The Nemo effect: Hong Kong fish fanciers splash out on saltwater aquariums
Shopkeepers trace Hongkongers’ rising interest in keeping sea fish to Disney’s 2003 animated film Finding Nemo. Hobbyists are spending big on marine gardens, coral, aquarium controls - and the fancy fish to put in them
The Palla family live in a waterfront villa in Tuen Mun and make the most of the location. Their garden overlooks the waves and Davor Palla has fishing rods mounted at the edge, not only to catch something for dinner but also fish to add to his saltwater aquariums.
Palla, who runs a garment business, maintains an extensive set-up, with five tanks mounted on a wall and another huge tank occupying one end of the kitchen – a marine garden featuring an array of reef fish and coral such as Australian doughnut coral and hammer coral.
“It’s an expensive hobby, but it’s worth it. I like watching [the fish and coral],” Palla says.
The hi-tech system cost about HK$500,000 to install. Artificial lighting – crucial for photosynthesis by microscopic algae living within coral polyps – is set to a timer that imitates diurnal rhythms, and the carefully calibrated saltwater is circulated to bring a constant flow of nutrients to the corals.
Palla’s aquarium adventures began when he bought a tank for his niece’s goldfish. Before long, they had moved on to bigger tanks and from freshwater fish to marine species.