Get to Know...Roland Seah - Library

The May 2006 installment of the Get to Know series features our friend Roland Seah.

Here's a picture of Roland, Shark and Jake, respectively. Shark is the chemist behind FERKA.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself (your CV).

I have been keeping fish since I was a kid. Workwise, I started out as a software engineer after my studies, but my growing involvement in the aquarium hobby eventually saw me entering this field on a full time basis to enjoy the hobby more as well as generate more awareness of this activity.

2. How did you get involved with aquarium plants and, later, with
GreenChapter?

From an early age, I have been keeping ‘planted tanks’ with tetras, driftwood and hydrilla tied with lead weights. As a student, I had to stop pursuing the hobby after a while due to limited financial ability. But once I began to work, an active interest returned. My return to the hobby was a small 3 ft tank setup costing about S$2,000. But due to inexperience then, I ended up buying wrong equipment and accessories for quite a while.

Later, I came across internet discussion forums and got to know Simon, who set up www.aquaticquotient.com. I volunteered to help revamp the website and became the forum’s webmaster. During this period, I learnt a lot more about plants and fishes while doing research, programming and managing the database for the website.

Eventually my interest inspired me to embark on a full time career in setting up planted tanks. I first started out as part of a freelance group but this didn’t turn out well. After that I set off on my own with a friend who had switched jobs and joined me as an active partner. The company, Green Chapter, is now approaching its second year and we are in the midst of planning new projects and trading activities.

3. What are your favorite books? Movies? Music? Games? Foods? Beverages? Vacation spot?

I like reading fantasy epics like books by Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks (e.g. Wheel of Time). Also the Lord of the Rings series. Music wise, I prefer soothing and relaxing stuff. I also dive and cycle for leisure. Coffee, beer and red wine are my preferred drinks, and I go for beach resorts around this region for breaks.

4. What do you consider as your accomplishments up to this point? Any
Failures you'd like to tell us about?

Well, I would say one key accomplishment is starting and keeping this company operating in the black despite pessimistic views and criticisms about this supposedly ‘dying’ industry. There is also some satisfaction to be involved in designing huge custom planted tanks for private owners as well as public projects such as setups at the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.

Of course there are some hiccups along the way, but I don’t think we have encountered any major failures at this point, although there is certainly room for learning and improvement in all aspects.

5. Tell us a little bit about the planted aquarium hobby in your country.
How has it changed? How has the Internet changed it? What do you see in
the next 5 to 10 years? Is aquascaping big or are people just learning to
grow plants?

This hobby has been around for at least 10 years, but only a few shops have the professional know-how to properly grow aquatic plants. Previously, the range of equipment available was limited and very expensive, and not many people could imagine spending thousands of dollars simply to grow aquatic plants. Most people would maintain tanks for the sake of showy fishes such as arowanas, goldfishes and giant gouramis.

But with more foreign brands entering the market with a greater variety of equipment at lower prices, the planted tank hobby has enjoyed good growth, although here it is still a minority within the aquaria hobby.

Most hobbyists still tend to rely on the shop owners to convey their often limited and sometimes erroneous knowledge about maintaining a planted tank. But with the internet, new information can be shared easily and the standards of awareness have risen as more people go online. Local online communities such as aquaticquotient.com also help bring together people in periodic meetings and outings to shops and farms.

I think the planted aquaria hobby will continue to grow in the future, although it may not match the glamour of marine tanks with their vivid range of colours. And the standards of hobbyist tanks and their skills should rise further as new and better techniques are developed and shared.

6. Speaking from experience, you supply some excellent Cryptocoryne
specimens. How did you get involved with Cryptocorynes? Do you grow any of the species?

My love for Cryptocorynes came by chance when I went on a local field trip with some forum friends. The difficulties involved in keeping these plants alive and getting them to bloom is a good challenge for me. In addition, the genus’ diversity of shapes and species also attracted me.

Since then, I have been trying to obtain more less common species and have come to know people sharing this interest from different countries, with whom new ideas and practices can be shared.

I grow a number of species myself, such as C. affinis, C. aponogetifolia, C. auriculata, C. bullosa, C. coronata, C. decus-silvae, C. ferruginea, C. ideii, C. cf. jacobsenii, C. keei, C. longicauda, C. minima, C. nurii, C. pallidinervia, C. schulzei, C. striolata, C. thwaitesii, C. vietnamensis, C. yujii, and C. wendtii ‘green gecko’.

7. What advice do you have for someone who is getting into the planted
aquarium hobby?

I would say, if you are serious about getting it right, you have to spend your money on the correct items. If possible, don’t hesitate in spending a little extra for better quality equipment, as these are likely to deliver better performance and last longer.

8. Describe your typical workday schedule.

I usually wake up at seven and start by replying to emails. Then I set off for the office and attend meetings or work on scheduled maintenance jobs. There is also planning work and paperwork such as quotations and proposals. I normally chill out at a pub before calling it a day.

9. Tell us something about yourself that we don't already know.

One reason I actually got back into the hobby was because a girl at a disco who kept arowanas inspired me.