# General > Events, field trips and gatherings >  Oriental Aquarium

## timebomb

Hi, everyone,

Together with the Professor and a few friends, I had the honour of being invited to visit Oriental Aquarium on Sunday. Dr Unnikrishnan and one of the family members of Oriental were very kind to take time off their busy schedules to show us around the place. I must say Oriental is really huge. The farm is easily 5 to 6 times the size of Teo's Aquatics. 

For our foreign friends in this forum who may not have heard of Oriental - They are one of the biggest, if not the biggest aquatic plant import/exporters in the world. Oriental is located somewhere to the north of Singapore in quite a remote area. Besides the one in Singapore, they also have farms in Malaysia and China. 

Oriental is still very much a family business and usually, they don't entertain walk-in visitors. When I toured the place, I can understand the reasons why. The sheer size of its premises makes it impossible for Oriental to keep an eye on visitors. To do so, they would probably have to double or tripled the number of staff. Many of the paths in the farm are also very wet and slippery and a visitor can easily fall and injure himself if he's not careful. I enquired about organised tours but they explained that it would be impossible for them to conduct such tours because plant shipments are usually carried out on weekends and they just don't have enough manpower to spare. So, sorry guys. I tried but you really can't blame them for not allowing visitors. 

Anyway, the good folks at Oriental were very nice and they allowed me to take many pictures. Here are some of them:

*The place where plants are sorted out and tied into bundles*


*Thousands of pots of Annubias grown emersed*


*A new moss that Oriental is cultivating. It has a very appropiate common name - Weeping Moss*


*The plants are watered at regular intervals by sprinklers*


*Java Moss grown emersed on wet floors*


*More Java Moss grown submersed in baskets*


*Annubias everywhere!! Who needs CO2?* :Laughing: 


[b]Oriental's ice cream sticks  :Laughing:  (Java Moss grown emersed)


_Bolbitis heudelotii_


*Adding value to plants by using driftwoods*


*Micranthenum umbrosum emersed*


*Collecting plants for shipment*


*Hygrophila polysperma*


*Parrot Feathers?*


*Plants, plants and more plants*


*Mother of all aquatic plants?*


*Hemianthus Callitrichoides?*


*Many species of Echinodorus*


*Echinodorus bleheri*


*Young seedlings transferred from tissue culture lab*


*2 toned Parrot Feather?*


*Putting them into pots*


*Cleaning plants with powerful jets of water*


*Cleaned plants*


*Packed and ready for export*


Hope you enjoyed the tour :smile:

Loh K L

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## Ryan M

That place is simply amazing...I can't wait to see weeping moss in my tank. Oh well maybe sometime next decade  :Very Happy:  .

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## hwchoy

> For our foreign friends in this forum who may not have heard of Oriental - They are one of the biggest, if not the biggest aquatic plant import/exporters in the world. Oriental is located somewhere to the north of Singapore in quite a remote area. Besides the one in Singapore, they also have farms in Malaysia and China.


I understand that Oriental alone account for about 10% of world aquatic plant market share. In fact many of the plants that Tropica is famous for originated here, such as the _Echinodorus_ Marble Queen.

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## RonWill

Thanks Kwek Leong for posting up the pics... good composition, commentaries and helluva long time to download on my dialup connection! :wink: 

It would be worth-while to consider a write-up on your visit and post the article at the main site.

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## timebomb

> It would be worth-while to consider a write-up on your visit and post the article at the main site.


Oh, I think Budak is going to do that. He writes far better than anyone I know.

Loh K L

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## RonWill

> In fact many of the plants that Tropica is famous for originated here, such as the _Echinodorus_ Marble Queen.


... not forgetting the _Echinodorus_ 'Oriental'... my favourite echi :wink:

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## TS168

Thanks Mr Loh for the Introduction of Oriental Aquarium.

Hope soon we can easily get cheaper Hemianthus Callitrichoides? 

So did you manage to buy any plants from them?

Cheers.

