Does Anyone of You Make Money Out of Your Fish Keeping Hobby?

[Oddball]

Owned a hatchery for a time. Had some good years of over $100k in profits. It all ended when the economy tanked. I miss it (sometimes). Then, I remember the quick 10-20K in losses from DOAs in single shipments, customers whining over buyer's regret and single-fish sales, customers that straight-up try robbing you by canceling payments after receiving their fish and false-reporting DOAs (then, later finding the fish on sale somewhere else on line). And a host of other annoyances.

Now, I just look forward to a few no-guarantee sales just to support my hobby. Things are way more relaxed this way.

 

[Lawlboom]

I remember that video The King of DIY posted about his discus experience and how he didn't always have a good experience with customers. People buying his fish for cheap and selling them online for triple the price. I was breeding angelfish for a while and selling them to three LFS for 50 cents a fish and it turned sour after a little bit. "Got anymore? When is more coming? Anymore babies?" Kinda ruined it for me. I just knew there was no way people were going through hundreds upon hundreds of angelfish without killing them.

 

[Wailua Boy]

Its crazy how people can take advantage of PayPal, a dishonest buyer can get away with murder.

The lost packages, especially when its a hard to find bloodline. They always come when you least expect it, got to be a very bad way to go; always gets me.

 

[krichardson]

Owned a hatchery for a time. Had some good years of over $100k in profits. It all ended when the economy tanked.

Oddball I recall you mentioning your hatchery here and there over the years but I don't recall you getting too much into which fish you dealt with.Did you ever offer your wares for sale here on MFK?

 

[pops]

I trade in for store credit, can not say this makes me money, just offsets some of the cost.

 

[Oddball]

Oddball I recall you mentioning your hatchery here and there over the years but I don't recall you getting too much into which fish you dealt with.Did you ever offer your wares for sale here on MFK?

I sold only a few thousand a year in fish. My business was The Red Claw Crayfish Ranch. I raised Cherax for consumption, selling primarily to restaurant chains and upscale grocery store chains. We were gearing up to sell green-frozen cooked-to-style flavor varieties and offering graded-size gut-loaded larvae and juvies as aquarium food for monster fish keepers. When the economy dropped out it became a fight just to justify our operating costs so, we not only did not expand our line, but, decided to shut down operations. My final sales were selling off over 500,000 crays to a bulk distributor of fertilizers.

We're toying with the idea of running a setup for enough to keep us supplied with these tasty crays and providing 4oz to 1lb packs of frozen crays as fish food. But, we no longer wish to deal with live shipments any longer.

 

[krichardson]

Thanks for answering.

 

[Ihsnshaik]

For me it takes away the actual enjoyment of fish keeping. I sold my breeding pair and still have fry to grow out and sell.

I try to trade fish not sell it but doesn't always work out.

 

[Pomatomus]

I trade in for store credit, can not say this makes me money, just offsets some of the cost.

Same here. I always end up putting the money I make back into the hobby. However, if I didn't, I would make a modest profit. Mostly from my plants. I make about $200 per year in plants from my 4 planted tanks. I sell water sprite, java moss, java fern, temple plants, water lillies, and najas. I make very little off my fish because my primary breeding species are those that are simple to do (mostly cichlids), and pretty much breed without me trying.

 

[hooliganATV]

about 10 years back i had a reptile shop, it crashed after a year left me with a 46k tab to pick up and killed my passion. before that i was breeding for fun and making a lot more selling online and to local shops. i was also selling large numbers of S/CA cichlids, breeding them and then selling young fry to shops that couldn't afford to buy in the numbers that some importers and price list demand. it funded my reptiles for a while.

after all this it took me years to get the bug again,still haven't for reptiles, 46k leaves a bitter taste and i have just finished paying this off.

now i breed a few bits, always have adds up but don't push the fact. I also do drop offs at a few shops, i never take any money though i just get a bit off my purchase or they chuck me stuff if i order it and they don't have to put it on the shop floor.

i breed for personal pleasure and if people want to buy them from me then im more than happy to supply but to do it for money would mean big set ups and large turn over. im happy sticking a £1 here and there in my little rainy day box.