Recently, aquariums have received a new birth. They are installed not only at home, but also in offices, retail premises. Thanks to them, it becomes possible to create a real marine world very close by. You can show your imagination, make an exotic out of a familiar room. Taking into account such demand, the number of firms that undertake the manufacture of custom-made aquariums has increased dramatically.

Making custom marine aquariums is considered a lucrative business these days. It does not require large investments, and in the presence of a wide client base, the business will quickly gain momentum. It is important that any company cannot produce a large number of aquariums, and orders are constantly available.

Production of aquariums to order

Opening any business involves solving a number of organizational issues. The most important of them is the preparation of documentation, the search for premises and the hiring of personnel. Initially, the manufacture of aquariums to order requires paperwork, for business it is necessary:

• register individual entrepreneurship;
• open a bank account;
• determine the system of taxation;
• get the codes of the state committee on statistics;
• provide a rental agreement;
• discuss everything with the sanitary and fire services;
• take care of the conclusion of the contract for the removal of garbage.

Making aquariums to order does not require a special license. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of premises. It should be comfortable, not less than 30 sq.m. The necessary tools should fit here, tables on which aquariums will be made to order. Since the work involves the use of equipment, the release of toxic substances, the appearance of dust, it is worth taking care of good ventilation.

Making marine aquariums to order can hardly be called an easy process. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the selection of professional workers. It must be people who have experience in such things. Initially, the staff should include approximately 4 people, one of which will be an accountant. With the growth of the scale of production, the staff can be increased.

Their salary should be calculated from a percentage of income, this will help insure against a lack of orders. Making custom covers for aquariums can be a separate item in the price list. Separately, you can turn on their service item. When making a purchase, many people find themselves in a difficult position regarding the installation location. A cabinet for an aquarium to order can become an additional paid service.

If you don’t like the development of such a business, then you can think about. Of course, it will be good if you have experience in creating evening dresses.

Types of aquariums

Today, the choice of aquariums is a pleasant surprise. It can be a variety of models. It all depends on the imagination of the customer. However, it is worth highlighting the most popular:

1. freshwater. In their appearance, they resemble real reservoirs. Usually they are decorated with appropriate plants, shells, pebbles. As for the inhabitants of such beauty, they are a wide variety of fish. It can be either one variety or a whole community. To make the inhabitants feel comfortable, they should install various places of shelter. The size of the aquarium depends on the number of pets.
2. Marine. If freshwater was considered in the last paragraph, then everything here is adjusted to marine life. The owners try to recreate the marine fauna as much as possible. Not only fish, but also other invertebrate creatures can live here. Sizes should advise, no small drawers.
3. Pseudomoric. At the same time combine two types. In practice, a marine environment is obtained, but with freshwater inhabitants.

Regardless of the type, the shape of the product can be completely different. It all depends on personal preferences, scale and installation location. Still popular.

Preparation method

It is worth highlighting the main types of production:

• frame. To create, they first create the basis - the body. It can be made from any material, but steel is considered the highest quality. After that, all parts are connected by welding. Based on the size of the frame, glass is selected, which are installed on a special putty. Everything is carefully joined, the excess is removed, and the cracks are smeared with a mixture of cement and varnish. After a week, the aquarium dries up and is ready for use;
• adhesive. For the manufacture use silicate or plexiglass. After that, the glass is connected with special adhesives. If we are talking about small-sized aquariums, they are easily glued, but voluminous ones, up to 1000 liters, are assembled using screws, and the joints are glued in several approaches. This is the only way to achieve high quality. To make everything look aesthetically pleasing, it is necessary to walk along the joints with sandpaper, and then carefully degrease. Each seam must be processed on both sides.

Before sending the order, all products are rigorously tested. To do this, they pour water into them and check if the liquid seeps through. It is important to calculate the width of the glasses before the manufacturing process. Otherwise, the likelihood of making an aquarium of poor quality increases. You can combine business with.

Aquarium equipment

The entrepreneur will need to purchase:

• mounting tables. Their average price is from 5,000 rubles;
• mounting gun. With it, you need to connect the parts. Price from 6,000 - 90,000 rubles. It all depends on the power;
• a set of professional knives;
• glass cutting tools;
• grinding machine. Helps to smooth sharp edges. The price of such an installation is from 20,000 - 200,000 rubles.

The average cost of purchasing all equipment will cost at least 100,000 rubles. However, the costs do not end there, you need to purchase auxiliary materials:

• glass;
• glue;
• acetone;
• adhesive tape for decoration;
• spatulas, brushes, soldering irons.

During the process, possible additional costs will be introduced. It all depends on the range of services. It will be nice, which is issued according to two documents. This is a good option for urgent purchases.

Marketing

You can always start a business with start-up capital. But before you register it, you should decide on a profile. On what exactly will the case be fixed. Perhaps it will be the release of standard models, or work on individual orders. After that, it is worth making an estimate, according to which it will be possible to calculate the price of the goods.

