Any $$ potential with being a tropical fish distributor?

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Smertrios

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 18, 2007
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I have it in my head that with a few small holding tanks and a decent selection I could try buying BULK and then contact LFS's to distribute them for profit. Reason being that the prices of tropical fishes is quite high at most LFS's local to where I live and online prices are SKY HIGH for many fish.

Fish stores must be paying a mint or not selling many in either case they could use a less expensive supplier (I hope) and/or one that sells in lower quantites than what the few large exporters can supply them with.

Most likely just thinking again as I am always looking for something to make money with but this seems like something I could do as I am already at home nearly 24/7 and I have a fair sized basement I could put to use by setting up small holding tanks.

Start small is what I am thinking and if it shows the potential I can expand on the variety of fishes and/or possibly a better location...
 
Transportation losses and middlemen...(what your talking about becoming) is mostly whats responsable for the high price of fish. Most LFS's that I'm famillier with buy directly from the same sources that you'll be forced to deal with.

Starting small is almost certianly doomed to failure because to get the sort of prices that you can make money with will require very large orders on a consistant basis.
 
You have no way of knowing what they pay for fishes, so brace yourself if you think the price they sell at is any indication of how much they buy for.
 
i think fish are cheap but shipping, customs, license and etc... is expensive.. specially if the fish is dead when it arrives. local stores need to pay a lot, so don't blame them if they charge double. image how much rent is, electric bill, water, equipment, labor and time... if they buy a fancy guppy for $1 i don't blame them if they charge for $3 or $4. in one day.. lets compute it.. rent is maybe $2,000 (this is cheap already), electric $1,000 don't forget, pump, heaters, lights etc..., water.. mayb another $100, then labor then time and etc..

so you add it up.. you got to pay at least $3,100 in one month.. what about the equipment sitting in the store.. interest? you gotta have a sale of at least $3,500 and not even earning... wasting your time actually...so you lost again on an income if you worked by hours.. maybe another $2,000 lost... add it up you're down to $5,100... geez.. big time expense... so bottom line.. hard but can be rewarding... but won't make you rich.. if you are thinking it at that side.. unless you got a facility.. :)just my observation...;)

so how many guppies do they need to sell to break even.. do the math.. not good at it.
 
ummm, I say you forget about that idea.

chance of profit is slim and requires massive amount of time and energy which you could alternatively use for better business ventures.
 
In any business venture, you will have a hundred people tell you it's a stupid idea to every one saying 'do it'. I'm not saying one way or the other, but do your research before you decide anything. Talk to pet stores and ask them about it. Ask them if there is any service that would make their life easier. Don't be too stubborn to miss an opportunity you didn't see yesterday. The most important thing at the start of a business is to have a cut off point. After your research is done, determine how much money you think you will have to spend prior to making money. If you reach that number and haven't made any money, ditch the enterprise. It is very easy to dump too much money into a failing business. Good luck!
 
Selling to pet stores, forget about it. Now adays you can not compete with companies like Segrest Farms, 5D Tropicals, Raley's etc...

Look at TFD List. Those are the prices Pet stores are paying. If you want to do bulk you need more than a few holding tanks. Most pet stores will not touch the type of fish we sell on the internet due to their cost and not enough cutomers who are in to them. They like the community fish which are cheap and you will not make money off of them. Make sure you have alot of cash flow, because you will lose your ass for a long time.

It's not as easy as you think. Definately do your research before jumping in head first.
 
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