Can I make money?

[littlebigreef]

Like most things, it's either a hobby or a business... Once you convert to a business, the amount of work involved begins to drain the enjoyment of the hobby.

Facts. I’ve worked in shops in high school, college and even during the recession. I do digital for a shop now and I’m good friends with a few lfs owners and vendors. I’ve seen first hand how one’s relationship with this stuff fundamentally changes when it’s the difference between the mortgage getting paid or putting food on the table for your kids.

 

[3429810]

Like most things, it's either a hobby or a business... Once you convert to a business, the amount of work involved begins to drain the enjoyment of the hobby.

That’s a pretty general statement and the example I gave contradicts it. March seems to be loving it. I know another local guys that works for a store and sells his own on top of maintaining one of the nicest displays I have ever seen and still an enjoyable hobby for him. The true diehards are the ones like that and those are the guys making money and turning their basement operations into stores or online retailers. It doesn’t have to be just one or the other and in fact I think if you look at all the big coral vendors you will see they are all hobbyists not corporate suits looking for profit and that’s why they are on top. They love the corals and are seeking out the best of the best to add to their collections and sell.

 

[oreolk]

Greetings,

I am excited to get the hobby underway. But I am curious am I able to make money from the hobby? Enough to keep the hobby going or extra on the side? Can I make money at selling premade saltwater or RODI water? Can I make money selling coral and fish? Anything I can make money from I would like to know. Any experiences you have please share, good and/or bad.

*Edit* I realize I can sell everything, but what I am asking is am I really making money after expenses?

Just a thought. Hobbies are fun with work involved. Businesses are work!

 

[Goaway]

My mother in law loves making beaded jewelry. Her goal was to sell her work. Instead she hangs them around the house and sells a 1 out of 100, perhaps. You want to make the hobby pay for itself, it does fall on you!

 

[BanjoBandito]

I’d focus on keeping stuff alive first…it sounds like you don’t even have a tank setup….

 

[GARRIGA]

I had a front row seat to the breed snakes to make money game. A friend lost 80% of his collection to a nido viruus infected snake that came into his collection. At the time, no one really knew about it. He must have lost 70k-90k + over the course of 3 weeks. 7 years of raising the animals and all that money down the drain.

Why I QT my new arrivals for a minimum of two years and sometimes longer. Also only deal with a very small number of breeders I've known 15 to 30 years. Don't flip and only buy to improve my breeding collection. Near 100% closed system. Been doing this since the late 80s. As with reef inhabitants or any life kept, prevention is key and long-term QT the only solution as we never know what new infection might appear or how long for it to show itself.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Greetings,

I am excited to get the hobby underway. But I am curious am I able to make money from the hobby? Enough to keep the hobby going or extra on the side? Can I make money at selling premade saltwater or RODI water? Can I make money selling coral and fish? Anything I can make money from I would like to know. Any experiences you have please share, good and/or bad.

*Edit* I realize I can sell everything, but what I am asking is am I really making money after expenses?

best way is to sell coral frags. that said, you will most likely not make a profit (counting all the equipment, maintenance, etc.). You can still reduce the dent in your wallet though

 

[kiran]

Man what is up with some of the hate on here. I actually never mention getting rich, that is just something most people seem to keep reading. Please note I mention making money to keep the hobby going pretty clearly, and money on the side seems to lead people to the assumption that I am trying to get rich. Please think of making money on the side like a side job. Its just a little bit to maybe play with or buy a new piece of equipment, but nothing to live off of. If I was expecting to get rich I wouldn't consider it on the side, haha, that would just be my main source of income. Money on the side at that point would be my regular day job. I expect more from this group. I am new to it and new to the hobby. Some of you so far I have liked your comment because you actually added a piece of advice or comment to the forum that a new or existing reefer could take away from the site. But some of you just post ignorant comments, and I am not really sure the point.

I get what you're saying dude. You just want to make enough to basically buy other stuff for your aquarium. I think that's a fair question.

Maybe starts a phyto and pods culture and sell it on etsy and local groups? I know I buy a ton for my mandarin setup.

 

[EmusJames]

Welcome to another Washington resident! I started out as a hobby that became a business and then back to the hobby. Many people either sell or design products that compliment the hobby or find ways to provide livestock to other hobbiest. I built acrylic aquariums, filters, light systems and even skimmers for years and sold them to aquarium stores. While it was a lot of fun my current business is much more profitable and allows me to enjoy the hobby again. Selling on the side can help you trade up to more or bigger aquariums. The only barrier is your knowledge of the hobby and the potential customers in your area. No matter what you decide on enjoy the hobby.

