Backyard hobby spawned nationwide koi and goldfish business

When he was 13 years old, Ken Tran enjoyed collecting koi and goldfish. Lots of them. Over the years, Tran’s hobby turned serious. Especially when his backyard landscape went from two fish ponds to six and his collection of several fish grew to hundreds.

Five years ago, he decided to take his hobby to another level.

He started selling fish from his backyard. Today, Tran, 29, owns Eastern Nishikigoi, a koi and goldfish store in Westminster that caters to buyers nationwide.

“Going into business helped my hobby,” Tran said recently after a fish-buying trip to Japan.

As a 36-inch white Chagoi gently swam nearby in the store’s large pond, Tran explained why a growing number of people have become fascinated with koi, and particularly the prized Nishikigoi, or “king of fish.”

“When they swim, they are like elegant jewels in the water,” he said. “You watch them swim and pretty soon you forget everything.”

The serenity of watching swimming fish is well known in Japan. In the last five years, Tran has seen an increased demand in the U.S.

After visiting friends with koi ponds, many people decide to build one of their own, he said.

The most prized koi are the Nishikigoi, of which there are many varieties. On his trip to Japan, Tran purchased 54 of them, varying in length from 16 to 24 inches.

At his store, shoppers can choose from a wide variety of fish, from minnow size to 40 inches long. Prices start at $12 and can run into thousands of dollars. Tran said he had heard of a koi in Japan selling for $16,000.

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Tran, who is also a computer systems analyst at Cal State Fullerton’s Student Health Center, plans to expand his business. He wants to increase his mail order line and carry a full stock of supplies that are sometimes hard for customers to find.

And, of course, he wants to add to his collection of koi and goldfish.

“You can never get enough [koi],” he said.

Eastern Nishikigoi can be found at the same location--14700 Goldenwest St.--where retired owner Joe Akiyama operated the Pacific Goldfish Farm for years. The property was vacant for more than two years before Tran opened his store in October 1998. His company’s Web site address is https://www.enkoi.com.

Alex Murashko can be reached at (714) 966-5974.