Best fish to breed and make money

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As far as profit goes, the best fish to breed is plain old Angelfish! Nothing expensive, just Scalares. Pet stored will always take locally bred angels to Asian imports. It's been around for ages, the breeding setup and water quality is not as demanding as discus. Plus them market is much greater. Just like everyone can afford a nice Honda Civic, but they want a BMW but can't afford the maintenance!


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I say skip freshwater all together and go with saltwater. Then you can get into coral, other expensive unique things. Either way he's not going to even make any profits for several years unless really lucky. He's going to need to work up a nice fan base and do a lot more marketing. Also this project is going to fail if he's not already a very very passionate fish keeper.

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We breed the common cichlids at home with huge success online. We breed Rio copan texas, jags, barred midas, tiger Oscars and not a fish but leopard geckos. Surprisingly the most common cichlids usually do the best. We produce jags and texas from two different pairs on a monthly basis and at all times have at least four batches of each raising at all times. We have one pair of cichlids in a 90g in stacks and raise all fry in 100 gallon plastic strong holiday storage containers.
 
I have surface cichlid / fish breeding knowledge and would the feedback/opinion on the following from true experts. The main question to be answered here (based on the subsequent) details listed...

Can respectable SIDE cashflow be made while maintaining a steady, effortless 9-5 job (think desk jockey work, no late nights, weekends or overtime) considering the following:

< 3 years building current fish stock, capital outlay on bulk of equipment and materials outside of food and general maintenance done within 1st 2 years.

Selling of the following breeds sold at these current prices:
F1 Eretmodus Cyanostictus - Mpimbwe Orange 1 inch $10 each
Altolamprologus Calvus - Black Congo .5 inches $6 each
Splendens Helianthus 1 inch $6
Neolamprologus Pulcher (Daffodil Brichardi) 3.5 inches female $8
Wild Lamprologus Callipterus 2 inches female $10
Cyrtocara Moorii (Blue Dolphine) 2.5 inches $6 each or 4 for $20
Lethrinops sp. Red Cap Chirwa 2 inches some males coloring up already $6 each or 4 for $20
Longfin Calico Plecos 3 inches Look fantastic $6 each
Regular Calico Plecos 2.5 inches $4 each
Brown Bristlenose Plecos 3 inches $4 each

Likely some other breeds in "test development".

50 fish tanks at minimum...likely 1000 gallons minimum, up to 1.3K gallons total.

~30 are about 10 gallons size, with a few that are smaller. Moms and fry tend to be transferred to these. At least 3 sets of the remaining tanks are very large and triple-stacked. 1 of these 3 sets is a custom-built at 6 ft. wide x 18" H x 2 ft D. At least 2 tanks in this 1 set hold several Burundi Frontosa. They are held in a custom built and coated steel frame (floors strongly reinforced underneath (no basement, a crawlspace).

Fall & Winter auctions are taken advantage of, plus in-room convention sales and private local sales (see above list).

So good side income potential here?
 
WLP74 said:
...1 of these 3 sets is a custom-built at 6 ft. wide x 18" H x 2 ft D. At least 2 tanks in this 1 set hold several Burundi Frontosa. They are held in a custom built and coated steel frame (floors strongly reinforced underneath (no basement, a crawlspace).

Fall & Winter auctions are taken advantage of, plus in-room convention sales and private local sales (see above list).

So good side income potential here?
Click to expand...

Possible correction on the frontosa....could likely be Mpimbwe.
 
I sell African cichlid fry and young juveniles at prices ranging from 50 cents each to $10 to people, not fish stores, with the average being about $2.30 each. I probably average $500 a year in sales with no more than 5 tanks running so I do not make any money considering the food and operating costs.
I enjoy the breeding aspect and the income helps to offset the costs so it keeps the hobby fairly inexpensive but not a business proposition.
 
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RabidOstrich said:
Discus may not be a bad choice.
Click to expand...
Discus can make wicked money if you have good pairs and means to ship.

WLP74 said:
I have surface cichlid / fish breeding knowledge and would the feedback/opinion on the following from true experts. The main question to be answered here (based on the subsequent) details listed...

Can respectable SIDE cashflow be made while maintaining a steady, effortless 9-5 job (think desk jockey work, no late nights, weekends or overtime) considering the following:

< 3 years building current fish stock, capital outlay on bulk of equipment and materials outside of food and general maintenance done within 1st 2 years.

Selling of the following breeds sold at these current prices:
F1 Eretmodus Cyanostictus - Mpimbwe Orange 1 inch $10 each
Altolamprologus Calvus - Black Congo .5 inches $6 each
Splendens Helianthus 1 inch $6
Neolamprologus Pulcher (Daffodil Brichardi) 3.5 inches female $8
Wild Lamprologus Callipterus 2 inches female $10
Cyrtocara Moorii (Blue Dolphine) 2.5 inches $6 each or 4 for $20
Lethrinops sp. Red Cap Chirwa 2 inches some males coloring up already $6 each or 4 for $20
Longfin Calico Plecos 3 inches Look fantastic $6 each
Regular Calico Plecos 2.5 inches $4 each
Brown Bristlenose Plecos 3 inches $4 each

Likely some other breeds in "test development".

50 fish tanks at minimum...likely 1000 gallons minimum, up to 1.3K gallons total.

~30 are about 10 gallons size, with a few that are smaller. Moms and fry tend to be transferred to these. At least 3 sets of the remaining tanks are very large and triple-stacked. 1 of these 3 sets is a custom-built at 6 ft. wide x 18" H x 2 ft D. At least 2 tanks in this 1 set hold several Burundi Frontosa. They are held in a custom built and coated steel frame (floors strongly reinforced underneath (no basement, a crawlspace).

Fall & Winter auctions are taken advantage of, plus in-room convention sales and private local sales (see above list).

So good side income potential here?
Click to expand...
Could work. The capital costs and waterchanging will be hard though, and markets can be flooded. Be careful.
 
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