A Slightly Different Farm...

[DerkMR]

After 8 weeks in Isaan the time of returning to Germany came.

The day prior to the flight I started an fighting fish excursion in Bangkok.

In the morning I met with my preferred dealer at his shop.

Of course two pairs went straight into the transport bags, one for me and one for a friend.

As the dealer just had birthday the week prior I brought him the latest german fighting fish book as small present.

From the shop we went with his neighbour - a taxi driver - to a farm 70 km outside - Siamplakad.

Well in contrast to Germany in Thailand it's still afforedable to hire a taxi for a complete trip - 6 hours, around 180 km for just 1000 Bath.

The farm is run as a one men show and on a productive area of around 800 sqm he produces 15000 fighting fish every month, mostly of the traditional short fin type.

As the land is a lot larger than used now there is continuous expansion going on.

Behind house and fighting fish breeding area there are two small pond completely covered with plants. In these there are a lot of snakeheads feeding of the unwanted low quality fish now suitable for sales.

Starting the way through the prodiction cycle the breeding couple is placed into small blac plastic bowls with around 7 cm water.

After successful pairing the female is removed and the male is caring the nest. After hatching the male is also removed and in the first days the fry lives on the yolk bag.

After 7 days the small fish are transferred to concrete rings normally used for sewage pipes. These have a central dump opening normally covered with a pice of PVC water pipe then acting as overfall.

Initially the water level is low but gets increased continuously with the fish growing.

As food on this farm cooked egg yolk is used which prior to feeding is blended with water.

The fish stay in the concrete rings until 2.5-3 cm when the largest and best are taken out to be put in Thai Whiskey bottles if they are males.

The bottles are bought used (2.5 Bath) and get a horizontal slit cut in at the upper side as over-fall.

1200 (60 x 20) of these bottles are placed in one area with small walkways on each side for managing the fish. If one is too lazy to use the walkway it's also possible to just walk across the bottles as they are really strong.

From now on the daily work consists of feeding and exchanging water using a hose so it spills out of the over-fall.

As only the males are separated into the bottles the best females are put in different concrete rings, and only like 10% of the quantity of males is kept of the females, the rest is crap, ahm meaning snakehead diet.

As to the time of my visit the cold winter nights were showing an increased effect due to some porosity of the concrete rings. Not every batch handles conditions changing as fast as well as normal batches and in case of problems the central PVC pipe is pulled and the complete batch goes to visit the snakeheads. Only the best and fittest fish will see the market.

Well, some of the best and fittest are also staying at the edge of the area, may be their fins have signs of a fight just before separation or they are just too good to be sold and kept as parents of the future batches.

After passing the final selection they go into buckets or cut 6 l water bottles where they also get some plants to hide under.

When the time for breeding is come they are placed into the prior mentioned black breeding bowls.

Well and the best of the best you'll see in the house respective on the terrace - future participants of national or international Betta shows...

tbc.

[DerkMR]

As at the end of all visits the new stock for the shop is selected, but this time two more pairs are packed, the right male is for a friend and the left one now swims in my Betta-room.

After this we were heading to the dealers home where he keeps the future stock for the shop and conditions them with comercially available food. He also keeps his designated show fish and especially selected color patterns to set future trends - 2013 this is gold/yellow with red spotted fins named "golden Vanda" after the Thai orchids.

With the quality of "Giant"-type Betta - 6 cm body woth 4 months old males and more than 5 cm wit h3.5 months old females the price of 20-25% of a standard thai salary couldn't scare me and they also got packaged.

Well, besides the 15000 fighting fish per month the farm also makes around 200 kg of snakehead every year giving additional 50000 Bath.

Bye,

Derk

[cooked]

very interesting reporting there, thanks!

[Khonwan]

An excellent descriptive post. Thank you, DMR.

Rgds

Khonwan

[candypants]

Agreed, fascinating.

One question though, you say 20-25 percent of a Thai salary for a fish.

How much exactly is that?

[DerkMR]

One question though, you say 20-25 percent of a Thai salary for a fish.

How much exactly is that?

That was 2000 for a couple, so 8-10000 monthly salary.

Bye,

Derk

[Mosha]

I used to keep them. I kept a male in a floating chamber, and a female swimming free. I placed a lid on the chamber to stop him jumping out, The female over night emptied the chambers floatation parts. I woke up to find he'd drowned. Separate tanks after that except for breeding.

Edited January 28, 2013 by Mosha

[David48]

Mate ... great OP, both in photos and description ...

Really enjoyed reading it.

.

[CHRISTIANa9]

Fighting fish has quite short life isn't it?

[Dancealot]

Wow

[Mosha]

Fighting fish has quite short life isn't it?

About 18 months I think

[sutton1001]

Super post. Really enjoyed that one thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[DerkMR]

Fighting fish has quite short life isn't it?

This depends on the temperature you keep them in.

In standard western tanks they can live up to 3 years kept at 26°C.

The higher the temperature, the faster the ageing goes, so 2 years in Thailand is a Methuselah and the fighter strains live only around 1 year (as there is no interest to keep them after next breeding season started - too old to fight.

Bye,

Derk