jackychun218
Member
I will try to visit this shop when I am back to Hanoi. 
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My LFS visit - Aqua Minh Long
- Thread starter AnhBui
- Start date
Finally I am able to arrange my talk with Manh, founder of Aqua Minh Long. And here is what happened
Warning: the content you are about to read is photo heavy. Slow network is strongly not advised. Lol
I arrived Aqua Minh Long at 6:15PM and Manh, aged 33, was busy with his staff in order to meet delivery deadline. Instead Hang, his wife, aged 32, a professional photographer, greeted me with Vietnam’s traditional tea
At first I thought our talk would end in around 15 to 30 minutes due to his busy schedule. However dispite sometime being interrupted by calls from customers, our conversation still took place in more than 1 hour. During our talk he shared with me his stories, and more importantly his passion for nature aquarium, aquascaping
Fall in love with it at the first sight
Date back in 2001 I was a student at Academy of Banking. One day I accidently saw a very beautiful and colourful fish tank in a street of Hanoi. I started being curious and wanting to find out. By visiting local fish shops and markets in Hoang Hoa Tham, Hang Dau and Cho Mo, it gave me the first idea about the hobby. But foremost I met people who share the same hobby with me. And eventually I became a member of the most popular community of Vietnam, the ABV forum
Learn from ABV and my first DIY tank
I was very luck to know ABV. I made friends and learned a lot from ABV member’s tips and tricks etc.
I made my first tank in 2006. It’s a 40cm cube tank, a great success for me at that time. From lesson learned I experimented more and started to make tank for members of my family and friends. It was very exciting time, because I had so much room to try, so many things to learn as well as my passion and love were fulfil
Quit my job in a bank and start my business
I think it is still a question people ask me today. Why I quit my job and start my business in different area. Perhaps because my passion for aquascaping and nature aquarium was growing bigger everyday, and it is still true today. I really want to promote this hobby to everyone
Aqua Minh Long first store
First two years
Started my business in 2011 with a 30 square-meter shop. I think business was doing okay at first for one reason that I already had customers. They were my former collegues, bosses. But with new customers it turned out not easy at all
I created display tanks with a hope that new customers would buy them. In fact they liked it but ironically wanted smaller versions and copies from aquascaping books. I had two long years troubling to keep business run and build my signature style
Fruitful and expand my business
Listen to customer’s feedbacks, improve our quality of services, study and experiement new things are what we’ve been doing through such years. And thanks to our tireless efforts gradually more people come to Aqua Minh Long to order and buy. It is really a paid off. We have many loyal customers in this city. And some of them are my first customers
Now we have a 70 square-meter shop, a workshop dedicated for making tanks and a team of 12 fulltime staff
Manh (second from the right) with his friend in opening ceremony at his new store 30/06/2013
Aqua Minh Long workshop nearby aqua shop
Aiming for higher ground
I can proudly say Aqua Minh Long has its name in the local market. People trust us because our services and products are always the best in town
A biotop tank by Aqua Minh Long team
But once you archive a goal in your life. What do you want to do next is very important. My ultimate goal remains the same “to promote this hobby to everyone”. But how? Experiment new things, look for new challenges and beat them, create more chances for people to enjoy the hobby, and perhaps make more big tanks for displaying in public areas
We just finished a project with the biggest tank and overflow filter system we’ve ever made. It is 3230cm long, 900cm deep and 1060cm high
Work in Progress
Final result
My newest project is a 120cmx120cmx70cm tank with my own overflow filter design. This 360-view tank is built for displaying in public area where more people can visit and enjoy. I hope with it Vietnam will have more enthusiastic, future professional aquascapers
Manh and his newest project
Its water is ready for fishes, and I am now working on designing layout for the tank
Manh and his fellow dummy a.k.a me
Dare to dream and to follow it
You ask me to say something to newbies? Dare to dream and follow it. Learn from nature, people around you and from mistakes. Don’t fear failure and sleep on your success. Do it with your heart and passion
Ended our conversion and headed home with a thought “ To win a competition or to chose a different way with more impacts on people like Takashi Amano did?" The choice is up to you but I am sure he has chosen the second path
Bonus pictures
Manh and me next to his restoration project also his display tank
Manh explains to me how lighting works for his tanks
How lightning can make a great impact on plant growth and colour
Warning: the content you are about to read is photo heavy. Slow network is strongly not advised. Lol
I arrived Aqua Minh Long at 6:15PM and Manh, aged 33, was busy with his staff in order to meet delivery deadline. Instead Hang, his wife, aged 32, a professional photographer, greeted me with Vietnam’s traditional tea
At first I thought our talk would end in around 15 to 30 minutes due to his busy schedule. However dispite sometime being interrupted by calls from customers, our conversation still took place in more than 1 hour. During our talk he shared with me his stories, and more importantly his passion for nature aquarium, aquascaping
Fall in love with it at the first sight
Date back in 2001 I was a student at Academy of Banking. One day I accidently saw a very beautiful and colourful fish tank in a street of Hanoi. I started being curious and wanting to find out. By visiting local fish shops and markets in Hoang Hoa Tham, Hang Dau and Cho Mo, it gave me the first idea about the hobby. But foremost I met people who share the same hobby with me. And eventually I became a member of the most popular community of Vietnam, the ABV forum
Learn from ABV and my first DIY tank
I was very luck to know ABV. I made friends and learned a lot from ABV member’s tips and tricks etc.