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## timebomb

> Hope soon we can easily get cheaper Hemianthus Callitrichoides? So did you manage to buy any plants from them?


We didn't buy any plants as Oriental gave them to us for free. But then again, I took only one piece of driftwood that has an unusual liverwort growing on it. I would have gladly paid for it but Oriental was generous. I hope though we didn't impose on their generosity. We weren't looking for cheap plants when we visited Oriental. To be allowed to visit is already such an honour :wink:.

Loh K L

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## TS168

ok thanks. I just got myself a pot of Hemianthus Callitrichoides to try out.

 :Very Happy:

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## BFG

Quite an eye-opener really!  :Shocked:   :Shocked:   :Shocked:  


Mohamad Rohaizal.

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## Ryan M

Were you able to acquire any of the Weeping Moss because that really looks cool?

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## whimbrel

Wow, KL! Thanks for that tour of the nursery. I'm now dying to get some Hemianthus Callitrichoides too!
cheers, 
shireen


An addendum ...

I found their website. http://www.orientalaquarium.com
They grow variegated A. nana and C. wendtii! Ahhhh! I want some! I just emailed my fish store begging them to get the plant list and put in an order. Does anyone have their gorgeous catalogs? I wish it could be viewed on-line, it looks incredible. 

BTW, KL. Remember that "Erect Moss" you sent? For the longest time, I kept it in a container of water by the window because my tanks were algae-infested disasters. About a month ago, I set up a tank with A. barteri, some long-leaf Java, and attached the "Erect Moss" to some wood. It's coming up beautifully -- in fact, it's very cute. You should have named it "Perky Moss". javascript**:emoticon(' :Laughing: ')

Thanks my friend for all you've given me. YOU ARE THE GREATEST! 
Let me know if you want any eggs this year, the weather will be warm soon and safe to ship.

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## Debbbear

Awesome! Thanks for sharing! Loh K L,
Makes one wonder if their eyes are seeing correct!  :Very Happy:

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## hwchoy

The Oriental Catalogue is very nice and retails for only about US$25. But it'll probably cost you US$40 by the time it includes shipping.  :Crying:

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## kc

Kwek Leong,
Thanks for the web tour. It was very educational. Can't wait for the weeping moss.  :Mad:

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## timebomb

> Were you able to acquire any of the Weeping Moss because that really looks cool?


I wouldn't be a Moss lover if I didn't, Ryan :wink:. Although I didn't take any from Oriental during the visit, I have this moss in my tanks. Oriental sent some to me long before the visit. :smile:




> Let me know if you want any eggs this year, the weather will be warm soon and safe to ship.


Shireen, no one did more to help me when I was building this web site. If there's any plant, book or whatever you need from Singapore, all you have to do is ask. I lost your mailing address when my computer crashed so can you please send it again through private email. I would even send you my heart if it's not already taken  :Laughing: .I don't keep as many Killies as I used to so you don't have to send me anymore eggs. We have now quite an active killifish scene going in Singapore and with the resources and connections of the guys here, it's much easier to acquire eggs. But thanks for the offer, anyway. You're very kind.

Folks,

Gan Cheong Weei who was at Oriental too on Sunday sent me 4 pictures. I must say Cheong Weei takes much better photographs than I do. But that isn't a surprise really; all I know is to point and shoot  :Laughing: 

*The first 2 pics are Oriental's planted tanks inside their research room. The moss on the driftwood in the second pic is Weeping Moss. Oriental said that for some strange reason, the moss takes on the "weeping look" only after it has been conditioned in the tank for some time. Oriental keeps many planted tanks inside their research room but they are not for aesthetic purposes. They are used for scientific research.*



*Cheong Weei's pictures give a much better perspective of Oriental's size. The 2 men with their backs facing the camera are Professor Benito Tan and Dr Unnikrishnan. They are camera-shy*  :Laughing: 



Loh K L

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## FC

Great pics and tour!

There is a old chinese saying:"The scholars need not be out of the house to know everything in the world".

