Starting a Fish Shop

Summary: Fish is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. A tank or pond filled with colorful fishes is always a conversation piece be it at home, office or shops and malls. What with huge number of fish species to choose from, any fish tank or pond owner can take delight just by choosing what fish to take home and care for. Taking care of fishes, aquariums and ponds is not as complicated as other pet hobbies. This makes fish shop a good business anywhere in the globe.

However, as with any other trade, it is important that the entrepreneur entering into this kind of industry do not only have knowledge on the area but a genuine interest is beneficial in successfully running this kind of business. If you are into fishes, be it fresh water or salt water, establishing a fish shop business may just be for you.

Types of fishes

Before you start your fish shop business, it is important to figure out first what kind of fishes and fish aquarium and pond accessories are you going to focus on. Is it going to be for fresh water fishes or for saltwater fishes?

Salt water fishes, like its name suggest, are fishes that live in the sea like clown fish, angel fish, cardinals, etc. They are more expensive to buy and take care of than that of the fresh water type. Caring for these fishes require that the tank or aquarium that closely mirrors the water environment of their sea home. However, specialty shops have been breeding salt water fishes for some time now and fishes that are breed are mostly more tolerant to makeshift habitat.

Fresh water fishes are those that naturally live in the river or lake such as gold fish, koi, catfish, etc. These are more tolerant than salt water fishes and they are easier to take care of either in an aquarium or in a pond. Fresh water fishes may be a good place to start for an entrepreneur just entering into this kind of business.

Other item to sell

Aside from fishes, there are a lot of accessories that fish shop owners should make sure available in their shop. Especially those items needed for a start-up aquarium.

Some of the important ones are:

aquariums and stand
filtration equipment
Heating, lighting and hoods
Tank and pond decors
Books on aquariums, pond and fishes
Fish food
Water conditioner
Test kit: ammonia, nitrate, pH
Fish net

Notes:

People interested to start an aquarium but do not have any idea where to start or those already into this hobby for quite sometime already, will go to your store to look, shop, meet others with the same interest or just talk to the shop owner for updates on the latest on fishes. Be sure to update yourself always as you would not want to disappoint your customers.

98 Responses to "Starting a Fish Shop".

4. Amutati Thomas on 2/2/2009 11:08:55 AM

Hi, I and my wife are looking forward to open up a fish shop. we have to buy different types of frozen fish from the suppliers mostly from the coast of Namibia. The shop will be new. what exactly must the shop equipped with and we need connections with the supplier because we are located in the capital city Windhoek, We are also busy with the business plan that we must submit to the bank for financing us with the startup capital and we don't have any idea how much we must apply for. please assist

22. Valerie on 5/11/2009 12:05:05 PM

My father and I have always had aquariums and an interest in fish. We were both recently laid off and we would both love to run our own business. The closest fish shops in our area are 40-50 miles away. If you could send me as much information as you have I would greatly appreciate it. I would first like to know if there is a way to determine if my area would be receptive to this type of business. Thank you for your time.

25. will on 5/19/2009 7:46:45 PM

i've been taking care of tropical fish for several years now at first i just thought it would be cool to own a tank but as time went by i noticed that i was spending more time and money on them now i'm thinking i want to open a store of my own but don't know where to start and what i need to start so any info would be great thank you

26. Das on 6/6/2009 2:43:03 PM

Hello I have a passion for corals and saltwater fish for a long time. I got permission from my parents to start an online or local aquarium farm in my basement - where i will frag my own stuff and sell for cheaper than retail prices. I want to know what types of licensing, start-up costs, and other obstacles are in this. I plan to work the summer and during fall semester as I am a college student and by then I should have enough money for this business. Thanks and hopefully you can guide me the right way with an email!

29. yael on 6/16/2009 7:35:05 PM

i'm just 11 and don't have an email so you cant email me the one i put is fake but just a comment: i've loved saltwater and tropical fish for a long time, and gotten this feeling when i see the fish at our local store; a longing feeling. i just wish that someday, that feeling will be replaced with happiness and my dream will be fulfilled. bye, yAeL

36. Melanie Grassy on 7/22/2009 8:30:31 AM

Hi there, My brother and I are very interested in opening our own family business specializing in freshwater fish & supplies. We both have owned and bread fish (mainly cichlids) for many years now and would really appreciate some helpful advice as to where to begin with the store. He is qualified in cabinet making, my husband is excellent in making tanks and with our combined passion I know we can succeed. Hope to hear from you soon.

42. Troy on 9/20/2009 12:12:07 PM

I live in a college town and there is no fish or pet shop closer than 45 minutes away. I have been thinking of selling fish in the lobby of our quick lube since a lot of our customers are interested in our aquarium we have set up in there. I need some idea of where to buy the fish and what kinds to stock as well as how much stock I should have. Thanks.