I made my first tank in 2006. It’s a 40cm cube tank, a great success for me at that time. From lesson learned I experimented more and started to make tank for members of my family and friends. It was very exciting time, because I had so much room to try, so many things to learn as well as my passion and love were fulfil
Quit my job in a bank and start my business
I think it is still a question people ask me today. Why I quit my job and start my business in different area. Perhaps because my passion for aquascaping and nature aquarium was growing bigger everyday, and it is still true today. I really want to promote this hobby to everyone
Aqua Minh Long first store
First two years
Started my business in 2011 with a 30 square-meter shop. I think business was doing okay at first for one reason that I already had customers. They were my former collegues, bosses. But with new customers it turned out not easy at all
I created display tanks with a hope that new customers would buy them. In fact they liked it but ironically wanted smaller versions and copies from aquascaping books. I had two long years troubling to keep business run and build my signature style
Fruitful and expand my business
Listen to customer’s feedbacks, improve our quality of services, study and experiement new things are what we’ve been doing through such years. And thanks to our tireless efforts gradually more people come to Aqua Minh Long to order and buy. It is really a paid off. We have many loyal customers in this city. And some of them are my first customers
Now we have a 70 square-meter shop, a workshop dedicated for making tanks and a team of 12 fulltime staff
Manh (second from the right) with his friend in opening ceremony at his new store 30/06/2013
Aqua Minh Long workshop nearby aqua shop
Aiming for higher ground
I can proudly say Aqua Minh Long has its name in the local market. People trust us because our services and products are always the best in town
A biotop tank by Aqua Minh Long team
But once you archive a goal in your life. What do you want to do next is very important. My ultimate goal remains the same “to promote this hobby to everyone”. But how? Experiment new things, look for new challenges and beat them, create more chances for people to enjoy the hobby, and perhaps make more big tanks for displaying in public areas
We just finished a project with the biggest tank and overflow filter system we’ve ever made. It is 3230cm long, 900cm deep and 1060cm high
Work in Progress
Final result
My newest project is a 120cmx120cmx70cm tank with my own overflow filter design. This 360-view tank is built for displaying in public area where more people can visit and enjoy. I hope with it Vietnam will have more enthusiastic, future professional aquascapers
Manh and his newest project
Its water is ready for fishes, and I am now working on designing layout for the tank
Manh and his fellow dummy a.k.a me
Dare to dream and to follow it
You ask me to say something to newbies? Dare to dream and follow it. Learn from nature, people around you and from mistakes. Don’t fear failure and sleep on your success. Do it with your heart and passion
Ended our conversion and headed home with a thought “ To win a competition or to chose a different way with more impacts on people like Takashi Amano did?" The choice is up to you but I am sure he has chosen the second path
Bonus pictures
Manh and me next to his restoration project also his display tank
Manh explains to me how lighting works for his tanks
How lightning can make a great impact on plant growth and colour
Last edited:
Alexander Belchenko
Member
Great!
I didn't know you owned an LFS Tim...
I guess over here (in the wild wild west) the aquarium bussines is taken over by sales managers employed to sell and do not have real affinity for aquariums in general. They probably do not see profit enough in setting up and maintaining a nice display tank, also see no profit in investing in employees having this skill. In the west the world turns around making profit as fast as possible with the least investment possible.. At least thats the impression i get when visiting petshops.. That's what the majority are, petshops with an aquarium corner.. The 2 shops i know wich are aquarium shops only also do probably not have the financial means to hire nor posses the skill to setup and maintain a display tank. When you ask they act like they know all about it, but have zip to show. And the conversatons are mostly very breefly aimt towards bying something you actualy do not need. Strange concept.. But people seem to fall for it.
It's so true what George sais in his conclusion.. It would be a win win for every lfs.. But i know not one who's actualy realizing that fact.
Spot on, lots of preaching by LFS workers; little to no evidence...not to mention ridiculously overpriced wares...I'm looking at you Maidenhead Aquatics!
jackychun218
Member
What an inspiration from your interview with Manh! Thanks for sharing bro Anh Bui! 
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Manisha
Member
Really fantastic update on a real gem of a store, thanks ☺
Costa
Member
May I ask what plant is this please?
It's Rotala colorata super red
Costa
Member
Thank you!
Wow...if only we had something like that in the UK...
Ryan Thang To
Member
Omg if only that was my local fish store. If be in there every evening
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PARAGUAY
Member
Me too
