Now his 4ha farm is divided into 20 ponds, filled with various species of fish such as discus, guppy, koi, glass catfish, green pufferfish, black tetra and swordtail.
"At present, I'm struggling to keep up with demand. I sell around 20,000-50,000 fry per month. Ornamental fish breed all year round so I have a constant supply. The wholesale price is between VND500-VND20,000 per fry," Cuong says.
To cope with demand, Cuong has opened more small farms in Moc Hoa, Cao Lanh, Cu Chi, O Mon, Tan Tru and Binh Chanh, and his clients come from across the country and even Cambodia to visit him.
Passion
Before becoming a professional fish breeder, Cuong worked as an engineer.
"I was always keen on ornamental fish, even as a child. When I saw how many people kept ornamental fish as a hobby, I decided it was time for a change of career, and resigned," says Cuong.
At that time, people thought that I was mad, but I knew deep down that if I tried my best I would succeed," he confides.
The Tay Ninh-born breeder started his first fishery in his home town in 2001. He dug two pilot ponds that covered 10sq.m but his first attempts failures.
However, he'd fallen in love with the job, and one year later, decided to increase the scale of his operations by renting 2,000sq.m of land in the neighbouring province of Binh Duong.
After four months, Thanh's school of fish had grown rapidly and they were nearly ready for sale.
"But then disaster struck. It rained non-stop for three days, and my ponds were polluted. All of my fish died, nearly VND50 million (US$2,380) worth of stock was lost in next to no time. I was very worried," says Cuong.
Not to be deterred, Cuong learnt from this experience, and before long, a new batch of fish were thriving. When the fish were ready, he approached dealers in HCMCity, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Vung Tau, Da Nang and Ha Noi.
Cuong often compares breeding fish to nursing a baby because caring for ornamental fish is very difficult. First, the breeder must pay attention to the acidity of the water and the soluble oxygen content. Feeding is obviously also very important, but too much food can make the water dirty, and this can lead to disease.
Cuong explains how to feed fish the correct amount of food.
"There should not be any food left floating on the surface of the pond 10 minutes after feeding time. If there is you have to scoop it out to avoid polluting the water," says Cuong.
After many years, Cuong has gained both experience and capital. He revealed that his income is around VND20-30 million per month.
Formerly, he had to depend on his friends to import stock from foreign countries, but now, he knows how to choose the top breeders and employ the most effective techniques to achieve optimum results.
Cuong says he is ready to support and supply fish to anyone who is interested in getting into the trade.
However he warns that: "You must be industrious to do this job. High profits go with risk. If mature commercial fish die, you can sell them to the markets, but no one wants to buy a dead ornamental fish," Cuong says with a knowing smile.
Sharing his experience
HCM City's ornamental fish dealers all know Cuong from Binh Chanh because of his constant diverse supply of fish.
He is happy to pass on tips to those less experienced than him, so they can share in his success.
"My family's first batch of fish was valued at VN╤10 million. C÷⌠°ng not only shares his knowledge, but also supplies me with fry. Thanks to him, my family's living conditions have gradually stabilised," says Nguyen Van Chau from Tan Nhat Commune.
In the future, Cuong hopes to export his fish to foreign countries. In preparation for this, Cuong has established the Ngay Moi (New Day) Ornamental Fish Co-operative, attracting the participation of four fish breeding households.
"We opened this co-operative to help breeders export fish on a large scale. With this model, they also enjoy the benefits of increased purchasing power. Moreover, we are able to share our experiences and support one another," says Cuong.
For his contributions to the industry and society, Cuong was bestowed the HCMCity outstanding farmer award and received a certificate of merit from the HCM City People's Committee.
VNS