Usually it includes the cost of purchasing materials, the thickness of the glass, the presence of decor, exclusivity, lead time. Most often, one large aquarium is made in a month, but if the customer wants to reduce the time, it is worth increasing the payment.

The reputation of the company is also important. The more positive reviews about it, the more serious the price tag. Therefore, it is so important to do everything qualitatively. This will help build a good customer base.

Today, the manufacture of custom-made aquariums is actively practiced in Moscow and other large cities of Russia. Therefore, everyone can try the case. When sales improve, it is recommended to expand production. You can arrange the sale of fish, accessories for aquariums, plants. Video on making aquariums to order:

Home aquarism is a fascinating pastime. Such pets do not require a lot of space and attention, and watching swimming fish is a very pleasant and relaxing experience. An important issue will be the arrangement of comfortable housing, in which there will be all the necessary devices. Our article will tell you how to make an aquarium yourself and what materials are used for this.

How to make an aquarium with your own hands: the necessary materials

There are many models of ready-made aquariums on sale, but not always a large selection means that you can find an option suitable for your wishes and possibilities. If you plan to make an aquarium yourself, you must prepare all the necessary tools and materials in advance.

What will be required:

• Glass or plexiglass of suitable thickness.
• glass cutter
• Measuring tool.
• Silicone for aquariums and a gun for its application.
• Masking tape.
• Small spatula.

Additionally, you need to prepare a rag for wiping glass, a sharp knife and a building level. It is advisable to carry out all work on a flat, solid surface suitable for the size of the future aquarium.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of adhesive composition. It is preferable to use special aquarium silicone.

In addition to increased strength and moisture resistance, it has a safe chemical composition. Conventional sealants for such work are not provided, because the chemicals in the composition can cause the death of fish.

We make a beautiful aquarium on our own

The whole process begins with determining the size of the future aquarium.

The thickness of the glass must match its size, otherwise the design will be fragile.

Models of relatively small displacement are usually made from plexiglass. It is preferable to purchase special tempered glass, be sure to check it for defects. When filling the container with water and turning on the backlight, any irregularities and air voids in the glass will be especially noticeable. In addition, marriage negatively affects the strength of the structure, and there will be a serious load on the walls and bottom.

How to make an aquarium with your own hands:

1. Glass cutting can be carried out independently, but many fertilizers order this service separately when purchasing material. So the cuts turn out to be more even and neat, which will facilitate the work.
2. When calculating the dimensions of the glass, it is necessary to take into account the method of fastening the side walls. There are only two of them: the walls rest on the bottom, or the walls are located around it. In the first variant, the width of the side walls must be reduced by two thickness sizes. The second involves adding this value to the dimensions.
3. Glass edges must be sanded. This can also be done in a workshop offering glass cutting services. At home, it is necessary to prepare a sufficiently capacious container with water and a grindstone. Works are carried out under water, the glass is installed on the fabric to avoid chipping edges and corners.
4. The ends to be glued must be dried well and degreased with alcohol or acetone.
5. The bottom of the aquarium is installed on a solid base (table or workbench). It should be borne in mind that in this position the finished product will dry for at least three days, so the assembled aquarium should not interfere with daily activities.
6. To make the seams look neater, and you don’t have to scrape off excess sealant from the glass, it is necessary to insulate the edges with masking tape, stepping back 5-6 mm on each side.
7. On the end face of the front wall, it is necessary to apply sealant in a uniform layer, the thickness of which is approximately ⅔ of the thickness of the glass. It is more convenient to do this with a special device - the so-called pistol. A small aquarium with walls up to 4 centimeters is more convenient to handle with a large (40 ml) syringe.
8. If the walls are located around the bottom, the sealant is applied to the ends of the bottom glass.
9. We apply the front part to the bottom, it is not necessary to press the glass strongly, there should be a small gap between the walls. The protruding sealant is carefully leveled with a spatula in the width of the seam.
10. For beginners, it is preferable to use a transparent sealant - so the seams will be almost invisible. Black sealant looks the best, especially for large structures. At the same time, the slightest irregularities will be noticeable on such a seam, therefore, without proper application experience, it is better to refuse such material. There is also a white sealant, but it may turn yellow over time. In addition, designs with white seams are more difficult to organically fit into the interior.
11. The installation of the walls begins with the front, then the ends are installed, and lastly, the back. For convenience, wooden supports or special clips for attaching glass can be provided. Also, the glasses can be fastened together with masking tape, which can be easily removed later.
12. The location of the walls is controlled using the building level. It is no longer possible to correct flaws after the adhesive has dried, so we check the angles and slope of the walls immediately.
13. The final step is to remove excess silicone with a soft, damp sponge (with a knife if the glue has hardened). It is better to remove the adhesive tape the next day after applying the glue, and the aquarium itself must stand for at least three days without water for the final polymerization of the sealant.

