Offering QT services on a small scale

christinna77 · Mar 26, 2026

Hey all, how feasible is it to offer QT services on a small scale, 2-3 fish at a time?

I'm in Canada and there aren't many QT fish available here. I already QT my own fish using the R2R protocol and I actually enjoy the process. I work from home so I can watch the fish closely and get them eating well, since I can feed live or frozen food multiple times a day.

In a few months I'll be probably done stocking my own tank, so I'm thinking about offering QT services to others in my area (Vancouver, BC). The idea would be to either pick up the fish from LFS or have them shipped directly to me. The buyer would choose the fish, pay 50% upfront, and I'd keep them updated on progress until I feel the fish are ready to go to their new home. I'd prefer local pick up only, as I don't really wanna deal with shipping.

I would follow the full R2R quarantine protocol, as well 2 week observation period post meds. Of course, there are no guarantees and I'd still recommend all buyers to place the fish into their own observation tank for 1-2 weeks before moving them to DT.

I'm not expecting to make a big profit. I just want something that helps support my hobby a bit, especially since I enjoy it as well. Plus many people don't have the time or resources to QT around here. Happy to hear any feedback or advice on this idea!

JumboShrimp · Mar 27, 2026

Sounds like fun... and a good way to keep oneself out of trouble. Lol! Enjoy the adventure.

mfinn · Mar 27, 2026

christinna77 said:
Hey all, how feasible is it to offer QT services on a small scale, 2-3 fish at a time?

I'm in Canada and there aren't many QT fish available here. I already QT my own fish using the R2R protocol and I actually enjoy the process. I work from home so I can watch the fish closely and get them eating well, since I can feed live or frozen food multiple times a day.

In a few months I'll be probably done stocking my own tank, so I'm thinking about offering QT services to others in my area (Vancouver, BC). The idea would be to either pick up the fish from LFS or have them shipped directly to me. The buyer would choose the fish, pay 50% upfront, and I'd keep them updated on progress until I feel the fish are ready to go to their new home. I'd prefer local pick up only, as I don't really wanna deal with shipping.

I would follow the full R2R quarantine protocol, as well 2 week observation period post meds. Of course, there are no guarantees and I'd still recommend all buyers to place the fish into their own observation tank for 1-2 weeks before moving them to DT.

I'm not expecting to make a big profit. I just want something that helps support my hobby a bit, especially since I enjoy it as well. Plus many people don't have the time or resources to QT around here. Happy to hear any feedback or advice on this idea!

This may be how some companies get going. Starting out local and small.
Develop a local reputation and go from there.
But the issue I see is, for that 50% down the customer is paying, would you offer some sort of refund if the fish dies while you have it?

christinna77 · Mar 27, 2026

mfinn said:
christinna77 said:

Hey all, how feasible is it to offer QT services on a small scale, 2-3 fish at a time?

I'm in Canada and there aren't many QT fish available here. I already QT my own fish using the R2R protocol and I actually enjoy the process. I work from home so I can watch the fish closely and get them eating well, since I can feed live or frozen food multiple times a day.

In a few months I'll be probably done stocking my own tank, so I'm thinking about offering QT services to others in my area (Vancouver, BC). The idea would be to either pick up the fish from LFS or have them shipped directly to me. The buyer would choose the fish, pay 50% upfront, and I'd keep them updated on progress until I feel the fish are ready to go to their new home. I'd prefer local pick up only, as I don't really wanna deal with shipping.

I would follow the full R2R quarantine protocol, as well 2 week observation period post meds. Of course, there are no guarantees and I'd still recommend all buyers to place the fish into their own observation tank for 1-2 weeks before moving them to DT.

I'm not expecting to make a big profit. I just want something that helps support my hobby a bit, especially since I enjoy it as well. Plus many people don't have the time or resources to QT around here. Happy to hear any feedback or advice on this idea!

Click to expand...

This may be how some companies get going. Starting out local and small.
Develop a local reputation and go from there.
But the issue I see is, for that 50% down the customer is paying, would you offer some sort of refund if the fish dies while you have it?

Heya! Yeah, that's my idea. And that's a good point - they'd have the choice to either get refunded or I'd acquire another one. I find that people are fickle and may leave me with fish they no longer want to get otherwise, and I don't have the space to keep them forever.