:fight: :fight: :fight:

Oversupply has killed their value and appeal; at least 89 ornamental fish shops have closed down in the last two years

By Arti Mulchand

WHEN Singapore began to be gripped by luohan fever about three years ago, Mr Thomis Kwan jumped on the bandwagon.


The end of luohan fever spells a less-than-rosy future for the fish once associated with luck and good fortune. Many have been dumped into ponds and reservoirs.
He said of the flowerhorn fish: 'It was everywhere - in the newspapers, everyone was talking about it, and I was curious.' Mr Kwan, 50, the owner of a jewellery shop, spent thousands of dollars on six luohan, three large tanks and a small pond, all in his five-room flat in Whampoa.

Friends from Malaysia gave him another 30 luohan, of which six went into his collection. He gave away the rest.

But within a year, the fish fixation was no more. One luohan died, and he got rid of the rest. 'Every two weeks, I had to clean all the tanks, and it took all night. You have to buy small fish for the luohan to eat, and give them medicine. It was a real burden. My wife complained that I spent more time with the fish than with her,' he said.

Oversupply killed their value and appeal. 'After a while, they became so cheap, they had no value. So there was no point,' he added.

That sentiment may have contributed to the death of at least 89 ornamental fish shops in the last two years.

From a peak of 497 in 2002, the number fell to 408 by the end of last month, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority. In 2001, before the craze, there had been just 153.

During the luohan rush, all seemed rosy for the funny-looking fish with the bump on its head.

Thanks to tales of how its body markings signified lucky numbers, and its reputation for being good for fengshui, it became a nationwide craze. There were even luohan priced at $68,888, promising profits that pulled many into the trade.

Success came and went.

Mr Robson Loh, 29, owner of Arising Aquarium in Ang Mo Kio, said: 'There were a lot of fly-by-night operators who didn't know about fish.'

So some things caught them unawares, like how easily luohan breed - they have between 100 and 200 offspring from each spawn, explained Mr Loh, who shunned the fish and stuck to fighting fish through luohan fever.

He said: 'People bought them in pairs, and then got stuck with all the babies. So they picked the best and sold the rest at cheaper prices than the shops. Some even tried to sell them to the shops.'

Many of the luohan vendors quit the business as quickly as they had entered, after the fad faded, he said.

Others simply stopped stocking them. Mr Ivan Toh, 35, a part owner of Buddies' Fish Corner in Bukit Batok, did that just before Chinese New Year last year, when 'no one was buying anymore'.

But the end of the luohan love affair has not been all bad for him. The more expensive arowana, which the luohan displaced temporarily, is back in favour. Fighting fish, or betta, are still in demand, as are other small tropical fishes.

Some also anticipate that in a few years, better breeds of the luohan may make a comeback.

But what has been the fate of the thousands that have been sold and spawned?

Fish fanciers and aquarium owners say many have simply been dumped into ponds and reservoirs.

One owner emptied his collection into the storm drain near his home when he could not handle their upkeep anymore.

'Its such a shame, it's really money down the drain.'

true man..
too bad luohan are too easily to be breed.. if they took the same time as arowana to breed maybe now still very hot..

Ya man. Sad..even the best looking lhs are in decline.

louhan brought us together....
so even if the fate of louhan is fading..
our Friendship will never comes to an END...
In facts, it will be STRONGER as the days goes by...
Cheers !!!!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

yaya.. like lau peng you liao :clap:

:blink: My LuO Kan DiE LE~~
Sob~~

how come? what is the cause?

Sad To Say CaUsE UnKnOWn..
sUdDEnLy Dun Eat..
no PrOb WitH THe Water...
Its scALe ALL ThAt NicE NiCe...
No LosS Of COLouR.. :blink: :unsure: :unsure:

most likely is internal bacteria..
the poo become white?