50. daniel ferguson on 11/25/2009 11:38:28 AM

hi there, i am thinking of renting a shop in my local town for £12,000 per year. The area is Rubery in birmingham and i will be looking to sell cold water, tropical and marine fish with food and aquariums. I was just wondering what the correct procedures were on setting up a new business and am after advise on what costs to expect. many thanks Dan

53. Tyler Jabczynski on 12/17/2009 2:37:37 AM

i'm only 17 years old, and been planning to start a aquarium business for the last couple years. i've had a passion for freshwater fish, plants and the ecosystems they live in, for as long as i can remember. i've spent the last 2 years learning about fish breeding and fish disease, and i need help on where to go next. i'm hoping you guys can give me some tips on classes i could take that would help me... or maybe things i need to do or learn to get the required license(s) for selling aquarium products and animals. i also would like to know tips on choosing the ideal location that will attract many customers, the ideal amount of money i would need and things i could be doing right now that will help make all this possible. thanks for any help you can give!

54. Smoldovan on 12/19/2009 8:02:49 PM

Sheffield, pa. USA. I'm currently out of work and have always been a tropical fish lover. What would it take to start a fish store from scratch. I'm also pondering since there is a Wal-Mart and another pet store in the area, would it be feasible to try to start another. I know that the pet place is far over priced but people still are willing to pay (not me). However Wal-Mart fish always look sick and half dead, so I won't buy any from them. Do you think it's possible to start another and be profitable.

56. Jacqui on 1/2/2010 2:05:49 PM

My family and I are emigrating to the West Indies and would turn our hobby/passion into a small business and run a freshwater fish store. I am planning to take classes to learn more, but need more information on basic stuff like startup costs,essential equipment, certificates and licenses that are needed. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

63. thomas mccormick on 2/11/2010 11:30:36 PM

hey, my friend and i are very interested in opening a fish store. Currently we are selling koi out of our backyards and dont really know where to go from here. we have found a few locations that we are interested in and have visited a few wholesalers but dont know all the licenses and other info we should have. any advice would be great. long beach, california 90808

76. Tariq Mays on 4/26/2010 11:19:51 AM

Greetings, I just moved to the Kenyan coast, Diani Beach to be exact. I've purchased a 6 acre beach plot and its set in the perfect location. Now i would like to use a few acres of this land to start a Tropical fish business. The entire coast is protected by a coral reef which has some of the most beautiful fish in the ocean. Now that i got that out of the way, basically what i need to know is are you capable of recommending me any investors who can help me build and maintain the facility. As i am in need of a business partner who would love to take the opportunity to join in this rare deal. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

80. Lacy D on 5/29/2010 12:13:43 AM

Hello, my husband and I want to open a fish store in Oneonta, AL. The closest pet store, other than what wal-mart sells, is an hour and a half away. The fish they sell are always sick. If you want healthy fish we have to drive at least two hours sometimes longer. My husband and I have been talking about it for about two years. We are both unemployed at the moment and thought, now is the perfect time to start our business. Can you tell me what i need to do? I'd feel better if I knew exactly what to do.

86. Adam Danko on 7/4/2010 11:07:21 AM

Norton, OH 44203. I am going to start a virtual store in my basement. I will carry hardgoods. Coral frags. Live rock. And an array of fish. I want to start an online store. I would also like to allow people to visit in my basement, by appointment. What business licenses do I need? How do I obtain them? Are there any other regulations that I should be aware of. I want to start a customer base, then within the next five years open an actual storefront somewhere. I need the licensure for wholesalers. Thanks.

89. Meghann on 7/26/2010 10:08:36 AM

HI, My husband and I have been talking about opening and aquarium store. He really enjoys salt water tanks, and already has started raising coral's in his tank at home. I'm better at the business side of things. But my main concerns are how much does it take to start, and how do you know if its going to work in your area without wasting all the time and money of opening. We currently live in SW forida which is perfect for it, but were wanting to move back to my hometown in Greenville area of South Carolina, how do I know if there's even a good market for it? Thank you for your help in advance! Meghann

91. Shawn on 7/31/2010 1:45:12 AM

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I don't think there's a posting on here on how to start up a fish tackle/bait store. Can anyone please advise on where to get suppliers information? how much start up cost would be for a medium sized (700 square feet) store and the list of things needed for the store? I want to start one up and eventually expand into something else much bigger. Please please please any help would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted at shawn_dang@hotmail.com Thank you in advance. Cheers!, Shawn

96. Jacob Bender on 8/10/2010 8:40:48 PM

Hey I have started selling koi fish myself and would love to help anybody who is interested in starting a koi or fish store. I deal koi and certain marine fish too. If anybody is interested in starting a wholesaling deal of some kind I would be open to it. I import koi from Isa koi farm, Ogata, Niigat, Matsunosuke, etc, so these are some high quality fish at low prices! Email: Benderkoifarms@gmail.com

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98 Responses to "Starting a Fish Shop".

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