Magazine

If you’ve been looking longingly out the window yearning for some fresh air, then spare a thought for your fish – they live in an environment that depends on us to keep things sweet. Water changes are as much a part of the hobby as glass aquaria, so let’s look at what goes on inside the tiny world we create for our pets and how we can tweak things to make the most of maintenance.

Paul Tapley showcases some top picks worth seeking out in our stores during April while taking stock of the journey our stores have been on since the beginning of lockdown last year.

Over millions of years, algae have been thriving in freshwater ecosystems and forming the base of important food chains. Fuelled by sunlight and dissolved nutrients, these simple microscopic plants are a familiar sight – all too familiar for many fish keepers.

The last twelve months have really shown us that there’s no place like home. Many of us have more free time than ever before and in times like these, projects that offer us long term benefits are of great value. Adding water to your garden has many benefits to our health and wellbeing, and there's no escaping the good physical workout that comes from digging a large pond and the satisfaction from completing the project. But how do you get started?

With March finally here, the new season pond plants are starting to appear in our stores. Full of promise, these early arrivals tend to be a mixture of the ultra-hardy foliage types such as sedges, as well as the first flowering marginals of spring just getting into their stride. As with any garden design, evergreen types add structure and interest at this time of year. There is also, of course, a fantastic array of fish available and here we showcase just a few of them to tickle your fancy this March.

There are many significant differences between ponds designed to cater for wildlife and those where fish are the priority. After a winter of heavy rain and the effects of accumulated leaf litter, it’s a good time to take a look at how fish health is impacted by KH or carbonate hardness. Find out more here:

Those of us who share our home with pets are luckier than most in a lockdown, particularly if those pets inhabit an aquarium. Studies have shown fish to be relaxing to watch and where better to escape miserable winter weather than a little tropical world of your own creation? With time on our hands, there’s plenty to be doing to make the most of this opportunity.

The past few months have really shown us the healing power of nature and just how readily our wild neighbours can enrich our lives by sharing our outdoor space. Indeed, choosing to add a water feature to your garden will open your eyes to another world. Find out more about how you can go wild in your garden and get to know your neighbours a little better. 

In a typical Maidenhead Aquatics store, you’ll find a huge variety of fishes. With such a kaleidoscope of colour and choice it’s easy to overlook some of the most incredible miniature wonders. This article looks at some of the fishy options worth considering that would work well for some of those smaller more compact tanks on the market.

After a period of wintry weather, it’s nice to look to the tropical sections inside whilst the pond sections slumber under a blanket of snow. Paul Tapley showcases some of the livestock in our stores this February.

Fish are incredibly diverse and sophisticated animals. We’ve domesticated a few of them and still underestimate them - even when some of them have found a way to live in areas where’s there’s no water for months of the year...

It may be winter outside but in our hearts, it’s spring - especially when we have sights to cheer us from the autumn koi harvest. Our livestock expert once again shares the top picks that he has found in stores that are available for you to purchase and allow you to add to your set ups.

Welcome to a new year! Traditionally a time of resolutions and change, as well as freezing weather. After the usual feasting and merriment, those who make resolutions will be joining gyms, giving up smoking, trying to swear less (or at least only under due provocation!) and perhaps be better fish keepers. Having done most of the above at some point, I can tell you that the last one is probably the easiest of the lot...

Now's the perfect time to grab a great deal on an aquarium in many of our stores across the UK. Find out more about our local store clearance sale.

For many fish keepers young and old, Christmas can often bring the gift of a new aquarium but new aquaria are hazardous places for fish to be with traditional bacteria-powered removal of fish toxins takes a while to get established and in the meantime your pets can be poisoned by their own waste products. Check out our top tips to help speed up the process. 

The tropical season is in full swing and it seems that even the fish know it. Check out Paul Tapley’s selection of top finds in store this month. 

It’s been the same ever since I first walked into a fish shop, there’s so many choices that even when I had fifty tanks on the go I didn’t have enough room. With the prospect of another few weeks at home, now is a great time to look at some wish list fish.

The health of any aquatic animal is limited by the quality of the water in which it lives but how do you go about finding out more about this complex (but rather watery) soup that is home to your pets? Paul Tapley explains all. 

Treatment of White Spot (Cryptocaryon irritans) in marine fishes is often complicated by the presence of invertebrates, it’s fairly logical that medications are harmful to them as parasites are inverts after all. It then becomes a question of dose rates, with some chemicals such as copper being particularly deadly. Paul Tapley explains everything you need to know. 

Aquarium plants have much in common with the garden or house plants that you may be more familiar with. There’s a historical myth that they’ll thrive on the waste products of the fish and whilst there’s some truth in this, the reality is a bit more complex. Find out more.