More than just a hobby, a money maker?

[fish farmer]

Yes, I am more than considering it I'm actually working towards it. I currently work for a wholesaler and plan to go retail on my own. I'm going to grow organically and scale as needed to keep costs down. Another positive is so what if I fail? I have a plan A in a field that's not going any where and have no overhead when it comes to Website design/development, hosting, maintenance and digital marketing and SEO so building myself a $50k website is nothing but some late nights and rockstar jitters. Quality over quantity with reasonable prices. I feel like someone needs to come in and make some waves in this industry and shake up the status quo. Pre-Petco, LA was killing the game reasonable prices and decent livestock. They were doing something right because there is definitely a vacuum left in the space they once occupied. Will I be the one to shake things up? I'm not sure but it's worth a shot. Turning a hobby into a business can kill the love for the hobby seems like a stretch because I was taught to do the things you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

My thoughts exactly....I may have tough days/weeks at my fish culture job, but when I can go out and fish lakes that I've stocked or see people that are fishing for fish that I've stocked, it's worth it.

 

[Javamahn]

I am not planning on giving up my day job anytime soon but if (not when) I retire it might be a source for some fun money since Social Security will likely be bankrupt. Years from now.

 

[mpedersen]

Where is the poll response option for "considered it, and am now in it"?

 

[Whasmack]

I just got into my business as a 2nd job. At this point I won’t go full time for a store because costs are very high & I’m happy in my engineering role. But I wanted to expand - and service is where you can make money - and I was tired of seeing tanks in offices that were, IMO, poorly stocked & cared for. I want to make a handful of people’s tanks amazing!
Then selling corals / frags is secondary

 

[JDarling]

When I was doing freshwater I was going to go commercial but not enough business in my area. I was selling and renting complete tanks that I would maintain. I was doing it for a couple of schools in my area but that was about all. Good thing I didn't quit my job to do it.

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

I was thinking about building tanks, but the field looks crowded and I think the return would be too small unless I could somehow get into mass production. maybe I'll look at it again after I finish paying off my house.

 

[JCOLE]

What about the people that are attracted to the hobby with dollar signs in their eyes? I see that more often than I'd like. I have a friend that got drawn in by the over saturated sale photos of corals. Then thought, "I can do that", started a few tanks for the sole purpose to make it a business. Thousands of dollars later he struggled to keep things alive because he didn't really know what he's doing, he just knew he wanted a slice of the pie.

Like most, I saw a for sale post of slightly used gear for a fraction of what he bought it for.

On the flipside of that coin, I think David is onto something. I personally took a short hiatus from the hobby, long enough to miss the incremental rise in cost. for me the dramatic uptick in price slapped me right in the face. which begs the question, have we seen prices and the people who defend those high prices increase because more and more people see it as a means to make money?

I know this might put a frown on some people's faces. However, This right here is what I have thought for a while! I think this has hurt the hobby more than anything. I am all for trying to pay for your hobby through coral sales, used equipment, etc. However, within reason though. I get so frustrated when I see "Hobbyist" like us selling frags for more money than they paid for it. I have 66 pieces of SPS in my tank with over 30 of them costing over $100+ a frag. I bought all of those $100+ pieces from vendors and I promise that when they grow out for fragging then I will sell them for $20 or less a frag to other hobbyists.

I love this hobby for what it is to me and that is growing corals for enjoyment. It bothers me when someone buys a $150 coral and grows it out to sell 1/2" frags for $150. That to me is not right for the longevity of the hobby. Why not sell 6 frags at $25 and make your money back. Now you have a nice coral that paid for itself and you hooked up some hobbyist with some nice corals without breaking the bank. It is a Win-Win that way and I remember it this way 15 years ago.

This is the same if Golf was your hobby and you spent $1200 on a nice set of golf clubs. Then after using them for a year you then decided to sell them at $250 a club to try and get your money back for all the money you have tied up in games, lunches, etc.

 

[Mhart032]

I know this might put a frown on some people's faces. However, This right here is what I have thought for a while! I think this has hurt the hobby more than anything. I am all for trying to pay for your hobby through coral sales, used equipment, etc. However, within reason though. I get so frustrated when I see "Hobbyist" like us selling frags for more money than they paid for it. I have 66 pieces of SPS in my tank with over 30 of them costing over $100+ a frag. I bought all of those $100+ pieces from vendors and I promise that when they grow out for fragging then I will sell them for $20 or less a frag to other hobbyists.

I love this hobby for what it is to me and that is growing corals for enjoyment. It bothers me when someone buys a $150 coral and grows it out to sell 1/2" frags for $150. That to me is not right for the longevity of the hobby. Why not sell 6 frags at $25 and make your money back. Now you have a nice coral that paid for itself and you hooked up some hobbyist with some nice corals without breaking the bank. It is a Win-Win that way and I remember it this way 15 years ago.

This is the same if Golf was your hobby and you spent $1200 on a nice set of golf clubs. Then after using them for a year you then decided to sell them at $250 a club to try and get your money back for all the money you have tied up in games, lunches, etc.

I agree completely.

 

[Gregsreef]

The reason I chose other is because I have considered making frags from my faster growing soft corals to maybe make a few bucks but have not thought of making a business out of it.

 

[mrpizzaface]

I know this might put a frown on some people's faces. However, This right here is what I have thought for a while! I think this has hurt the hobby more than anything. I am all for trying to pay for your hobby through coral sales, used equipment, etc. However, within reason though. I get so frustrated when I see "Hobbyist" like us selling frags for more money than they paid for it. I have 66 pieces of SPS in my tank with over 30 of them costing over $100+ a frag. I bought all of those $100+ pieces from vendors and I promise that when they grow out for fragging then I will sell them for $20 or less a frag to other hobbyists.

