# Good fish to breed???



## Mgiorgi1221 (Mar 23, 2011)

Just about to say guppies then saw you already mentioned them. Tetras are very poular have breed fish but I think 50 g would be plenty with some dividers?


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## Budget aquarist (Feb 1, 2011)

a nice pair of angelfish, those would fit your requirements, you can keep one pair per 30 gallon aquariums, just one pair per aquarium. They also raise their own fry, after some trails where they eat their eggs or the y are not fertilized. you can get them through SnS, or go to tropical fish conventions like i do.


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

Mgiorgi1221 said:


> Just about to say guppies then saw you already mentioned them. Tetras are very poular have breed fish but I think 50 g would be plenty with some dividers?


Ya to breed the guppies, I plan on getting a 29G or 30G...

Then I seperate the tank in three 10G sections, two with substrate and decorations (no live plants) and the other with moss balls...

One of the 10G sections would house the male (5-6) guppies and another for the females (5-6). The third section with no substrate would be the "breeding tank"...

When I want to breed them, I take my best male and 2-3 of my best females and put them in the "breeding tank"... Once they mate, I put the male and the non fertilized females back in there respective tank leaving the pregnant female alone...

Once the fries are born, I put the female in here section leaving all the fries alone... I then raise them, cull the paralyzed, deformed or defected fry as they grow... Once they are 2-3 months old, I keep the best, to breed again, and sell the others to my LFS or anyone who wants some...

By seperating them, I can control when they breed, who the fathers are, and keep them isolated...

Tell me what you guys think...


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## Mgiorgi1221 (Mar 23, 2011)

Seems pretty good to me, that's what I would probably do if I bred fish


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## razalas5 (Feb 1, 2011)

Have you looked into Celestial Pearl Danios? I've heard they're pretty easy as long as the adults don't get to the eggs first...


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

Cichlids in general are easy to breed and demand isn't bad either. You can go with something popular like lab, caeruleus (electric yellow) or another mbuna, or perhaps an aulonocara variety (peacock). The best part about mouthbrooding cichlids is that they take care of everything in the beginning and by the time they spit the fry are fully independent and very easy to raise. And they are very prolific.


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## Baadboy11 (Oct 28, 2009)

you could try mollies or platies, they breed easily and most fish stores would probably take them off your hands.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Keep breading to the pro's and just enjoy the hobby. 
If you just keep a community aquarium with some guppys 1male - 3 female and some mollies and platties they will breed also, give them some moss and plants to hide in and you will be breeding like crazy! 
Its not worth it to breed guppys, mollies or plattys because they are worth nothing, and you LFS will probably not take them. 

I had guppys in my community aquarium and I was always happy to see my neon tetras or GBR's eat the fry


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## Ben. (Mar 29, 2011)

breed something more worth your time...guppies are everywhere and I don't know anyone but the lfs that would take them off of you.

I had a male and a female, and in a month there were 40 little guppies swimming around, no one really wanted them:/


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## Hobbes1911 (Mar 2, 2009)

breeding guppies isn't really worth it in my opinion like previously mentioned unless you want live food. Also it's not really breeding since they just go at it without any intervention. I personally started with desert gobies chlamydogobius eremius. They are easy to breed, are egg layers and the fry is relatively large and easy to grow up. They also have a personality and are pretty cool fish overall. You can also try your luck with plecos, but again you have to make sure that your fish are going somewhere. Just breeding a load of anything will not be really worth a lot since you might most likely run out of space or ppl to take them off of you. I'd start with a relatively easy egg layer and go from there. But those are just my two cents.

Simon


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## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

breeding guppies is worth it if you pick the designer strains to breed. You just have to do your homework and decide if you are selling online or mostly in person. Generally speaking, the harder fish to breed are worth more, but not always, and the dividing line between the fish that everyone wants and the fish that everyone will actually pay to get is sometimes blurry.

No matter which ones you pick, definitely invest in good stock up front and it will reward you later on.


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## VaultBoy (Nov 11, 2010)

> When I want to breed them, I take my best male and 2-3 of my best females and put them in the "breeding tank"... Once they mate, I put the male and the non fertilized females back in there respective tank leaving the pregnant female alone...
> 
> Once the fries are born, I put the female in here section leaving all the fries alone... I then raise them, cull the paralyzed, deformed or defected fry as they grow... Once they are 2-3 months old, I keep the best, to breed again, and sell the others to my LFS or anyone who wants some...
> 
> By seperating them, I can control when they breed, who the fathers are, and keep them isolated...


this works great in theory but a female guppy can drop about 5 - 6 clutches(i dont know if that is the right word) of fry from a single impregnation. I bought a pair of endlers and the male died a couple of weeks later but the female went on to drop a clutch of about 30 fry every 4 - 5 weeks and she has been entirely isolated from any other fish.