After three days, the product is checked for leaks. If a leak is detected, the water must be drained, the leaks must be dried and degreased. After that, the seams are once again sealed with a sealant according to the already described algorithm and left to dry.

How to make a big aquarium with your own hands

Large aquariums look especially advantageous. If the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour housing allows you to place an aquarium with a large displacement, you must also take into account the features of its self-production. Our tips will tell you how to make a large volume aquarium with your own hands.

How to make a big aquarium:

• First you need to calculate the thickness of the glass in accordance with the displacement. The following table will help determine this parameter.
• Additional strength will provide a frame made of a metal corner. Gaps between glass and metal are treated with sealant.
• Additional strength of the structure will be given by stiffening ribs and screeds. These are long strips of glass glued at the ends to the front and rear walls (stiffening ribs), as well as across (screeds). Reinforcement is required for containers over 50 liters. The main rule: the higher the aquarium, the more it is necessary to provide screeds.
• For containers with a displacement of more than 500 liters, stiffeners are also made at the bottom.
• Ensuring the strength of the structure is also achieved due to the double bottom. In this case, the upper part should be less than the lower part by exactly the thickness of the side walls plus a margin for the seam.

It should be noted that with an increased glass thickness, it is necessary to withstand the curing time of the sealant for about a week.

At the bottom, an adhesive composition is applied in several passes, between which a drying time of 3-4 days is maintained. Usually, the following formula is taken into account: 1-1.5 mm of sealant is polymerized per day. It is also necessary to withstand an additional couple of days for the final solidification of the composition.

How to make an aquarium with your own hands at home video

To understand in more detail the features and nuances, as well as to see clearly how to make an aquarium yourself at home, the video presented will help. It shows a step-by-step algorithm of work, the process of applying a sealant, as well as the finished result. Inspired by this example, you can safely proceed to the independent manufacture of an aquarium.

How to make a marine aquarium

Making an aquarium with your own hands makes it possible to translate unusual ideas into reality. So you can make a beautiful aquarium for exotic inhabitants. The main difference is the large displacement and specialized equipment. The volume should be from 200 liters or more so that the ecosystem can develop and function.

Necessary equipment:

• External filter with filler. It can be coal, sponge and ceramic chips.
• Skimmer - a special device for removing foam.
• The pump filter oxygenates the water and helps remove waste.
• Temperature controller.
• A hydrometer that determines the density of a liquid.
• Ultraviolet lamp.
• Separate container for preparing sea water.
• Filter consumables, salt supply, bacterial preparations, acidity tests.

Before the relocation of the inhabitants, it is necessary to prepare and defend the water, populate it with the microorganisms necessary for the health of the fish.

An uninhabited aquarium should stand for a couple of weeks so that a suitable environment can form inside. Starting a marine aquarium is much more difficult than usual, and care at first will also bring a lot of trouble. At the same time, if everything is done correctly, the established mini-ecosystem will function with minimal outside interference.

A home-made aquarium will perfectly fit into the interior and will become a source of special pride for the owner. A little patience and the advice of our article will help you make a beautiful and reliable “fish house” of the right size.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

1. PROJECT SUMMARY

This business plan considers a project for breeding freshwater aquarium fish at home with a view to their subsequent implementation in a city with a population of more than 1 million people and making a profit. Distribution channels will be private aquarists, as well as pet stores, aquarium stores, etc. Fish will be sold both through an online store and through a non-stationary outlet in the bird market.

To implement the project, it will be necessary to purchase aquariums of various sizes and other equipment necessary to ensure their vital activity, purchase fish, as well as food for several months. The advantage of the project is that there are no expenses for rent and renovation of the premises, the need to hire staff and receive special education. In fact, the business will have a family format and represent a source of additional income.

The volume of investments in the project is 468.9 thousand rubles. Payback period - 23 months. The preparatory period before the start of sales will take 4 months, which are necessary for raising fish for sale.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY AND COMPANY

Freshwater aquarium keeping is a popular hobby among people of all ages. The demand for aquarium fish is highest in the United States of America and European countries, where the aquarium fish trade industry is well developed. One of the major trends in the industry that aquarists have noticed in recent years is the marine aquarium trend. However, in Russia it is less pronounced due to the lower awareness of amateurs and the unwillingness to raise marine fish. Often, instead of exotic, the bulk of the population prefers small and widespread freshwater species of ornamental fish that do not require any serious effort to maintain them.

Due to the fact that the breeding of aquarium fish in Russia is mostly a shadow business, which is often a way of additional income for the population, it is difficult to give any intelligible statistics on it. According to Rosstat, as of July 10, 2016, 2,139 firms were registered under OKVED related to fish farming in general, of which 201 firms chose OKVED 05.02.11 “Reproduction of fish and aquatic biological resources by non-agricultural producers”. However, these figures hardly reflect the real number of those who breed aquarium fish.

