Today, Eric dives into the colorful world of cichlids with guest Brandon Blombquist. Brandon is the owner of West Coast Cichlid Supplies, a cichlid breeding and sales business in Southern California. Brandon shares how he turned his longtime hobby for cichlid into a thriving business.
In this episode, they talk about:
Story of how Eric and Brandon met
Why Brandon decided to pursue cichlids as a business instead of just a hobby
Brandon’s experience of buying his first cichlid breeder stock
Orange blotch peacock cichlids could breed with many other species
Eric and Brandon’s approaches to cichlid keeping
Brandon’s journey of organically growing his Instagram following
The difference in audience for aquariums vs ponds in social media
Choosing which cichlid species to breed from Lake Malawi and Tanganyika
Brandon’s process of researching and studying to learn about cichlid
Story of Brandon’s daughter Mia’s passion for the fish business at just 10 years old
Brandon’s new 2,400-square-foot fish room
Sales and marketing strategies for a fish-related business
How focusing on colorful cichlids attracts people looking for challenging fish species
How having a PetSmart location nearby can help people get interested in fish hobby
Mentioned:
West Coast Cichlid Supply LLC Website
West Coast Cichlid Supply LLC (@westcoastcichlidsupply) on Instagram
West coast cichlid supply on Facebook
(@westcoastcichlidsupply) on TikTok
Links to resources:
Book A Call With Triplett: Call with Triplett
The Pond Digger - https://theponddigger.com/
You can also check out The Pond Digger's products at:
http://helixpondfiltration.com/
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
