Where Aquarium Fish Are Cheapest in Singapore
In a city as compact as Singapore, where you shop changes the price of a fish very little; what you buy changes it a great deal. FishyHub does not record prices by region, but its island-wide data shows the cheapest fish are the entry-level tier of tetras, rasboras, danios, platies, swordtails, gouramis, barbs, loaches, algae eaters and Caridina and Neocaridina shrimp, along with most aquatic plants. Region matters mainly for convenience: Central Singapore, the North-East and the West have the most sellers, which makes self-collection and comparing stock easier.
Key Findings
- FishyHub's Singapore price tiers are island-wide; the marketplace does not track prices region by region.
- FishyHub data shows Singapore's entry-level / budget tier includes tetras, rasboras, danios, platies, swordtails, pencilfish, ricefish, gouramis, barbs, rainbowfish, loaches, algae eaters, shrimp, snails and aquatic plants.
- FishyHub data shows African cichlids and rams sit in the entry-level tier in Singapore, below angelfish and discus.
- FishyHub data shows prices easing in Singapore for barbs, killifish, rainbowfish, freshwater sharks, swordtails, loaches, plecos, Caridina shrimp, flowerhorn, silver arowana and ryukin goldfish.
- FishyHub data shows prices trending up in Singapore for tetras, rasboras, platies, mollies, corydoras, Neocaridina shrimp, snails, angelfish and discus.
- FishyHub data shows very wide price spreads in Singapore for koi, orandas, ryukins, bubble eye goldfish, Caridina shrimp, mollies, swordtails and crayfish, so comparing listings pays off.
- FishyHub data shows Central Singapore has the most livestock sellers, with many in the North-East and West, giving buyers there the most local choice.
Why Region Barely Moves the Price
Singapore's sellers deliver across the island, and FishyHub listings carry the same price whichever postcode the buyer is in. The fish itself sets the price: how easily it breeds, how long it takes to grow out, whether it is a selected show line, and whether it is imported or bred locally. A tetra and a ranchu bought on the same street will always sit tiers apart.
What region does affect is the total cost of getting fish home. A buyer who can self-collect avoids a delivery charge and can check the fish before paying. On FishyHub, Central Singapore has the most sellers, the North-East and West have many, the North fewer and the East the fewest. Buyers in the East and North are more likely to pay for delivery, though Singapore's short distances keep that cost modest.
Singapore's Cheapest Fish
Listed by group and alphabetically within each, these sit in FishyHub's entry-level / budget tier in Singapore:
- Small community fish: danios, hatchetfish, minnows, pencilfish, platies, rasboras, ricefish, swordtails, tetras
- Other tropicals: badis, barbs, butterfly fish, freshwater sharks, gouramis, rainbowfish
- Bottom dwellers: algae eaters, loaches
- Cichlids: African cichlids, rams
- Goldfish: bubble eye
- Invertebrates: Caridina shrimp, freshwater clams, Neocaridina shrimp, snails
- Plants: background, floating, foreground and midground plants
How Singapore Price Tiers Compare
| Price tier | Examples |
|---|---|
| Entry-level / budget | Community fish, gouramis, loaches, shrimp, snails, most plants |
| Mid-range | Angelfish, corydoras, guppies (as a group), mollies, orandas, oscars, clownfish |
| Upper mid-range | Discus, guppy show lines, koi, halfmoon and plakat bettas, silver arowana |
| Collector / premium | Asian arowanas, channa, flowerhorn, giant halfmoon plakat, Api Api and Macrostoma bettas, ranchu, stingrays |
Two Singapore quirks are worth knowing. Guppy show lines listed as "guppy" sit in the upper mid-range, a tier above the guppy category as a whole, because Singapore's breeders sell many selected strains. And channa, which many hobbyists search for, sits in the collector tier.
Prices Easing: Good Value Now
Where prices are easing, sellers are competing more for buyers. On FishyHub in Singapore, prices are easing for:
- Barbs, killifish, rainbowfish and freshwater sharks
- Loaches and plecos
- Swordtails
- Caridina shrimp
- Flowerhorn, silver arowana and ryukin goldfish
- Floating plants and tissue-culture plants
Prices Trending Up
Some of Singapore's most purchased fish are getting a little dearer, because demand runs ahead of supply. Tetras, rasboras, platies, mollies, corydoras, Neocaridina shrimp and snails all show prices trending up on FishyHub, as do angelfish, discus and koi. These remain affordable fish, but buyers should not expect bargains on them in the near term.
Where Comparing Sellers Pays
Within some groups, prices range very widely from one listing to the next. On FishyHub in Singapore, that includes koi, orandas, ryukins, bubble eye goldfish, Caridina shrimp, mollies, swordtails, crayfish, puffers, barbs and catfish. Grade, size and colour line explain most of the gap, so it is worth comparing like with like before choosing on price. By contrast, most betta varieties have narrow spreads, so sellers broadly agree on their value.
Tips for Paying Less in Singapore
- Build around entry-level community fish, shrimp and plants, which also suit HDB-sized tanks.
- Buy from categories where prices are easing, such as rainbowfish, loaches and swordtails.
- Group orders from one seller to share a single delivery.
- Self-collect where you can, especially if you live in Central Singapore, the North-East or the West, where sellers are plentiful.
- Skip the heater: most tropicals are comfortable at Singapore room temperature, which keeps running costs low.
Methodology
This page is based on FishyHub marketplace activity in Singapore over the period from October 2024 to October 2026. We looked at listed prices and price spread by category, the direction of price movement, active listings, orders and buyer interest, and livestock seller regions. All findings are tiers and directions rather than figures.
FishyHub does not report prices by region, so this page cannot name a cheapest region; regional seller data is used only to describe local choice and collection. Seller regions cover livestock in general, not individual species. The data covers independent merchants on FishyHub and does not measure prices at farms or shops outside the marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy cheap aquarium fish in Singapore?
On FishyHub, the cheapest fish are entry-level community fish, shrimp and plants, and prices are the same wherever you live. Central Singapore, the North-East and the West have the most sellers for self-collection.
What is the cheapest fish to keep in Singapore?
Tetras, rasboras, danios, platies, swordtails, gouramis and Neocaridina shrimp sit in FishyHub's entry-level tier, and most need no heater in Singapore.
Are aquarium fish prices going up in Singapore?
It depends on the fish. On FishyHub, tetras, rasboras, Neocaridina shrimp and discus are trending up, while barbs, rainbowfish, loaches, swordtails and flowerhorn are easing.
Is delivery expensive in Singapore?
Distances are short, so delivery is usually a small part of the cost. Self-collection saves it entirely.
How to Cite This Page
Source: FishyHub, "Where Aquarium Fish Are Cheapest in Singapore" (2026), https://fishyhub.com/sg/blogs/blog-detail/where-aquarium-fish-are-cheapest-in-singapore
