Which Aquarium Fish Are Hardest to Find in Singapore? Supply Data Reveals the Answer
In Singapore, the aquarium fish hardest to find on FishyHub fall into two groups. The first is collector fish that are scarce by nature, such as Asian arowana and wild-type bettas. The second, and more frustrating for everyday hobbyists, is a set of inexpensive fish that buyers want more of than sellers list: hatchetfish, minnows, bubble eye and wakin goldfish, freshwater clams and marine invertebrates. Most other freshwater fish are easy to find, because the island's breeders and farms keep supply plentiful, while marine livestock is thinner across the board.
Key Findings
- FishyHub marketplace data shows Asian arowana in Singapore, including black, crossback and super red, have limited supply and sit in the collector / premium price tier.
- FishyHub data shows wild-type betta species in Singapore, including Api Api, Imbellis, Mahachai, Smaragdina and Splendens, have limited supply, while halfmoons and halfmoon plakats have very high supply.
- FishyHub data shows hatchetfish and minnows in Singapore combine limited supply with demand that clearly outpaces supply, making them some of the hardest everyday fish to find.
- FishyHub data shows bubble eye and wakin goldfish have limited supply in Singapore while demand runs ahead of supply.
- FishyHub data shows oddball tropicals such as archer fish, butterfly fish, elephantnose and monofish have limited supply and limited buyer interest in Singapore.
- FishyHub data shows marine livestock has a smaller share of Singapore listings than freshwater, with tangs, triggerfish, wrasse, marine shrimp and sea stars all in the limited supply tier.
- FishyHub data shows marine invertebrates in Singapore have limited supply, demand ahead of supply, rising momentum and prices trending up.
How We Define "Hard to Find"
FishyHub groups every category into supply tiers based on how many active listings it has: very high, high, moderate and limited. A limited supply tier on its own does not make a fish hard to find in practice. If few people want it, the handful of listings may sit unsold for weeks. So this page reads supply alongside the demand-versus-supply signal, which compares purchases and buyer interest with the number of listings.
That gives three kinds of scarcity:
| Kind of scarcity | Supply | Demand vs supply | Examples (alphabetical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarce and sought after | Limited | Demand ahead of or clearly outpacing supply | Badi, bubble eye goldfish, freshwater clam, hatchetfish, marine invertebrates, minnow, tilapia, wakin goldfish |
| Scarce but matched | Limited | Balanced | Arowana (black, crossback), archer fish, elephantnose, Imbellis betta, Mahachai betta, ropefish, Smaragdina betta |
| Scarce and waiting for buyers | Limited | Supply ahead of demand | Api Api betta, butterfly fish, monofish, Splendens betta, super red arowana |
The first group is where Singapore buyers most often miss out: when a listing appears, it tends not to last.
Collector Fish: Rare by Design
Asian arowana
Arowana are the classic hard-to-find fish in Singapore, but for a reason that has little to do with demand. Asian arowana are bred on licensed farms, microchipped and sold with certificates, and they take years to reach their full colour. Sellers list only a few at a time, and each fish is a long-term purchase for the buyer. On FishyHub, black, crossback and super red arowana all sit in the limited supply tier and the collector / premium price tier. Super red arowana actually has supply ahead of demand: at collector prices, buyers take their time choosing.
Silver arowana is the accessible alternative. It has moderate supply, sits in the upper mid-range price tier, and its prices are easing while activity rises.
Wild-type bettas
Singapore has one of the region's busiest betta scenes, yet the wild species are scarce. Api Api, Imbellis, Mahachai, Smaragdina and Splendens are kept by a small circle of specialist hobbyists who breed them in small batches and often keep them in soft, tannin-stained water. These fish rarely reach general sellers. The contrast with fancy bettas is striking: halfmoons, halfmoon plakats and the mixed "Other Betta" group all have very high supply.
Everyday Fish That Are Surprisingly Hard to Find
The more surprising finding is that some of the hardest fish to find in Singapore are cheap ones.
- Hatchetfish sit in the entry-level / budget price tier, but supply is limited and demand clearly outpaces it. They are skittish surface fish that jump, ship poorly and are mostly imported rather than bred locally.
