Young man starts career by raising Koi fish earning yearly income of US$21,327

A 20-year-old high school graduate Nguyen Duc Manh in Tay village in the central province of Quang Ngai’s Son Tinh District started his career by raising Japanese Koi fish earning yearly income of over VND500 million ( US$21,327).

One of Manh's Koi ponds with  water filter system made by himself (Photo: SGGP)

Deciding not to pursue education after graduating from senior high school, young man Manh started to rear Koi fish, his passion at the sixth grade.

After two years, Manh has owned a Koi fish farm in his house and he netted annual income of VND500 million.

He shared he was interested in Koi fish’s beauty when he was a sixth grader. He later learned more about the fish by researching information of rearing in internet. Right after high school graduation, he decided to rear the fish.

The young man asked his brother who worked in Japan to transport Koi fish into Vietnam through Chu Lai airport in the central province of Quang Nam. Every week, he comes to the airport to receive the fish.

Presently, a 15-centimeter Koi fish ranges from VND500,000 (US$2,152) to VND1 million while a Koi fish with length of 17-25 centimeter has price of several million to tens of million while a Vietnamese-bred Koi fish is sold at VND250,000- VND300,000.

He owns three ponds each 6.2 square meter. He raises Koi fish directly imported from Japan and sells the fish after two or three months. The longer the fish is, the more money he gets. The size and speed with which koi grow are influenced by many different factors, such as water temperature, genetics, feeding, water quality and age.

Koi, known as nishikigoi literally "brocaded carp" in Japanese, are colored varieties of Amur carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Some of the major colors are white, black, red, orange, yellow, blue, and cream.

The quality of the water is also extremely important because the fish can live in clean water only. Therefore, Manh has made his own water filter system. He puts stones and silk cotton in styrofoam water filter box- to make water clean and regularly pumped with oxygen will promote healthy koi, and while they can live in water which is cloudy or dirty.

Additionally, he washes fish twice a month with water mixed with disinfectant liquid to help the fish not catch skin illness.

Sharing his future plan, Manh said he will expand the farm in the garden to ensure a continuous supply of Koi fish to all agents in the country.

Leader of Tinh Son Commune Communist Youth union Nguyen Duc No said Manh’s Koi fish farm is the first kind in the commune. The union is helping to access to financial aid for startup young people.