From Hobby To A Business Venture

By Nur Fazlizai Ali@Omar KUALA TERENGGANU (Terengganu, Malaysia) April 10 (Bernama) -- In years past, the Siamese fighting fish was used for gambling, as people placed bets on the fish they thought could be a winner. However, this fish fighting is no longer in existence in this country since gambling is illegal. Now, breeding the Siamese fighting fish (Betta Splendens), or simply 'betta fish', is a hobby which has slowly graduated into a business venture for one enthusiast. The fish is called the Siamese fighting fish for good reason. Believed to have originated in the Mekong River, in the wild, they live in the paddy fields of Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia and they defend their small territories to the death. As the betta fish is colourful, some enthusiasts keep them as 'ornamental or decorative fish. Many would visit the aquarium shops where the fish is kept in small containers in order to buy this fresh water fish, as the price is not expensive, often as low as RM2 (US$0.65) each, depending on its size and colour. Keeping the fish at home does not invite many problems either. It does not need 'bubbles' of oxygen, unlike gold fish and Arowana. The fish thrives in water that has a pH of 6.8-7.4. In Kuala Terengganu alone, there are more than 20 breeders of the betta fish. BETTA FISH ENTHUSIAST A former betta fish enthusiast, 37-year-old Syed Hasanul Azhan SyedAbdullah, has turned his hobby into a commercial venture. He started 10 years ago by rearing the fighting fish at his parent’s home here in Simpang Tok Ku Village, Chabang Tiga. Syed Hasanul, or 'Anul', said collecting the betta fish (known as 'ikan sekilau' locally) has been his interest since childhood. "In those days, my friends and I would go down to the paddy fields to look for the fish, not only for fighting, but also due to its beautiful and colourful features. "Initially, I kept them as a hobby, but due to the high demand for the fish, I began to breed them commercially," he told Bernama. Betta Splendens now come in a wide variety of colours and fin types. Among the varieties in Syed Hasanul's collection of betta fish are the halfmoon, crowntail, doubletail, veiltail and plakat types. BETTA FISH BUSINESS Syed Hasanul's business interest in Siamese fighting fish lit up when he met a betta fish entrepreneur from Singapore in Chendering during fighting fish carnival in 2002. "The man told me he has been in the business for 40 years and the income is good," he said. This prompted Syed Hasanul to venture into the business and he enrolled in a course conducted by the state fisheries authorities. With RM5,000 (US$1,624.42) as capital, Syed Hasanul bought 20 cylindrical concrete structures that he placed behind his parent’s home. These structures are used to breed the decorative fish. Initially his venture in breeding ornamental fish, such as Guppy, Swordtail and Sailfish Molly failed, as the fish were attacked by fungi and perished. BETTA FISH However, Syed Hasnul later acquired a pair of betta fish and he’s never looked back. His business flourished and now he has some 10,000 fighting fish. The price of each fighting fish depends on the beauty of its tail, as well as its colourful features. One can be bought for as inexpensively as RM2 (US$0.65), while the most expensive are RM250 (US$81.22) each. "Breeding the fighting fish is not that difficult. We have to ensure that the fish has enough food and the water pH is suitable, otherwise it will perish," he said. Syed Hasnol said to prevent the fish from harm due to fungal attacks, he placed salt and 'daun ketapang' (Indian almond leaves) in the concrete cylinders, since these substances act to neutralise the fungal toxicity. He noted that a pair of betta fish is able to produce up to 400 eggs during a fertilisation cycle. MALE BETTA FISH "When the fish is about one month old, the male betta fish must be separated to avoid fighting among themselves," he explained, adding that young fish feed on mosquito larva, blood worms and plankton. A fish is ready for sale when it reaches two and half months old. According to Syed Hasnol, he earns about RM2,500 (US$812.24) per month selling fighting fish at farmers' and night markets. Syed Hasanul said he now sells his fighting fish to a wholesaler in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. "I send him some 400 betta fish every week. Now my income is more than RM2,500 (US$812.24) a month," he added. -- BERNAMA