Best fish for "making money"?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I've bred discus and angelfish, I don't recommend you breed discus in something as large as a 220g. They do better in smaller tanks that are barebottom, which allows for easier water quality. The reason I stopped breeding, is because it turned into a job raising fry and became very stressful.

I like the ray idea, they give live birth and you could sell ray pups for a good wad of cash.
 
Well after seeing how it takes 3-4 years for frontosa to fully mature, I think I might either just do a nice misc. tank not for the intentions of breeding or get a pair of rays. I might give breeding discus a try with a single pair or two in a smaller tank. Maybe even the shrimp too to help recoup some money. I just hope that one day I can be breeding leos in a ridiculously large tank.:drool::headbang2
 
You certainly could try but here is a small example...

Pair of Leos is what $2,000?
Tank is $500 at the least, say you get a cheap used one...
Filtration/Heating would be $200 at least...
Food - $5 a week or so - I think should cover it...
Utils - $10 a month or so depending on cost of power/water in your area
Supplies - Prime for water changes, Misc Filter floss etc... $20 a month
Tank to hold pups in when they do breed is more $$$.

These are all random numbers and it's been a long day at work but I just felt like crunching numbers...

Initial investment of $2,700 for the Rays and Tank.
Monthly cost of $40. so $480 a year.

In the first year you'll spend $3,180.

If you get lucky and have a pup within the first year and it survives and you sell it for $1,000.00 you'll only be down $2,180.00 at that point.

In another year you have two and make $2,000.00. But you're still down $2,180.00 so getting closer to even at $180 in the hole. Oh and the cost of keeping them going is another $480 for that year, now you're $660 in the hole.

Another year passes and you spend another $480 in supplies/power/water that year. Debt is back down to $1,140... However you breed two pups but want to keep one or one dies, so again you only sell one for $1,000. Now you're at $140 in the hole again.

and this isn't considering the fact either parent could die at anytime. Something could break that needs replaced, etc...

So as you can see with this scenario over the course of years you never make a dime and mostly just lose money. I forget who but someone on here posted a new Ray pup recently and everyone jumps in saying "Man, I should breed Rays, easy $" and such... To which this poster replied with something like "I have been pouring money into these for years and this is the first Pup to survive". So obviously no matter what it sold for you're still in the hole.

If it was easy Rays would sell for $3 just like Convicts and everyone would do it. But it isn't easy and it isn't cheap and thus Rays are expensive and breeding them for profit is very hard.

Not saying anyone shouldn't try but just some basic thought would show it's not going to be easy or quick. :)
 
Yea some day as in when I am a billionaire and have that kind of money lol! I said it was a dream not something that I am going to do tomorrow, but I deffinately see your point in doing that to show everyone its not all ice cream and candy on the other side or should I say catfish and rays on the other side.;)
 
Why not try some zebra plecos?. A little expensive but you would have no promblem selling the fry as this fish is in high demand. Check out aqua bid and go to plecos section.
 
I think breeding Crystal Red Shrimps will definitely be one of the quickest ways to bring in some cash, they grow faster than most others, and if you can get them breeding there will be LOADS of them...

Then to top it all off, if you get really lucky and get some of the more sought after colors or higher grades of Crystals, you could end up making a fair bit...well at least in Asia that is the case...
 
Either breed a cichlid which will take care of the fry which means less work for you. As in Oscars, Convicts, Jags and the like. Fronts too, I've always wanted a dark blue Frontosa.

Or breed to feed other fish. As in get some Convicts and go crazy, hell you could divide the tank up with some egg crate and have a few breeding then sell the fry to fellow fish keepers.

Either way I highly doubt you will make any money or enough to pay the said tank before you got bored or such. It would look nice after you sold some fry and have 30 bucks in hand but all in all where is that 30 bucks going to go. Back into buying food or paying electricity. This doesn't account for the man hours of WC'ing or catching fry and etc. also. It would be fun to try though. Just remember when you see it as a chore to take care of your fish your really missing out on the aspect of keeping the fish as a hobby.Good luck.
 
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