(MY) fighting fish

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Saturday August 11, 2007-The Star - thestar.com.my

 

There's money in fighting fish

 

KUALA TERENGGANU: Many youngsters prefer to have a job with a fixed

income to give them " peace of mind " , particularly at the end of the

month.

 

But it is different for Syed Hasanul Azhan Syed Abdullah, from Kampung

Simpang Tok Ku Chabang Tiga near here.

 

He quit his RM1,300 job as a bank clerk and ventured into breeding

fighting fish.

 

Syed Hasanul, 32, who has been keeping ikan sekilau or fighting fish

since he was a boy, decided to venture into a business he knew best.

 

 

Colourful species: Syed Hasanul showing the crown tail species of

fighting fish at his farm in Kampung Simpang Tok Ku, Chabang Tiga,

near Kuala Terengganu.

" When I was a small boy, I followed friends into padi fields to look

for the species. Apart from its fighting mood, the fish is colourful

and attractive, " he said at his home recently.

 

He said he developed an interest in the fighting-fish business five

years ago after he met a Singaporean trader at a competition in

Chendering, Kuala Terengganu.

 

" He told me he had been in the trade for more than 30 years and the

business still flourished. "

 

Syed Hasanul said that what sparked him to go into the business was

that there was still demand for such ornamental fish from enthusiasts

while the price for the species had escalated over the years.

 

He said he picked up the trade with a RM5,000 capital after attending

a short course at the Fisheries Department.

 

He started breeding a variety of species – the guppy, swordtail and

molly – in 20 concrete cylindrical tanks, but his initial attempt

failed when the fish were attacked by disease.

 

Not discouraged by the failure, he switched to breeding fighting fish

or betta splendents.

 

Syed Hasanul said he cross-bred the species and became a supplier of the fish.

 

He sells the fish at between RM2 and RM150 each.

 

" Breeding fighting fish is much easier than other fish. They only need

plenty of food with water Ph at 7.8.

 

He said he roped in his brother Syed Omar Aminuddin, 20, to help him.

 

He said that male fighting fish were more colourful than the females.

 

" The most common fighting-fish species are the crown tail, half-moon

pelakat and half moon, but there are some 30 other colourful

variants. "

 

Syed Hasanul said he sold his fighting fish at night markets.

 

Since his fighting fish are sold only in Terengganu, he has plans to

expand elsewhere.

 

He needed RM100,000 in capital to go big in the business, he added. – Bernama