Sorry my friend. I am not from Washington the state. When creating the profile it says location and I started to put what state, but two spots down it asks for state so I only put the city. I have changed it. Washington is a great state however, some of the best scenery around.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Sorry my friend. I am not from Washington the state. When creating the profile it says location and I started to put what state, but two spots down it asks for state so I only put the city. I have changed it. Washington is a great state however, some of the best scenery around.

At least it is not Washington D.C. lol! Welcome anyway friend and you can pm me anytime if you want to discuss my experience in the aquarium industry. Wish you well on your quest!

 

[Joe462]

After about 15 years or so in the hobby I'm (maybe?) close to breaking even selling frags at swaps, through local groups and word of mouth and occasionally on here. I haven't done the math or anything, and i don't plan to because i don't think of it like a business or anything but i like collecting different coral and selling and trading with other hobbyists. And that's on an annual basis, i'm not considering the initial set up costs or the 10 plus years where i wasn't selling very much, just the regular expenses of electricity, food, supplements, water bill, replacement parts, buying new coral or whatever. I think you have to work pretty hard at it to make a profit, not easy based on what i have seen.

edit: so to answer your question, Maybe? if you are efficient and work hard at it.

 

[polyppal]

My mother in law loves making beaded jewelry. Her goal was to sell her work. Instead she hangs them around the house and sells a 1 out of 100, perhaps. You want to make the hobby pay for itself, it does fall on you!

I’m just imagining a house full of little seahorses staring at you

 

[NeedAReef]

Greetings,

I am excited to get the hobby underway. But I am curious am I able to make money from the hobby? Enough to keep the hobby going or extra on the side? Can I make money at selling premade saltwater or RODI water? Can I make money selling coral and fish? Anything I can make money from I would like to know. Any experiences you have please share, good and/or bad.

*Edit* I realize I can sell everything, but what I am asking is am I really making money after expenses?

Unless you clean/maintain/setup other tanks for people or get really lucky and learn to breed in demand species I don't know how you would get profitable
You could start with pods and their food supplies and sell locally if you are in a metro area with lots of customers but it's a money pit of a hobby for most

 

[Projects with Sam]

I’m just imagining a house full of little seahorses staring at you

haha... I bet you periodically fight the urge to start a seahorse tank.

 

[Goaway]

haha... I bet you periodically fight the urge to start a seahorse tank.

I wish I could! Delicate creatures.

I’m just imagining a house full of little seahorses staring at you

It's not that creepy! She has beautiful work. Sadly, not a lot of good pictures.

 

[Koh23]

In short - no.

In terms of hoby and house "growing" you will newer make any noticeable profit.

Yes, you can grow and sell some frags, maybe fish or two, ocasionaly....

But frags dont fall of from sky, buying frag, then grow him for months, years, to be able to frag him again and even if you sell each frag for good price, when u count cost of water, salt, food, aditives, electric.....

In terms of securing some money for buying yourself something new, sure, we all do that. Sell 10 frags to buy one that u want, or some salt, tester, something.... Sure....

 

[SlugSnorter]

haha... I bet you periodically fight the urge to start a seahorse tank.

From the moment I understood the weakness of my tank, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of seahorses. I aspired to the purity of the blessed seahorses. Your kind cling to your fish as if they will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass you call a fish will wither and you will beg my seahorse to save you.

 

[flashsmith]

Short answer NO!! Long answer He#$ No!! It's a hobby if you want to make money or pretend you're making money start a business. On another note I've got a garage full of Amway you could sell for me..lol

 

[SlugSnorter]

Short answer NO!! Long answer He#$ No!! It's a hobby if you want to make money or pretend you're making money start a business. On another note I've got a garage full of Amway you could sell for me..lol

OP was talking about making some money to help cover tank expenses, not to make a business. Lots of people sell their frags, and while it won't cover a tanks cost, it can help to cover funds for new additions

 

[Costareefer]

Bottom line - yes you can make money. When you exceed the costs of the hobby though you are in business territory. If you want to cover your expenses get into fragging things that you can grow fast and are high demand. Mushrooms especially the rarer, zoas, rbtas, other things you discover can be nice ways to offset costs to the hobby.