How much do you think a Koi Fish Cost?
You are not wrong to say if you can get one for $5, neither should you be surprised to read about Koi Fish going for a Million Dollars. There is also a distinction between Japan breed Kois and Local Breed Koi.
Where to buy Koi in Singapore?
If you are a first time Koi buyer, you would most likely head down to the aquarium to pick your Koi. The Koi in aquariums are mostly local Koi that are sold by Koi Farms. They are usually less than 6 months old and would usually grow to a size of about 40 -60cm ( depending on pond size ) For those who want a bigger koi, you would have to get Japanese Koi which can grow to more than 50 cm. There are also the Jumbo Koi that could easily grow up to 1 m in size!
That said, if you have a big pond and want to fill them up with Koi, it might be better to head to the koi farm instead of the aquarium. Koi farm tends to have better quality koi in terms of species, pattern and size. Not all Koi
Farm are equal in terms of quality of fishes sold. In Singapore, there are
only a few handfuls of farms, and we decided to explore
Marugen Koi Farm at Lim Chu Kang.
Getting there
Heading to Marugen Koi Farm is an adventure in itself. Nested in the forested
Lim Chu Kang vicinity, you would need your own transport to get there. The farm itself is located off a beaten track that resembles Old Singapore.
One there, you will be greeted by large banners of Koi that are available for sale. Unlike some of the farms we had visited, Marugen has a wide selection of
Koi for sale. If you do not know, there are over 100 species of Koi in the world. The more popular ones are Kohaku, Sanke, Showa, Utsurimomo, Tanco,
Goshiki, Bekko and Asagi.
If you cannot tell the difference between Sanke from Showa, the friendly staff
at Marugen would be willing to share their expertise.
At the Farm
Looking for Koi at Marugen Koi Farm is relatively easy. There are 2 main viewing sections separated into local bred and Japanese imported Koi. The domestic Koi are spawned from top-grade Japanese Parent Koi with excellent bloodlines from renowned Japanese farms. In terms of quality, it would be similar to the Japanese imported variants.
However, you probably need to get them when they are young as the most attractive ones are usually sold when they are released. Prices vary for the
Koi and could be as low as below $100 for decent size local koi to several hundred or thousands of dollars for Koi with more desirable characteristics. The Japanese import would usually double the price.
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Local Pens
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If you are a casual hobbyist looking for Koi, there will be Koi of various sizes and types that will fit your budget. Contrary to popular perception, we learn from the staff that Koi are not priced according to size. Instead, genes, species,, age, shapes and colour patterns are the determinating factors. In fact, we saw many large koi measuring 50cm selling for less than $100. For Japanese imported, there were also selected large koi from $150.
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Jumbo Koi
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If you have deep pockets and deeper ponds at home, there are jumbo variants for you to choose from too. These 60cm+ koi are monsters!
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Japan Koi
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The bottom line is to discard any assumptions on how expensive koi are. Just head down to check out the Koi for yourself, and you might be pleasantly surprised with the quality you can get for the price you pay. The more important factors when you get a koi is having the right set up to grow them. A large pond and a good filtering
system are necessary to ensure the koi you bought would have a suitable environment to grow into.
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Prices range from $100 to $350 for this pen. Can you guess which is
which?
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If you are lucky, the small Koi you picked might be an eventual winner in a future koi show!
We like how organised the farm is.
Each Koi Pen housed Koi of the same value,
so you can easily choose and gauge which one best suit you. To select a Koi for beginners, we recommend sticking to the 3 most popular koi- Kohaku, Sanke and Showa to start your collection. Personally, we love Utsurimomo and got one which we affectionately call Tiger.
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Utsurimomo and Kohaku
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Other than Koi, we spotted a shelf full of Betta too!
We reckoned that Marugen Koi Farm should be one of the first few places to head to
if you intend to start a Koi Collection. If you are heading there for a private tour, you might want to check with them if it is allowed.
The location may be a tad off the grid,
but a trip there would be worth the experience!
Marugen Koi Farm
8 Lim Chu Kang Lane 9A
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