I think the only way you could reliably breed guppies would be to let them all go at it and then seperate the males that you want to breed into a tank with a few females, then let their fry go at it and cull the irregular/un-satisfactory young asap.

I think it would be easier to line breed fish that you can have more control of their breeding.


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## Huckins91 (Jan 19, 2011)

Betta splendens! Do it!


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## im2smart4u (Dec 7, 2010)

Guppies, mollies, and platies are too common, so the fry are hard to get rid of. I know the local lfs here will take them, but they won't give you anything for them. Unless you get a real nice strain of guppies from online or find a strain that is popular in your area. I know around here the blue metalic platies are popular. You have to have something special to be able to get rid of most live bearer fry.

Cichlids would be a better option. Some of them are easy to breed, and they cost more per fish, so an lfs is more likely to give you store credit. Or they would be easy to sell to individuals, too. Pelvicachromis Pulcher, commonly called kribs, are supposedly extremely easy to breed. They are also supposed to be good parents. I haven't tried to breed them myself yet, but I know people who have. Also, a pair can be kept in a fairly small tank.

I myself just picked up a pair of pelvicachromis taeniatus "kienke", which is very similar to the normal krib. They are more uncommon though, and so cost more. Hopefully I get them to breed, because I know the lfs will give me store credit for them.


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## Ben. (Mar 29, 2011)

im2smart4u said:


> Guppies, mollies, and platies are too common, so the fry are hard to get rid of. I know the local lfs here will take them, but they won't give you anything for them. Unless you get a real nice strain of guppies from online or find a strain that is popular in your area. I know around here the blue metalic platies are popular. You have to have something special to be able to get rid of most live bearer fry.
> 
> Cichlids would be a better option. Some of them are easy to breed, and they cost more per fish, so an lfs is more likely to give you store credit. Or they would be easy to sell to individuals, too. Pelvicachromis Pulcher, commonly called kribs, are supposedly extremely easy to breed. They are also supposed to be good parents. I haven't tried to breed them myself yet, but I know people who have. Also, a pair can be kept in a fairly small tank.
> 
> I myself just picked up a pair of pelvicachromis taeniatus "kienke", which is very similar to the normal krib. They are more uncommon though, and so cost more. Hopefully I get them to breed, because I know the lfs will give me store credit for them.


+1 :thumbsup:


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## bklyndrvr (May 24, 2008)

How about convicts?? My first breeding fish was some convicts that my friend gave me. They are very easy to care for, but they get very aggressive when they are spawning.


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## MuddyWishkah (Oct 22, 2009)

Oryzias woworae. Supposedly breed "like rats".
Rare enough to get really good money for them; my LFS is selling them for $15 a pop.


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

Just saying but I will check with my LFS before I breed them to see if they accept them and for how much cash/credit! I will do some more research on all suggestions and decide which one is best!
Thanks for the suggestions...


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

jetajockey said:


> breeding guppies is worth it if you pick the designer strains to breed. You just have to do your homework and decide if you are selling online or mostly in person. Generally speaking, the harder fish to breed are worth more, but not always, and the dividing line between the fish that everyone wants and the fish that everyone will actually pay to get is sometimes blurry.
> 
> No matter which ones you pick, definitely invest in good stock up front and it will reward you later on.


Yes, if I were to breed guppies, I would get top quality and unique ones! As for the online or in person, is there any way I can set-up some kind of website and sell from there (just inside Canada so I don't have to deal with Customs and stuff) or am I better off selling in person to people I know or fish stores? I would like to sell online but I would have to pay to get a website, or is there a free version (not Ebay or CL)?:help:


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## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

palufreak said:


> Yes, if I were to breed guppies, I would get top quality and unique ones! As for the online or in person, is there any way I can set-up some kind of website and sell from there (just inside Canada so I don't have to deal with Customs and stuff) or am I better off selling in person to people I know or fish stores? I would like to sell online but I would have to pay to get a website, or is there a free version (not Ebay or CL)?:help:


yes, aquabid.com

Selling in person is always best, because it's simpler and less issues like possible DOAs and all that. So seeing what all is available in your area, and more importantly, what ISNT available in your area, and then figuring out what people want (a simple call to locally owned pet stores can yield you this), will put you on a good starting path.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

WCMM, CPD, most of malawi/tanganyka cichlids, scalare,most of danios

from tetras is will go for serpae tetra

catfish - prime choice cory cats


neons,cardinals,boraras,and trigonostigma genus are a bit harder to breed (Ro water & dark aquarium for the eggs)


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

Okay, so I called my Petsmart and they said they wouldn't accept them . What now???


