponge filters, or at least a coarse sponge pre-filter from Co-Op so that you don't lose fry or shrimp.