Set up a bowfront 46 gallon as a breeder tank, what should I breed?

[JTfromCharlotte]

I started this project with the intentions of breeding cherry shrimp, but my friend is already breeding them, and I don't want to step on his toes (we'd both be breeding with the intentions of selling locally). What are other freshwater species which I could try to breed fairly cheap and easily, and could also be lucrative?

[Goes to 11!]

What are other freshwater species which I could try to breed fairly cheap and easily, and could also be lucrative?

I am not at all sure of what to suggest because generally it is simply a market truth that if it breeds easily and cheaply it will be far too common [And easy to come by] to be lucrative.

[JTfromCharlotte]

I guess when I say lucrative, I mean enough to make my initial investment back (not much at all) and a little pocket money.

Cherry shrimp, for instance... I could buy 50 for $50. Within a couple months, I could have a thousand. If I sell only half of those locally for $1 each, I'll make a couple hundred dollars. Cheap, easy, fun, profitable.

[Goes to 11!]

Ah, ok. You want to break even or be a bit ahead if possible.

I am still not sure what we can offer as we know nothing of your local LFS market and it has to be something people want there but aren't getting - or getting at a good price anyway.

Have you done the rounds of LFS to research to see what it is that is missing from your retailers that meets your criteria for breeding?

IMO - This is your niche.

[JTfromCharlotte]

Yes and no. Again to use cherry shrimp as a reference, there is only one store around here which sells them, and they sell for $3.99. I got the idea to start breeding them from a guy a few towns over who I got ahold of on Craigslist. He inadvertently bred several hundred and was quick to sell them just by advertising on Craigslist. I guess I was sort of vague with my original post... guess I'll have to think about it some more and do some more research...

[openbook]

Blue self cloning crayfish are popular, all you need is 1 to get started.

[pjaldave]

Try some convicts perhaps?

[JTfromCharlotte]

Blue self cloning crayfish are popular, all you need is 1 to get started.

You may be on to something, sir!

[Lady Hobbs]

Ask around and find out what fish stores would be willing to buy from you. Also, keep in mind that many of the cooperate stores have contracts to only buy from their distributors.

If a store will only buy perhaps 20 fish from you a month but you have 400, then that isn't helpful either.

I'd fill that tank full of cardinal tetra's and enjoy it and throw a few cherry shrimp in the bottom. If you want to get into breeding, set up a bunch of 10 or 20 gallon tanks and find out the hot sellers for your area.

With cherry shrimp, new shrimp should be added to a group every now and then so they are not constantly imbreeding with one another. After awhile, the color gets bred right out of them and you are stuck with a whole lot of colorless shrimp. (What I now have.) Even serious cherry shrimp breeders will keep several tanks and keep separating shrimp and adding new.

[JTfromCharlotte]

Ask around and find out what fish stores would be willing to buy from you. Also, keep in mind that many of the cooperate stores have contracts to only buy from their distributors.

If a store will only buy perhaps 20 fish from you a month but you have 400, then that isn't helpful either.

I'd fill that tank full of cardinal tetra's and enjoy it and throw a few cherry shrimp in the bottom. If you want to get into breeding, set up a bunch of 10 or 20 gallon tanks and find out the hot sellers for your area.

With cherry shrimp, new shrimp should be added to a group every now and then so they are not constantly imbreeding with one another. After awhile, the color gets bred right out of them and you are stuck with a whole lot of colorless shrimp. (What I now have.) Even serious cherry shrimp breeders will keep several tanks and keep separating shrimp and adding new.

Yeah, I honestly don't have expectations of being able to sell to any LFS, although I would try. I have enough faith in my local market to try to sell cherry shrimp via Craigslist. The other good thing about cherries is that there is enough places to get them between my LFS, other local breeders and online to keep the gene pool clean.