About Valley Fisheries

Valley Fisheries is located in Balm, Florida, on land that began as a blackwater swamp flowing into Bullfrog Creek. Ponds were first excavated here in the late 1960s, during the fledgling years of Florida’s ornamental fish industry, and our family purchased the farm in 1991 — keeping the Valley Fisheries name it has carried ever since.

Since then the entire operation has been rebuilt: ponds cleared, rejuvenated and replumbed with air and water; more than 70 greenhouses raised over the outdoor growout ponds; and four new hatcheries built to support the breeding, larval-fish management and high-tech indoor growout programs that produce the fish you see on this site.

Everything we have learned in health, nutrition, genetics, microbiology and live transport is in service of one goal: supporting home planted aquariums filled with exotic, oddball tropical fish.

The Bio Difference

Direct from the breeder

All livestock sold by Oddballfish.com is spawned and raised at our hatchery. We never purchase fish for resale, so the fish that reach your door have not been exposed to other livestock or conditions that could compromise their health.

Biologically & genetically responsible

Broodstock are carefully selected for pure strain, quarantined and examined pathogen-free, and accepted only in statistically significant populations to keep every line genetically viable.

Probiotic management

For over twenty years we have run our hatcheries on proprietary probiotic techniques — natural, stable environments that let our fish thrive with minimal chemicals or medication. The fish you receive arrive well fed, with healthy, active immune systems, ready to acclimate to your aquarium.

Show accomplishments

Quality is the cornerstone of everything we do, and it shows on the bench: in only five years of entering the Florida Tropical Fish Farmers Association shows, we placed among the top three or four medal-count winners every single year. Highlights include:

• First Place, Dwarf Cichlids — German Blue Ram (1993, 1994)
• First Place, Anabantids — Spiketail Paradise Fish (1994, 1998)
• First Place, Breeders Award — Pacific Blue-eye (1997)
• First Place, Fancy Danios, Minnows & Rainbows — Threadfin Rainbow (1997, 1999)
• Placements for Celebes Rainbow, Forktail Blue-eye, Gold Severum, New Guinea Rainbow, Red Gold Honey Gourami and Gold German Ram