# Which would you buy?



## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Though they may not all be FISH, I didn't know whether to stick them in finless, or other fish :roll: 

Anyways, long story short I wouldn't mind breeding something that would in the end be a little more profitable, so I'm just adding a poll to see what would be more desired, and what's not. And I'm not breeding until I am absolutely certain of the breed, species, care, etc. =D

Of course the poll won't automatically determine what I will breed, but it will help. My roomie has dealt with most of these that are named, breeding and keeping-wise so he can help me out


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Mudskippppper!
I'm not sure if they breed in captivity though.
What about breeding axolotl?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

hmmm never thought of that =D 

And it's "possible" just a lengthy, more....elaborate set up rather than sticking two in a tank. They tend to breed better in something that mimics their habitat VERY well. It'd be a time consuming project.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

What about breeding a quality pair of bettas, you'll make a nice profit off of that if you choose the right pair


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I obviously have the cruddiest luck with bettas. :/ and here, no one wants bettas, unless they are cheap. Like...dirt cheap. and dirt cheap doesn't cover set up D:


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yea betta aren't worth it really.
Mudskippers are expensive, they need brackish water and a pretty smart set up, but you could easily net $100 a piece for them.
Or fire belly toads, cheaper set up and breed a lot easier.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Hmmm maybe instead of mudskippers place axolotl in there xD shoot. lol.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Axolotl are boss.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: they are pretty interesting.... I'd have to ship them here though, since the ONE I saw here, is RARE and severely costly!! D: But, I'll have some extra money so I can do this kind cooleo stuff x)


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

i vote axolotl x3


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

I heard leopard geckos are the easiest geckos to breed.I am not sure if they fetch a good price because they are hard to find in my city.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Here they cost...um....45.00 in this store... other stores about 25-35 I think. I'd have to scout around =D

OMG my roomie and I are going to BIG AL'S whenever we can!!!! =D He deals more in reptiles and amphibians, and I deal with fish xD


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## emeraldsky (Oct 4, 2011)

Axolotls are pretty easy to breed from what I've heard and really popular.


I vote for P. Watl, Spanish Ribbed Newts. I find them fantastically ugly/adorable and want one so bad XD So I suppose I'm slightly biased.



My vote goes to Axolotl as well then.


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## Erin908 (May 28, 2012)

I have experience with breeding axolotls. (in fact, mine is up for stud at the moment) My first spawn was an "oops" spawn. We had no idea that the guy we got them from DID NOT give us two girls, but a boy and a girl instead. They are super rewarding to breed and fun to raise but they have their challenges. My advice is DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!! You will be super grateful you did. If you have any questions about breeding axxies please feel free to PM me and I will answers them to the best of my knowledge. (That includes everyone)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Awesome, Erin =D axolotls are not common here, and they would turn heads. especially when the little guys are 80.00 in town! lower price, better sales. ;-) Of course, homework before the projects  for anything, really.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Don't you have to house the babies separate or they can eat each other? Not sure at what point. Saw an axie breeder with 7363738 tiny kritter keepers for each baby.
Each animal has it's downfalls. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

xD well, kritter keepers it is LOL. They probably could be territorial - I mean, most males are against each other of most species!!

-reading up on it- Apparently for beginners, a large amount of eggs can result in being overwhelmed, and most if not all of the larvae dying... best to give a good amount away. Makes sense =D But... I have two people on my team MWAHAHA (roomie xD) 24-72 hours after they hatch, feed them... And unlike betta fry MUST HAVE ONLY LIVE FOODS o.o Daphnia for youngin's, and hold off microworms untill they start getting their front legs  Oh, and BBS for youngin's as well... (I'll be getting fairy shrimp.)


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Isn't that weird... No micro worms until they have front legs.. And how too many micro worms may cause no ventrals in betta.. What is in those things!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: well apparently for axolotls, they are not as nutritious as daphnia, brine shrimp/fairy shrimp  who knew?! 

Oh, the "attack each other" part...the bigger ones become cannibals because they snap at anything that moves....like their smaller siblings. So dividing them into small numbers in tubs/containers is a good idea... And it changes the look of their head and teeth! When they are one inch... the person personally does "maximum of 25 larvae per 45x20x25 cm" which makes sense... and feed them thawed frozen bloodworms =D Keep them at 22 degrees celsius (yay! canadian! baha) which is about room temperature. And at 10 days old, fast growth, they are an inch. Wow. They grow faster than bettas


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

That's good!
And yea that's a huge plus that they won't need heaters for every little guy.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

yay! xD Geesh I am having a hard time finding someone who has them, whether breeder, online in Canada, or an actual store o_o perhaps I need to go to the city xD


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Hmm if you're willing to ship, search kijiji Toronto.. Or any other large city. Toronto has a couple of breeders (though one never even responded when I asked what colors they have availible.)
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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Hmmm okay =D I would be willing to ship, I'd want two...male and female, obviously xD


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Breeding any animal isnt profitable....


