Breeding Arapaima
- Thread starter Zooaqua
- Start date
I don't see any market for pure strains anymore except for the rare rays since the start of line breeding and hybrids. You can see this in vendor and hobbyist pricing. The price of wild caughts and pure strains has dropped considerably from what they were in the past. Now you are lucky to get $100 for a motoro pup and can't even fetch $500 for a bd/leo pup. Then there is all the rays in between. Just seen a pair of 12" flowers go for a measly $550. Captive bred Black diamond,black diamond hybrids and rare will always fetch the best dollar. Wild caught black diamonds don't even come close to the kinds of captive bred ones they are now producing.
Good luck with your aspirations.
Good luck with your aspirations.
I suspect that the OP would have a different perspective than the average hobbyist who frequents forums such as this. That being one of a wholesale exporter, who is open to the world as a market. You might be surprised what a serious buyer in Japan is willing to pay for specific ray pups with a solid pedigree, vs what a buyer based in Canada or the USA might currently be willing to pay. The best of the best fish that are sold to high end buyers in Japan, China, Singapore, etc - never even enter the general market.
A few yrs back one could get wild motoro rays from SA exporters for $15 US all day long, so no big surprise that a pup would only fetch $100 here in NA. I'm guessing that the OP would be mucho happy to get a $100 for motoro pups. lol
A few yrs back one could get wild motoro rays from SA exporters for $15 US all day long, so no big surprise that a pup would only fetch $100 here in NA. I'm guessing that the OP would be mucho happy to get a $100 for motoro pups. lol
I am talking breeding prices not pull them out of the water prices. But then a dollar in Brazil isn't the same as a dollar here and I imagine they can breed fish cheaper over there! The fish pulled out of the water by the SA exporters cost them pennies and I believe there is still a ban on export of wild rays or at least a quota of some sort so he would definitely have to breed them. I don't keep up on export things anymore as there is no need to buy wild caught rays anymore so I am not sure on the regulations. This guy is talking about setting up a breeding facility of some sort to make some money. So there is a cost involved which means he will have to at least cover the costs of the setup and maintenance. Not much money to be made if you are just breeding pure strains unless you can produce them for pennies like the ones pulled from the water. I don't think they can breed stingrays for pennies over there but I could be wrong.
Like I said I hope it works out for him.
Like I said I hope it works out for him.
It's a bit more involved than simply pulling a ray out of the water, and then it magically going from the fishermans hands, to the hobbyists hands at a cost of pennies to the wholsale vendor. The fisherman sell to middleman, who then house & care for the fish before exporting around the globe. Many of those fish do in fact breed (and/or give birth) in many of those holding tanks, so in reality most exporters are already in the breeding business. There's more than just pennies involved, whether wild, or domestic.
The OP is from Brazil, and one of the larger exporters located in Brazil is Turky's Aquarium.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fishwhisperer/sets/72157625468479935/detail/
The OP stated that he has access to a large volume of flowing water with an ideal pH, in a tropical climate. That's half the battle. Electricty & food costs will be the next hurdle, after that finding both local & overseas buyers. It's all doable, and keep in mind that what you personally might not consider to be much money, could be quite a handsome sum of money for someone living in Brazil. Not everyone lives & works in the shadows of the oil fields of Alberta.
The OP is from Brazil, and one of the larger exporters located in Brazil is Turky's Aquarium.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fishwhisperer/sets/72157625468479935/detail/
The OP stated that he has access to a large volume of flowing water with an ideal pH, in a tropical climate. That's half the battle. Electricty & food costs will be the next hurdle, after that finding both local & overseas buyers. It's all doable, and keep in mind that what you personally might not consider to be much money, could be quite a handsome sum of money for someone living in Brazil. Not everyone lives & works in the shadows of the oil fields of Alberta.
In Bangkok I see these things everywhere, I even had one. They aren't profitable in the sense of color or body structure like Rays and Arowanas. A lot of time when people get fish like this they don't know what they're getting into.
