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Although today Ryan operates a profitable establishment of his own, he finds in looking back that development from the hobby stage took place so gradually it is not possible to point to any one spot and say, "Here was our investment."

Sales for the first month in business brought in over $l00, the following month, double that amount. Since then sales have mounted steadily. Gross income from fish and plants for the fourteenth month was $1,500, with each month showing a larger increase than the one before. The use of 1,000 carryout pails per month gives an idea of today's volume of trade.

Profits are high on both perishable and imperishable merchandise. The fish propagate rapidly and the cost of raising them is low. Because of numerous factors involved it is impossible to figure the actual profit on fish and other perishables but the percentage is high, in some cases a profitable 200 to 300 per cent. A net profit of thirty-five to forty per cent is realized on all imperishable merchandise. It would be hard to find another business with so great a return on investment as the breeding and selling of tropical fish. Given a chance these small creatures will create a business themselves just as they did for Vincent Ryan.

THE STORY of how this came about dates back to before World War II when Ryan was in the Philippines doing civil service work for the United States Government. There he met and married Gertude Bass, the pretty brunette daughter of an American professor at Santo Thomas University in Manila and a native Filipino mother. The young couple's happiness was blasted when, three weeks after the birth of their second child, the Japanese captured Manila, and Ryan, along with many others, was thrown into a concentration camp. When after three years he was finally released his health was broken. Return to the States with his family helped to dim but did not completely erase the memory of those horror-years and 1947 found him still trying to forget.

That year when a friend gave him a pair of common guppies and a cracked aquarium it meant just one thing: here was a welcome diversion; something new to watch and tend and help crowd out those persistent memories.

He mended the broken tank and watched for the baby guppies to appear. When they did, it beat anything he had ever seen. Instead of spawning as he thought any fish would do, the swollen body of the tiny, inch-and-a-half, grey mother guppy actually gave birth to thirteen fully-developed, active swimmers. Some of that number were sacrificed before he discovered that the guppy's maternal instinct spends itself with the expelling of her young and that henceforth they mean no more to her than a convenient source of food.

The necessity then for immediate separation of mother and young together with the fact that the births continued to occur at regular four-week intervals meant that more and more tanks must be provided for the young. Ryan couldn't afford to buy aquariums ready-made so he built them himself, using bulk material because it was cheaper that way. Sheets of stainless steel, which he found were obtainable at any metal products store, were cut into strips and bent for the frames and assembled by soldering. Used panes of plate glass from a second-hand store were, he found, as good as new and cost much less. These he cut easily to size for the sides with an ordinary glass cutter, and puttying them to the frames completed the job. He continued the practice of making his own tanks until he became a dealer and was able to purchase all supplies wholesale.

Neighbors saw the fish and wanted to have some, too. They brought their friends and these in turn brought others. As word got around, requests for the surplus grew. But with the offspring bearing also from about the age of two months, fish families were increasing greatly in number and when the supply rose above the demand of visitors, Ryan sold the excess to retailers in town.

NOW RYAN began to see in his hobby a potential paying side line to his daytime job. Working toward this goal he tried out other kinds of live-bearers and later branched out with the more expensive egg-layers.

His wife was not much interested at first. Care of their four small children filled her days. Evenings though, with the youngsters tucked safely into bed, she made the rounds of pet shops with her husband where he would pore over magazines to read all he could find about fish, ending up at the public library where he made straight for the fish books. After a while she thought, "If he is going to like them so well, I will like them, too." So she began to study with him and soon became as enthusiastic as he. Since then she has been with him all the way.

"It is strange," says Ryan, "but when a man becomes really interested in fish he has a love for them as a man has for a dog. Once it gets into the blood there's no getting it out.

In 1948 the couple joined the Colorado Aquarium Society and mixed with other hobbyists. Many of the members were beginners like themselves but from the more experienced they gathered much helpful information. Ryan heartily recommends any sincere hobbyist joining an organization of this kind if possible, for within such a group not only may many valuable tips be exchanged but there is a constant stimulation in meeting with others who share your interest. It also affords an opportunity to hear authoritative speakers on the subject, all of which he found especially helpful during his conversion from hobbyist to dealer.

In the meantime, more and more people were finding their way to Ryan's home. All told the same story: someone had recommended him as having good fish. The time came when calls for the fish exceeded his own production and he had to supplement by buying from wholesalers to fill the orders. Now he realized the time had come to convert his hobby to a business status.

