Malaysia – Kuala-Lumpur, 20-23 November 2008
Aqua Fair 2008 took place for the second time and has become already the largest Ornamental Fish Exhibition & Conference in Asia. Heiko Bleher was invited again for seminars and judging discus fishes on this incredible event sponsored by the Government of Malaysia.
The Aqua Fair 2008 was again hosted below the fantastic Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur – the Petronas Towers – in the surroundings of the beautiful 17 acres KLCC park with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children’s playground – a unique site. Below some photos of these buildings, some of the extraordinary exhibits, fishes, aquariums and the beautifully organized festivities.
Aquaculture stands Aquatics International, one of Malaysia’s largest ornamental fish exporters. And the latter displayed also lyre-tail kois
OFI, which Heiko has founded in 1977, was present with their secretary Alex Ploeg from Holland
The “Betta-Discovery” stand had a very interesting display of the vat full of starving Tilapias – as soon as you place your feet in the water they will nibble on them in search for food – a free foot massage… See also Jalan Petaling…
Goldfish were also displayed correctly as in Shanghai
There was a beautiful Garden stand
Xiang Leng Holdings from Johore, Malaysia, had besides the Blood Red Arowana and exceptional goldfishes, also freshwater stingrays on display. They breed already over 2000 of the latter per year – probably the largest stingray breeders in Asia. They have pearl rays, leopoldi, henli, but also many (mostly) hybrids
Tropical from Poland, the famous fish food company was represented by their export manager Grzegorz Seweryn and Bekir Öder from the export department
Tetra had its own large stand as well
The very active Betta Society of Malaysia who’s members really take care of breeding their own wild and tank raised Betta species – getting all the prizes in competitions
The Discus Society of Malaysia – who invited Heiko to judge and distributes Bleher’s Discus, Volume I successfully – had also their own stand
Magical Aquarium presented the world’s only genuine Pin Water aquarium, in which freshwater and saltwater fishes live together. The question is only for how long? (And the freshwater species were the robust goldfish acceptable to brackish water)
There were also nice marine tanks on display, inclusive several nano marine aquariums
Asian arowanas with red parrot fishes – what a mixture
The Department of Fisheries, Malaysia, had a beautiful, marine ornamental fish display, as well as freshwater ornamentals and were promoting their new aquatic plant tissue culture
KW Aquatics Supply stand
Besides the 260 Discus fishes (link to championat) to be judged, there were also Bettas, Goldfishes, Arowanas, Flowerhorn and Planted Aquariums to be judged
The fishes in the competition were amazing, probably best ever anywhere shown. Here just a few of the hundreds in the competition. The lower two are a couple of the Goldfish champions
There was also something very nice: a colouring competition for children refugees from very poor and political problematic countries and each one was to win an education tour of Malaysia – a special event sponsored by the government and the Betta Society of Malaysia, and…
…there was a fantastic welcome diner, given on the evening of November 20th with an introduction by the Director General of the Department of Fisheries and all the exhibitors and VIPs were invited accompanied by different beautiful Malaysian cultural dances
Come to 2010 Asia’s greatest Aquatic Show
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