Home based business: Ornamental fish culture

Engage in a Home based business and you will have more time for the family. Teach your children the rudiments of the trade early in life so that they would be prepared when the time comes for them to be on their own. Save on rental cost having your shop in the garage. Have more time for work and family. Time is not wasted commuting or dressing up. Do you have the passion for breeding fish? Turn that passion into a home based business.

Ornamental fish culture means breeding aquarium fishes as decorative displays in homes or establishments. A garage is a perfect place to put up one. Fabricate a metal rack where you could put 3 rows of 50-gallon aquariums. Build a pond at your garden for pond fishes like Japanese carp or koi. Put water in the tanks and pond. The water should be free from chlorine, check to be sure. Install aerator and filter pumps to introduce oxygen in the water and maintain purity of water. A tank can hold more fishes if properly aerated.

The venturi type aerator is designed for loading more fish. A fountain or waterfall is best suited for garden ponds. Aside from the mechanical filter that removes solids in the water, utilize a biological filter to remove harmful ammonia and nitrite. Biological filters usually consist of many small pebbles or plastic, which gives a large surface area for bacteria to thrive. These bacteria break down ammonia and nitrite to harmless nitrates, serves as food for water plants. Buy the ornamental fishes you are interested in breeding. After buying the fish do not put it directly on the tank, acclimatize it first. Accomplish this by letting the plastic containing the fish float on the aquarium for about 5 minutes before letting it out. Feed the fish with commercial fish food and live feed occasionally.

Clean the live feed before giving it to the fish to prevent disease. Live feed is better to maintain cleanliness of the water. Do not overfeed the fish; give just enough food that they can consume in 5 minutes. Remove excess food, this could decompose and affect water quality. Change 5% of the water daily and ensure that it is at the right pH level. Fish gasping at the surface is a sign that there is low dissolve oxygen level in the water and the fish could not breathe. Change about 50 to 70% of the water to remedy this situation. It's possible that the tank is overstocked or there is not enough aeration for the tank. Now that you are running the fish shop, it is time to do some marketing. Introduce yourself to pet shop owners; you can probably supply them ornamental fishes. Put up a display of colorful or bestseller fishes in your shop. Install a signboard. Join koi competitions. Buy fish supplies in bulk and sell it to your clients. Things like filter media, a few filters, aquarium, decorative aquarium pieces, aerators, even live fish food like mill worms. While breeding koi, fingerlings with unfavorable color patterns may be culled and sold as fish food.

This type of home based business usually begins as a hobby. Your kids would enjoy taking care of the fish while learning about the business. Watching the fish swim in their tanks has a calming effect on its audience. A nice hobby earns money.