# Selling Shrimp?



## Chipoi84 (Jun 17, 2012)

I don't think you need to go to that extend. You just need to have good grades and sat scores and you're in. Maybe join one or two easy club.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

You need to get an established colony breeding well enough before you worry about selling any honestly. If you're wanting to seriously start a business/website venture you can look up nine million things on google about how to start a website. Getting shrimp to live is an ENTIRELY different matter. This isn't like selling product. And actually your better bet is to sell product in the way of foods and supplements and supplies over selling actual livestock. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just being realistic for your goals right now. 

If you're wanting to stick with extracurricular hobby type stuff then let them breed and sell on Aquabid or Ebay. I don't know why a website would be a requirement but if you need that heck, you can create a dang website with 'out of stock' on everything. If you need numbers proof you need to look more into this. And aside from college as soon as you make money (not profit necessarily) you are going to need to start filing taxes. A lot of folks in this 'hobby' cheat the IRS every day because they think you have to make a PROFIT. Which is not the case. I've never made a profit and I still file taxes on it. It's still a hobby to me but the government doesn't really care if I'm pulling money in from it via Paypal and credit cards. Do your homework is all I gotta say.


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## greenteam (Feb 8, 2012)

This is the guy that I purchased my first shrimp from. When I went to pick them up I saw his setup and it was impressive what he accomplished. No idea what kinda of space you have but he explains basic to selling and setting up. 

http://www.tadege.com/cherryshrimpfarming.htm


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

ravensgate said:


> You need to get an established colony breeding well enough before you worry about selling any honestly. If you're wanting to seriously start a business/website venture you can look up nine million things on google about how to start a website. Getting shrimp to live is an ENTIRELY different matter. This isn't like selling product. And actually your better bet is to sell product in the way of foods and supplements and supplies over selling actual livestock. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, just being realistic for your goals right now.
> 
> If you're wanting to stick with extracurricular hobby type stuff then let them breed and sell on Aquabid or Ebay. I don't know why a website would be a requirement but if you need that heck, you can create a dang website with 'out of stock' on everything. If you need numbers proof you need to look more into this. And aside from college as soon as you make money (not profit necessarily) you are going to need to start filing taxes. A lot of folks in this 'hobby' cheat the IRS every day because they think you have to make a PROFIT. Which is not the case. I've never made a profit and I still file taxes on it. It's still a hobby to me but the government doesn't really care if I'm pulling money in from it via Paypal and credit cards. Do your homework is all I gotta say.


Oh, so just making an ebay store is sufficient? That's cool. Guess I don't need a website then, thanks.


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## Kat12 (Aug 11, 2013)

If you are underage look at the requirements to legally sell online first to even find out if you can. Ebay etc you have to be over 18


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

^ Well crap. Just read about that.

Oh well, now I gotta look for other extracurriculars to do.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Honestly for anyone to have any recourse they can only do business with adults. People doing business with minors have no protection so the likelihood of adults doing business with 'known' minors will be limited. Rather, it should be unless they are in the game of potentially losing money and having no legal leg to stand on to get it back. Sucks but it's just business.


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Hehehe aquarium trade and business was a main talkative point in my med school interviews  

I can certainly say it'll make you stand out. I talked about how my business of large exotic fw species like arowanas and sting rays turned to denisonii barbs....then to shrimp


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

Selling shrimp is not easy either. I'm a hobbyist and sell offspring to continue my hobby. You have lots of costs such as equipment, foods, maintaining population and upgrading tools, heck even space adds up. It's very hard to even break even!

I think many people have the notion that if you breed shrimp people will buy them, and that's just not the case. Another cruel fact that is not talked about often is what happens if you breed and nobody buys. I can tell you you'll run out of tank space, so you'd be wise to find a way to rid yourself of lots of shrimp and culls- even if it's just for feeding your own fish or credit at a local mom and pop fish store. The majority of Pet Chains won't touch'em because the main office in another state needs to give the okay.

I think it's great you want to build up your college resume, however Ravensgate's idea really is the most feasible. I don't have any probs doing business with minors, so if you find a product that is not offered much and you can sell reasonably, you have a good thing going.