It's a treat to my eyes!

Thanks.

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## tony.ch

Great pictures, Oriental aquariums looks vast - it must have taken a while to get around. It's very interesting to see how the plants are grown on a grand scale and yet another beutiful moss to collect. Is any more information known about the moss ie where its origins are and latin name. 
Cheers
Tony

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## Green Baron

> Great pictures, Oriental aquariums looks vast - it must have taken a while to get around. It's very interesting to see how the plants are grown on a grand scale and yet another beutiful moss to collect. Is any more information known about the moss ie where its origins are and latin name. 
> Cheers
> Tony


We were told the moss could be from China. Pof Tan is in the process of iding it.

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## Wahter

Hi KL - thanks for sharing the tour with us! Great photos.

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## strung_0ut

:Shocked:  Beautiful! For those who envy "US", I envy you.

Dennis

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## Slaigar

Mr. Loh, we have to start an exchange program! The North American planted aquarists switch over with the Killifish keepers of Singapore. Surely that has to be a fair exchange. Though I will advise staying away from my area, there is no Killifish community nearby or even places to buy nice plants.

Wishful thinking =)....

Great pictures of Oriental Aquariums. Were you able to get a sneak peak at new species or cultivars in the works?

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## timebomb

> Mr. Loh, we have to start an exchange program!


Well, the grass is always greener on the other side :smile:. Don't be surprised if someone living here takes you up on your offer, Mark. 

When we were in Oriental, they showed us their tissue culture lab. Such labs are highly sensitive to contamination so we could only look at the cultures from the outside through a glass window. We had a chance to examine a moss culture though. The good doctor brought it out from the lab for us. The moss was growing very well and Dr Unni said they started it off with just a few strands. The moss was growing in a solution in a bottle that was sealed air-tight. We don't know what's in the solution but it's probably a trade secret. Through the window, we saw shelves and shelves of such bottles. 

I should have taken a picture of the moss culture but in the excitement, I forgot all about it. I wonder if Budak or Gan have a picture.

Loh K L

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## Daemonfly

Very nice tour, loved the Weeping Moss as well. Found the Java Moss Sticks rather humorous  :Laughing:

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## Green Baron

> I should have taken a picture of the moss culture but in the excitement, I forgot all about it. I wonder if Budak or Gan have a picture.
> Loh K L


I think we were all too busy peering through the glass and asking questions ;-) ..and I don't think Oriental would want us to share their high tech setup on the net.

I am really impressed with the setup and the place is really vast !
I am saw many species of plants that are either rare or unavailable from LFS.

The Oriental farm in Singapore grows lots of Anubias. I mean really a lot. Everywhere I look I see Anubias. I thought Anubias is not popular as I don't usually see them in planted tanks but it seems it is very popular in US and Europe. I finally see the a real _Anubias nana var petit_. The leaves are really tiny, 5~7mm across !

They also have many species of Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne. Echi. and Crypt collectors would love this place!

Wouldn't it be great if we can organise a mass order of exotic plants directly from Oriental ?

Gan

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## kadios

Hey Gan!

I'm all for it if a mass order can be arranged! I believe many fellow members from AQ will hop onto the bandwagon as well! Too bad I do not know any one from Oriental, or else I will love to help out in creating the order list.

Cheers!

Kar Hwee

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## timebomb

I guess I better stop this before it gets out of hand. I hate to douse your enthusiam but I seriously doubt Oriental would be interested in getting any bulk orders from us, no matter how huge our bulk orders may be. They don't do retail and if they were to sell to us directly, they would be by-passing their retailers/agents which is something I'm quite sure Oriental is loath to do. 

In any case, even if we can get Oriental to sell to us directly, it wouldn't be any cheaper than buying the plants from the fish shops. Like many other businesses, wholesalers and importers are obligated to their retailers to stick to the market prices. If they sell at prices below what they tell the retailers to sell, who would want to retail their stuff anymore? Getting products from the source does not ensure its cheaper. Quite often, it costs even more.

