Young man fascinated by Japanese Koi fish.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Sang next to his Koi fish farm. Photo: HOANG LIEN

Starting a business from the hobby of keeping Koi fish.

After graduating from a foreign language university, Ho Ngoc Sang worked for a tourism corporation in Da Nang with a decent salary. His career was going smoothly until the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the tourism company closed, and he returned to his hometown to live with his family.

During this time, he developed a passion for Japanese Koi fish, and his enthusiasm grew stronger. From raising a few in a small tank for pleasure, Mr. Sang began selecting beautiful fish to share and exchange experiences with groups of like-minded individuals. Gradually, he became captivated and started to pursue professional Koi fish farming.

Starting with just a few tens of millions of dong, Mr. Sang gradually built up a Koi fish farm with hundreds of fish. He invested in a recirculating filtration system to raise the imported Koi fish from the fry stage to adulthood and then sold them to partners who needed them.

Officials from the Dai Loc Agricultural Technical Center visit the Koi fish farming model of Mr. Ho Ngoc Sang. Photo: HOANG LIEN.

While many people are pursuing hybrid Koi breeding, or breeding and raising them domestically to diversify their markets, Mr. Sang imports and breeds purebred Japanese Koi. He specializes in importing and raising high-end varieties such as Kohaku, Showa, Sanke, Karashi, Matsuba, Benigoi, etc.

For him, purebred fish are expensive and require a lot of capital, but once they grow, their value is well worth it. Each purebred fish imported costs several million dong (as a juvenile), and after raising them for 3-5 months, Mr. Sang can sell them for 8-10 million dong. Especially, exceptionally beautiful fish can fetch incredibly high prices.

The market for Koi fish is quite large, from North to South, with many large restaurants and cafes, and affluent households with spacious gardens raising Koi fish…

Determined to breed Koi fish for the recreational market, Mr. Sang imported many beautiful, rare, and well-formed Koi varieties to raise and domesticate. He raises many different batches of fish, ensuring that at any given time, he has fish of various colors and sizes to meet market demand.

Opening up business opportunities

Raising and selling koi fish is a highly profitable business, but it's far from simple. Mr. Sang himself paid a heavy price, losing his entire school due to his inexperience as a newcomer.

Purebred Japanese Koi fish are worth much more than hybrid varieties on the market. Photo: HOANG LIEN

But now, he can pass on his experience and breeding techniques to newcomers; he can advise on the design and construction of complete Koi fish pond systems and supply authentic Koi fish fry to those who need them.

Mr. Sang believes that with experience and technical knowledge, raising Koi fish is not difficult; it just requires proper water treatment, suitable tank temperature, high-quality fingerlings, and daily monitoring and care.

“Young people who want to start a business selling Koi fish must understand the habits and behavior of this species. They must choose the right breed, strictly adhere to the water cleanliness standards, the depth of the pond, and equip it with a modern, standardized, and dust-free water filtration system…” - Mr. Sang shared.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Sang (far right) attends a large-scale Koi fish event. Photo: HOANG LIEN

According to Mr. Sang, the factors that make a fish beautiful are, first and foremost, good, purebred genes; a beautiful, well-proportioned, and balanced body shape; vibrant, sharp colors with clear details; and beautiful, balanced patterns, scales, and fins. Fish enthusiasts often collect beautiful, unique, and rare fish from various breeds to diversify their collections.

Japanese Koi fish are considered the "national fish" of the "Land of the Rising Sun," and are a prized breed highly prized by Vietnamese people. Despite the volatile market economy , Mr. Sang strives to maintain stability and balance his finances to keep his passion alive. Each year, he sells around 1,000 Koi fish of various sizes, earning several hundred million dong in profit.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/thanh-nien-me-ca-koi-nhat-ban-3149101.html