S'poreans keep fish in 'hotels'

S'poreans keep fish in 'hotels'

SINGAPORE (AP): Men in this wealthy Southeast Asian city-state are spending thousands of dollars every month to keep their tropical fish in "hotels" across the island.

Even Singaporeans with their own ponds are turning to fish hotels because they don't have enough space for their koi at home, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Tony Lee, a 54-year-old businessman, spends US$2,800 every month to keep his "other family" -- over 100 koi -- fed and sheltered in one of the island's growing fish hotels, the paper reported.

The fish need room to "swim and flex their muscles", Lee was quoted as saying.

Stella Pay, owner of the Nippon Koi Farm, told the paper many men kept their fish in hotels so their wives wouldn't find out how much money they were spending on them.

Pay, who was not immediately available for comment, has about 100 customers, all men, who rent space for about 4,000 fish. Some people leave the fish at the hotel while on vacation, but most of the fish are permanent residents.

Pay rents out small, medium and "investment"-sized ponds. A small pond can hold about 15 small fish while an investment-sized pond caters to serious hobbyists who take part in koi competitions and can be as big as an Olympic-sized pool.