By Richa Kharshandi
Ever imagined living with fishes? Farham T Sangma not just imagines it but does it too, in his own way.For the 29-year-old aquarium maker from Tura in West Garo Hills, fish is more than a pet, it is his companion. And so Sangma has turned his apartment into a gallery where each creation represents a microcosm of the aquatic world with a mix and match of various constituents.Sangma, whose aquarium business is the first in the region, started it as a hobby that became a source of income for the aquatic museum lover.When asked how it all started, he said, “I was in a corporate space where work started to get monotonous and there wasn’t much room for creativity. I realised there is nothing like pursuing one’s passion, and that realisation is what led to this deliberation.”The young aquarium designer has always been a fish lover. Five-year-old Farham would always visit the local market with his mother. While his mother scanned for the best fish for dinner, young Farham searched among the piles for a live one so that he could take it home and keep it as a pet.“At that time without proper fish keeping skills and lack of machines I couldn’t keep the fish alive. But now being able to do what I always wanted is a blessing from above,” he said.His passion and love for the aqua-world led him to expand his business. Once his works started getting appreciated, Farham didn’t look back.For those who would love a slice of aquatic life complete with flora and fauna, aquariums are of different types and come in various sizes, from a big fish tank to a tiny goldfish bowl. But no matter what size or type it is, a fascinating aquarium never fails to embellish public and private spaces.
Farham builds fresh water planted aquarium, tanganyika, cichlid, Iwagumi, Dutch style aquariums, to name a few. The collection in the artiste’s abode will leave one spellbound. The sparkling water, cay rocks, coloured plants and the radiant fishes create a hypnotic ambience as the lights reflect on the bubbles formed by the swift-moving fish.Farham, who loves to share information about his works with a first-time visitor, said he would add more tanks to the collection in the ‘in-house’ gallery.Talking about his clients, Farham said demand is more in commercial spaces. On the market in the North East, the aqua-man said he was not sure as there were only a few aquarium makers in the country and none in the region.“I was unsure of the demand and aquarium market in general in this part of the country. With a couple of projects and a bit of marketing, I was encouraged and pleasantly surprised with the response and the potential this region has. At this stage the market has not matured which can be developed with awareness campaigns, business strategy and value offerings,” Farham said.He added that Meghalaya in particular has a huge potential as the concept is still in its nascent stage and if he can demonstrate value in his offerings, he can be a market leader.Creating these heavenly pieces is certainly not an easy task and collecting materials for constructing these unique pieces of art is even harder.Farham gets the raw materials, especially the nature aquarium products, from China, Japan and Indonesia. There are few things which are being produced in India as well, such as the fertilisers and other additives.He is currently based in Guwahati and runs his business from there. From building the fish tank, decorating it and delivering it to the clients, Farham does everything by himself. He also visits the clients for maintenance.“Maintenance is crucial in the aquarium business. So I offer and recommend it to my clients. The initial few weeks post the set-up is a crucial period for the eco-system to flourish and it’s important to ensure that checks and fixings are carried out as required,” he said.Farham, who had also worked in a project with National Geography, said that he along with his few helps visit the client’s place and observe the health of the plants and fishes, accordingly take the necessary action adding, “Most important and basic thing about aquarium is to do frequent water change.”Speaking about the price range, he said “I’m currently working on a price structure based on the market trend and demand. Up until now the commercial arrangement with my clients have been driven purely by relationship, hence I want to have a price list for the business to be commercially viable.”Among Farham’s creations, the smallest aquarium was done few years ago in a drinking grass and the largest one he has made is 8-foot long and worth Rs 5 lakh.The skilful youth also like strolling in the wild with his pet dog, cooking and playing a bit of piano besides creating marvellous marine exhibition.Farham wants to expand his business not only in the North East but all over the country. “I want to open franchise outlets “AQUASYNTHESIS” all over North East. I am also currently planning a massive project (first of its kind in India) which will create thousands of jobs in the region. I am open to working with investors or any public body to help me along with this,” he added.He also said before proceeding to any other state, he would love to have a gallery opened here in Shillong city. “Shillong is full of animal lovers and I am looking forward to have a gallery in the city.”When asked about his future plans, he said, “Because I am passionate about nature and aquatic life, this is the area I want to focus on and develop my creativity in. My objective is to take my love for aquatic life to the market which will help create awareness among my clients as well as in the society as a whole. It’s satisfying to serve.”Farham’s creativity, enthusiasm and his nous for entrepreneurship can be described well in the words of singer Judy Collins — “I think people who are creative are the luckiest people on earth. I know that there are no shortcuts, but you must keep your faith in something Greater than You, and keep doing what you love. Do what you love, and you will find the way to get it out to the world.”