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About the number of Russians who have aquarium fish at home, one can also speak only approximately. According to surveys by VTsIOM (2010), Levada Center (2014) and NAFI (2016), about 4%, 6% and 3% of the population have aquarium fish as “pets”, respectively. That is, according to various sources, from 4.4 to 8.8 million Russians eat fish at home. The greatest demand for aquarium fish is in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg and other million-plus cities with the largest number of solvent audiences.

This project is to organize a business for breeding freshwater aquarium fish at home with a view to their subsequent implementation in a city with a population of more than 1 million people and making a profit. The activity of breeding aquarium fish will be a family business and a source of additional income. The main responsibilities will be assigned to the project initiator, registered as an individual entrepreneur and having previous experience in aquarism. Ancillary work will be carried out by members of the initiator's family.

Breeding of aquarium fish will be organized in one of the rooms of a private household, for which aquariums of various sizes and the necessary equipment will be purchased. Sales channels will be private aquarists, as well as pet stores, aquarium shops, etc. It is planned to sell fish through an online store, as well as through a non-stationary outlet in the bird market.

To bring your idea to life, you will need to go through the following steps:

purchase equipment and compactly organize space for activities;

to install aquariums;

buy fish and food supplies;

create an online store;

place information about yourself on the Internet and social networks;

to grow fish for a stable organization of sales;

The preparatory period will be 4 months. The preparatory period does not take into account the professional training of the project initiator (taking aquarium courses, reading specialized literature, and so on), since it is assumed that the experience of breeding aquarium fish in small volumes was carried out earlier.

The volume of initial investments will amount to 468.9 thousand rubles. Articles of initial expenses are stated in Table. 1 business plan. It is supposed to reach payback for the 23rd month of work. The start of sales is scheduled for September 2017. Thus, the advantages of the project include: no expenses for rent and renovation of the premises, no need to hire staff due to the family format of the business, as well as obtaining special education or any qualifications.

Table 1. Investment costs of the project

3. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES

The most popular fish will be selected for breeding. When choosing the assortment, the demand in pet stores of the city was analyzed and the most popular species were identified. The company will operate in the middle price segment. In Table. 2 of the business plan presents an indicative price list for all types of fish planned for sale (retail). In the future, the assortment of the store can be expanded by selling rarer fish species, as well as providing aquarium cleaning services, the production of algae, invertebrates, live food, etc.

Table 2. Price list

	TYPE OF AQUARIUM FISH	Cost, rub.
cichlids
	Libidochromis Yellow
	Nimbochromis Venustus
	Zebra marmalade
	Aulonokara multicolor
	Aulonocara Orchid
	Pseudotropheus demasoni
	Pseudotropheus zebra orange
	Haplochromis cornflower blue
	Aulonokara Bensha yellow
	scalar
	Nannakara neon
	parrot fish
	Apistogram of Ramirezi
Somiki
	Ancistrus
	Speckled corridor
	The corridor is golden
	Platidoras striped
	Tarakatum
Loaches
	Botsia the Clown
	Botsia lokahata
viviparous
	mollienzia
	Pecilia red
	Swordtail red
	black swordsman
Characins, tetras, rasboras
	neon blue
	neon red
	neon black
	Ternetia
	Rhodostomus
	Tetra firefly
	Cardinal
	Rasbora cuneiform
Rainbows
	Iriatherina Werner
	Glossolepis red
	Boesman's rainbow
	Neon iris
labyrinth
	pearl gourami
	marble gourami
Barbs, zebrafish, labeo, goldfish
	shark ball
	Veiltail
	Sumatran barb
	barb chinese green
	fire barbus
	Barbus cherry
	labeo bicolor
	Danio leopard
	Danio pink

When fulfilling orders through the online store, all the necessary requirements for transportation will be taken into account, taking into account specific features. Before shipment, the fish will be packed in plastic bags with water, where special preparations will be added, air, oxygen or air-oxygen mass will be pumped. The bags will then be packed in foam boxes to help keep the right temperature inside. Special heating bags will be placed in the boxes for winter shipments.

4. SALES AND MARKETING

The largest number of potential customers live in million-plus cities. If the audience is quite diverse in terms of gender and age, then in terms of income, these are people with an income level of “average” and “above average”. As noted in the Levada Center, aquarium fish are mainly planted by entrepreneurs (11%), employees, students and students (10% each), and in general, Russians under 25 years old (11%), with a high consumer status (10%) and Muscovites (12%). This can be explained by the fact that people perceive the presence of their own aquarium as an indicator of stability and well-being. Most often, people who have their own housing and are not going to move out of it decide to buy an aquarium and fish. The same can be said about companies that decide to have an aquarium with fish in their office: they are bought by companies that are firmly on their feet.

