UK Fish Store Directory

[Ferris]

Oasis - Salford, Manchester


Variety - 9
Quality - 10
Staff - 10

 

[Seb R]

Knights Gardencenter-Godstone UK

Variety -7
Quality - 10
Staff - 8.5 (just not quite 9!)

Really nice fish and nice guys who always give you any advice if asked (even though thy may look at you as if your a bit stupid lol )

Maidenhead Aquatics- Polehill UK

Variety -9
Quality - 6 (but it is getting better- slowly)
Staff - 6

The fish used to be really really bad, diseases in most tanks and general overcrounding. The staff used to not really care that much- basically walking past a half dead guppy to sell a fish. Well on the bright side its getting better and cleaner, think the problem is there are so many people in the garden center with loud kids. Though I must admit they got two pretty huge cichlids to successfully breed and porduce a huge batch, so good on them.

Maidenhead Aquatics- East Grinstead

Variety -10
Quality - 9.5
Staff - 9.5

Nice guys who always give good advice. They got alot of tanks and it did used to not be as good (a tank of nearly all dead bumblebee gobys and rams togther in a small tank springs to mind). But don't worry they are really good now (as far as i can see)

*disclaimer* (is that the right word?)

All I say is in my opinion and from what I have seen recently, so stuff may change for better or worse. If you find it for the worse sorry if I said it was good. Oh and sorry if someone has already rated them!!

 

[scrappy]

Telford - Shropshire
==============

Ripples Waterlife
Unit B2
Stafford Park 2
Telford

Variety 10
(plenty of tropicals, marines, crusteaceans, invertebrates and plants along with a large selection of foods, testing kits, hardware & other tank essentials & decorations)

Quality 9
(very clean & well kept stock tanks kept in a seperate section of the unit)

Staff 9
(nicely mannered & knowledgable)

My first choice in Telford, large store dedicated to aquatics, you'll find everything you want here.

--------------------------

Maidenhead Aquatics
Wyevale Garden Centre
Station Road
Donnington
Telford

Variety 8
(only tropicals & plants available but a nice selection along with the regular selection of foods, testing kits, hardware & other tank essentials & decorations)

Quality 9
(very clean & well kept stock tanks)

Staff 8
(knowledgable and pleasant)

Second only due to its smaller size and lack of marine stock, But by far the best (attachment to Garden Centre) type of aquatic section ive found in Telford.

--------------------------

There are a few smaller Garden Centres with aquatic sections and we also have a Pets At Home superstore here which is reasonable but found to be employing what i call Summer Students (know nothing other than how to stand there and look like there helping you), but if you live in Telford and have visited the above rated places then, trust me, you wouldnt go anywhere else.

Scrappy

 

[@ombomb]

Maidenhead Aquatics - Morden Hall Garden Centre - Morden - Surrey
Favourite but furthest - Buy fish there

Variety - 9 (300+ tanks, marine, tropical and coldwater)
Quality - 9 (Never seen a single dead fish, all fish I have bought from there have done very well)
Staff - 9 (Friendly, helpful and knowledgable)

Pets At Home - Waddon - Surrey
Closest - Buy supplies there

Variety - 6 (Smallish selection of fish, tropical / cold water only)
Quality - 7 (Some dead fish, have seen some rather stressed fish)
Staff - 9 (Very helpful, guided me through a crisis with a leaking tank)

Dabners - Croydon - Surrey
Will avoid at all costs

Variety - 3 (Tiny selection in tiny tanks)
Quality - 3 (Only looked at the fishes in there a couple of times, Clown Loaches with whitespot and absolutely rammed into a very small (30 litre) tank)
Staff - 2 (Adament that there was nothing wrong with their fish even though they were covered in spots)

May have been a particularly bad time when I went into Dabners, but I think Loaches with white spot could be forgiven if a: they weren't so horribly overstocked and b: they didn't try and claim nothing was wrong. Maindenhead Aquatics should probably have a couple of 10s, but I don't think I have seen enough shops to say for certain!

 

[Vivienne]

SCOTTISH SHOPS - Took me ages to trawl through, but I don't think you have any of these:

THE Aquarium Shop
Unit 5, Castlelaurie Works
Bankside
Falkirk

Tel: 01324 631110

Variety 10
QUALITY 8
STAFF 7

Some really unusual stuff compared to other much larger places nearby. Tropical only though and not very big. Place was spotless. No dead fish. Tanks were buzzing with activity and chap was very helpful, despite telling me the owner was on holiday and he was just filling in. A lot of young fish too. Cheap prices. Really keen to talk about all the tanks and pointed out one he wasn't happy with and said he wouldn't sell anything from that tank because the fish were not feeding well.


Ultimate Aquatics
Units 1-3, Prestonhall Industrial Estate
Cupar, Fife,
Scotland, KY15 4RD

Telephone: 01334-656699 or 0845-1665634
Fax: 0870-7622497

Variety 8
Quality 8
Staff 10

Specialise in catfish - pretty big shop with marine and tropical. Very knowledgeable - almost a bit offputting for a beginner though. Overheard them advising one couple to leave empty handed that day because they were stocking too fast.

The Aquatic Centre - Aquacadabra2
15/17 Comely Bank Place
Lower London Rd
Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 553 5252

Variety 5
Quality 2
Staff 4

Small place that also sell reptiles. Marine & Tropical. Lot's of dead fish and the place just looked grotty. Thanked one young chap for helping advise me and the shop owner butted in rudely "Don't thank him - that's what he's paid for!" Pretty standard fish from my limited knowledge. Hardware was cheap hough but I wouldn't go back. Too many better places nearby.

