UAE national pursues an unusual hobby. He is a pro-aquarist who develops an aquatic community that is a recreation of a tropical fresh water habitat
Omar Ibrahim Bin Hendi has an interesting and unusual hobby. He is a pro-aquarist. The aquarium in his living room is not just a fish tank with a few assorted fish swimming about. It is a carefully developed aquatic community that is a microcosm of a tropical fresh water habitat.
In fact, what strikes you first is the amount of greenery in the aquarium. The Amazon sword plant with its sword shaped leaves, the Java fern and the lush green Cambomba are anchored in the gravel at the bottom of the tank; the kidney-shaped leaves of the Hydrocotyle float on the surface of the water and the fan-shaped Echinodorus rises above the water level with some branches trailing down the sides of the tank and even bearing flowers.
No wonder, the glowlight tetra, the shiny neon tetra, the rummy nose tetra with its bright orange tip, the leopard and zebra danois, the flashy orange harlequin rasbora and the red tip chocolate gourami swimming amidst this vegetation look absolutely at home. They may be in a tank in a living room in Dubai, but it looks and feels exactly like their natural habitats in tropical rivers and lakes.
"Pro-aquarists do more than just keeping fish. They try to simulate natural aquatic habitats in their fish tanks. It seems difficult and time consuming, but if you have the right tools and know the correct techniques, it is easy," says Omar.
"It is a wonderful hobby because the greenery and colourful fish are captivating and relaxing to watch. I prefer it to having a cat or dog as a pet because it takes less time and effort and you do not get hair all over the house," he adds.
His first brush with fishes
Omar got interested in being an aquarist while helping his older brother to look after his pet fish and bought his first fish tank when he was 15.
"I was excited and bought many different species of fish for my aquarium. I fed them and cleaned the tank regularly, but the fish did not survive beyond a few months," admits Omar.
But he did not give up. Instead he was motivated to read books and look for tips on the Internet on managing aquariums.
Omar's job as the conference coordinator for the public relations, promotions and exhibitions department of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation often takes him to the Far East and it is there that he was first introduced to the work of pro-aquarists.
"I noticed that many of the hotels, restaurants and offices had beautiful aquariums, with not just fish but also a lot of greenery. I liked the concept and tried to learn more about it by speaking to pro-aquarists and buying lots of books on the subject," says Omar.
He learnt how important it was to have the right mix of fish species in a tank and to provide them with the right conditions in terms of a chemically balanced natural habitat.
"One must ensure that the different species of fish in a tank are those that share a common habitat in nature also and require similar temperature, pH, light and other conditions. The tap water in the UAE is slightly acidic, so it is better to invest in a dechlorinator to neutralise it," says Omar.
His initial experiments with growing plants in his aquarium were not quite successful. But through research and experience Omar now knows which plants grow best in the conditions that exist indoors in Dubai and their specific requirements.
The result is that the plants now grow so well that he needs to trim them every 10 days and has an overflow tank filled with trimmings.
The right mix of flora and fauna
"For a pro-aquarist, the challenge is to be able to maintain that delicate balance in the environment that keeps both the fish and the plants healthy and happy. To grow well, the plants require an external supply of carbon dioxide, which I provide with a carbon dioxide cylinder. But too much of the gas is harmful to the fish.
They become lethargic and come up often to the surface to get oxygen. Hence I have bought a bubble counter to ensure that the rate of flow of the gas is maintained at five to 10 bubbles per second. The intensity and penetration of the light in the tank is also important.
"Too much light could cause algal growth in the tank, while too little will have a negative effect on the plants and some fish. Similarly the water circulation should also be maintained at three times per hour.
"More than that is harmful to the plants and less than that could cause diseases in the fish. One must also take care to maintain the optimal temperature in the tank with a submerged heater and by keeping it away from direct sunlight as well as draughts from air-conditioning vents," says Omar.
He uses an external water filter so that he does not have to empty the tank to clean it. Every fortnight he cleans the gravel with a siphon and replaces 25 per cent of the water from the top without disturbing the fish or plants.
The fish are fed three times a day and Omar pampers his pets with a variety of fish foods and special colour enhancing and protein tablets. He also adds chlorophyll enhancing tablets for the plants.
"If conditions in the tank are not right the colours on the fish tend to look dull and the fish do not breed," says Omar, proudly pointing to the bright, flashy colours on his fish and the many fish with bellies swollen with eggs.
"Optimal conditions also ensure that the fish and plants do not get diseased. For just a few minutes spent on feeding them daily and an hour of cleaning every fortnight, the fish and plants provide you joy and relaxation for years," he adds.
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