IN JANUARY, 1951, Ryan took out the necessary state and city licenses and started the tropical fish business in earnest, honoring the first lowly pair by naming it the Guppy House. The steps he took to publicize his business were simple but effective. (1) He had Guppy House listed in the classified telephone directory. (2) He began running occasional advertisements in the Sunday papers with specials on different fish for that week. (3) He now made use of "the list." Long before this he had made a point of asking the names and addresses of all customers and placing them on file. This file was promptly dubbed the list. Now whenever he ran a special on any item he sent postcards to those on the list telling them about it and asking them to tell others. These two-penny postals never fail to bring out hordes of people and seldom does one leave without buying more than the item that is on sale.

Ryan is most emphatic in his belief that the keeping of a file is most important in this kind of business. "I find myself constantly referring to it for one reason or another," he says. "One way the list proves valuable to us is that it helps us to fasten names in our minds so that when a customer comes in again we can greet him by name. This may seem like a small thing but it definitely is not. I would advise anyone who expects to go into this business to start such a file early and get a good sized list as soon as possible."

So far his cards have been handwritten, but the list has grown to such proportions that he plans now to have them printed. Cost of this will be about $7 a thousand.

RYAN KEPT aquariums in the living room until the family found themselves crowded out. In November, 1951, they moved to a larger home. Here he renovated the brick double garage, had it insulated throughout, piped in gas for heating, added more windows for better lighting, put on storm doors and windows and fitted it up as a showroom for his stock.

Trade has increased greatly since that time. The one aquarium has now given way to sixty-five, ranging in capacity from five to sixty gallons with fifty-some varieties of tropical fish flashing colors of red, orange, blue, silver and gold in the crystal-clear waters among tastefully arranged aquatic plants.

Each tank is fitted at the top with a fluorescent light which at night as well as day shows off colors to best advantage, helps keep water at an even temperature and encourages plants to give off more oxygen. The basement of the home is lined with an additional fifteen aquariums where baby fish are given special food and care from birth until they reach the adult stage when they are taken to the showroom to be sold. Constant increase of fish families keeps these baby-aquariums well filled. In one tank at present is a spawning of 250 young receiving this interim care. The basement also houses a recently installed air compressor which automatically maintains a constant pressure to filter and aerate all aquariums, replacing the small individual aerators previously used.

So many visitors come to see the colorful display and to buy, that on Saturdays and Sundays, it would take three times the present space to accommodate them.

Trade is brisk at all seasons of the year. Old hobbyists continue to return for supplies and to add new varieties to home aquariums and there are always new ones eager to begin. Neither sex, age nor financial status determines a person's liking for nor ones ability to make tropical fish his hobby. Customers come from all parts of the city and buy within their means.

THE NEW hobbyist usually begins with live-bearers because they are easiest to raise and are so prolific. These are fascinating, too, in that one never knows what to expect of them. For example, the tiniest-of-all Mosquito fish gives birth to only one baby a day and continues this for a whole week. Then, the female of some specie of live-bearers may decide even after bearing one or more times that she is tired of motherhood and will undergo a complete reversal of sex. This reversal of sex never occurs with egg-layers nor with the male of her own species.

Interest never lags in the handling of tropical fish. One has only to observe such widely diverse natures as those of the stately Scalare and the fighting Betta to know that these small marine beauties have their own personalities just as people do.

The velvety Black Mollies are most popular with customers just now, and breeding Angels the most valuable. To breed and raise the gleaming, black and silver Angels is the secret ambition of every hobbyist. The Platys or Moon fish rank near the top in popularity, while the gold and black Swordtails are always found attractive and captivating. Many find irresistible the fighting fish of Siam with their graceful, flowing fins of deep blue, green, rich wine or cambodia (flesh with red).

Among the scavengers, a must in any aquarium, is the spectacular and most efficient Plecostomus, which attaches its large sucking mouth to the sides of the glass and keeps it sparkling clean. The Ampullaria cuprina or "Mystery" is most desirable of the snails as he does not eat the plants as other snails do.