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Endlers. Get pure ones, and you can make some pretty good cash on them. But don't keep them with guppies. Good luck!


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## im2smart4u (Dec 7, 2010)

Petsmart will never accept fish that I have seen. Petco will take them sometimes, but they just give them away and won't give you money for them. You usually have to find a locally owned shop. They are the ones most likely to take fish from you. 

I have had a friend get rid of some unwanted fish at Petco. I have given several cheap fish to the locally owned pet store, called Worlds Under Water. I have also gotten store credit there.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

If you want to breed fish you need to sell privately. I used classifieds and forums to advertise when I got them. Most pet stores have their standard suppiers and most franchisees need to follow the rules. Independent fish shops don't have the space most of the time.


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

reignOfFred said:


> If you want to breed fish you need to sell privately. I used classifieds and forums to advertise when I got them. Most pet stores have their standard suppiers and most franchisees need to follow the rules. Independent fish shops don't have the space most of the time.


Okay, but would I have a big enough market if I only sell in Ottawa through Kijiji, in person, CL? I would always either deliver them myself or they come and pick em' up since I have never shipped live fish/plants before! 

I know that at first I will have less "customers/interest" if I only sell one specie of fish (wether it's guppies or something else)... But later, I would like to have alot more species and personally breed all of them!


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## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

palufreak said:


> Okay, but would I have a big enough market if I only sell in Ottawa through Kijiji, in person, CL? I would always either deliver them myself or they come and pick em' up since I have never shipped live fish/plants before!
> 
> I know that at first I will have less "customers/interest" if I only sell one specie of fish (wether it's guppies or something else)... But later, I would like to have alot more species and personally breed all of them!


Shipping fish isn't too hard. I did a writeup on it on here www.aquarisms.intuitwebsites.com/shippingfaq.html

Get comfortable with it and it opens up the entire country as your market. 

The important thing is to do your homework, see what people are buying (and for how much), and pick a species that you know will sell. Look at the classifieds on the forums, aquabid, ebay, it'll give you some ideas.

Best of luck!


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

people will pay shipping, or drive an hour or two (which means you will include surrounding areas in Ont and Que.) for good fish that they can't necessarily find at the local store. Your best customer is the small towner who has very limited selection.

When I was into cichlid breeding I lived in Toronto, but I drove all the way out to London and Hamilton to pick up fish from other hobbiests, and likewise people drove all the way out to me. For good fish people will pay for shipping (to make it easier it is worth throwing in extra fish just in case any are lost)

The catch is that you need to breed something more original then guppies - nobody is going to go out of their way or pay shipping for something even the smallest pet shop in the smallest town carries. For many types of fish t's a good idea to go out of your way to buy good specimens to breed - F1, F2 types (meaning first or second generation from wild caught) is a good bragging right and will raise your prices.

But I have to tell you - it will never make your rich. I took a tour of a breeding operation that sustained a man and his family as a living, and it was a massive warehouse. Hobbiest breeding is a way to help cover the costs of maintaining some aquariums and trade for goods so you don't need to buy them, but don't expect profit out of it. To make anything decent you need lots of tanks, and you'll need to set up a system that does automatic water changes or it will be too much work.

My setup was about 20 25-40g tanks (all bought second-hand), all drilled and piped so I can turn a valve to drain them all into the basement drain or fill them all from the laundry tub in one go, and each with a separate valve that allowed me to segregate tanks if I wished. Filtration was an industrial air pump and sponge filters in each tank. It did not make me rich, but it did give me extra money for the hobby and it was fun to do at the time. My main fish were small cichlids - shell dwellers, tanganyikan rock dwellers, and mbuna mainly.


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

reignOfFred said:


> people will pay shipping, or drive an hour or two (which means you will include surrounding areas in Ont and Que.) for good fish that they can't necessarily find at the local store. Your best customer is the small towner who has very limited selection.
> 
> When I was into cichlid breeding I lived in Toronto, but I drove all the way out to London and Hamilton to pick up fish from other hobbiests, and likewise people drove all the way out to me. For good fish people will pay for shipping (to make it easier it is worth throwing in extra fish just in case any are lost)
> 
> ...


Ya, I'm not expecting to make a fortune out of this but it will give me extra cash to help me in this hobby... Plus, if I breed different species and theres one I like, I can keep em'... So basically, I'm my own little fish store (not really)


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## palufreak (Mar 1, 2011)

jetajockey said:


> Shipping fish isn't too hard. I did a writeup on it on here www.aquarisms.intuitwebsites.com/shippingfaq.html
> 
> Get comfortable with it and it opens up the entire country as your market.
> 
> ...


I read your article on shipping and I might consider it!! I'll check out how much I can get the boxes and other supplies for!!


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