I love this hobby for what it is to me and that is growing corals for enjoyment. It bothers me when someone buys a $150 coral and grows it out to sell 1/2" frags for $150. That to me is not right for the longevity of the hobby. Why not sell 6 frags at $25 and make your money back. Now you have a nice coral that paid for itself and you hooked up some hobbyist with some nice corals without breaking the bank. It is a Win-Win that way and I remember it this way 15 years ago.

This is the same if Golf was your hobby and you spent $1200 on a nice set of golf clubs. Then after using them for a year you then decided to sell them at $250 a club to try and get your money back for all the money you have tied up in games, lunches, etc.
[/
This is a poor analogy. Coral is not comparable with golf clubs.

This is a poor analogy. Coral is not comparable with golf clubs.

 

[reefer fro canada]

Yes I was and loved it .It was 20 years ago but the only thing was I would have to go to a big city to make it grow more.There just wasn't the interest in it.I am just happy to get into it as a hobby.

 

[ELOSAmerica]

I jumped in at the age of 22 after a trial in aquarium maintenance, then the creation of a concept store ELOS Aquastudio ( still open after 15 years ), then the takeover of a brand in Europe, and finally I'm still in it after 23 years.
the passion is still there, but it has evolved, but what a joy to have happy customers because your products or advice has impressed them.
DO what you love with passion , is not a Job ! it's a dream everyday

 

[kritquilt]

Yes, headed in that direction but we live in a large metro area with a huge club. Big initial investment as we had to erect a 10 x16 shed to house the tanks, but we have bought as much stuff used as we can straight from our LFS, because either he was upgrading or he had a customer asking him to help him get rid of equipment. All of us have worked in industry before as staff but this is a whole new journey.

 

[kritquilt]

PS one good advice I was given years ago about another hobby was to really think about whether you want to lose a hobby and gain a job. LOL

 

[kwirky]

I worked electronics retail for 8 years then aquarium retail for 1 year and got out of retail entirely in 2008. I wouldn't see myself back in because I feel there's a conflict of interest: profit and animal care are mutually exclusive in an oil industry driven city where oil busts (like the current one) drive retail operators to sacrifice animal husbandry so they can feed their family members by not going bankrupt. It's not a life I enjoyed so I got out. Picture store holding tanks and care processes ill equipped for long term care of coral so when sales slowed down livestock was lost. It was saddening for everyone involved.

Calgary used to be a hot hub for the hobby but it's an expensive one and, post 2008, Calgary quieted down.
Frag tanks are regularly available used due to people having a go at self-funding their hobby and not being successful at it. Electricity is expensive here (no hydro) and the usual go to for online listings, Facebook, has zero tolerance for selling animals, making it hard to market frag operations.

We are a strong hub for industrial design, though, being in the oil industry, so if one wanted to invest in R&D for new products and target English speaking markets first, the cost of living here and talent pool makes it an attractive place to invest. I regularly daydream about dedicating time towards designing some new tech for the hobby and doing direct online sales to market it. Direct online sales is how most other hobby industries are going, which is surprising due to hobbies traditionally depending on stores to act as anchors for hobbyists to meet.

Workshops are another potential avenue: earning money by educating people on good husbandry would be a "feel good" endeavor which wouldn't require a complex retail space. One could partner with an existing retailer to get a cheap space to do it in (potentially free advertising for the retailer).

 

[User1]

We were at the Reef Stock show in Denver this past weekend and after looking around and seeing a lot of live stock vendors it got me thinking! Scary I know! I was thinking about how many of them started as hobbyists and are now in the industry full time and making a living from it. I would wager to say somewhere around the 75% or so! That's my guess at least. So let's talk about that today and about your thoughts of ever going "commercial" in the saltwater aquarium industry.

1. Have you ever seriously considered making a living, going commercial, in the aquarium industry?

2. If you answered yes how do you think you could be different and better?

3. If you answered no then why not?

BRSTv did a video on this I believe - called the side hustle. Or maybe it was talked about in another video...

 

[Fishboy42]

I did briefly consider making lots of money, but I decided to start a business in the marine aquarium trade instead

 

[LadyMac]

I used to breed and show bettas, but you don’t really make a living off of them. Breeders will tell you “If you’re making money, you’re doing it wrong.” Because if you give them the care they need, breed for healthy lines within the standards of the IBC, then you’re not going to make a lot off of them.

 

[Johnrriddlesr]

I am actually working on opening a store right now I had a guy give me a ton of equipment from a store that shut down that he did not need I am very excited but nervous at the same time pictured is 1 up too long frag tanks he gave me they were about $3,500 a piece when he bought them. Plus he gave me a bunch of acrylic separated made into one fish display tanks and a bunch of 60 gallon and 70 gallon drilled tanks two lowboys 4 by 3 ft Chillers calcium reactors all kinds of stuff

 

[tony'stank]

When I retired in 2013 I thought about a long time dream of owning an aquarium/pet store and reef design and maintainence company. I talked to the owners of three LFS that I patronized. Each said that it was an excellent way of losing my investment and/or retirement. At about the same time a new LFS opened in this area. The owner was a long time hobbyist and had an MBA in business. The store was beautifully designed and well equipped. He went bust in less than two years. As to selling frags. I really wouldn’t look forward to giving up my weekends and traveling extensions to go to shows. For me it’s better to enjoy my hobby.