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  1. #1
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    A slightly different farm

    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...





    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

  2. #2
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    wasabi's Avatar
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    Interesting. Learnt something new.

  3. #3
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    Interesting thanks for the pictures.

    "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."

    Very German, reminds me of something very big I saw, among other places, on the History Channel.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobR View Post
    Very German, reminds me of something very big I saw, among other places, on the History Channel.
    No, just Thai style.
    Some sell the non-quality for 10 Bath at Jatujack, others prefer to sell snakehead
    But afaik all over the works most Betta breeders also keep snakeheads and know why.

    Bye,
    Derk

  5. #5
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    Excellent thread Derk! Very informative and really good quality photos.

    Welcome to Teakdoor


  6. #6
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    Great thread, cheers.

  7. #7
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    Top thread , thanxs Derk .

  8. #8
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    I know male fighting fish attack each other but is it ok to put 1 in a small pond with other fish or do they attack all other fish?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derk View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by BobR View Post
    Very German, reminds me of something very big I saw, among other places, on the History Channel.
    No, just Thai style.
    Some sell the non-quality for 10 Bath at Jatujack, others prefer to sell snakehead
    But afaik all over the works most Betta breeders also keep snakeheads and know why.

    Bye,
    Derk
    No offense intended, thank you for some interesting reading.

  10. #10
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    Great read ... thanks for sharing.


  11. #11
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    Great thread!

  12. #12
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    good stuff, so you just bag your own ones up and hop a plane home to germany? surely not, what about customs at both ends?

  13. #13
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    Nice, thanks.

    btw I think there's a museum or similar dedicated to them in Phra Pha Daeng. There were wooden Thai signs for it last time I was down there.

  14. #14
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    ^ sorry bit off topic, but whats the easiet way to get on to pra pradeng from say on nut?

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by sunsetter View Post
    ^ sorry bit off topic, but whats the easiet way to get on to pra pradeng from say on nut?
    Very very easy.

    10b ferry across the river, at the end of Sanphawut Road.

    https://teakdoor.com/bangkok-forum/62...mins-city.html (Nice green drive 10 mins from city centre.)

  16. #16
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    In a cab you dickhead

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chairman Mao View Post
    btw I think there's a museum or similar dedicated to them in Phra Pha Daeng. There were wooden Thai signs for it last time I was down there.
    That surely would give a great trip for me.
    Do you possibly have some more specifics on the location?


    Quote Originally Posted by sunsetter View Post
    good stuff, so you just bag your own ones up and hop a plane home to germany? surely not, what about customs at both ends?

    In Thailand the issue is to get them through security check.
    They told me that I need to go to customs, afterwards they told to get them to quarantine and finally just to get it approved by the airline.
    The airline then said that's not their issue but the securities - expecting this I had the phone number of the security guy and they called him.

    After the next check I could pass

    In Europe you need an animal disease control reporting document to be sent in at least one day prior to arrival, but only if doing commercially. So if revised you have to prove to the officer that your quantity is purely private and does not go to distribution.

    So now happy little and bigger fish in german coldland.
    Some got significantly bigger tanks now, most with plants and I hope to start breeding in around 3 weeks.

    Bye,
    Derk

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derk View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Chairman Mao View Post
    btw I think there's a museum or similar dedicated to them in Phra Pha Daeng. There were wooden Thai signs for it last time I was down there.
    That surely would give a great trip for me.
    Do you possibly have some more specifics on the location?
    Exact satellite location?

    bangkok - Google Maps

    Just below the writing is a large, and quite nice park. Big lakes with fish to feed, and perhaps small peddle boats.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chairman Mao View Post
    Exact satellite location?

    bangkok - Google Maps

    Just below the writing is a large, and quite nice park. Big lakes with fish to feed, and perhaps small peddle boats.


    Thanks a lot!
    I'm sure I'll pass by directly after coming back to BKK...

    Bye,
    Derk

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by sunsetter View Post
    ^ sorry bit off topic, but whats the easiet way to get on to pra pradeng from say on nut?
    Get BTS to vic monument then get the 140 or, or go back to central city Bangna cross over the road and get the 558. Both only go as far as Wat Son. If going further up the road get the 20 or 82 er yeah the boat is quicker

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kurgen
    I know male fighting fish attack each other but is it ok to put 1 in a small pond with other fish or do they attack all other fish?
    When the World Cup was on in 2006, I thought it would be cool to get a fish tank and stock it with 11 white fish (for England) and 11 gold looking things (think we were playing Portugal) and a black one of those fighting fish as the referee.
    Set the tank up and put the 23 fish in together and marveled at them for 20 minutes or so until it was time to have a beer.
    Woke up in the morning and the referree had taken out my back 4 and at least 6 of Portugals finest.
    Beware! These buggers headbutt any fish in the tank.

    Great thread BTW. Big cheers for sharing.
    Black diamonds? I shit 'em.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by jizzybloke
    In a cab you dickhead
    hmmm, interesting...........

  23. #23
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    Another great thread on TD!

  24. #24
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    Sensational thread, cheers!

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kurgen View Post
    I know male fighting fish attack each other but is it ok to put 1 in a small pond with other fish or do they attack all other fish?
    They can live with other fish without issues but...
    - if they have fancy fins
    - if they look to similar to a fighting fish
    - if they are too slow
    ... they might get attacked and possibly killed.
    If the other fish are too small they will just get eaten.

    The most fun you have with some small tanks (bigger than the Thai version for Bettas) put one aside the other and with removable optical separations.
    So you can see the natural behavior and also get them into fake fighting or mating ritual.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    When the World Cup was on in 2006, I thought it would be cool to get a fish tank and stock it with 11 white fish (for England) and 11 gold looking things (think we were playing Portugal) and a black one of those fighting fish as the referee.
    Set the tank up and put the 23 fish in together and marveled at them for 20 minutes or so until it was time to have a beer.
    Woke up in the morning and the referree had taken out my back 4 and at least 6 of Portugals finest.
    Beware! These buggers headbutt any fish in the tank.
    Any is not correct as a lot of people have them in tanks with other fish, but generally this is bad for the fighting fish as they tend to live in small, heavy grown areas with few other fish present and protect their territory in there.

    Bye,
    Derk

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