Based on the survey data given in paragraph 2 of the business plan, then in a city with a population of more than 1 million people there are more than 30-60 thousand owners of aquarium fish. The majority of the population (about 42% according to surveys on specialized sites) usually prefers to breed fish in small aquariums up to 60 liters, the remaining 36% and 18% fall on aquariums with volumes of 80-180 liters and more than 180 liters, respectively. Sales of aquarium fish will be carried out directly to private aquarists and through intermediaries - pet stores, aquarium shops, etc. Fish will be sold both through an online store and through a non-stationary outlet at the city's bird market. When selling fish to wholesale customers, prices will depend on the volume of purchases.

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Particular attention is planned to be paid to the competent presentation of information about yourself on the Internet and the creation of an online store with high conversion. Since private aquarists often look for a specific type of fish for their tank, the name, cost, current availability/absence, and a photo of each species will be clearly stated. It is supposed to place ads on free ad sites and aquarists forums, maintain groups in social networks.

There are 6 main competitors in the city market. An analysis of their strengths and weaknesses is given in Table. 3 of this business plan. It should be noted that this type of business has a seasonality with a decline from March to August and an increase from August to December.

Table 3. Analysis of competitors

Competitor	Price segment	Strengths	Weak sides
"Live fish"		A wide selection, the presence of exotic species of fish, crayfish, shrimps, newts, amphibians, frogs, snails + sale of food, decorations, plants, equipment, medicines, the ability to pay with a card, shipping within Russia	Distance from the city, site with incomprehensible navigation
"Tailed trifle"	Below the average	A large selection of popular fish species, the presence of its own stationary store, aquarium cleaning services	Complaints about sellers and service
"Gold fish"		Good promotion, quality design print ad	Narrow assortment, focus on several types of fish
"Fish Base"	Below the average	A wide range of	Bad reputation in the market, inconsistency of information on the site with real prices
"Aqua Monsters"		Sale of rare fish species, talentedly designed website, location in the city center	Frankly inflated prices, the calculation of the premium segment and one-time sales
"AquariumMystic"		A wide range, extensive experience in the market, the presence of regular wholesale buyers, blogging by the business owner	Claims for high mortality of fish when shipped

5. PRODUCTION PLAN

One of the premises with an area of ​​30 square meters will be used for breeding aquarium fish. meters of own private house area. The room is heated, there is electricity and water supply. To breed aquarium fish, you will need to purchase aquariums of various sizes for keeping different species, including aquariums for young animals and spawning aquariums, as well as appropriate equipment. The cost of the necessary is given in Table. 4 of this business plan.

Table 4. List of equipment

	Name	Cost, rub.
	Aquariums, volume 250 l.
	Aquariums of medium and small volumes (for spawning, jigging of young animals)
	Compressors (for 200-300 liters)
	Compressors (up to 100 l.)
	External filters (up to 100l)
	External filters (for 200 liters and more)
	Temperature controllers
	Temperature controllers
	thermometers
	Pedestals, view 1 (metal frame)
	Pedestals, view 2 (metal frame)
Total:		347350

In addition to what is listed, you will need soil (25,200 rubles) and plants (15,900) necessary for the normal existence of the biosystem. Fish will be placed taking into account species characteristics and compatibility of species with each other. On fig. 1 is a compatibility chart for freshwater aquarium fish. More details about the financial component of the project are in paragraph 7 and Appendix 1 of the business plan.

Figure 1. Compatibility of freshwater aquarium fish

6. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

The activity of breeding aquarium fish will be a family business and a source of additional income. The main responsibilities will be assigned to the initiator of the project, registered as an individual entrepreneur. Ancillary work (cleaning aquariums, feeding, etc.) will be carried out by members of the initiator's family. As a result, there is no need to hire staff.

7. FINANCIAL PLAN

The volume of investments in the project will amount to 468,950 rubles. Starting cost items are given in Table. 1. When making calculations in this business plan, it was decided to start from a pessimistic sales forecast: in a monthly volume of 40,000 rubles. during the first year of work (from 4 months), 50,000 rubles. - in the second year of work, 65,000 rubles. - in the third year of operation. Fixed costs are given in Table. 7. Variable costs will include selling expenses, including packaging, shipping, etc. Financial calculations are given in Appendix 1. The payback period in this case will be 23 months.

Table 7. Fixed costs of the enterprise

	NAME	Amount per month, rub.
	Electricity (with 12 hours of operation of devices with a total power of 2261 W and a price of 1 kW - 3.5 rubles)
	Rent of a trading place

Let us describe in more detail the aquarium business, where to start and what profitability is expected in this case. You can find a lot of reviews that a hobby is a great start for a new entrepreneur. And if you do what you love on a large scale, then this promises significant profits.

Growing and selling fish brings a good income, because many people are fond of them, and even in offices and restaurants they often use such decoration as an aquarium. And the more correctly you organize this type of activity, the better the prospects will be. With all the simplicity of the idea and minimal investment, such a project opens up great opportunities.