Loh K L

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## Green Baron

> Wouldn't it be great if we can organise a mass order of exotic plants directly from Oriental ?


That was just wishful thinking ;-) If they allow us to do mass order, it will be more as a favor to the planted-tank hobbists here.

We will keep that in mind when the opportiunity arises.

Gan

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## timebomb

Daphne Freeman, a friend who lives in the US of A wanted to know what was the unusual Liverwort growing on the piece of driftwood that Oriental gave me. Actually, it's not really unusual as the Liverwort can be found in many places in Singapore, on the sides of streams and under the shade of trees. The plant has been around for the longest time but its just that we weren't aware of its existence and the fact that it can be grown in our tanks.

Here's the pic:


The plant is, I believe, the same Liverwort that Subzero showed us in another thread.

Loh K L

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## Joey Wang

Wow Loh, Oriental is probably one of the largest aquatic plants farms in the world, as you said previously.

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## gweesm1

> The moss was growing in a solution in a bottle that was sealed air-tight. We don't know what's in the solution but it's probably a trade secret. Through the window, we saw shelves and shelves of such bottles. Loh K L


These are known as Tissue culture media, there are a few common tissue culture media available, one of the most common and popular type is Murashige and Skoogs (MS) Media. Plant hormones are also added to the media. As plants are growing in an covered area, air exchange is minimal or zero. Thus photosynthesis stop after the CO2 has been used up. So sucrose has to be added for the plant to grow. (Sucrose is a by product of photosynthesis.) The media can be in gel form as well, just add agar.

The dosage of media and plant hormone is an art, only with that range of dosage, the plant will multiply. Too high, might kill the plant, too low, the plant might be stunned or slow to react before contaminant catches up. So the protocol is usually kept as a trade secrete. (There is a group of hobbyists over a news group, they share information with each other, unfortunately mostly garden plant)

I am not discipline to write down dosages of MS media and plant hormone I had tried ,(also the time for disinfect the ex plant), so my Java fern culture was just by luck. The second and third trial was a total failure. But anyway I hope I can put more time in Tissue culture after I submit my Final year Dissertations. Oh yes, one other thing, if you guys know, you will kill me, I lost about 5 stalks of Downoi in the experiment as well. There are only 2 hobbyists in Singapore I know from news group.

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## Lighthammer

Great pictures Mr Loh! By the way whats the name of the plant that you call "parrot feathers"? Is it really hemianthus callitrichoides in one of the pictures?

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## timebomb

> Great pictures Mr Loh! By the way whats the name of the plant that you call "parrot feathers"? Is it really hemianthus callitrichoides in one of the pictures?


I don't know what's the common name for Parrot Feathers, Kevin but the plant is native to Singapore as I've seen plenty of them in the ponds near Island Country Club. As for the _Hemianthus callitrichoides_, I think what Oriental is growing is the genuine McKoy. Although Tropica was the one who launched the sales of this plant during Aquarama, it is a well-known fact that they and Oriental work closely together on many aspects of their businesses.

Loh K L

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## hwchoy

The parrot's feather, or water milfoil, _Myriophyllum aquaticum_ is originally native to the Amazon drainage, but has since spread throughout the world. In many US states and in New Zealand it is a huge nuisance because of the speed and ease with which it propagates. Not many fishes like to eat it apparently it contains quite high levels of tannin.

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## juggler

Cool, Mr Loh. Able to venture into the forbidden city.  :Smile: 
The place is amazing.

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## timebomb

> Cool, Mr Loh. Able to venture into the forbidden city.


Welcome to the forum, Juggler. By the way, I juggle too. Serious. 

I was at Teo's the other day and when I told him that Oriental invited me to tour their farm, Teo said I should buy 4-D  :Laughing:  

Anyway, Teo told me something which made me realise there was a mistake in my first post. Oriental is *30* times the size of Teo's Aquatics and not 5 or 6 times as I initially thought.

Loh K L

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