Fish Facts
Superstitions
The Craze
Survey
Interview
Overall Analysis
Media
Group Reflections

Causes     Details     Lessons Learnt    
Details of the Craze

High demand for Flowerhorn fish

With all the different superstitions related to the fish and other causes, there was a high demand for the Flowerhorn fish, and the price of the fish shot up tremendously. From a fish that can be sighted rarely in the drains of Asia, it turned into a fish that could fetch up to thousands in an aquarium shop. The Flowerhorn fish could be seen everywhere, from offices to homes to shopping malls.

Impact on the Fish rearing trade

The fish was a savior to the fish rearing trade, for fish rearing was not a very popular hobby during that time, especially after the economic slumps. When the popularity of the Flowerhorn suddenly boomed, the fish trade suddenly became very lively. Everyone flocked to the nearest aquarium shop to buy a Flowerhorn, or other small fish as altertives to the high priced Flowerhorn.

Sudden emergence of aquarium shops

The Flowerhorn Craze involved the sudden sprouting of aquarium shops island-wide. A pair of Flowerhorn produces around 200 fry every six months, and with proper caring techniques, each of these fish will survive through adulthood and fetch up to hundreds, or the higher quality ones up to thousands or even tens of thousands. People soon began to see the easy profits they could make from it, and seeing how easily money can come, who wouldn't seize the chance? Aquarium shops thus suddenly emerged out of nowhere throughout the island, like an epidemic, all providing various breeds of Flowerhorn priced at various prices, with the small ones costing around 5-15 dollars a fish, and the big ones usually priced at thousands. A lot of these shops closed down as quickly and suddenly as they appeared, when the Flowerhorn craze was experiencing its last moments in the later part of 2003.

Fish rearing competitions

Some interesting events that were held during the craze were the many Flowerhorn breeding competitions, where breeders take their best prized fish and compete with other breeders for a trophy and prize. There were also many exhibitions in various shopping malls of the Flowerhorn candidates of the competition. Flowerhorn rearing became like a sport during that time.

End of the craze, late 2003

The craze finally ended in the later part of 2003, as with the emergence of many aquarium shops, the production rate soon exceeded the demand for the fish, and the price of the fish began to drop. Almost everyone had already owned a Flowerhorn in their homes, and therefore fewer people began to source for these fish in aquarium shops. Also, people began to see the irony of the whole situation, and decided that it was pointless in continuing to go after this trend. The demand for the fish dropped sharply together with the price of the fish, and now, even the Qian Hu Fish Farm, the biggest aquarium store in Singapore, which was once filled with many varieties of Flowerhorn, is now selling only one or two.

The Flowerhorn fish is able to thrive best in water of tropical temperatures, ranging from 24 to 30 degrees Celsius.