Business Relevance

The attractiveness of the idea is determined by a number of factors:

• For beginners, it is very important that you can organize your own business even without having large sums to start. Fry, food for them and a minimum set of equipment belong to low price categories.
• You can do this at home. You don’t have to rent and look for a suitable room, equip it in any way, make repairs, etc. This greatly simplifies most of the worries.
• You regulate the volumes of production, that is, the business yourself, depending on demand, the needs of the city, and the presence of regular customers. In this case, it is easy to adapt to any requirements.
• This area of ​​business is still quite free. The competition is made up of the same amateurs, who usually specialize only in certain varieties of fish.
• Understanding breeding technology is quite simple. With minimal experience and after reading specialized literature, you can easily navigate how to properly organize the life of the wards.
• Aquarium business does not require much time and labor.
• In addition to the fish themselves, you can grow plants in parallel or do something else that also generates income.
• This type of entrepreneurship is available to anyone, regardless of age, social status, health status, etc.

Is it worth mentioning that doing your favorite hobby and getting financial benefits from it is doubly pleasant?

What to choose?

For a newbie in business, the first question is - where to start? It would be useful to study the main preferences of aquarium owners in your city, as well as carefully analyze the assortment of goods that is presented in the main pet stores. Find out what your competitors are offering, if there are any in the market.

To decide which varieties of aquarium fish to give preference to, you should focus on a few tips:

1. The cost of each copy should not be too low, as this will not bring any benefit.
2. The product is in demand, but not massive, which can be found in any store.
3. Do not opt ​​for too exotic fish. It is quite difficult to bring them from abroad, bypassing customs rules, and they also have low adaptive abilities, as a result of which they may die or will not breed.
4. Also, do not choose for business varieties that are too difficult to breed or those about which there is almost no information. They will not only be difficult to care for, but also to implement.

Among the best options, we can recommend the following - Denison Barbus, Synodontis Petrikola, Reading Knife, Parrot Cichlid or Goldfish. Although with knowledge of the matter and the presence of a certain experience, you can find other types of sold copies.

Whichever option you choose, remember that before you start breeding fish, you need to learn everything about them: behavior, reproduction, how and what to feed, in which groups to keep, microclimate nuances, suitable plants, required lighting level and much more.

We buy equipment

Although breeding aquarium fish as a business does not involve high costs at the start, you still have to purchase something. To ensure optimal conditions, you will need:

• Aquariums - it is advisable to stop at a volume of 20 liters, although you can try other options.
• Compressors - for automatic supply of oxygen.
• Water filters - help prevent contamination of aquariums and make it easier to care for them.
• Fluorescent lamps - in order to provide the desired level of illumination.
• Temperature regulators - make it possible to control the temperature of the water, which is almost the most important factor in keeping fish.
• An automatic feeder is an optional element, but with large volumes of business it helps to regulate the amount and frequency of feed intake.

Each of the elements of the listed set must correspond to the number of purchased and installed aquariums. But how many of them should be - each entrepreneur decides for himself. To get a substantial profit, it is recommended to immediately purchase about 10-12 tanks.

Arrangement of the premises

The easiest way to organize a space for installing aquariums at home. To do this, you do not have to invest in expensive rent or change something significantly. But in order to provide optimal conditions for the fish, you should think about something in advance:

1. It is advisable to darken the entire room, and control the lighting with fluorescent lamps on each of the containers, which will create the best conditions for each variety.
2. In the room where they will breed fish, you need to turn off all heating and heating devices, and use special equipment to thermoregulate the water.
3. You should not place aquariums on two or three floors, in tiers, because this way the design will not be very stable, which will soon lead to significant losses and problems.
4. Provide yourself with a convenient approach to each aquarium.
5. A very important factor that you will have to follow is a strong floor, because on it you will install about 2 tons of weight of water tanks and equipment, so make sure in advance that the floors in the room can withstand such a load.

If you have chosen any difficult varieties of fish for breeding, then be sure to ensure that the best conditions are created for them. Control in the room and in aquariums such indicators as air temperature, lighting level, chemical composition of water, etc.

Features of care

Before starting an aquarium fish business, you should carefully study all available literature on this topic. If possible, then additionally consult with specialists who have rich experience in growing the species of your choice.

A successful technology is the presence of several reservoirs. For example, five of them can contain adults. In this case, females should be three times more than males. The remaining containers are filled as needed. Some of them become spawning grounds, and in the rest they keep fry at different stages of growth.

In order to achieve the best reproduction rates, on which the income of an entrepreneur directly depends, one should approach the issue of feeding correctly. Experienced aquarium owners give the following recommendations:

• Do not overfeed the fish! It is believed that only hungry specimens are able to survive. If you feed them too much, they will die or get sick. And this leads to direct losses.
• To calculate the optimal amount of food, only 5% of the weight of an adult should be given. This is enough for the whole day.
• Only some varieties require additional nutrition and slightly larger portions, which is learned at the planning stage and the selection of fish for breeding.
• Don't limit your pets to just one type of food. Try to diversify their diet as much as possible. At the same time, take into account their natural preferences in this matter.

