Tran Ngoc Thang, 53, from Hanoi, uses thousands of glass and plastic bottles to farm and propagate Siamese fighting fish, also known as betta fish, a venture that rakes in hundreds of millions of dong (VND100 million = US$4,342) per year.

The fish farm, which has been around for 20 years, is located deep in an alley of Ngoc Ha Street in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

The majority of fish raised at the farm are varieties of betta, including Fancy Betta, Koi Betta, Halfmoon Betta, and Samurai Betta, which boast flamboyant colors and prove lucrative on the market.

Thang’s farm consists of discarded glass and plastic bottles lined up in his yard, as well as a concrete pool for fish breeding.

According to Thang, betta fish are fierce and bound to fight by nature, which requires each individual to be kept in a separate bottle – a lesson he learned from his fellow fish farmers as well as years of realistic practice.

Separate bottles also help with the fish tending process, plus the material can be found discarded in droves, which helps cut cost, Thang said.

Each material has its own advantage: glass bottles absorb less heat, while plastic ones make it easier to change water and feed the fish.

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