WHILE VIRTUALLY any kind of tropical fish one desires is to be found at Guppy House, the Ryans' specialty is guppies. Their fame as guppy specialists bring people, from afar especially for their fancy guppies. Among the ten varieties now in stock are the Flag-tail, the Leopard-veil-tail with leopard-like spots and the Opal-veil-tail with opalescent coloring. Also one of which they are justly proud is a strain of their own which they developed by line-breeding. This one, which they call the Flame-tail is a really gorgeous creature with dorsal fins and veil-tail the color of fire.

Because of rapid turnover of his stock, Ryan still has to supplement some kinds by purchases from New York and Florida but the Swordtails, Angels and fancy guppies are his own. He is always willing to buy good fish from local hobbyists but before buying must know all about the fish: how big an aquarium they have been raised in, what they have been fed, etc. He takes no risk of mixing inferior grades with his own. Guppy House has built up its trade by establishing a reputation of having desirable and quality stock and because of this people from faraway states stop and buy at Guppy House.

"We purchase the best of breeding stock," says Ryan. One pair of fancy guppies cost us $12.50 in New York plus air transportation. But they are worth it. There is virtually no limit to what we may make on them. It pays to raise good stock. Common and good occupy the same space, eat the same food, require the same treatment and equipment. We select the best male to put with virgin females and breed up our stock in that way."

GUPPY HOUSE carries everything needed for the raising of tropical fish: Aquariums, thermostats, heaters, aquatic plants, medication, food. Some of the food is shipped in, as are the frozen brine shrimp from San Francisco and Ogden, Utah. Cultures of white worms for adult fish and micro worms for the young are available here so that for a few cents for a starter the home hobbyist may raise his own.

The Ryans carry only the best in aquariums, with stainless steel frames which do not rust or corrode. Five-, to twenty-gallon sizes are recommended for home use. There is also a wide variety of aquatic plants, a necessity in any aquarium. These growing greens are important to the health of fish because they not only give off needed oxygen but their leaves use up carbon dioxide given off by the fish and the roots absorb the droppings. If an aquarium is well balanced with good, green, growing plants and the right number of fish according to the size of the tank, the water will stay crystal-clear without ever being changed. Among the most useful of these are the Sagittarias, growing from one to eighteen inches in length and the Vallisneria from six to eighteen. Others most commonly used are those of the Cryptocorynes family.

Prices of fish are pretty much standard throughout the country. Least expensive in Denver are common guppies at 45 cents a pair. The highest price is $25 for a guaranteed pair of breeding Angels. Other Angels are from 75 cents to $5, depending upon the age. Among the dozens between are the Neons with the mysterious streak of light running the length of their small bodies and the Head-and-tail-light with dots of brilliance just where the name implies. Fancy and extra-fancy guppies are up to $5 a pair. Plants are five cents and up.

If one expects to go into the business, regular expenses to be considered are rent, heat, electricity, telephone, transportation, city and state licenses and advertising.

Maturity of their own young at Guppy House causes a natural variance in the Ryans' live purchases from month to month. Here economy is exercised by buying in as large quantities as possible to take advantage of the minimum shipping charge.

The House bears expense of air freight transportation and sustains all loss. Shipments are always made by air to insure quick and safe delivery, yet in spite of precautions fish sometimes die in transit and because of this the mark-up on fish must be high to cover shipments when many or even the entire lot is lost. "This is not as bad as it sounds," says Ryan. "It is merely a hazard of the business for which allowance must be made."

Because his family is a cooperative one, Ryan has not found it necessary to hire other than occasional outside help. His wife looks after the business while he works at Lowry Air Field during the day. Twelve-year-old Willie runs errands, Irene, cares for Josephine, Robert, and Danny and is learning to wait on trade.

IN ANY business there are pitfalls and in this the greatest is that of mortality through disease. Anything so lovely and delicate as tropical fish is liable to disease if not properly cared for.

"We cannot stress too strongly," Ryan says "that any person who expects to make this his occupation should make a thorough study of fish care and fish diseases. If such preparation is not made beforehand he is in for great loss of stock through disease and this can be most discouraging and disheartening. That is why one should not try to start out big in this business. One should make a small beginning and learn as he goes along even after intensive book study.

"The best way is to begin as a hobbyist and become familiar with problems of individual varieties before venturing further. In this way he can apply what he reads to his own experience. There is any amount of good material available on the subject."

