Self-isolation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led many to explore new ideas and interests.

Most Indonesians began their home confinement in March and April, following the announcement of the first COVID-19 positive cases in the country.

Bali-based communications professional Rainata Tjoa was among the many people who sought new activities to occupy her time during home confinement. As an animal lover, she browsed a number of Instagram accounts before stumbling upon some offering betta fish for sale as pets.

“I was surprised to see that, nowadays, these betta fish have amazingly beautiful variations in colors. This is very different from several decades ago when the fish were either red or blue and that was it,” Rainata said.

Interested in keeping betta fish as pets, she began asking collectors about local breeders and suppliers whom she could trust. From there, she began her collection.

“People might be surprised by the prices of these fish. You used to be able to buy a betta fish for just Rp 30,000 (US$2.05) or Rp 50,000. Nowadays, first-time collectors are typically willing to pay Rp 2 million for just one fish,” Rainata explained.

According to Sandaru Wirawan, a betta fish supplier from Kediri, East Java, the prices of these fish range from Rp 500,000 to Rp 10 million, depending on the uniqueness of their colors resulting from genetic hybridization.

But the colors of individual fish also transform over time and are a main point of interest for collectors. “After several months, you can start to see the fish changing colors, from pink to bright red, depending on the type of feed you give them and the water you use,” said Rainata.

Thanks to the interest of hobbyists, suppliers like Sandaru have received orders from Indonesia and beyond, including Canada, France, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, Sandaru said, he had a monthly revenue of about Rp 50 million.

During the pandemic, he had seen his monthly revenue increase by a factor of four to six. Like Rainata, customers worldwide have apparently turned to collecting these fish for comfort amid the stress of the global health crisis.

The joy that these betta fish have brought Rainata goes beyond their beautiful, changing colors.

“Each one has its own personality. There are some that are very bubbly and active, while there are others that have slower movements,” Rainata said.

Sylviana Hamdani, a 44-year-old writer and translator living in South Jakarta who has begun keeping betta fish at home, claimed the fish were just as interactive as pet dogs.

“Not a lot of people know this, but humans can actually interact with these fish. For instance, if you move to the left side of the aquarium, the fish will follow your direction. The same thing will also happen when you move to the right side of the aquarium,” Sylviana said.

The fish could also respond to their names like dogs, she said. Sylviana has named her three betta fish Billie, Kelly and Freddie.

“When I call them, they usually move closer to me,” Sylviana said.

Sylviana likes to keep these fish on the desk in her bedroom.

“When I’m working, these fish always keep their eyes on me. They always pay attention to me when I’m walking here and there,” she said, adding that this had helped her keep COVID-19-related stress at bay.

Rainata said taking care of the fish helped her forget about the negative news about COVID-19, and she added that the fish had earned her new circles of friends – fellow betta fish collectors and enthusiasts with whom she could discuss the enchanting pets.