Tiger Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hello all . There seems to be a lot of dribble on here lately Main threads seem to bounce from Frontosa to L numbers I,m just wondering how many people actually keep their fish for personal enjoyment,and the challenge of breeding them . I think $$$$ signs can get in the way of an interesting hobby . Its a fine line between hobby and buisness I almost got out of fish altogether but found it impossible to part with them all . Yet some can sell off their so called favourite fish so readilly! interested in other peoples thoughts? Cheers Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViS Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I definitely keep them for the challenge of breeding them - hence I have no display tanks I also try and choose species that I like the look of but will also be easy to sell fry from, as I don't have much growout space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I think $$$$ signs can get in the way of an interesting hobby . Exactly right! However in any hobby you will always find those who are more interested in making a quick buck than those who do what they are doing for the pleasure. Over the years I have seen certain people change dramatically, to the point where they are only interested in keeping fish which have a high value or are seen as a bit of a status symbol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrdog Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I keep for the fun of it. My colony is breeding but I don't intend on making much $$ from them. That doesn't matter, I just love these guys. Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I think there are only a handful of people in this forum who truly keep fish for the enjoyment of it. The so-called challenge of breeding fish is most often motivated by the $$ value.. Ah... the pleasure of the $$.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamR Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I have so far been in this hobby for the hobby. I enjoy keeping fish, i enjoy trying to breed fish (trying has so far being the best word). I do like to have fish that are less common, I just feel the draw to do something different rather than to sell something for money only purposes. My first interest was dwarf cichlids and so already im doing something less common. I do see where breeding can turn to looking at dollars rather than the fish, but personally so far havent felt the tug of dollars to the point where id prefer to buy a fish that would make money than a fish that im personally interested in. Though saying that being able to sell spawns is something i take into account when purchasing new fish (and one day i will hopefully grow fry out to a sellable size). Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mianos Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 All my tanks are planted 'display' tanks. I just love looking at fish. That also means I love the look of some of those fancy catfish but the only reason I've ever sold fish (which is not very often) is to send them to a good home so I can get something new (like the new additions to the import list). I've pretty much as a rule sold them for what I got them for, even in some case when they are ten times bigger. For me the value is just looking at them swimming about and interacting with their environment. They do breed sometimes and that makes me happy because I think they are happy. (Sloppy I know, sorry ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted October 17, 2005 Author Share Posted October 17, 2005 I'm certainly not against people selling fish . My power bill last quarter was over $1200. I like to sell enough to at least cover part of that . I only sell to lfs now and not on a forum . Which brings about another point . "too many tossers on here " that want fish for nothing to onsell shortley after I would gladley sell some fry very cheap or for zip if they were genuine enthusiasts...........but not for someone to make money off . Maybe i'm just ranting on now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 too many tossers on here Good points Kev I would like to think I could make something from my fish. I know it wont make me rich, or I probably wont even break even, but I would like some sort of return. Dont get me wrong I love my fish more then anything and havent thought of selling them, But the time may come in the future were I wish to try something new and the old fish may need to go to finance this change. I will always have my favourites but there will be fish that come and go. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Pleasure....... in SA it is next to impossible for a breeder to make any money what so ever. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted October 17, 2005 Author Share Posted October 17, 2005 Josh..... I'm not aiming this at guys like you . I know how passionate you are with your hobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Wow you must be angry. Calling Frontosa dribble. Yes I agree the forum has become too much of an resale site. People don't want to pay much to get something either. I have kept fish for as long as I can remember and its always been because they are great to look at. If they breed then its a bonus, watching them perform a natural phenomena isn't something everyone gets to see everyday. Plus if they are breeding you must be doing something right in terms of keeping them. If people want to keep fish to make money out of it, good luck to them. At least its better than growing or importing illegal drugs, which you could make money in so much quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 What do you mean by alot of dribble 'lately' ?? I personally keep fish for enjoyment, but the most enjoyable (and frustrating) part for me is successfully 'conquering' a species. With limited tankspace this means selling colonies to make room for the next challenge. As an exmaple I recently needed to make room for a new species which I have been waiting on for some time. I had to part with a couple of species to do so. I ended up choosing to sell my absolute favorite colony (which BTW was also my biggest money spinner ever in this hobby) because a couple of the other species I have still hadn't been conquered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckfish123 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I keep display tanks i.e planted,African cichlid & Marine & enjoy them all. Not interested in breeding & selling fish but have no problem with others that do. As a matter of fact all my cichlids i bought from members of this forum who have great setups . Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted October 17, 2005 Author Share Posted October 17, 2005 Wui .........you don't know me very well I actually love Frontosa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6C1 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Personal enjoyment. I do keep partners and colonies only so that I Can enjoy their behaviour in their "natural" habitat with one another. I dont see the fascination with big L numbers... hmm.. maybe coz I cant afford them. LOL.. Some do look nice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couchy Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Great post but from your point of view of someone who regularly sells fish and fry it's a different issue. For a lot of us who are new to breeding and really enjoy the hobby, the idea of recouping some moneys spent is attractive. I personally know i'll never make money on breeding but selling some fry would be nice I do agree that there are some people who are looking to make money off the generosity of others. There's a lot of talk from a lot of people about the new imports but in truth only a small few of them/us will get or afford them. For me someone who has always wanted to breed Frontosas (plain old Burundis) its good times because there's a lot of people offloading them. Some people needing the room and some needing money for new stock and some people thinking the market for them is about to drop?? I got a male from a good breeder who needed room. The thought of breeding frontys is great because they may pay for them self and maybe some of my electricity bill. But truth be told I've always wanted them. They're in a display tank but i'm hoping for fry soon. I recently tried to sell my first batch of fry on here and was put off by some people and in the end didn't deal with others out of frustration. I was expected to almost give the fish away and deliver for the pleasure of doing so. Its LFS for these guys. Thats my 2 cent for today, Cheers Couchy>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinky Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 the fish hobby for me is more for enjoyment, as for making a profit, i think its pretty hard to make a gain (with all the expenses involved), so yeh if any one wants to go into something to "grow and reproduce" and make a profit out of, imo fish aint really the best investment choice (yes they also die on you).......hehe. but then again its always nice when the fish food, electricity is subsidised with fry that you've raised. yet that has never occurred for me, could never be stuff puttin up a advert in the forums to sell a bunch of $3 fish (i dont think ive ever put up a post to sell my fry on this forum....lol....atleast tats how i rememeber it.....hehe), i jst end up trading with my friends or givin them away..........lol but yeh, i have no problem with people who sell there fishies, but im not really cool with people who buy fish at bargain prices than sell them again to make a immediate gain. it is just not cool to the person you purchased from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I'm in it for the same reason Ducksta said, finding new challenges for a hobby that I'm genuinely interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I fall into both categories. I have a lot of display tanks with my favourite fish in them but I also like to be able to at least cover the costs. In saying that, all my tanks are aquascaped as I hate that "battery hen" look that many breeders have. It drips of "let's make a buck" IMO. The sight of a glass tank void of substrate and rock work makes me sad. How much enjoyment does a fish gain from picking at a besser brick or swimming circles round a clay pot? JMO. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmy2422 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hey all. Great post i might add, some good replies added. I started keeping fish when i was 10 (5 years ago) I got a 4 foot tank with an aqua clear 300 and a 4 foot light for 60 buks. So i paid for that myself. At the start of the year i decided i wanted to expand, maybe breed some fish. I worked my whole christmas holidays to be able to aford them. I went to a glass shop and asked them to cut glass for a few tanks, and too my luck again the fulla was selling a few 2 footers for a good price. So i got 4 2 footers and have set up a rack and breed and sold some fish. I love keeping/breeding fish. It gives me something to do and i am in it far from for the money. I recently bought 12 cuckoo catfish which i wanted badly and love them Making money off fish in Cowra would never work. there is another breeder here doing that good. Cheers, Timmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wui39 Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Didn't say that you hate Fronts, just that you said there was a lot of dribble then talked about Frontosa the next line. Sorry if I misinterpreted you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViS Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Some very good points of view in this thread. I think everyone (well 99.9 % of people here) are into it for pleasure (but maybe not just pleasure.) Who here can say they have walked over to a tank, seen the first mouthful or clutch of eggs from that colony, and not immediately sprouted a grin from ear to ear? Who could walk into a room and catch a male and female African spawning, and not sit there in wonderment until the spawn ends? Not many I bet. Making money from a hobby is fine. You'd be stupid (or rich) to not want to offset some of the expenses of fishkeeping (which can be very high). Some people treat the hobby as a way to make a quick buck. As long as they are ethical and are not out simply to "make money but stuff it if they leave a wake of disgruntled people behind them", then who am I to judge their actions?. I certainly don't begrudge people like that, but they would never become close "fishy friends" of mine. There should be a balance. Smart fishkeepers can have the best of both worlds. Research the fish they would like to keep, work out the best way to keep them happy, and sell off resulting fry they don't have room for. If I didn't need to sell fry to keep my hobby going, I wouldn't. I'd just keep buying more and more tanks to house them When I win lotto, You can all have my fry for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted October 17, 2005 Author Share Posted October 17, 2005 Geez .........this has kept some people amused tonight . Not just dribble either BTW . absolutly no offence Wui Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I keep americans - I can't be in it for the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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