Aquatic hobby

Baby also loves aquatic life

Cuong is a tourist bus driver. His small house in an alley on Tran Nao Street, District 2, one would expect to be a tourist destination for the whole neighborhood thanks to the two-meter-long aquarium. Previously, living in this tank was a fairly crowded herd of ornamental fish, whose species were regularly changed by the owner.

On a beautiful day, when visiting a friend's house in Go Vap district, the aquarium at his friend's house really "captivated" Cuong. The scenery of mountains, forests, and smooth grasslands with a few shrimps playing on them has a strange charm. “There is something irresistible about looking at an aquarium. In just a moment, I decided to switch my aquarium to this new hobby! - Cuong said.

Not only Cuong, perhaps anyone who has ever "seen" the aquarium once must admire it. The landscapes in the lakes made by aquarists make the spectators think of an image of somewhere enchantingly beautiful. Collapse your favorite space into a lake with aquatic plants that simulate beautiful nature is the principle and also the art of this game imported from Japan.

Mr. Sinh is a television director. Work allows him to travel here and there, but work itself also causes him a lot of pressure. Looking for aquatics as a way to reduce stress, he realized that this sport is also full of art and very easy to enjoy. Aquatic life creates conditions for him to freely create. He once designed his playground after the landscape of Ngang Pass, a place he had passed many times and never stopped to admire it.

Then, during a trip to Jiangxi (China), he admired the "fairyland" beauty of the Lu Son region, where writer Kim Dung chose as the setting for his famous swordplay stories. hour, he was determined to minimize that wonderful scene in his aquarium.

Aquatic charm

Not only does it unleash creativity, aquatic hobbies really help city dwellers find balance after the pressures of work and life. Mr. Cuong, Sinh and many other aquarists we met said that all worries, anxieties, and troubles seemed to disappear when sitting quietly looking at the aquarium with its own natural scenery. create.

It is truly enjoyable to watch the bushes, grass, and leaves change every day thanks to your caring hands. A guy who is passionate about aquatic life in Go Vap even confessed that before when he went on a business trip, he only missed his wife and children, but now he has a new nostalgia: missing his beloved aquarium!

How much money is needed to have such an elegant hobby? That question was asked by Tam, a pretty saleswoman at the Thuy Sinh Ly Vu store on the corner of Ly Chinh Thang - Nam Ky Khoi Nghia (District 3) who happily took out a pen and paper to list the "standard" items. As a result, the amount of money needed to own an average aquarium (1m long, 0.6m wide) is... seven million VND!

Also playing very sophisticated craft

In Ms. Giang's aquarium shop

Spending such an amount of money on that elegant hobby is not worth much to well-off people, but it is a big deal for many people. Ms. Giang, a veteran aquarist and also the owner of a famous aquatic store on Lanh Binh Thang Street (District 11), smiled and said: "Every day there are many people who come to look fascinated and ask about the price, but the number Very few people spend money to buy it."

A systematic aquarium needs to have six things: a glass tank with glass at least 8mm thick, a growing base consisting of soil with compost and gravel, a "sun" lamp that creates natural light to help the plants perform their growth. photosynthesis, water filter, CO2 tank to maintain the life of the plant and finally the aquatic plant.

When hearing the question: "What role do fish play in the aquarium?", an experienced aquarist answered: "Fish only play a decorative role in the aquarium, because of the basic difference in aquarium keeping." And playing aquatic life is one side raising animals, and the other side... farming!". Usually, people only put a few small fish such as guppies or shrimps into the aquarium. If you release too many ornamental fish into the lake, they can destroy the plants in the lake.

Mountain and forest scenes in the aquarium

But you don't just have to buy all the necessary "toys" as above to be able to sit and watch with peace of mind. “Most people who are new to aquatics suffer in the beginning because the plants in the tank do not grow as expected, and even die. Strict regulations on lighting time, required amount of CO2, etc. are no small challenges for newcomers. "Only those who are truly passionate can pursue this hobby" - Mr. Sinh affirmed.

People who are "truly passionate" have created an aquatic community in Saigon. At least two large aquatic clubs exist in Ho Chi Minh City and they have opened their own websites so that hobbyists can exchange experiences, buy and sell or give each other "tools", invite each other to picnic and including donating to charity, helping people affected by storms and floods...

Saigon Aquatic Market

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Nguyen Thong ornamental fish street began to switch to selling aquatic animals

Where there is demand, there must be supply, an aquatic trading market is forming and growing in Ho Chi Minh City. First of all, there are two "monumental" stores of Ly Vu Company, one on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street (District 3) and one on Bui Vien Street (District 1). Coming to these stores, customers will be truly overwhelmed and fascinated by the scale and beauty of the aquariums on display. All kinds of lake designs, all kinds of landscapes and all kinds of prices.

Customers can buy an entire ready-made aquarium here for prices ranging from five to fifty million VND. Customers can also buy individual "tools" of all types and origins and of course can also come and look for half a day and then leave... no problem!

Although Ms. Giang's shop on Lanh Binh Thang street is only located in a small room, no aquarist knows it. This woman has been passionate about aquatics since living in Thailand more than ten years ago. She brought this game to Vietnam and was one of the first players in Saigon. Her store opened two years ago, selling all branded goods, so the prices are more expensive than other places but the quality is outstanding, all are imported from Japan - the homeland of aquatic life.

Another impressive thing is that any customer, whether familiar or unfamiliar, buying or not buying, who comes here will be enthusiastically presented by the female owner. “Trading this thing, I just hope… to break even!” - That confession from the store owner made us wonder. Ms. Giang explained that imported goods are mostly expensive, and must be imported in large quantities, while new customers are only "potential" so by the time the amount of goods sold is sometimes only enough to pay the interest rate to the bank. row. She only sells because she is passionate and wants more people to enjoy this hobby, and her main income is from selling other products.

Aquarium - bring nature into your home

In addition, to keep up with the trend of converting hobby from ornamental fish to aquatic life in Saigon, famous ornamental fish streets such as Nguyen Thong, Thanh Thai, Truong Chinh... have started to alternately sell serving items. aquatic hobby. Across Nguyen Thong aquarium street (District 3), the colorful aquariums that were not long ago have been replaced by aquariums with cool green plants and beautiful scenery of hills, mountains, and roads. miniature countryside.

Do you need to relieve stress after a stressful day at work in the oppressive urban space? Do you want feng shui in your home? Do you want to see the existence and development of nature with your own hands and right in your living room? Do you need something else to remember besides your wife and children on a long trip? What are you waiting for? Try this new hobby!