Aquarium hobby – Elegant leisure grows in Quang Tri

Aquascaping, a pastime that entails building and caring for an aquarium in a home environment, has become popular in Quang Tri over the past years, mostly among young people who consider it not just a hobby or a source of relaxation, but feng shui significance in life.

Aquascaping is the art of designing underwater landscapes by arranging aquatic plants, rocks, stones, caves, and driftwood in a visually appealing way within an aquarium.

The popular hobby in Quang Tri indicates that this hobby was once believed to be reserved for older individuals with plenty of time and financial resources, but in fact, the majority of aquascaping enthusiasts are young people.

An aquarium made by Le Ngoc Hoang: Photo: Tran Tuyen

Attracting young enthusiasts

Aquascaping is simply understood as recreating natural landscapes inside a water tank using aquatic plants. While a regular fish tank is primarily for keeping fish, an aquascape harmoniously combines greenery, driftwood, rocks, and various fish species to create a lively, aesthetic underwater scene.

Nguyen Tan, a 40-year-old resident in Ho Xa Town, Vinh Linh District, discovered aquascaping three years ago as he sought ways to relax after work and to get rid of stress. He purchased a glass tank and necessary materials to set up a simple aquascape at home.

“I had the glass tank custom-made, then arranged driftwood and pebbles inside. I went to a pet store to buy some easy-to-keep fish like neon tetras, sailfin mollies, and angelfish, and a pair of decorative turtles. After setting it up, my kids loved it too,” Tân shared.

Le Ngoc Hoang (R) introduces an aquarium to his client. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Aquascaping – Personal and professional journey

Aquascaping is an art form that reflects individual interests and personalities. While enthusiasts like Tan enjoy the creative process of designing their own setups, others prefer to rely on professional expertise to craft the perfect aquatic landscape.

Tran Sang, 35, in Gio Linh Town, is one such individual. Inspired by the empty spot in his living room which he was gifted, he reached out to Le Ngoc Hoang, a professional aquascape designer from Dong Luong Ward, Dong Ha City, for assistance.

“After the final design, he brought everything needed: fish, plants, and materials and set up the aquascape in less than two hours. The result was breathtaking, far beyond what I had imagined for a simple fish tank,” Sáng shared. “Hoang also taught me how to care for the plants, maintain water quality, and look after the fish. It seemed easy at first, but once I started, I realized it required real dedication.”

Le Ngoc Hoang provides professional aquascaping in Quang Tri Province. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Complex passion

Currently, Hoang is the only professional in the province offering comprehensive aquascaping services, including consulting, design, installation, and equipment supply.

Though his academic background is in economics, graduating from Hue University of Economics and earning a master’s degree in Economic Management from Ho Chi Minh City University of Water Resources, Hoang has laid passion on aquascaping. After returning home in 2023 due to family reasons, he decided to turn his longtime hobby into a business.

“I’ve been fascinated by fishkeeping since high school. I learned through books and online resources, experimenting on my own. At first, my fish wouldn’t survive for long, and eventually, I had to set it aside for my studies,” Hoang recalled. “When I returned home, I started creating aquascapes just for fun, but then someone bought one for VND2.5 million (US$98), my first real sale.”

Hoang’s professional journey in aquascaping requires mastering both art and science. A complete aquascape setup typically includes a glass tank, filtration system, lighting, substrate fertilizer, driftwood, and rocks for structure. Once the layout is set, aquatic plants, fish, shrimp, snails, and other organisms bring the ecosystem to life. A strong filtration system ensures water clarity and supports beneficial microorganisms, while proper lighting promotes plant growth and enhances the tank’s visual appeal.

Choosing proper plants is crucial in shaping the aesthetic of an aquascape. Popular species include ferns, mosses, pearl grass, rotala, hairgrass, bacopa, and water chrysanthemums. For “red” aquatic plants, which have vibrant crimson leaves, it requires a CO2 system. Each aquascape is a reflection of personal creativity, preferences, and budget.

Hoang said that aquascaping isn’t bound by age, it’s all about knowledge, passion, and creativity. However, the hobby demands patience and attention to detail. It requires regular checking of water quality and monitoring the health of plants and fish.

“For a balanced tank, it becomes essential to understand fish behavior,” he said. “A well-structured home aquascape usually features fish occupying different levels of the tank. Bottom dwellers like corydoras, otocinclus, and Siamese algae eaters help clean the substrate. Mid-level swimmers such as neon tetras, rosy barbs, sailfin mollies, and cherry barbs add movement and color. Surface fish like guppies, swordtails, and zebra danios complete the dynamic. Among these, emperor tetras are the most visually stunning, rosy barbs are the most valuable, and sailfin mollies are the easiest to care for.”

From hobby to profession

The complexity of an aquascape can vary greatly, for example, one of Hoang’s big projects took nearly three weeks to complete, while simpler setups can be finished in just one or two hours. The cost also varies with the small designs prized at around VND1-VND2 million ($40-$80), while intricate, large-scale aquascapes can range from VND30 million ($1,176). His clients are mostly local or from nearby regions while he also welcomes different projects.

“Recently, there’s been a growing interest in aquascaping, with many people seeking advice and help setting up their own tanks. For beginners, I recommend limiting lighting to under seven hours a day and feeding fish sparingly to prevent algae growth and water contamination. It’s also important to retain at least 50% of the existing water during a water change to prevent shocking the aquatic environment due to pH changes,” Hoang advised.

With plans to expand his business, Hoang is focused on creating even more visually captivating aquascapes and sharing his passion with others. He remains committed to helping newcomers explore the rewarding, intricate world of aquascaping, an art that combines creativity, patience, and a love for nature.

Tran Tuyen – Linh Pham