Girls running an ornamental fish shop? Sounds unlikely, but these 2 girls in Singapore are proving the naysayers wrong: opening their very own pet fish store all on their own. The pet fish industry in Singapore may be mostly male-dominated, but that didn’t stop Chery and Zosi from pursuing their love of ornamental fish and opening A Fishy Place. And yes, they did so with their own funding—no sugar daddy allegations here, please.
@shout.sg 2 girls. 1 fish shop. Meet the young lady bosses behind A Fishy Place — and no, they’re not just pretty faces. From cleaning tanks to feeding and caring for every fish, they’re 100% hands-on. Specialising in rare and exotic species you don’t see every day in Singapore — from the coveted Celestial Blue Crossback Arowana to Albino Parrot Fish and Albino Asian Red Tail Catfish — some priced at up to $1,188 🐟 We sat down with them to address the fishy comments, stereotypes, and stigma about girls running a fish shop — and they didn’t hold back. 📍 @afishygirl A Fishy Place 鱼乐场 6 Telok Blangah Cres, 01-432, Singapore 090006
For both girls, fish has always been a passion and hobby. But Cheryl always longed to open a fish store of her own; and when she came across Zosi’s (aka Stingray Girl) videos on Mochirays, she decided to reach out and form a partnership. And that’s pretty much how A Fishy Place was born—with Cheryl currently still juggling a job as a financial planner, while Zosi works at A Fishy Place full-time.
But public response to the girls’ fish venture has not always been positive, and comments sometimes even border into downright weird. “Two girls running a fish shop? They’ll surely close down within 1 year.”, are some of the common sentiments; not to mention insinuations that they’re backed by sugar daddies. Addressing the gender stereotypes and dismissive comments, Cheryl and Zosi acknowledge that it’s uncommon to see girls in the fish business, but that doesn’t mean that they’re “just pretty faces” of the store. The girls are 100% hands-on in every aspect of the business: from behind-the-scenes operations, to everyday manual labour, including cleaning tanks and caring for each fish in-store.
That’s not to say every comment is disparaging. On the flip side, the girls have also received support and encouragement from fellow pet fish business owners in the industry, as well as fish enthusiasts who are pleasantly surprised and wowed by their hard work in managing the store by themselves. After all, running the store’s daily operations is indeed “a full-time commitment”, says Cheryl. Even though the store only opens for business to the public from 12pm to 8pm daily, their days often start as early as 9am, and can end as late as 12am.
A Fishy Place specialises in rare, exotic ornamental pet fish species that are hard to find in Singapore. One of their most expensive fish, the Celestial Blue Crossback Arowana, sells for $1188 apiece. They’re also 1 in 3 specialised retailers in the world, and the only place in Singapore, where you can get Albino Parrot fish ($438). Other fish species you can find in-store include Albino Asian Red Tail Catfish ($438), Short Body Bala Shark ($88), Tigerinus Catfish ($288) and Kalomantan Super Red Arowana Grade 1 ($300), among others.
After gaining viral fame online, what’s next for A Fishy Place? As they’re still very new to the fish industry, the girls aren’t looking to expand the business for now. They’re currently still focussed on running their first store, learning from experts and growing their craft; and above all, serving their customers to the best of their abilities. The store is open daily from 12pm to 8pm, where you can drop by just to have a look at their fish offerings, or say hi. Otherwise, you can always catch these 2 fishy girls—and all their fishy business—over on their socials: Instagram, TikTok and Telegram (@afishyplacesg).
A Fishy Place
Address: 6 Telok Blangah Cres, #01-432, Singapore 090006
Opening Hours: 12pm-8pm daily
