Bunbuku

Hey all! I want to share some pics with you from a recent Hong Kong trip. Of course, I had to make a special trip to the famous Gold Fish Market! Let me tell ya, the shops selling freshwater aquatic plants and fish are numerous. The depth and breadth of flora and fauna are unbelievable! Interestingly, salt water/reef tanks are in the minority, unless you count the ones in restaurants .

Some notes:

• Most stores don't seem to have a problem with tourists taking pictures and I did so often in full view of store owners and employees. In some stores, I was not able to photograph many nice tanks because a "no photo or video" sign was prominently displayed above some choice tanks.
  
• Most shop keepers speak little English. My broken Mandarin was not much help. Cantonese is the norm. By and large service was was brisk but courteous.
  
• Obviously, I could not take home any livestock or plants. I was not even so sure about driftwood..and they had a lot of really nice pieces for cheap . I bought 3 Shou stones home only to have one of them confiscated by customs because there was soil (Aquasoil) trapped in some of the holes .
• Intense competition between so many stores in a small area means that living and non-living stuff is relatively inexpensive as $1 USD = $7.50 HKD. Examples in HKD: ADA MH bulb $480; small bottle of Green Gain and Green Bacter $85; 30 mm ADA pollen glass beetle $500; 500 ml Tropica TPN+ $198. I was particularly impressed by the selection of trimless tanks that give the ADA ones a run for their money. These beauties make the ones we see in here in the US look like garbage. Cash only, no sales tax.
• I was really impressed by the passion and interest that people of HK have for freshwater fish and tanks. I can only hope this hobby starts to take off more in the US.

Enough talk Enjoy the slide show!

http://s469.photobucket.com/albums/r...view=slideshow

Steven_Chong

Terrific slide show. I still can't imagine keeping livestock pre-packaged. Do the fish and plants really fly off the shelves that quick!? O.o

I'm surprised you face so many problems with Customs. I've brought wood/stones back home from trips to Japan so many times completely unmolested.

I'm jealous you can speak some Mandarin. I took it in middle school but completely forgot it. To this day, I wonder why teaching Mandarin is the standard in the Hawaii school system when the vast majority of local Chinese are southerners, and for us too Cantonese is the China Town standard. Even if you learn it there's no where to use it in daily life. :P In any case Wo bu hui shuo zhungwen. :P

foofooree

Wow, just amazing!

Tex Gal

Oh my goodness!!!!! I've never seen anything like that in my life!!! You were right there and couldn't bring ANY home!!! I would have had a conniption fit! I'm drooling just looking at your pxs!!! I would have to stay a week just to get my fill of looking at all the wares. I don't think I'd ever get tired!

Why can't we have a place like that here?!!!

davemonkey

That was AWESOME!!!! Thanks so much for sharing, Bunbuku. By the way, I think th "curious floating plant with air bladder" in the next-to-last pic is Water Hyacinth, Eichhoria crassipes.

http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/database/f...r_hyacinth.htm

-Dave

Jessie

Let's move to Hong Kong. Common everyone, let's go.

rodrigaj

Do they empty the bags that don't sell? And rebag them? Or do they leave them till they sell?

Perhaps some of our HK members can chime in here?

aquaquang

OMG! I want to live in this street so bad. This is stunning ppl! It's just too sweet to be true!

Bunbuku: Why you could'nt bring back home some beautiful plants and driftwoods? since they are cheap

There's so many aquatic plants choices that you can't find over here. It's HUGE and rare! No doubt the people overthere loves and they really enjoy to do this hobby. I believe that's why CAU community has been founded.

I'm pretty sure the 1th Place Winner of International ADA Contest last year 2008 owns an aquatic plant shop in this street.
Overthere, the hobbyist people likes to compete and to improve their aquascape skills.

Bunbuku

Thanks for the comments!

Steve - Customs would not have found it but we bought some food items as gifts which we felt that we had to declare. They found the rocks as they searched for other food items - the guys were very courteous though as they confiscated the pork jerky. BTW in the Houston Chinatown the most common language spoken is Mandarin and Vietnamese with a smattering of Taiwanese and Cantonese. One store owner in a Kowloon shopping area called us ABC's bec my "zhungwen" is not so good either .

TexGal - I think I heard that TexGuy was taking you to Hong Kong this year. Seriously, though avoid summer because it gets really hot and humid according to the tourist books.

Dave - you would go crazy there identifying so many different kinds of aquatic plants without diving into any ditches.

Jess - you would'nt be able to have a 6 ft tank in HK! Most people live in high rises and space is limited. Nonetheless it s a great place to visit for plant and fish geeks. Hotels are reasonably priced, the train is convenient and inexpensive, and you can eat well cheaply (or very expensively depending on your tastes). I find the mix of British and Chinese influence delightful. Wonton soup or French toast with peanut butter with your milk tea this afternoon?

rodrigaj - I saw store owners bagging fish in the morning when the stores are just opening up but I can't say for sure they "unbag" unsold livestock at closing time (most shops close at 9-10 pm) since it was too late. From a business standpoint it makes sense bec dead livestock = lost revenue.

aquaquang - this is also a residential street. People live in apartments in the upper levels. HK has the advantage of proximity to major aquatic plant growers in SE asia and ability to easily import from other suppliers like Tropica.

aquaquang

Bunbuku, why you could'nt bring back home some beautiful plants and driftwoods? and Even CRS? THERE ARE PLENTY of choice and since they are cheap.

I think it's in asian blood most of us like to eat and to keep fish. Two things that most of us has is the patience and competition. It's just part of the culture and I think we don't care to spend our money in it. Whereas in US and Canada, most is impatience and instead of spending they prefer to spend their money in activities (shows, theatre, ski...) This is one reason why we don't see gorgeous aquarium shops out there and where I live is so horrible in Canada. Of course, there's no ADA stores.

Bunbuku: I was really impressed by the passion and interest that people of HK have for freshwater fish and tanks. I can only hope this hobby starts to take off more in the US.