Written by Mike Clifford
Ching’s infamous SPS Reef
Many of you are familiar with Chingchai’s spectacular SPS-dominated aquarium which was honored as Reef Central’s TOTM in May 2008, and as Siam Reef Club’s TOTM in January 2007. However, few know that Ching also maintains a large soft coral aquarium and an LPS nano in his home, as [...]
Written by Mike Clifford
Ching’s infamous SPS Reef
Many of you are familiar with Chingchai’s spectacular SPS-dominated aquarium which was honored as Reef Central’s TOTM in May 2008, and as Siam Reef Club’s TOTM in January 2007. However, few know that Ching also maintains a large soft coral aquarium and an LPS nano in his home, as well as another large mixed reef and sponge-dominated nano at the Siam Reef Club offices.
For those that aren’t familiar with Ching, he resides in Bangkok, Thailand, and is the founder of the Siam Reef Club, which is Thailand’s first marine aquarium club. Through Siam Reef Club, he has educated numerous Thai reefers on SPS husbandry – a quick glance at the fruits of the club’s labor show that his efforts have been highly successful. I was fortunate enough to meet up with Ching on a recent dive trip to Bangkok and see these masterpieces in person.
First, we have his amazing soft coral reef. This tank sits opposite to his SPS reef, and is almost equal to it in size (~200 gallons). I was taken aback when I walked in and saw not just one, but two, show-piece aquariums in front of me. My first question to Ching was why he never posted pictures of this tank. He modestly said he didn’t think it was as picture-worthy as his SPS reef. Granted, his SPS tank sets the bar high, but as the pictures below illustrate, his soft coral tank is quite impressive! While this setup isn’t as well-known stateside as his SPS reef, it was featured as Siam Reef Club’s TOTM in July 2006.
Ching also maintains a mixed reef in the offices of the Siam Reef Club, although it might be said that the beautiful Clarion angel and Crosshatch trigger actually “run” the tank.
Also featured in the office, is a very unique nano aquarium, lit by a LED mini-spotlight, where Ching keeps a variety of beautifully colored sponges.
I’d like to thank Ching for his hospitality and kindness during my visit to Bangkok. I highly recommend that anyone who is planning a trip to Thailand try to contact Ching about a visit. And if you aren’t planning a trip to Thailand, I encourage you to visit the land of smiles – it is a truly wonderful place, not to mention an amazing diving destination (more on this in a future GBD article).
In closing, I’ll leave you with two pictures. The first to make you laugh, because “lost in translation” pictures are always funny (read the labeling carefully), and the second to make you drool – yes, that rendering is Ching’s next system. Based on his current tanks, one can only imagine what Ching’s new creation will look like fully stocked.
Editor’s Note: Ching is currently setting up this beauty and no expense has been spared–be sure to see his build thread. A special thanks to Mike Clifford for his work on this article and to Ching for allowing us to share his beautiful slices of the ocean with you all.
