Can You Sell Fish on Facebook? (2026 Rules and Alternatives)
Posted by · Updated October 2026
The Short Answer
No. Facebook doesn't allow live animals, fish included, to be bought or sold on Marketplace, and buy-and-sell posts for animals can be removed from groups too. You can still sell tanks and equipment, and you can still meet other hobbyists in aquarium groups.
If you want to sell fish online, you'll need a site that allows live animals. I run Light Fish, a marketplace built for exactly that, so I'm biased, but there are several good options below.
Sell your fish, shrimp and plants on Light Fish
A marketplace built for hobbyists: list in a few minutes, buyers pay through Stripe, and you're paid once the order is delivered. Light Fish keeps 12% of each sale, including shipping.
Start sellingTable of Contents
What You Can Still Sell on Facebook
What Facebook's Rules Say
Facebook's commerce policy on animals says listings may not promote the buying or selling of animals or animal products. That covers every kind of aquarium livestock: fish, shrimp, snails, coral and other invertebrates.
The rule applies to Marketplace and to buy-and-sell posts on Facebook's commerce features. Facebook removes listings that break it, and repeated violations can limit your ability to use Marketplace at all.
When Did This Change?
Around 2017, hobbyists started noticing that posts in aquarium buy-and-sell groups were being taken down by Facebook itself rather than by group admins. Facebook had begun enforcing its ban on selling animals, which arrived alongside the growth of Facebook Marketplace.
The change hit the hobby hard, since Facebook groups had become the main place many people traded fish locally. A Change.org petition asking Facebook to exempt aquarium fish gathered thousands of signatures, but the policy stayed.
What About Aquarium Groups?
Aquarium groups are still some of the most active hobby communities online, and they're a good place to meet local keepers, ask questions and find out who breeds what nearby. Many groups have their own rules about sales, and some ban them outright to protect the group.
The risk is that a post offering fish for sale can be removed by Facebook at any time, and a group that hosts a lot of them can be restricted. If selling fish is more than an occasional thing for you, it's worth having a home for your listings that doesn't depend on Facebook.
What You Can Still Sell on Facebook
Aquarium equipment is ordinary merchandise, so tanks, stands, filters, heaters, lights and decor can be listed on Marketplace. That makes Marketplace a good place to sell a whole setup after a teardown, as long as the listing is for the equipment and not the fish.
Where to Sell Fish Instead
These sites allow aquarium livestock. Our full guide to the best places to sell aquarium fish online compares them in more detail.
Light Fish
Light Fish is a US marketplace made only for aquarium livestock and supplies. Every buyer who lands here is looking for fish, so you aren't competing with phone cases and car parts.
How selling works:
- Free to list. No listing fees and no monthly subscription.
- 12% when you sell. Light Fish keeps 12% of the order, shipping included, and pays the rest out to your bank through Stripe.
- Your customers, no fee. Share your own shop link, and the first order from a buyer who's new to Light Fish carries no fee at all.
- Your shipping rules. Set your own rates, the days you ship, combined shipping for multi-item orders, and a free-shipping threshold. You can pause your shop when you're away.
- Buyers pay up front. Checkout is handled for you, so there's no chasing payments.
Good for: breeders and hobbyists who ship. Less good for: local-only sales, where clubs and stores are simpler.
AquaBid
AquaBid is the hobby's long-running auction site, popular for rare bettas, wild-type fish and imports. It charges listing and sale fees, and payment terms are largely up to each seller.
eBay
eBay US allows tropical fish and domestic aquatic snails, but shrimp and coral aren't on its allowed list. Fees typically run 13% or more.
Reddit's r/AquaSwap
r/AquaSwap is a busy subreddit for buying, selling and trading. It's free, but deals are arranged by direct message and paid outside Reddit, so you handle payment and disputes yourself.
Local Fish Stores and Clubs
Many independent stores buy healthy home-bred fish for cash or store credit, and aquarium clubs run auctions and swap meets. You'll earn less per fish, but there's no shipping.
FAQ
Can you sell fish on Facebook Marketplace?
No. Facebook's commerce policies don't allow live animals, including fish, shrimp, snails and coral, to be bought or sold on Marketplace. Listings that break the rule are removed, and repeated violations can restrict your account.
Can you sell fish in Facebook groups?
Facebook's rules against selling animals also apply to buy-and-sell posts in groups, and those posts can be removed. Many aquarium groups still work well for meeting local hobbyists, but they're a risky place to run a fish business.
Can you sell aquariums and equipment on Facebook Marketplace?
Yes. Tanks, filters, lights, stands and other equipment are ordinary goods and can be listed on Marketplace like anything else.
Where can I sell fish online instead of Facebook?
Options include Light Fish, a marketplace built for aquarium livestock; AquaBid for auctions; eBay, which allows tropical fish in the US; Reddit's r/AquaSwap; and local fish stores and clubs.
Miles Harrison
With over a decade of aquarium experience, Miles can be found writing about saltwater and freshwater aquariums. When he’s not writing about fish, you can find him going for a run or building websites, such as this one!