Angela_96

If I have any luck w/ my african cichlids w/ the breeding I will spare some for you... right now my kenyi is holding for the first time....
I am going to try to find my yellow lab a girlie too... .
Not to mention my rubenens boys I am raising right now have 2 rubenens girls to hopefully pair up w/.
And, I have my zebras paired as well... I am working on pairing all of my cichlids

Allie

You do know that Africans don't pair up and that they need at least 3 females each. Now they may pair up if they are raised together like my blue hap ahli pair. We cannot find any full grown female blue haps to add to them. So once some other fry grows out we're hoping to get our hap ahli colony.

Angela_96

I know.. I need females period... I am going to get a bigger tank first... and figure out how to sex the other 3 we have we have a scofi, crabro, ice blue but we don't know if they are male or females? and only have 1 of each species...

Trpimp147

good stuff see every one wants to help and such. i have a another fish thats holding just no male.... i tryed buyign a few 2 died and one is stillt o small to sex.... its sad.... i need to pair a few more up.

Dino

A project like this takes a lot more effort and funds than most people imagine.
Sounds like you are doing good with the associates.
Money wise, make sure you have at least 6 months of cash on hand when starting, to pay your bills as you get established.

In our research for starting a store here, we have determined that starting with less than 100,000$ would pretty much cause the business to fail.
We are looking at setting up a 2500-3000 square foot store with operating principal very similar to what you are wanting to do.

To start we are looking at:

20,000$ to do the hardware, tanks, business equipment
20,000$ in supplies and livestock
10,000$ in advertising,

that leaves 50,000$ for salaries, operating expenses and unforseen emergencies.

At this point, we are looking to get started in just under 7 years.

Jim

Quite honestly at this point, to make it as nice as I picture in my head, I figure realistically somewhere between $100,000 and $250,000, so we're on the same page.

Dino

Excellent.
one factor that is helping us out is that CWC is going to be working in real estate, so we will have an inside scoop on finding a place to buy, not rent.

On the flip side of that, buying increases the start up cost by probably 100,000$.

Austin {Aquarist}

I would soo go to that LFS xD

Gamer

In late but I live in Florida and although it'd still be quite a drive out your way, I'd definately go there because I believe it would be the perfect LFS for me. I am convinced I want to start one of my own...although I admit, I have alot to learn first but maybe years from now I'll know more and who know's I may have the money and knowledge to do sumfin. For now I am just absorbing as much knowledge as I can on this but I do fear that the way I am throwing money at this hobby, I may never end up saving enough to go into business so let's hope I'd present a good business plan to get a loan with collateral. Again, years from now. It's more of a dream then it is a goal at the time.

pinkfloydpuffer

I'd also love to open my own fish store! It's one of the reasons I went into business in college, actually...