Start a home-based tropical fish business

Local hobbyists, beginners wanting advice, and keepers looking for less common fish than big pet chains stock.

Mark-up on fish and plants bought from wholesalers or bred by you, plus small sales of food, treatments and basic equipment. Pre-orders keep stock losses down.

• Fish keeping and water testing
• Photography and online listings
• Customer communication

• Home-based business and animal sales rules vary by municipality, so check zoning and licensing before you sell
• Some fish and plant species are restricted because they can harm local waterways, so check federal and provincial lists
• Never release unsold or unwanted fish into local waters
• Disease spreading between tanks, so keep new stock in quarantine
• Home insurance may not cover business activity, so ask about commercial general liability cover
• Higher power use and risk of tank failure during outages

Estimates typically put startup costs at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many tanks you set up, your stock and your equipment. Higher power use and the risk of tank failure during outages are also worth budgeting for.

Monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on your stock, your local hobbyist demand and how often you sell. These are estimates, not guarantees, and results vary from seller to seller.

Check your municipality's zoning, home-based business and animal sales rules before you sell. Also check federal and provincial lists of restricted species, and ask your insurer whether home cover applies to business activity.