Nice conversation over here!
About wc rays exportation from Brazil, there's a limited quote and limited size allowed.If I'm not wrong, 100 per year, with a maximum size disc of 30 cm, diameter. So, that limits the collection of breeding adults, at least for the black ones(the ones I intend to work with), I guess.
A collector/ exporter cannot sell offspring unless he is also a commercial breeder, which needs an specific license. That license needs to be approved first, by presenting a breeding detailed project- not a peace of cake.
Here, in Brazil, there's no possibility of becoming a commercial breeder by chance.For instance, if one has a pair of rays that breeds for him, he can't sell offsprings legally. For that, he must have a specific license first, as stated before. An effort of patience indeed!
About my situation: the place where I intend to start my project, have a hot weather the hole year and flowing water with the specifications stated before. About food, the farm where I intend to work already have plenty of native river shrimp and fishes,which can be net collected anytime. Besides, it's at the littoral , so I can by fish goods direct from fisherman very cheaply. Not far from there, there are prawn farms, where I can get post larvae and discharged shrimps for almost nothing. So, as you can see, costs to run that breeding facility will not be huge.
About exportations,is just another opportunity. My intention is to be a commercial breeder and, if viable, an exporter of captive bred stingrays(not wc).
By captive breeding , I guess I can select breeding pairs by colors , producing attractive variations, from the same population, isn't it?
Well, those are my aspirations, and thank's for every opinion. They are valuable indeed!
About wc rays exportation from Brazil, there's a limited quote and limited size allowed.If I'm not wrong, 100 per year, with a maximum size disc of 30 cm, diameter. So, that limits the collection of breeding adults, at least for the black ones(the ones I intend to work with), I guess.
A collector/ exporter cannot sell offspring unless he is also a commercial breeder, which needs an specific license. That license needs to be approved first, by presenting a breeding detailed project- not a peace of cake.
Here, in Brazil, there's no possibility of becoming a commercial breeder by chance.For instance, if one has a pair of rays that breeds for him, he can't sell offsprings legally. For that, he must have a specific license first, as stated before. An effort of patience indeed!
About my situation: the place where I intend to start my project, have a hot weather the hole year and flowing water with the specifications stated before. About food, the farm where I intend to work already have plenty of native river shrimp and fishes,which can be net collected anytime. Besides, it's at the littoral , so I can by fish goods direct from fisherman very cheaply. Not far from there, there are prawn farms, where I can get post larvae and discharged shrimps for almost nothing. So, as you can see, costs to run that breeding facility will not be huge.
About exportations,is just another opportunity. My intention is to be a commercial breeder and, if viable, an exporter of captive bred stingrays(not wc).
By captive breeding , I guess I can select breeding pairs by colors , producing attractive variations, from the same population, isn't it?
Well, those are my aspirations, and thank's for every opinion. They are valuable indeed!
If somebody had the right setup they might want them (hint hint MEEE) but there are not many people that have that big of a set up and much less want such a costly fish to feed.
Sounds like you have a pretty solid plan and goal in mind.
I don't have rays because I can't find any small enough that would live in my current tank for life.
But I want one or two.
With your food food setup you are taking the right approach.
When I was breeding reptiles I also bred their food, kept costs down as that was the biggest revolving expense.
Now I only breed feeder fish for myself to keep costs down. Two LFS that know me both offered to take any extras I may have for store credit.
Was nice of them to offer and if it happens it will keep my fish husbandry costs down.
I have a few approach ideas for you if you are interested.
Rich
I don't have rays because I can't find any small enough that would live in my current tank for life.
But I want one or two.
With your food food setup you are taking the right approach.
When I was breeding reptiles I also bred their food, kept costs down as that was the biggest revolving expense.
Now I only breed feeder fish for myself to keep costs down. Two LFS that know me both offered to take any extras I may have for store credit.
Was nice of them to offer and if it happens it will keep my fish husbandry costs down.
I have a few approach ideas for you if you are interested.
Rich