The Aquatic Rooms
335-337 Leith Walk
Edinburgh
EH6 8SD
Tel: 0131 553 5252

Variety 8
Quality 7
Staff 8

Good sized shop for it's city centre location. Helpful staff and plenty of them even though it was the weekend. Lots of people just hanging about to chat.

Dobbies Garden Centre
Melville Nursery
Lasswade
Midlothian
EH18 1AZ
Tel: 0131 663 1941

Variety 8
Quality 8
Staff 7

Recently refurbished marine and tropical section. Excellent selection. Knowledgeable, helpfull, young staff - really keen to talk about the different fish and explain to the kids about them. I was surprised by them - didn't expect much from a garden centre and was very pleasantly surprised. Slightly more expensive and the hardware wasn't cheap but then you're paying for the extra floor space and the premium out-of-town retail location.

 

[bunjiweb]

I will finally get round to updating the rest of the directory on the first stage when i have a couple of days off and some time!

Ben

 

[john5748]

I think I need to move over to the Mainland as I have not found a lot of choice in Northern Irealnd but here goes:

Jolleys Pet Store - Londonderry
22a Buncrana Road
Londonderry N.Ireland
02871 364078

Freshwater fish and plants only.

Variety: 6
Quality: 8
Staff: 8

I have marked them down on variety because they mainly cater for community fish, however they will order any fish for you from their supplier if you want anything other than neons, plecs and guppy's.

The staff are very willing to help and will even test your water for you and give advice on fish. Sometimes not very good advice though, I was told by one member of staff that the RTBS was a shoaling fish!!

I suppose that is what you get when your local shop caters for all pets rather than just fish.

 

[Whitey]

I didnt even know this topic was here but as its been unearthed...

Swallow Aquatics
Gravesend

Freshwater, saltwater, discus, goldfish koi & pond.
Tanks, equipment & many accsesories.

Variety: 8
Quality: 8
Staff: 7

Swallow aquatics is in my opinion one of the best fish centers in north east kent, they have many fish for all aquariums and everything you need all under one roof, they have a big outdoor pond section with lots of goldfish and koi to choose from.

The staff are all experienced and know what they are talking about, the fish all look healthy and well looked after.

Also on show is the massive 500gal saltwater tank with clownfish, tangs, angels and lots more.

Swallow aquatics gravesend
Millbrook Garden Centre
Station Road
Gravesend
Kent
DA13 9PA

Tel : 01474 561123

 

[hello kitty]

ripples waterlife
bridgemere garden world
cheshire

staff 10
fish 10
choice 10

 

[Jo and Gra]

Swallow Aquatics, Rayleigh

Variety: 9
Quality: 9
Staff: 9

 

[Ami]

Lynchford Aquatics
46 Peabody Road
Farnborough
GU14 6EY
Tel: 01252 542951

Variety: 8
Quality: 9
Staff: 8

This is my preferred LFS. Good mix of both marine and freshwater. Have an excellent marine display tank. Will hold your chosen fish selection for you until your tank is ready at home. Very friendly and do their best to help, although very confused when I called today asking if they stocked any ammonia products for fishless cycling. "...you mean an ammonia testing kit, right?"

Pentangle Water Gardens & Aquaria
Knaphill Garden Centre
Botany Barns
Barrs Lane, Knaphill
Woking, Surrey. GU21 2JW

Tel: 01483 489757

Variety: 8
Quality: 7
Staff: 8

2nd choice - except the Flame Tetras I bought recently that were supposed to have been quarantined for a week had whitespot. Result - 11 Flame Tetras, 2 young Angelfish and one well loved, long time resident borneo sucker fish dead. They do tend to know what they're talking about otherwise, if you don't ask the youngest guy. Plus they also do made to measure tanks and cabinets, pond supplies and even angling supplies!

Badshot Lee Garden Centre,
Badshot Lee Road,
Farnham,
Surrey, GU9 9JX.
01252 333 666

Variety: 10
Quality: ?
Staff: ?

Birlliant range of marine and brackish fish, not as many varieties of freshwater - except for ponds. The display tanks for marine and brackish are excellent. Weird looking 4 eyed fish and eels etc etc. Haven't actually bought anything or talked to the staff but PFK says they have OATA membership so they can't be bad.

Possible new 2nd place after the flame disaster.

 

[Avinitlarge]

Nature World.
Maltby, Rotherham

Variety - 5
Quality - 5
Staff - 4
Smiley rating -

Most of the staff Didnt seem to know whats what


Viscum Water Gardens and Aquatic centre
Barnburgh, Doncaster

Variety - 8
Quality - 7
Staff - 7
Smiley rating -

Good Selection of fish, Helpful staff but you have to wait a while but they do give you a cup of tea or coffee for free

------- Garden Centre,
Stocksbridge, Sheffield

I will add the name when I remember

Variety - 8
Quality - 8
Staff - 9
Smiley rating -

Good selection of fish, Some that you dont see very often, VERY VERY helpful staff

 

[Adistar]

Delte this post, i didnt realize it was only UK

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

J & D Aquatics - Oldbury Nr Birmingham

Variety = 8/10 ( Ocasionally something Amazing )
Quality = 10/10 ( Tanks always kept clean, with quarantine Zones for New arrivals/ill fish)
Service = 9/10 (knowledgeable assistants who always put the fish first not the money)

 

[!Gina]

PETER BARRETS GARDEN CENTRE - GOSFRORTH - NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Variety - 9 Great variety of fish & Tanks
Quality - 10 I've not seen any sick fish or had any problems with anything i've bought
Service - 10 The staff in the aquatics dpt are very helpful & have been keeping fish themselves for many many years!