West midlands aquatic retailer Shirley Aquatics has opened a specialist Japanese koi facility where the public can view and purchase fish worth up to £20,000 each.
The company’s most valuable stock has been moved to the new facility, which features custom-built holding tanks plus additional office space and a dedicated aquatic medical area. Viewing will be by appointment only at the “secret” site, located around four miles away from Shirley Aquatics’ main store in Wythall.
Only the higher quality Japanese koi will be kept at the new facility, which trades under the Shirley Koi brand, while the mid-priced Japanese and Israeli koi will continue to be available at the Wythall store, along with 10,000 other tropical, cold water and marine fish.
Shirley Aquatics managing director Richard Cook said: “A significant proportion of our customers are dedicated to the koi keeping hobby and value the provenance of the fish which we import directly from world renowned koi farms in Japan. Some of these fish can trade for serious money, with the fish at our new facility ranging in value from several hundred pounds each to multiple thousands.
“Our approach to selling fish reflects the value that koi enthusiasts place on the fish. We want to offer a bespoke experience which our customers will remember, and the new facility allows customers to view the fish in a quiet setting and really take their time to view the stock in our custom-built tanks.”
