Field Trip to Tanjong Malim, by Zhou Hang

Field Trip to Tanjong Malim, Perak. Malaysia

by Zhou Hang
from his website http://www.ikanpemburu.com/
Aquarticles

10th June 2004
- I was talking with H.H. Ng about the North Selangor Forest (where he did his first field work), and he told me that the forest is already gone! Whenever he returns to the place he sees more and more destruction.

- After some research I found an online shop selling Betta livida and Parosphromenus harveyi (licorice gourami), and the collection location was stated as 'Tanjong Malim.' Meanwhile a friend of a friend of mine (......well), had visited the area and had managed to find these two fish.

- I wanted to visit the town and actually witness what's going on there. Betta livida, Betta hipposideros and Parosphromenus harveyi were my main targets.

So I made my move on the 10th. I started late since I had to do something in the morning, and it took me almost 10 hours to reach the small town. From Larkin Bus Terminal (they now have a Mac!) to Puduraya Bus Station cost me RM22 (US$5.90). Then after dinner at the station I got on a bus to Tanjong Malim (only RM4.7).

This hotel wasn't located along the main (?) street. Since it was pretty late at night, I took the first hotel I came across. I didn't switch off the light that night! - and I suffered from bed bugs all night despite spraying my body before I slept!

Click on photographs for enlargements. Then go "BACK."

Very early the next morning an Indian driver agreed to drive me around at the usual rate (RM20 per hour!) (US$5.27). This was the very first place I visited - a hot spring. Along the way I had only seen plantations and dirty clearwater streams. Since I had had a very successful trip to Sarawak only about a week before, I thought I had already used up all my luck!! There were no signs of betta habitats.

So I decided to change direction. As we moved on over a small hill, I saw a stream flowing far below the road. I stopped the taxi and went down with my net. As I carefully approached the stream, I saw bettas!

I soon caught some - Betta pugnax. My old friend!

The red scissortail rasbora, Rasbora caudimaculata....The long-band rasbora, Rasbora einthovenii (another old friend)....and an unidentified Puntius sp.

About 10:30 in the morning I found Betta Heaven! When I slowly approached the swamp I saw a chocolate gourami. Bingo! They are the best neighbours of wild bettas. The water was SOLID tea coloured. My favourite!

Water Parameters: Temp: 26.7, pH: 4.5, KH: < 1

I jumped into the water and within a few minutes I caught a big Betta livida. Fantastic place - I was in the right place at the right time! I used the catching-betta-method all the way, ignoring other fish such as rasboras and loaches.

Betta livida was the most common.

The only Betta bellica I caught....and Betta hipposideros. (It seems the waseri group are not found in clear water at all).

I was pleased with my catch, and we took a rest at a small coffee shop in the middle of a plantation. While having Mee Goreng, the shop owner told us that a young Japanese guy had visited the place alone a week before me! Also by taxi!

I still didn't get any Paros, so I called my friend to re-confirm the location, and tried my luck across the road. Surprise, surprise, surprise - I caught a male Parosphromenus harveyi (licorice gourami) on my first scoop!

Parosphromenus harveyi - beautiful small little tiny jewel.

For this trip I had borrowed a camera from my friend Benny. I tried an underwater shot.

Only half an hour after lunch I decided to call it a day, and went to a river that the owner of the hotel had told me was a good place for butterflies. A nice clear water stream, which the locals visit for bathing. (I did too!). The tap water of Tanjong Malim is obtained from this river.

But when I saw fish swimming in the river, I couldn't stop myself.

A juvenile Tor sp. was caught, but it was difficult to catch fish in the fast flowing water. I saw a hillstream pleco. but just couldn't catch it - again!!!

I had a nice meal at the coffee shop beside the old theatre, which is no longer in use. And of course I changed hotels, and had a good sleep! I didn't have much money left, and then realised that I couldn't remember the PIN for my newly received HSBC card! When I called them they told me that without an account in Malaysia I couldn't withdraw a single cent, even if I went to their branch in Kuala Lumpur with my passport.

I reached KL in the morning. My initial plan had been to hang around in KL for one and a half days, but in the end I had to go back a day early. This is the cheap hotel recommended in my travel guide....Sighh.

There was a used book shop near Puduraya and I found a nice fishy book there. But I had NO money to buy it since I also wanted to visit the Butterfly Park and have two proper meals....Next time, next time.

I walked from the bus station to the Lake Garden where I could visit the Museum and Butterfly Park. This is the KL Railway Station.

After visiting the Masjid Negara and the National Museum, I finally saw my favourite butterfly, Rajah Brooke - Troides brookiana, the National Butterfly. I still remember drawing a few sketches of this butterfly when I was young. But there was no way I could purchase a specimen.

The female. Hard to see in the jungle since they always fly above the canopy (according to a butterfly MANIAC in Kuching!).

I took a taxi to the Twin Towers and this is my last shot, taken before my battery ran out. From there I walked back to the Puduraya, passing by the famous Jalan Petaling as well.

When I reached Singapore (it was my smoothest-ever customs clearance!), I managed to catch the last train. Very luckily, the train stops at Toa Payoh. When I reached home I only had RM 2, three bucks, and no Singapore dollars in my wallet. (I would change my wallet before going on the trip!).

End of Zhou Hang series

See also Michael Lo's series of articles about collecting in Sarawak.
Start with:
Borneo Field Trip Diaries. Part 1

And also Benny Ng's
Sarawak Adventure

Or back to:
Travel/Collecting Index