View Single Post
  #9  
Old March 28th 04, 08:56 PM
NetMax
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default raising baby fish


"Rick" wrote in message
...

"NetMax" wrote in message
...

"Rick" wrote in message
...

"NetMax" wrote in message
...

"Rick" wrote in message
...

"NetMax" wrote in message
...

"Rick" wrote in message
...

I agree with Rick. Your most important parameters are...
snip

NetMax


as usual another well written response..
snip

Rick

I'm just more wordy than you are ;~)

If you don't mind my asking, at what size do you find that the

Krib
fry
transport well and what compensation do you get from the LFS? I

had
a
fellow offer me one month old fry, and he wanted a couple of

bucks
apiece. I told them I'd give him 50 cents apiece in credit (to

use
for
store purchases) when they were 3 months old. I'd really rather

not
have
taken them, as their size demands a separate tank ($$) and they

wouldn't
be marketable for a few months (more $$ lost in food, care and

lost
tank
space), but I like to help out hobbyists (who sometimes get

annoyed
that
I seem so cheap). Sometimes I'll put fry in plant tanks (and

they
slowly
disappear, inadvertently getting sold with plants ;~) I usually

try
to
dissuade people from selling me their fry, by telling them that

they
should take them to the local aquarium society's monthly auction

(put
them back into the hobbyists pool), but I think they find some
unsuspecting LFS who doesn't have much business acumen and

probably
kills
them off anyways.

NetMax



I do take a lot of fish to our aquarium society however just about

everyone
has the fish or has had them. Some of the stores I deal with give

me
50% of
their retail price of what ever fish I'm selling. These Kribs are

3/4"
,
some maybe a bit more and a few a bit less and they are going for

$1.50
each
to the store. The main store I deal with and not the one that

bought
the
Kribs gives me credit which is good for both of us as he get's the

fish
at
50% of what he sells them for and I pay retail price for anything I

buy
using my credit less my 10% discount they offer to Aquarium Society

members.
If I grew the Kribs out to a 1 1/2 or so I would expect to receive

about
$3.50 each on credit.

Rick


Thanks for the feedback. I'd never make any money giving 50% retail.
After labour for isolation, handling, food & care, and some

mortality,
the best I'd do is break even, so I guess, from the customer's
perspective, I am cheap. However, being a frugal buyer translates

into
lower retail costs. I could easily sell 1-1/2" Kribs for $3.50 cdn

and
still make a profit if I buy from the right supplier at the right
quantity. I've had wholesalers try to sell me fish at the same cost

I
was retailing them! This is a very 'fishy' business ;~).

NetMax



most of the retailers that buy fish from hobbyists only take those that

they
can turn around very quickly, ie: Electric Yellows and Blue's,

livebearers
the usual trade varieties. I took 5 Bala Sharks, all 5" + a couple of

weeks
ago and got $12.50 each on credit. I have taken Malawi cichlids, medium

to
large size and get $10.00 apiece. Convict's some will take, others will

take
but give nothing for them. Kribs sell in LFS around here anywhere

from$7.99
to $9.99 each. If you have grown them out to breeding pair size then

from
some stores we can get a pretty good price, ie: a trio of Electric

Blue's
proven breeders will sell for $60.00 at one store and he will give

$30.00 to
buy them. These fish seldom stay in the store for more than a couple of
days. The larger store around here that I deal with usually will buy if

he
is in between orders or getting low on a particular type of fish. The
benefit for them is that I keep coming back and using up that credit .

Same
deal with plants, 50% of retail.

Rick


On sellable items which can be quickly turned around, I'd tend to agree,
though I'm not in a high business area myself. I suppose it depends on
the area as well. I almost can't give away large Malawians here. It's a
new suburb, so I have lots of newbies with little tanks. Credit notes
are worth about half to the store, so it costs them 25% instead of 50%,
so that's much more manageable.

Thanks Rick
NetMax