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I'm sure by "a little more profitable" she means something that isn't a total money sink like betta..
If you're dedicated and willing to ship you would get a return on your axies eventually. Even breaking even shouldn't take too long.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

MrVampire181 said:


> Breeding any animal isnt profitable....


+999999999999

OK, here is my two cents. I breed leopard geckos, bearded dragons and next year will be crested geckos as well (if my female is up to breeding weight).

Breeding anything, you will not even break even. Many breeders of all kinds of animals do not break even and end up bankrupt. The first five years of a breeding venture are the most crucial and difficult.

I'll do an example with leopard geckos, since I know them the best. You need to buy a quality pair of leopard geckos. Which morph you get depends on how much you'll be spending. Breeding leopard geckos is not like breeding bettas, there are SO MANY genetics in leopard geckos and there are many "rules" regarding these genetics (don't mix the albino strains - yes, there is more than one- for example). You need a minimum of 2 tanks, to quarantine the leos away from each other, and then separate them after breeding takes place. Contrary to popular belief, leopard geckos SHOULD NOT BE HOUSED TOGETHER. You need to have money put aside for vet bills as the female can have many problems during the breeding period. For example, my blizzard female became eggbound, despite doing everything she needed. Just going to the vet to CONFIRM its eggbinding costs $90.00, that is not including the surgery and medications afterwards. And that surgery is a risky procedure. You need to have under tank heating. NOT OVERHEAD. Which can run anywhere from $50 to closer to $100. You need a separate, heated enclosure for every baby. And leopard geckos hatch 2 eggs per clutch, with up to and sometimes over 10 clutches a year. Leopard geckos can store sperm, so even if you only allow them to mate once, they can still produce eggs months after copulation. 
That is not including the hundreds of dollars in live foods. Leopard geckos NEED live foods. 

It works out to be A LOT of money. You won't break even. You'll be far from it; FAR FAR from it. And that goes with any animal. Even getting things second hand only saves so much money. 

You should never ever buy an animal with the only intention of breeding. I think that is just cruel. I decided to breed these animals after I'd had them for a year. During that time I did A LOT of research. I'm a member of several forums. I also have a breeding mentor, who I can call, e-mail and hang out with whenever I want. She has proven to be invaluable to me, helping me through everything step by step. I think you should own an animal for at least a year before considering to breed them; you need experience. I also believe you should be experienced in raising these animals already, that way you KNOW how to handle the animal at every stage of its life. I bought adult leopard geckos and baby leopard geckos before breeding so that I could understand the differences in their care, and how different it is in handling them and taming them. 

You also need to look at the possibility that you won't sell all these animals; what are you going to do with them? If you are in a tight position money wise already, how are you going to afford to feed the mouths of the animals that DON'T sell. 

And what about culling? Culling a reptile is a LOT different than culling a fish. Do you know a common way of culling a reptile? Smashing it over the head with a brick. I'm completely serious. Will you have the stomach to do that? Because you WILL face that situation. Paying a vet to put down every animal that needs to be culled will not be an option.

Also, no offense to everyone on here, but the majority of the people who are answering this thread won't be buying your animals so their opinions shouldn't really matter. You need to ask the people in YOUR area what is the most popular and which of these they would most like to buy. What is popular in the US may not be popular here in Canada. 

I say if you are looking to earn more money, get a job. Breeding animals is purely for fun and improving the species. Its not about making money.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'd go with leopard geckos.I must have missed something. I see you're going with something else.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm curious, Kathryn. What do you do with your babies?


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

dramaqueen said:


> I'm curious, Kathryn. What do you do with your babies?


I sell my geckos online and to friends and family. What I don't sell that way are bought by 3 local reptile/exotic reptile shop. I completely trust these shops as ive bought off them before and seen how they care for their reptiles. 

Next year I'm hoping to buy a table in a few reptile expos to sell my lizards ther which would really get my name out there.

Edit: I also keep a few as holdbacks for next breeding season. What doesn't sell at all I would keep. I have a large rack system set up for my reptiles and my family may convert our basement to a reptile room in the future. Until that jappens though I have plenty of room for those that don't sell. The rack system cost a lot of money but its worth it to feel secure in knowin.g I have the room for any that don't sell.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

How many eggs do they lay?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Can I point out, I already noted I would be doing research BEFORE BUYING ANY ANIMAL. Plus, they aren't "just for breeding, that's just cruel." How do you think most of these creatures exist? They spontaneously evolved into wonderous colors, tail types, sizes, without the intervention of people? Yes, and no. And a post is right... It wouldn't be a money sink as bettas, for me. Something to do, I can get information from my roommate who has a LOT of experience, and can guide me with certain animals. 

This poll was mainly to see WHAT people would be most interested in buying, especially if it were near them, or more available to them. I would not obviously breed something that would be WAY out of my range, but once you get started with breeding, you start to gain back what you put in, a little at a time. This isn't some get rich scheme, if you believe it is. I'm not stupid. I don't believe in those bogus, stupid get rich schemes that everyone boasts about.

