Hallo again

  Of late, more Singaporeans have been going gaga over a particular species of aquarium fish - Cichlasoma sp or simply Flower Horn (Hualorhan).

  Also known as Feng Shui Fish, the Flower Horn has become immensely popular not only in Singapore, but also in Malaysia and Thailand. But the fish is prohibitively expensive. A young one, measuring just three cm in length, sells for around S$40. And the price goes into the thousands for an adult Flower Horn.

  Yet, people have been more than willing to fork out hard cash - in these hard times - for the hobby fish. So much so, I sometimes wonder whether we are really suffering during the current economic downturn.

  I am just one of these people. Last weekend, like many other aquarium fish-lovers, I flocked to some of the larger aquarium shops in remote parts of the island - Jalan Kayu & Pasir Ris Fish Farmways - to get a Flower Horn. I was quite amazed to find that some of these shops sold nothing but Flower Horns.

  Indeed, it is not difficult to understand the Singaporeans' craze for the fish. Whether housewife or the ordinary man in the street, everyone has a common aim in getting the Flower Horn - luck!

  The Flower Horn is said to be the harbinger of good luck. I am not sure whether there is any truth in that statement, but I have joined thousands of fellow Singaporeans in thronging these aquariums during the weekends in search of Flower Horns for the home, or just for a closer look at them.

  And I am not alone in partaking in the craze at home either - my wife, her mother and her brothers keep the Flower Horn too. Are you, like me, interested in the Flower Horn? If not, you may find yourself infected by the craze over these little things after reading this column.

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1st International Flower Horn Competition 2002

Breeding the Hualorhan

Difficult to keep a Hualorhan?

Keeping the Hualorhan (Part 3)

Keeping the Hualorhan (Part 2)

Keeping the Hualorhan (Part 1)

Hualorhan (Flower Horn fish) rage continues unabated

Hooked on Flower Horn fish