In need of advice and or opinions

[MichelleRenee68]

I am seriously thinking about getting into breeding fish. My problem is, I do now know what I want to breed for I have not met a fish I did not like..lol

I am not looking to get rich or anything just trying to get an idea of good sellers so I don't end up breeding some and then there is no market for them.

Any suggestions or advice out there you could give would be very helpful.

Thanks a million.

[moganman]

OK, in Houston, there's not many fish that sell good, except the Red Bulu, the Yellow Moshi, all sorts of plecos, and some rare tropheus. If you are willing to ship, then I'd say go with the pretty Africans. The demasoni is a good seller and they breed like rabbits. The Peacocks have very colorful patterns. The first step is to determine how much you are willing to spend and how much space you have. Do some research and open up an account with UPS and FedEx (UPS is cheaper for cargo shipping).

[MichelleRenee68]

What about Blue German Rams?

[LordBarron7692]

I would say something that appeals to you and if you happen to make money off of it then thats great too

[MichelleRenee68]

Well, I am not really doing it to make gobs of money, I want to try my hand at breeding fish, I just don't want to get stuck with 400 babies! Lol.

[moganman]

People want instant gratification, hence why when people post a sale thread for fry, people have the nerve to ask for pictures of the fry instead of the adults. Peacocks take time to start showing good colors, so you might sit on them for a while. The bicolor and lemon jakes are two of my favorites and they should do well selling. Peacocks tend to have larger broods too.

[LordBarron7692]

true very true on the instant gratification front some people don't seem to realize that fish just like every other animal on this planet change in appearance as they get older but back to your question I would say something that is in somewhat demand but not gonna take up to much of your time the blue german rams something to that extent and you can always sell or try to sell them to LFS or even on aquabid

[mnemenoi]

Shell dwellers are terrific breeders and most variaties are always in a slight demand. They stay small and require little tank space. If they get out of control you can always introduce an obligate fry eater until more folk want them and take it out.

[New_Cichlid11]

i would say anything rare as stated, something that has not been seen before locally. But with rarity be prepared to drop some $

[mistahoo]

What type of fish do you like? Big fish? Little fish? Mean fish? Passive fish? Territorial fish? Schooling/shoaling fish? Piscivores? Omnivores? Carnivores? Bottom Dwellers? Shell Dwellers? Rock Dwellers? Do you want a fish that'll breed a lot of fry or a little bit of fry? What colors do you like? Do you like active fish or kind of lazy fish? Do you want a mouthbrooder, livebearer, or egg-layer?

How big is your tank that you are going to use?

Before trying to go out and breed any fish, I would choose one that you enjoy looking at or caring for because they'll be there for quite a while before they breed prolifically.

[mistahoo]

Rare fish is a terrible idea if you starting to get into breeding fish unless you're willing to drop a lot of money on a chance to get the fish breeding (depends on the fish). I would go for something that isn't rare, but isn't too common.

[MichelleRenee68]

That's my problem Mistahoo, I like them all LOL I have many different central and south american cichlids and I would like to get into africans, that is why I am leaning toward the german Rams. I like the colors and unlike many of my other cochlids, they are not agressive and small. I have a nice 55 gal set up and cycling which would be a good size for the little german rams. My big tank (150 gal) is for my other fish so hence the reason for the separate tank. Not to mention, the Ram's have much different Ph and Temp requirements.

I really appreciate all of your ideas and info. It has been a great help.

[mistahoo]

That's my problem Mistahoo, I like them all LOL I have many different central and south american cichlids and I would like to get into africans, that is why I am leaning toward the german Rams. I like the colors and unlike many of my other cochlids, they are not agressive and small. I have a nice 55 gal set up and cycling which would be a good size for the little german rams. My big tank (150 gal) is for my other fish so hence the reason for the separate tank. Not to mention, the Ram's have much different Ph and Temp requirements.

I really appreciate all of your ideas and info. It has been a great help.

On the contrary, the rams can get aggressive despite their size. It helps to have a lot of hiding places or even better a packed planted tank. Make sure to get a harem or at least a 1m:2f ratio to help disperse any possible aggression. For Africans, there isn't many fish that I like. Shellies, specifically multis, are among my favorites. I've never owned them before, but I've seen them several times and they look awesome!

Are you going to breed your GTs in the 150g?

[MichelleRenee68]

You know... Breeding the green terrors was my first thought for they are my favorites (don't tell my other fish) I have 1 male and 2 female GT so I could go that direction still. I just don't know if I could sell them for I don't want to get stuck with 200 baby GT's

[jughead]

you'll have a hard time getting rid of the fry gt's will produce,been there.after a while,you'll be glad to give them away.problem with rams is the stores want adults,cause thats what sells.i'd be looking for fish that have<50 fry.lamp type tangs.these fish frequently sell at 1",so your growout time is less.if you want new world,find some apistos,just like a gt,without the size or numbers.my gt pair were about 5"long and i got over 500 fry out of them.good luck