Sale of goods

If you managed to properly equip the premises, successfully install all the tanks, decide on the fish for breeding and achieve their active reproduction, sooner or later the question will arise, to whom to sell them? There can be several channels of implementation at once:

1. pet stores.
2. Individuals, owners of aquariums.
3. Large organizations or catering establishments that use fish as interior decoration.
4. Resellers, who, although they significantly reduce the price of goods, are ready to immediately purchase a large batch.
5. The so-called "bird markets".
6. Through online ads.

It is advisable to establish contacts with the main buyers even before the fish grow up, so that you can immediately sell them as soon as they reach a marketable condition.

Additional income

With enough floor space and the ability to deliver more tanks, there are other ways to generate income. For example, growing and selling aquarium plants is considered quite an interesting and profitable business. After all, they are needed to decorate and provide more natural living conditions for fish.

To do this, it is enough just to control the individual parameters and the chemical composition of water, for which special substrates are added there.

If you have certain skills, then you can start making aquariums. There is always a demand for such a product, and the competition is usually not that big. At the same time, you can offer customers any volumes, shapes of containers or fulfill certain orders.

If it is possible to occupy a larger space and install volumetric tanks, you can try yourself in another line of business, for example, breeding crayfish in an aquarium or raising Koi carp. This product is in great demand today.

Financial part

Even if there are only 30 individuals for breeding, at least 100 fry can be obtained in a month. True, this number is approximate, because each species has its own number of offspring, and these figures fluctuate significantly. The average cost of each sold fish, for example, will be 200 rubles. Thus, already from 30 females you can get at least 20 thousand rubles.

Obviously, the more aquariums are installed, interesting varieties of fish are purchased, and the higher the selling price of fry, the greater the profit will be. We also calculate the average cost of initial costs.

Even with such volumes of production, the profitability of the business turns out to be quite high and in less than a year all investments will pay off in full. Although these figures are highly dependent on the species of fish, their ability to reproduce, the cost per specimen and the number of buyers found.

Video: is it profitable to breed aquarium fish?

Aquariums have long been a decoration not only for apartments, but also for office buildings, shopping and entertainment centers, restaurants, boutiques. Such popularity is due to the variety of types of aquariums, the ability to create an amazing underwater world that attracts with its beauty and exoticism. Opening an aquarium manufacturing company can start with a small investment, and with a large customer base, the business will grow to a large scale. The need for the services of such companies is also explained by the fact that many craftsmen cannot carry out more than 3-4 large aquariums per month, and orders are becoming more and more.

Organization and registration of business

First think about the organizational issue. To open an aquarium manufacturing company, you need to draw up documents, find a room and staff.

To set up a business you will need:

• registration of individual entrepreneurship (IP);
• opening a bank account;
• choice of the system of taxation and payment of taxes (an option would be to use the system of the Unified Tax on Imputed Income);
• codes of the State Committee on Statistics;
• lease agreement (certificate of ownership);
• settlement of relations with the fire and sanitary service;
• waste collection contract.

No special licenses are required for this business.

The room can be small: from 30 sq. m. The main thing is to fit all the tools and tables for making aquariums. A well-ventilated place should be chosen, as the construction of aquariums involves the use of toxic substances. The staff can be three to four people: two or three specialists, an accountant. This number of employees will be enough for the first time, the salary should be a certain percentage of income (about 30%), this will insure you against losses if there are suddenly few orders.

The selection of personnel should be approached thoroughly. Look for specialists with experience in this field so that they can fulfill a variety of orders, they can not only assemble an aquarium, but also maintain equipment for it. The more the employee is able to do, the more services you can offer to the client, which will affect the profit.

Types of aquariums

The variety of aquariums knows no bounds. It all depends on the imagination of the customer and the skill of the master. Usually, the following groups of aquariums are distinguished:

1. Freshwater - their design imitates fresh water bodies (swamp, river, pond). Such aquariums are decorated with plants inherent in this ecosystem, shells, pebbles. According to the set of inhabitants, there are freshwater aquariums with one type of fish and a community of different species. For them, various shelters are installed in the form of snags, shards, caves, grottoes and ceramic pipes. Dimensions (length/width) are determined according to the number of fish, for example, parameters for fish less than 7 cm: 9 fish - 45/30, 15 fish - 60/30, 30 fish - 120/30, 60 fish - 150/45.

2. Marine aquariums - differ from the previous one not only in water, but also in design. Here, of course, with the help of various plants and decorations, they try to recreate the marine atmosphere. According to the type of inhabitants, they are only for fish, only for invertebrates and mixed. Unlike freshwater aquariums, they have brighter colors. There are also differences in scale - for every 35 liters there are 10 cm of small and medium fish or 5 cm of large fish.

3. Pseudo-sea aquariums mimic the environment of the sea, but are inhabited by freshwater fish.

In terms of appearance and functions, aquariums can be built into furniture and walls, with curved glass, with glasses of different colors, etc.