Books which Ryan has found particularly helpful and which he would recommend to others are "Exotic Aquarium Fishes," by Wm. T. Innis, who is one of the highest authorities on tropical fish; "Aquarium Highlights," by the same author, and "Freshwater Tropical Aquarium Fishes," by G.F. Hervey and E.J. Hems. These are all excellent text and reference books which should be at the right hand of every dealer.

Then there are the trade periodicals of which there are many, such as The Aquarium Magazine, edited by Mr. Innis; The Aquarium Journal, put out by the San Francisco Aquarium society; Aquatic Life, edited by August M. Roth, another high authority; and Tropical Fish, a coming-up bi-monthly.

"You never stop learning about the handling of tropical fish," says Ryan, "but if you like fish you will want to keep finding out all you can about them. You've got to be willing to work, too. At best, the tropical fish business is not altogether a path of roses. It involves a lot of work and constant attention.

"Our hours belong to the fish. Last night, for example, we were called to the airport at 1 o'clock to pick up some fish that had come in. After we got home we had to refresh the new arrivals by putting an airstone into the water and adjust the water hardness and the temperature of the water they came in to that of the aquarium water; otherwise there might have been a considerable loss. It was 4 o'clock when we got to bed."

IN PREPARING to open a tropical fish business you face the question of how to go about finding sources of supply of fish, aquariums and other equipment. Actually, according to Ryan, every dealer has to find out for himself which supply houses are the most satisfactory for him to deal with. The best way to find this out is by the trial and error method. However, the error need be but small if he goes about it in the right way. He advises getting names of places from advertisements appearing in hobby and aquarium magazines. Select the names of a number of places and write for their price lists. Study these and place small orders with different supply houses. This gives an opportunity to see and appraise the quality of merchandise of various houses and you learn through experience which ones you consider desirable to deal with. Ryan also suggests that before starting his own business, the prospective dealer visit stores that are already operating and take notes on how the successful operators run their stores.

The methods used to publicize the business at the start have proved so effective that they still remain the basis of all paid advertising at Guppy House. The coverage by postcards has expanded greatly of course by enlargement of "the list." The Sunday advertisements, though small, serve to keep the name of the place before the general public. Sometimes these are used to carry a leader in the way of a cut in the price of fish, plants or some item of equipment for that week; at other times to boost the sale of certain fish that for the time may be moving slowly or when high production finds them overstocked.

In addition to these weekly specials an annual month-long sale is put on each summer as an added inducement to buying when the trade eases up a bit due to vacations. Ryan is especially proud of his July sale of this year when fancy guppies were featured. Also during this month, a pair of common guppies was given to any who wished to start a home aquarium. All of these things helped to keep sales at a year-'round level.

But while paid advertising certainly has its place, Ryan is convinced that the very best advertising comes from satisfied customers. Nothing, he maintains, can equal the recommendations of persons who like what they have found in his shop. Proof of this is the way the public made a path to his door during the hobby stage.

WE ASKED Ryan how the steady growth of his business had been achieved. His answer was, "By selling good fish. From the very beginning our rule has been to hold strictly to quality. And we have always guaranteed to sell healthy fish. We have never knowingly allowed an ailing fish to leave our place. Our customers are pleased with what they buy and keep coming back. And because they are happy about it they want to tell others and so the business continues to grow. They also like the special services we give and the friendly relationship with customers which we do all we can to promote.

"The breeding and selling of tropical fish is by its nature an informal business in that the dealer and customer are brought together by a mutual love for the product involved. Greeting customers by name as we do makes them feel at home and as though we have a particular interest in them, which we do. We are sincere in this and I believe they sense our sincerity. Our customers are made to feel that the shop is theirs; their problem is our personal problem. We consider that our responsibility does not end when a sale is made. Customers are free to call any hour of the day or night for advice on an ailing fish or to be assured that what they are doing is right. We make no charge for this service. If someone comes in for a certain product which we do not have, we order it especially for him and call him when it comes in.

"Association with others who share a common interest is a constant enjoyment to us, while working with something we love is a compensation in itself."

Ryan credits his rehabilitation and return to health largely to his work with these interesting creatures. Accompanying responsibilities so completely fill his waking hours that there is little time to recall the shaded years of the concentration camp.

Financially, the business though young, has already paid far beyond his expectations. Yet he maintains it is something anyone can do who is willing to put in a lot of study and work. The secret of success, he says, lies in giving customers stock that is desirable.