Selling Guppies: A Beginner's Guide (2024)

If you're looking to sell your guppies, there are a few options available to you. You could try contacting local pet stores, especially smaller, individually owned fish stores, as they are more likely to pay for locally bred fish. Online platforms such as eBay, aquabid, and Craigslist are also viable options for selling your guppies, but they will involve a more complex shipping process. Additionally, you can explore local aquarium clubs, which may provide opportunities to trade or sell to other club members. It's worth noting that the price you can expect for your guppies will depend on their size, health, and type, and you may only receive store credit instead of cash for your sales.

Local pet shops

If you're looking to sell your guppies, one option is to contact your local pet shops, particularly smaller, independent fish stores. These stores are more likely to pay for locally-bred fish, although the price they offer will likely be much lower than the prices they charge in-store. You may also be offered store credit instead of cash.

Some stores will have a minimum number of fish they are willing to buy, so it's worth bearing this in mind if you don't have many guppies to sell. For example, one store mentioned in my search results buys "50 lots" only, meaning they require 50 adult-sized fish.

Before approaching local pet shops, it's worth checking what your state's agriculture or fisheries department has to say on the matter. It's also worth noting that guppies need to be fully grown and developed before you can sell them.

• Research local pet shops in your area, particularly smaller, independent fish stores.
• Call or visit the stores to inquire about their policies on buying guppies from local breeders.
• Find out if they have any requirements or restrictions, such as a minimum number of fish or specific sizes/ages.
• Ask about pricing and whether they offer cash or store credit.
• Ensure your guppies are fully grown, healthy, and well-cared for before bringing them to the store.

Online

Selling guppies online is an option, but it requires a lot of commitment and resources, especially if you are selling to people in different locations, as this involves a shipping process.

You can try selling your guppies on websites such as eBay, aquabid, Craigslist, Gumtree, or Preloved. When selling online, it is important to consider the associated costs, such as shipping or platform fees, and factor these into the price you are selling your guppies for.

Before selling your guppies online, it is also worth checking the platform's guidelines, as some websites may have restrictions on selling live animals. Additionally, it is worth noting that the online market for guppies may be more competitive, as you will be competing with very low wholesaler prices from industrialised mega farms.

To get a better idea of how much to sell your guppies for, you can look at similar fish for sale online and see which ones are most similar to yours. It is also worth noting that the type of guppy you are selling will impact the price, with rare or unique strains often fetching a higher price.

Local aquarium clubs

To get started, look for local aquarium clubs in your area. You can try searching online or asking at your local pet store. Once you've found a few clubs, reach out to them to see if they allow members to buy, sell, or trade fish. Some clubs may have specific rules or guidelines for this, so it's important to ask beforehand.

When you attend club meetings, bring your guppies with you and let people know that you're looking to sell. You can also use these meetings to network and get to know other members. Building relationships with other enthusiasts can be helpful, as they may be interested in buying or trading for your guppies in the future.

Additionally, local aquarium clubs can be a great resource for learning more about guppies and fish care in general. Many clubs host educational speakers, workshops, or discussions, which can help you become a more knowledgeable seller.

• North East Guppy Club: A non-affiliated Guppy club that meets once a month in Central New Jersey. It invites all Guppy and aquarium enthusiasts to join for an afternoon of Guppy and aquarium talk. They offer free food, Guppies, Guppy books and magazines, and even some coupons for pet stores.
• South Jersey Guppy Group: An IFGA-affiliated club located in Dayton, NJ, that meets monthly. Dues are $10 per year.

Age of guppies

Guppies are typically sold when they are between two and six months old. At around two to three months old, guppies will start to show their colours, and at this point, they can be given away to friends or sold. Guppies will reach their full size in six months with good nutrition.

Guppies are considered adults at around seven weeks old, and they can be sold once their fins and colours have developed. Guppies can be sold at different ages depending on who you are selling them to. Commercial fish farms tend to buy young guppy fry, private parties may want to buy guppies when they are two months old, and fish stores may want to wait until the guppies' colours are fully developed.

Guppy fry need to be large enough to be kept safely with adult guppies before they can be sold. They should be at least 1/2 inch long and healthy. Guppies can be sold online on sites like eBay, AquaBid, Craigslist, or Facebook, or to local fish stores.

Guppy pricing

Guppies are deemed beginner-friendly fish that are affordable and easy to raise. However, their price can vary depending on factors such as exclusive traits, patterns, and colors.

If you're looking to buy average guppies, you'll only need to spend a couple of dollars. These are the mutt guppies, which are the least expensive of all the guppy types, costing only a couple of dollars each. You can get a breeding pair for as low as $9 or even less.

Fancy guppies, on the other hand, will usually set you back tens of dollars. The prices for fancy guppies like the multi delta or Moscow blue can start at $25 for a breeding pair or a couple of fry and can go as high as $50-$60 for a pair. These fish have interesting and vibrant colors that set them apart from your average guppies, as well as beautiful tails, tail patterns, and long flowy fins.

Rare strains, such as the Purple Moscow guppy, can be even more expensive, with a price range of $40-$100. Generally, the rarer and less widely available the color form of a guppy is, the more expensive it will be.

Male guppies are usually more expensive than female guppies. Although female guppies are larger, they are not as colorful as males. Most female guppies are plain silver, grey, yellow, or bronze with short tail fins, while male guppies can be found in most varieties. Some of the more colorful female guppies can cost up to $15, but they rarely cost more than a few dollars.

When selling guppies, you can try to contact a local fish store (LFS) to see if they will buy them from you. However, they may only offer you in-store credit instead of cash. If you're looking to sell locally, smaller individually-owned fish stores are more likely to pay for locally-bred fish. The price they pay will likely be much lower than what you see fish selling for in the store.

You can also try selling your guppies online, but this requires a lot more commitment and resources. The price you can sell your guppies for will depend on their type and rarity, as well as their size and health.

Frequently asked questions