To follow up on that idea, your college may be much more impressed at your ingenuity if you can create a product and see it through from beginning to end. Very few students ever go THAT far! (For Example. Terracotta caves for shrimp/fish. Molding, drying/firing, and selling) AND if you put a little blurb in your ad that you are a student who is doing this for experience, you have a nice group of buyers who are ready to help you out.


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

Currently in high school myself. I find that selling plants is probably more profitable than selling shrimp would be due to the extra work involved with the latter. I don't really make a profit but it does allow me to make some nice trades as well as fund some of my costs or the hobby.


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## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

Shrimp business + college!?! Good luck!
It is time and money consuming hobby. Probably plants will have better chance to become profitable


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Soothing hit it on the head.... I think he and I both keep a good amount of shrimp and when your populations explode to just normal breeding seems to be the time when the hobby slows for shrimp..... 

When I bought black tigers they were the thing to get and at 20-25 each. I now have maybe. 1000 after I have sold 700 this year, but they just drop another 500 babies that are bout to hit juvi stage and they don't sell as quick as I would like to keep the population in check per say. Seems like when you need them to sell they don't go but when you are low on a type then it seems everyone wants them


Sent from my iPad 3 using Tapatalk HD


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## shrimpzoo (Sep 27, 2011)

My shrimp are reproducing faster than I can sell lol ._.

Besides that... the bigger the population = more food required = more money invested = harder to "break even"

I've got to the point where I can sell enough to pay for food for the next generation of shrimp 

I could profit if I ship... but I'm lazy and I'm happy enjoying the hobby by doing minimal work and seeing results XD


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## inthepacific (Oct 21, 2012)

to have enough to have a constant supply is going to be hard. the thing about live stock is you have to have a constant supply of them. will you have enough shrimp to constantly be taking orders? this would probably mean you'd have to have tanks to cycle through for example once tank 1 has hit its point for selling shrimp, move to tank b, then c, etc. while keeping some shrimp as well as babies until they are ready for sale. but you also have to keep in mind you have to keep shrimp so that you can have them reproduce. Also you have to think about shipping costs and supplies. the point before you make profit is going to be in the long run for sure


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

sbarbee54 said:


> Soothing hit it on the head.... I think he and I both keep a good amount of shrimp and when your populations explode to just normal breeding seems to be the time when the hobby slows for shrimp.....


+1! :redface:


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## Overgrowth (Feb 19, 2012)

I posted this question on another forum, and someone suggested that I sell my crystal reds to my local petland...I'm fairly certain that they'd buy them from me, considering that they sell some pretty exotic fish (discus, saltwater fish, apistos, rams, peacock gudgeons, etc.) and I've seen them sell cherries, yellows, and I think blue pearls before. So should I give that a try? And how would I get a record that shows I sold shrimp to them? Or do I even need a record? Thanks again


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Overgrowth said:


> I posted this question on another forum, and someone suggested that I sell my crystal reds to my local petland...I'm fairly certain that they'd buy them from me, considering that they sell some pretty exotic fish (discus, saltwater fish, apistos, rams, peacock gudgeons, etc.) and I've seen them sell cherries, yellows, and I think blue pearls before. So should I give that a try? And how would I get a record that shows I sold shrimp to them? Or do I even need a record? Thanks again


Craigslist it, I do it all the time


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

Bananariot said:


> Craigslist it, I do it all the time


Craigslist has a lot of flaker , not good for business


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## Kat12 (Aug 11, 2013)

chain stores usually can't buy from individuals, they are under contract for where they buy from and if they do take from people it is usually the animal is placed for adoption.

Craigslist as a minor going to meet strangers is not a great idea.

If you have a small "mom and pops" pet store around they may buy from you but do not expect it to be market value, they will pay you the price they would pay to order them from a big supplier.


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

I think our local mom and pop store buys stuff at 1/3 of their selling price, but i think its only for store credit. Which isn't bad since in this hobby, we are always buying new things anyways =)!


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

aluka said:


> I think our local mom and pop store buys stuff at 1/3 of their selling price, but i think its only for store credit. Which isn't bad since in this hobby, we are always buying new things anyways =)!


I agreed with you about " we always buying new thing", but we will lost a lot of money
For example , I pay $6 for each CRS, but they offer it $3/ each ( not cash, only credit store)


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