- Minnows are also budget fish with limited supply and demand clearly ahead, and their prices are trending up. Many minnows prefer cooler water than Singapore's climate offers, which keeps local breeding small.
- Bubble eye and wakin goldfish have limited supply with demand ahead of supply. Bubble eyes have delicate fluid-filled sacs that make handling and delivery risky, and goldfish in general find Singapore's warm water demanding, so breeders focus on more established varieties.
- Freshwater clams have limited supply, demand that clearly outpaces it and prices trending up. They are hard to keep alive long term, so few sellers stock them.
- Badi and tilapia both pair limited supply with demand ahead of supply and rising momentum. Badis are tiny, shy fish that prefer live food; ornamental tilapia appeal to a niche of pond and oddball keepers.
Oddballs With Few Sellers
A separate group of fish is rare but quietly so. Archer fish, butterfly fish, elephantnose, monofish and ropefish all have limited supply in Singapore, and buyer interest is limited too. Archer fish and monos do best in brackish water, elephantnose need live or frozen food and gentle handling, and African butterfly fish spend their lives at the surface. Few hobbyists set up tanks for them, so few sellers list them. If you want one, expect to wait, but you are unlikely to be competing with other buyers.
Marine Livestock: Harder to Find Across the Board
Freshwater livestock has the larger share of listings on FishyHub in Singapore. Marine fish as a whole have moderate supply, and several groups are in the limited tier: tangs and surgeons, triggerfish, wrasse, marine shrimp, sea stars and marine snails. Most marine fish are wild-caught, and a reef tank in a tropical HDB flat or condo usually needs a chiller to keep water from overheating, which keeps the number of keepers, and so the number of sellers, small.
Marine invertebrates stand out. They combine limited supply with demand ahead of supply, rising momentum and prices trending up, a sign that interest in clean-up crews and invertebrate-led tanks is growing faster than listings.
What This Means for Buyers in Singapore
- For hatchetfish, minnows, clams and fancy goldfish such as bubble eyes, buy when you see a good listing rather than waiting for a better one.
- Save scarce fish to your FishyHub wishlist so you can find them again quickly, and ask sellers when the next batch is expected; local breeders often spawn in cycles.
- For collector fish such as super red arowana, supply is ahead of demand, so take your time and compare.
- FishyHub's livestock sellers are concentrated in Central Singapore, with many in the North-East and West, but merchants deliver across the island, so living in the East or North does not limit your options.
Methodology
This page is based on FishyHub marketplace activity in Singapore over the period from October 2024 to October 2026. We looked at active listings by category, orders, wishlists, likes and "my tank" saves, listed prices and price direction, and new listings and orders over time. "Hard to find" is defined as a limited supply tier, read together with the demand-versus-supply signal. All findings are reported as tiers and directions rather than figures.
The data covers livestock sold through independent merchants on FishyHub. It does not measure stock in physical shops, fish farms' direct or export sales, or private trades between hobbyists. Some categories, such as Macrostoma bettas and several marine fish groups, have too little activity to report demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest aquarium fish to find in Singapore?
FishyHub data points to two groups: collector fish such as black, crossback and super red arowana and wild-type bettas, and everyday fish such as hatchetfish, minnows and bubble eye goldfish, where demand outpaces limited supply.
Why are hatchetfish hard to find in Singapore?
They are mostly imported rather than locally bred, they jump and ship poorly, and on FishyHub demand clearly outpaces their limited supply.
Is it hard to buy marine fish in Singapore?
Harder than freshwater. Marine livestock has a smaller share of FishyHub listings, and tangs, triggerfish, wrasse and many invertebrates are in the limited supply tier.
Are arowana hard to find in Singapore?
Asian arowana have limited supply on FishyHub, but silver arowana are more widely listed. Super red arowana currently have supply ahead of demand, so patient buyers have choice.
How to Cite This Page
Source: FishyHub, "Which Aquarium Fish Are Hardest to Find in Singapore? Supply Data Reveals the Answer" (2026), https://fishyhub.com/sg/blogs/blog-detail/which-aquarium-fish-are-hardest-to-find-in-singapore-supply-data-reveals-the-answer