Aquarium manufacturing technology

There are different aquariums according to the type of manufacture.

Frame. In such designs, the body (frame) is first made. Various types of metals are used for it, but the best is stainless steel sheet with a thickness of 0.8 - 2 mm. The bottom of the frame is bent with sides, and the remaining parts are attached by welding or blind rivets. The assembled frame is cleaned of scale, burrs and degreased with clean gasoline.

Next, the dimensions of the glasses are calculated based on the parameters of the frame, and they are connected using putty, which is prepared from pure dry cement grades 300 - 500 and a mixture of furniture varnish PF-38E (4s) with rosin in a ratio of 100: 15 (by weight). First insert the bottom, then the front and back walls. Having pushed the walls aside with elastic spacers, side windows are inserted, and the corners between the walls and the bottom are filled with putty. The excess is cut off. After five to seven days, the putty dries up.

Glued aquariums. Usually they are made of silicate (ordinary) or plexiglass (plexiglass). Silicate glass is scratch resistant and looks nice, but it is very fragile. Plexiglas has its advantages: it is very light and strong, but it is also easily damaged by scratches. Silicate glass is glued with special adhesives (KLT-30 and Elastosil 137-181), and plexiglass is glued with chloroform, in which chips or glass fragments are dissolved. A small aquarium with a wall thickness of 2-3 mm is simply glued together. Large ones (volume up to 1000 l, glass 5-15 mm) are first assembled with screws, and the joints are glued in several approaches. For greater durability of the aquarium, screeds are placed on the glass between the front and rear glass.

Gluing takes place in several stages. Gluing points are treated with sandpaper, degreased. The bottom is smeared with a thin layer of glue, after which the front side is installed on it, leaving room for other glasses. Next, install the side walls, and in conclusion - the back. All parts are pressed against each other, squeezing out excess glue, and then fixed with tape for 24 hours. All excess glue is cut off with a knife, after which the internal seams are formed: glue is squeezed out and the seams are smeared with a spatula so that they look like even dividing lines from the outside. After 24 hours, remove excess glue inside. Next, the aquarium is strengthened with special inserts and waiting for the final drying of the seams.

The subsequent processing process depends on the shape and type of aquarium. After manufacturing, all aquariums are tested for leaks by pouring water into them.

Even before the manufacture of the aquarium, the master must calculate the thickness of the glass, which is added in accordance with the parameters of the aquarium (length, width, mm). For example, for an aquarium 110 mm long and 60 wide, you need glass 8 mm thick.

Equipment and materials

To organize the production of aquariums, you will need to purchase the following equipment:

• mounting tables (from 5 thousand rubles);
• mounting gun (from 6 to 90 thousand rubles);
• various knives;
• special tool for cutting glass (1-6 thousand rubles);
• glass edge grinding machine (from 20 to 200 thousand rubles);

Thus, the cost of equipment will be about 100 thousand rubles.

Materials:

• glass (plexiglass: thickness 1.8-3 mm - 400-800 rubles / sq. m., 5-10 mm - 900-2000 rubles, silicate glass: 150-1200 rubles);
• glue (from 145 to 178 rubles / pack);
• acetone;
• petrol;
• decorative adhesive tape for pasting the aquarium around the perimeter of the walls.
• various auxiliary tools and materials (brushes, spatulas, brooms, soldering irons, etc.);

Of course, the set of materials depends on the services and assortment you offer. You may need to purchase decorative aquarium parts, built-in filters, etc.

Marketing

Even before registering a business and searching for premises, you need to determine the profile of the company: is it the production of aquariums of standard sizes or the order of special models.

It is necessary to determine the price of the goods, which consists of several parameters: the quality of materials, dimensions, bottom and wall thickness, decorativeness, exclusivity, availability of additional equipment, order lead time. On average, an order for an aquarium is completed in a month, if the buyer wants to receive it earlier, the price can increase up to 40%. Affects the price and reputation of the company. The standard margin is around 50%. At the moment, about the following prices have been established for ordinary aquariums: up to 200 liters - from 16 rubles / liter, from 201 to 400 liters - from 19 rubles / liter.

Investments and income

Let's calculate the approximate income.

Glass consumption for an aquarium with a volume of 250 liters (dimensions 1m / 50cm / 50cm, width - 6mm) is about 1 sq. m. The cost of one ordinary aquarium is about 1,500 rubles (plexiglass, additional materials). Such an aquarium costs about 4800 rubles. Let's say your employees make 5 aquariums a day. Then the income will be equal to 480 thousand per month. Profit, taking into account the costs of materials (150 thousand), rent (20 thousand), salary (100 thousand), utility bills, 13% tax, will be about 130 thousand rubles.

When the company has established its reputation, it is possible to establish the sale of aquarium equipment, fish, plants, as well as provide services for cleaning aquariums and changing equipment.

Cherukhina Christina
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