A Recent Rare Sighting

[§tudz]

Hi,

Well I've been SO busy lately and havent been active at all for the past few months, so after my latest trip to a fish shop (of 52miles) I thought I would post some information about what I saw and maybe some of you may flock there and see them and buy them yourself.

I went the BAS (Britians Aquarium Superstore) in Bolton, UK. From their website the place didnt look all that much, but people had told me it was great, so after viewing their stock list I went to buy some of the fish I want for my new tank.

I was aiming for a dwarf snake head (Channa gachua) and a Wide Bar Siamese Tiger (Datnioides pulcher)

When I walked in it was pretty amazed at the amount of tanks they have, although the tank werent that clean, or easily viewed it is a great place.

Unfortunatly they didnt have any wide bars in, but they did have some New Guinea Tiger fish, which are rarely seen in the trade and I was so tempted to get one of them instead, I think they had 5 left at £89.95

They had about 6-7 different species of snakehead from dwarf to the larger more aggressive species.
There were a lot of fish I had never seen in person and they even had some I had never even seen in books or online either.

They had a UKs first import of a Loach I'm not sure what they were, but they were stunning looking fish and all a decent size, and they looked fit and healthy too.

They also stocked so arrowana and some LARGE catfish, along with the rare and the weird they have a large selection of live breeders, but from what I saw they are just you normal platies, mollies and guppies. Saying that I didnt really look too hard in there as they arent my cup of tea.

I could have spent SO much money there, as it was I only spent about £50-60, and thats only 1 fish well I bought a Channa Gahcua, some tetra tabamin and also a light and reflector for the new tank.

I think I will be making a return visit, but my next shop to hit is a Maidenhead Aquatics store, again its gonna be a 50mile trip or so.

If you need a new tank then this place had hundreds of different styles and sizes for all people, althought they were expensive, I think after getting a custom built tank, all my tanks from now on will be custom made, as they are a lot cheaper, and you get exactly what you want (more or less).

 

[§tudz]

oh and also forgot to mention they had some rare Polypterus too, it was about 15-17" long look a little like an P. ornatipinnis but it wasnt as dark, and the finage was bigger. I dont think it was a P. retropinnis etiher, it was a beast of a bichir, but I dont have the space to house it at the moment

 

[Fella]

oh and also forgot to mention they had some rare Polypterus too, it was about 15-17" long look a little like an P. ornatipinnis but it wasnt as dark, and the finage was bigger. I dont think it was a P. retropinnis etiher, it was a beast of a bichir, but I dont have the space to house it at the moment

P. teugulsi (sp?) is on their stocklist at the moment.

I've been to BAS and it's great, plenty of unusual fish and the display tanks are great!

 

[geo7x]

sounds like you had a good trip

Personally i would love to see some pics of the gachua soon, can you remember what other species were there? (particularly dwarf)

 

[§tudz]

I cant remember what species they had, they had maybe 506 different species, but only the C. gachua was the only dwarf, well apart from one tank they had labeled as:

Indian SnakeHead (Channa sp.)

Apparently they werent sure what they were, they looked like the blue morph of rainbow snakeheads (Channa bleheri) to me, but they said they werent.

the bichir wasnt P. teugulsi it had the same head shape as an ornate, where are the polypterus teugulsi has the a similar head shape to P. endlicheri

They didnt have a great selection of unusual fish, but they did had a lot of fish, and I am looking forward to going back. I'm just a little begruded buying from shops now, as I know a guy who buys directly from an importer, as he sells fish himself, so I can get them cheaper but then I do tend to get impatient and I do buy on the spur of the moment, but then if you went out every time thinging I'm geting that fish and nothing else, I think it takes the fun outta going.

I am hopefully setting my bnig tank up this weekend so will try get a pic when I transfer the C. gachua.

 

[Fruitbat]

Actually, Polypterus teugelsi is one of the 'upper jaw' bichirs (like P. ornatipinnis) and, though its head is slightly flattened it resembles P. ornatipinnis much more than it does P. endlicheri.

-Joe

 

[JackoUK]

I think I will be making a return visit, but my next shop to hit is a Maidenhead Aquatics store, again its gonna be a 50mile trip or so.

Sounds like a great place, i'll have to make sure to visit there very soon. As for a Maidenhead Aquatics store there's one in Bold heath, Widnes which is pretty good and that only about 15 or so miles from you isn't it. I was actually there this morning.

 

[§tudz]

I think I will be making a return visit, but my next shop to hit is a Maidenhead Aquatics store, again its gonna be a 50mile trip or so.

Sounds like a great place, i'll have to make sure to visit there very soon. As for a Maidenhead Aquatics store there's one in Bold heath, Widnes which is pretty good and that only about 15 or so miles from you isn't it. I was actually there this morning.

cool, what's their stocking like?

 

[JackoUK]

I think I will be making a return visit, but my next shop to hit is a Maidenhead Aquatics store, again its gonna be a 50mile trip or so.

Sounds like a great place, i'll have to make sure to visit there very soon. As for a Maidenhead Aquatics store there's one in Bold heath, Widnes which is pretty good and that only about 15 or so miles from you isn't it. I was actually there this morning.

cool, what's their stocking like?

They have quite a decent stocking. A small amount of Marine, a very good Discus selection. A beautiful huge tank the size of a transit van full of Arowanas, a couple of Pacus and huge Clown loaches, plus many other things. They have an entire wall full of Chiclids, new world and old world. Probably about 50 Chiclid tanks alone. Plus they have many many other tanks full of other varities of tropical and brackish fish. I think it's well worth a visit.

 

[§tudz]

look here

cheers,

 

[JackoUK]

look here

cheers,

No probs

 

[ringham]

Your trip sounds like bundles of fun lol ....Anyway, last time I went to BAS all of their tanks were unclean (as you said) which is a shame, and they also had a red tailed aro! I though that to be quuite strange seeing as it isnt really an oddball specialist and you would normally have to look around a lot to find one wouldnt you?

Anyway that was really the only thing they had and they wanted £500 for it! Needless to say i didnt buy it.

Also in agreement with you, Studz, I found all of their things inc. fish and tanks alike to be far overpriced compared to my LFS. BAS is quite a drive from my house.

I am eagre to hear about ur maiden head trip

 

[Canis-Equus]

I go to BAS quite often and normally their tanks are pretty clean, although on the last trip i did note a few dead fish in tanks, they are sharp to remove them if you tell someone.

They are one of the best shops in the area, certianly the best i can get to (As i dont drive), their staff usually know what they are talking about and you do get service with a smile and a laugh (and some free insults if you go there as often as i do and ask certain members of staff to pick out the biggest shrimps out of a tank of 40!)....

Possibly not the cheapest but a good range of stock and theres 10% off fish with a Tropical Fish Finder card - mines more than paid for itself now.

I really want one of the m. alboguttatus they have..... will be unlikely id ever have £150 for a fish even if i did have somewhere to house it!