Please note, I do not want to have my thread turn into a heated argument. Everyone has their opinion, their ideas, and their plans.


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## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)

Breed axolotls so I can buy one from you xD


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

lol!!!

side note: Of course I'd have to own them before breeding them xD I wouldn't feel comfortable. Wouldn't know them at all, their traits and personalities included. I didn;t dive into betta breeding, like some people I've seen done. I may own a budgie, and guineas, but refuse to breed either (for many, MANY good reasons).  =D NO I don't know what I am doing yet, but I will make sure I do 


And plus, if I go with axolotls, we only ever see them here maybe up to 5 times a year. VERY rare here, and VERY expensive (80.00 for a wholesaler bred one MINIMUM), and I would definitely own them first, if only just because I could own them =D even if I don't end up breeding on purpose. Apparently they tend to breed when you don't expect it, more than when you ready for it LOL. Silly critters.

Yes these people on here "are not the one buying" but to me their opinions DO matter. I'm not going to single out 10 random people in this dinky town, for opinions. I already know what is rare... and what is rare, is what I posted on the poll  (other than some of the larger fish like sharks, piranhas, etc)


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

The poll was so you could get an idea of what people like most. Like you're going to breed everything on your poll. Breed them all, Sena!! lol


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

xD Sure!!! Maybe cross breed? An axolecko.  (omfg that would scare the buh-jeezus out of me.)

.... ha. that would be the ugliest animal xDDD

wow @[email protected] anywho,... :lol: I will say people here love hamsters and birds... they can bloody well get them elsewhere those are critters I won't breed :roll: perhaps conures, in the very, very far future. But unlikely.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Axolecko! Lmao. That would be quite an interesting animal.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Alrighty, because alberta isn't really.... good with vocalizing what you can and cannot own, axolotls are out of the mix. I asked my roomie about them, and he noted for some reason last year they have been made illegal to own in alberta (how I loathe you, alberta -.-), HOWEVER there is one like... the sirens, which are a MUCH larger version of the axolotls, legal, aaaaand that's the only info I could find :roll:

However I asked him to ask why axolotls are illegal, I would like to know. I mean, rats are thought of as pests so that is a little more obvious why, but axolotls were here, no problems, and suddenly banned....?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Weird! O-O
I couldn't find anything except that tons of people keep them in Alberta anyways. As a whole in Canada you can own them, must be an Alberta thing. But you said pet shops have them!
I totally would have bought one too, I'm even in Canada! ;-;
Also, siren (some species have front legs some don't). If you attack it in any way it let's out an ear shattering scream.
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/sc_armi/salamanders/images/Siren_intermedia_large.jpg
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

yes xD I know... Hence it's name, the Siren (there's your folklore :roll but, they are the only ones like axolotls. I wanna contact them and ask why axolotls were made illegal... it's news to me! They do a terrible job of broadcasting new "illegal" stuff. 

But, nothing is set in stone for breeding, it's just a "hmm what about this?" and such :lol:


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yea.. This is why I like Ontario, there's like, no restrictions on animals. Except pit bulls. o-o
Btw, don't bother with water dragons of anything on this list.


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## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)

Aaaaah the Sirens are scary looking ;~; I like the little leggies on axolotl.

Also, how does one pronounce axolotl? xD


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Haha. I was wondering the same thing.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

ax-oh-lot-oh-l :lol: say it slow, then you can speed it up.

And the sirens, are also a good choice since in canada they are rare :/ But I dunno ANYTHING about them.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Do your research, Sena! Don't you know anything? Lol jk


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: Hard to research something so....scarce xD All I know, is that they tend to be over 18 inches, sometimes ranging to a whopping METER in size, they make a clicking sound, a sound like a baby duck or tree frogs, they bite (attitude!), and are 80.00 each, brought to your door by the breeder. Oh, and they love bloodworms


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I don't think sirens would be as popular though?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

apparently here they are sought after since they are rare. but, I'm not going to be breeding for a bit =D my roomie says he has two salamanders, the female is a breeder and the other is a male... If I wanted.


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## Crowntailed (Apr 19, 2012)

just dont do a CW they get huge, so you will spend 500+ just on the cage.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

heh about that...... >.> yesterday we had...an interesting and cheap "we won't pass up" moment. Um... look at "plethory of animals (and fish)" in "other fish" lol. Lots of pictures.... and even the cages/aquariums....were free. We spent 60 on getting there, bribing my brother LOL. :lol:

Anywho, CW?? (it's morning...)


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## Crowntailed (Apr 19, 2012)

chinese water dragon, CW or CWD for short. (Also known as green water dragon)


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Sometimes the cages cost almost as much as the animal. Lol


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes! lol. Or more than... I mean my 80 was 300 x.x without filter. I use two filters I have on hand LOL


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