The salmon farm on Phia Oac Mount has been set up by SUNNY paint and trading company since 2007, to take the most use of the temperate climate, the cold, clean and mineral-rich water. The owner also invests in landscaping, penjing and gardening etc. to transform his farm into a pretty destination for his family and visitors to enjoy and relax.
Salmon (rainbow trout or steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a cold-water fish imported to Vietnam about a decade ago. Salmon farming is booming in areas with suitable climatic, topographic and geologic conditions, including Phia Oac Mount among others, due to high demand and economic efficiency.
Salmon has to be farmed in cold water, around 4-24oC, best around 12-21oC. The suitable temperature for it to become mature and reproduce is 8-12oC. In addition to the strict requirement in temperature, the water should be around 6.5-8.5 in pH; 6mg/l in dissolved oxygen; the foodstuff should contain more than 50% in protein and 20% in raw lipid. Under such conditions, salmon could gain 0.6-1.0kg/fish after 6 months, 1.5-2.0kg/fish after one year, and 1.8-2.5kg/fish after 1.5 year.
Salmon could be farmed in different containers with flowing water e.g. tank, pond, lake or reservoir. These containers usually have to be equipped with aerating and roofing systems.
In Vietnam the two main sources of water for salmon farming is surface and ground water. Surface water includes ravines, lakes or reservoirs where water volume and quality may change seasonally, thus affecting the yield. Ground water is usually clear, clean with more stable temperature around the year but low oxygen content. Current practice shows that salmon is best farmed in mountainous ravines with low temperature water.