# Most profitable plants



## gw11ucb (Jan 3, 2004)

Just a thought!!!!

What is the most profitable plants to grow and sell?


----------



## Sedghammer (Jan 5, 2004)

Probably Riccia


----------



## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

E.Stellata


----------



## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

I know but I'm not saying.


----------



## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

the most profitable changes by what plant is considered "in". Riccia is always in demand though.


----------



## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

It comes and goes. Sometimes I can't get $2 for a bag of Riccia, sometimes it goes for $30. _Echinidorus tenellus_ is prolific and has sold for as much as $15 for a ten plant bundle. Again, though, at times I can't get $2.99 for that same bundle.


----------



## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Ludwigia sp. "Pantanal" is hard to get and saw it went for $40 on aquabid not long ago.


----------



## gw11ucb (Jan 3, 2004)

hey Opiesilver: you're not going to share what you know :lol:


----------



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

If Opiesilver is not going to share information, then everyone boycott his request for Riccia! :wink: 

Hold out and hit 'em where it hurts!!!

Mike


----------



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Momotaro said:


> If Opiesilver is not going to share information, then everyone boycott his request for Riccia! :wink:


I already tend to give it away (riccia), if someone asks and saves it from my compost pile. :wink:


----------



## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

Momotaro said:


> If Opiesilver is not going to share information, then everyone boycott his request for Riccia! :wink:
> 
> Hold out and hit 'em where it hurts!!!
> 
> Mike


Hey! I got to protect trade secrets. But I will say this, you are all way off.


----------



## SueNH (Feb 25, 2004)

My guess is it's a plant that appeals to beginners rather than collectors.

I sell garden flowers and I sell far more easy, tough plants than I do the more elite high priced things. Tank plants aren't going to be much different. Most people want a plant that can be plunked in and largely forgotten about.

Java moss, java fern for slow steady progression in almost any kind of conditions.
Hygros for a quick confidence builder.
Sunset Hygro for wow factor.
It's a beginners plant. Sure of that.


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Plant popularity goes through cycles, one week everyone wants riccia , the next week everyone will want stellata, the next week it could be petite nana's... :lol: 
All it takes is a photo of a beautiful setup using some particular plant...

Most prolific to grow and sell would probably be though the ferns, mosses and crypts... they are all easy to grow and can be found in most tanks at one time or another. :wink:


----------



## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Opiesilver said:


> Hey! I got to protect trade secrets. But I will say this, you are all way off.


I think the most money-makers plants are XL Anubias. I saw one on aquabid going for $150! :wink:


----------



## mario (Feb 5, 2003)

Raul-7 said:


> I think the most money-makers plants are XL Anubias. I saw one on aquabid going for $150! :wink:


I doubt that very much. X-large Anubias take at least a year to grow. During that time you could grow and sell a huge amount of plants.

In any case, we have to look at what you options are. Since for you space is limited, you will not be able to make a decent profit, if you only grow plants that are extremely common and easy to grow. 

To make profit on Anachris, I'm sure you need to sell hundreds of bunches. None of us really have enough space to do that. So, I would guess that the best thing to do is grow something, that a) you like to look at and b) has a little bit higher price. You don't want to package a $2 plant every day and go to the post office for a couple of bucks. Also, have some variety, so you are not hurt when all of a sudden your plant is not the flavor of the month anymore.


----------



## gw11ucb (Jan 3, 2004)

my asian ambulia just took over my tank. I sold a bunch to one guy for $10 (at least 60+ stems---- 8-14" long too) It's growning back again


----------



## aquatic-store.com (May 24, 2003)

well to sell i would say ricca, e stelleta rotala macronda, magenta,
All pond lillies and such.

To grow and sell I would say ricca, e.stelletta, micro e tennelles,
ambulia (illegal many places)
Sunset hygro ( NOW BANNED EVERYWHERE BY FDA)


----------



## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

Totally OT, but why is sunset hygro banned? (can still find it up here in Canada :wink: )


----------



## aquatic-store.com (May 24, 2003)

FDA USA BASED from what i have heard it is to prolific so they banned it so it wouldnot destroy our waterways


----------



## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

aquatic-store.com said:


> FDA USA


Heh. Yeah, I figured as much :wink: 



aquatic-store.com said:


> BASED from what i have heard it is to prolific so they banned it so it wouldnot destroy our waterways


More so than regular hygro? (sorry for hijacking the thread -- just curious)


----------



## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

aquatic-store.com said:


> FDA USA BASED from what i have heard it is to prolific so they banned it so it wouldnot destroy our waterways


My LFS told me his distributor told him he couldn't ship it to iowa, but when I contacted the DNR, they told me Iowa has no aquatic plants what so ever banned currently. Sunset Hygro wouldn't last the winter here to be certain. I ended up buying some off eBay and propagating it. As far as I can tell it's not banned in the US but regulated as far as shipping it with a permit and some individual states have banned it. I've looked for links to verify the ban, but can only find information regarding regulation. If anyone has a link to the specific rule it would be appreciated.

I had a very hard time getting cardamine as well, but finally managed to get some off eBay again, and it's now my best money maker.


----------



## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

There is no US wide ban. Just a bit of mis-information.


----------



## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

Opiesilver said:


> There is no US wide ban. Just a bit of mis-information.


Hey Del,

Gotta tell you again how absolutely impressed I was with my first order from your company.


----------



## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

How did that tank setup go for you anyway?


----------



## Slaigar (Jun 8, 2003)

I have to say Cryptocorynes. Some species taken from the wild can go for $200+ for a singe plant!!! You just got to find someone with a big enough wallet and an even bigger love for Crypts.


----------



## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

Opiesilver said:


> How did that tank setup go for you anyway?


Well, if the tank would actually have gotten there in one piece it would have been much easier  But all is well except for some problems he's creating paying his bill :evil: 

I have a swap meet to go to next month so I'll probably be needing some stuff shortly. It would be nice if the weather would cooperate though, I haven't been able to get the livestock tanks up and running yet and I'm having a serious lack of tank space right now.


----------



## George Willms (Jul 25, 2003)

Well....I think we're talking about tank raised plants here. I'd probably place my vote with riccia, stellata, and most red plants. Check here.


----------



## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

In my particular case, I bought like five dozens of lillie bulbs from a store for less than five bucks, The woman gave them to me because they had not grown a leave in a year, and no one wanted them. I put some in my tank and grew a bunch of leaves in weeks. The thers i put in buckets, where sunlight lit them, and same results. I took them to other LFS and got one dollar per each. 

I kept the largest bulb, which is now a mosnter-sized lillie I have to fight back to allow my other plants to be lit. I'd toss it, but my frog likes it.

I think the best profit I get is to sell the clippings of all my plants. I get credit in the LFS for ferts, foods, fish, and distilled water. An almost self-payed tank. I say it is the best profit because I don't invest any additional time to get it.


----------

