Magazine

After what seems like a lifetime of hearing ‘Nemo’ and ‘Dory’ shouted in our stores, it seems that ‘Puff’ might become the next big thing. For viewers of Netflix, another familiar fish becomes ‘as seen on TV’.

Tis the season for goodwill to all and this includes pets. I’d like to think that we all know the value of the companionship and pleasure that our wet pets give us and so it’s nice to include them in the festivities. So, what do you get for the fish that has everything?

Check out our last delivery times before Christmas and stores and online operating hours and Customer Service availability over the festive period.

Old favourites tend to be in the hobby for a long time with good reason, usually, it’s because they combine a lot of desirable traits. The metallic form of the Gold barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus) makes an excellent aquarium fish suitable for both tropical and temperate (unheated) setups. These young fishes at our Pyle store are a perfect beginner’s choice.

Many of the fishes that we see in home aquaria differ significantly from their wild ancestors and this is particularly striking in the case of albinos such as these Cherry barbs (Puntius titteya) seen at our Huntingdon store recently.

It’s that time of year when the heating goes back on, and this is something that many of us have in common with our pets. To ensure they remain healthy, it’s important to know that your aquarium heater is working properly and is set to the right temperature for the fishes you keep.

Every pond needs some maintenance, and this can be a dilemma for wildlife ponds, where the temptation is to let nature take its course. After a growing season where pond plants can often do a little too well, autumn is the best time of year to carry out some cleaning, fits well with the seasonal activity of wildlife and sets the pond up for a more successful spring.

October is here and another year has flashed by in a rather eventful whirl. Things are never quiet though, as our stores gear up for the shift from the pond season to the time of the tropicals.

We love to see tank-bred saltwater fish in our stock tanks, and we’ve been eagerly anticipating these Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) for a while. After decades of unrestricted availability, it may take a bit of getting used to that these familiar fish are now one of a number of more expensive tangs.

It’s a great time of year to pick up bargains in our pond sections, as this year’s fishes have grown through the year and are ready to go into garden ponds that still carry the warmth of the summer. There’s also a wealth of beautiful aquarium fish available. Take a look at some of the beauties on display in our stores this month.

Bacterial infections in fish take a few forms, with both internal and external ailments presenting a range of symptoms. These pathogens can be very damaging, with diseases such as Columnaris/Mouth rot (Flavibacterium columnare) capable of killing fishes very rapidly. Here's everything you need to know to treat your fish.

Pond temperatures have been high enough for tropical fish lately and it brings some extra pressure on the natural processes taking place in the pond. To ensure everything goes smoothly, there are a few steps you can take to make this time of year as free of stress as possible.

Check out some of Paul Tapley's top finds in our stores this month. It’s been uncomfortably hot, so where better to start than with a coolwater fish? 

It might be hard to imagine as we wait for the return of the summer barbeque weather, but this time of year can often bring problems as temperatures exceed the healthy range of our tropical pets. There are a few techniques that can prove useful when we get too much of a good thing…

Fungus, or Cotton Wool Disease is usually caused by Saprolegnia and tends to attack damaged tissues. Here's everything you need to know about how to spot the problem and how best to treat it. 

There’s two main kinds of people who keep fishponds, those who view their pond as a bit of an outdoor aquarium and those who view it as a wet flowerbed. Depending on which one you identify with, a pond can be either an opportunity to grow an exciting range of plants, or a feature which needs plants to provide biological balance. Of course, many of us have a foot in both camps. Find out more.

Check out Paul Tapley’s selection of top livestock finds in store this month.

Although pond season is in full swing, our stores are still full of amazing aquarium species worth checking out. Take a look at just some of Paul Tapley's top finds in our stores this month.

Firstly, I feel I need to apologise to you all as it’s been far too long since I last wrote this feature. In fact, I was extremely shocked to learn that my last piece was way back in October of last year but needless to say, one heck of a lot has happened since then….. Read on to find out what's been happening over the last few months at Maidenhead Aquatics by Stuart Ashley, one of our Senior Partners.

Regardless of the type of pond you’re planning, there are some guidelines that apply to them all. Here's everything you need to know to get going with a new pond in your garden this season.