From zero to success in ornamental fish farming

Ornamental fish farming brings Mr. Ho Nhuan Dang Son (Ward 7, Tan An City) a stable source of income.

Before becoming successful in ornamental fish farming, Mr. Son used to raise chickens but lost everything due to the bird flu epidemic in 2003. Undaunted, he decided to find a new direction. Having been a livestock and veterinary engineer, he recognized the potential for development in ornamental fish farming, so he pursued and maintained it until now. He is currently the Chief of Office of the Provincial Ornamental Biology Association, in charge of ornamental fish in Long An .

Mr. Son's ornamental fish farm has a total area of ^{​​2,300m2} with more than 300 glass tanks, 1.2ha of ponds and 500 large and small canvas tanks. He raises many types of fish such as discus, guppies, mollies, etc. with prices ranging from a few thousand to several million VND/fish. These types of fish are exported by traders to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, wholesaled to ornamental fish markets in Ho Chi Minh City and retailed at his family's store. Thanks to that, he has a fairly high income, from 3-6 billion VND per year.

Mr. Son said: "Raising ornamental fish can bring high economic efficiency, but the breeder must have experience and techniques to have a high survival rate and bring good profits. Ornamental fish only need to be raised in ponds, foam boxes, table tanks, etc., so the breeder can proactively adjust the temperature, pH, and oxygen concentration in the water."

When he first started his career, he encountered many difficulties due to fish getting sick and dying due to unsuitable water environment and lack of experience in caring for them. Therefore, he focused on researching, looking for documents, learning from the experiences of those who went before him and gradually raised fish with high efficiency. In addition, Mr. Son also proactively updated new technologies such as using nano-bubble systems to increase the oxygen concentration in lakes and tanks, helping fish grow quickly, stay healthy, and eat a lot.

With more than 15 years of experience in the profession, discus fish is one of the species that has created the brand of “king of ornamental fish” for Mr. Son. This is a species of fish that he has researched, self-bred and bred in large quantities to supply the market. Currently, he raises many types of discus fish such as dove, red, albino, leopard,...

Mr. Son shared: “Normally, discus fish only need a water pH of 6.8-7, but when breeding, the pH needs to be changed to a low level, around 5-6.5. I also provide many types of fish food such as bloodworms, beef heart, pellets, artemia, bobo, etc. The fish farm is equipped with corrugated iron walls to maintain a high temperature. If it is cold, infrared lights need to be turned on to heat the fish. Thanks to good farming techniques, adult discus fish sold are priced at least 500,000-700,000 VND/fish."

Discus fish raised in glass tanks need to ensure suitable pH and water temperature.

Fearing that the fish would get sick, he carefully observed them every time he fed them. When he discovered unusual symptoms, he immediately isolated the fish and treated the tank with drugs on the list approved by the Ministry of Health . Mr. Son said: "Farmers should not wait until symptoms such as fish gathering together, eating less, staggering occur before treating the disease, but must treat it first to avoid spreading it to many other fish."

Recently, Mr. Son has been researching the online market to reach more customers and create a brand for his establishment. Mr. Son added: “From 2023, I will post pictures of fish on Facebook and Zalo to promote to more people and sell nationwide. I also focus on the transportation process to ensure that the fish are still alive when they reach the buyer. In the near future, I plan to post videos of fish on TikTok to attract more attention.”

Not only getting rich from ornamental fish farming, Mr. Son also helps and shares farming techniques with many other farmers. Over the years, he and the Provincial Ornamental Plants Association have often organized seminars, inviting experts from the University of Agriculture and Forestry (HCMC) to teach ornamental fish farming techniques to farmers. He also facilitates exchanges of experiences and exhibitions between provincial ornamental fish associations. He is working on the topic of Perfecting the process of breeding and raising some guppy strains, and plans to organize training for members and farmers on this content in 2025.

In 2018, he won the Second Prize in the Long An Province Farmers' Technical Innovation Contest for the Angel Fish Reproduction Technology Solution. He was also recognized as an Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer through the 2020 Vietnamese Farmers' Pride program. In 2021, he was awarded the title of Vietnamese Ornamental Artist by the Vietnam Ornamental Plants Association./.

Hoang Lan

Source: https://baolongan.vn/from-zero-to-success-with-tech-ca-canh-a184600.html