Our Stores

There are some very striking plants flowering in our pond sections right now, including the rather fancy Dinner plate series of Japanese Iris (Iris ensata ‘Jell-O’) with their distinctively horizontal lush blooms. 

There’s a reason why Orfe (Leuciscus idus) have been popular pond fish for years, they’re hardy, fast-growing, cold tolerant and excellent value. They do need large, oxygen-rich ponds but unlike Koi they don’t damage plants or stir up silt from the bottom of the pond.

Sarasa comets are the bright red and white goldfish that are the perfect alternative to koi for most average garden fishponds. This batch at Swansea Enterprise Park were a first and consist entirely of fish displaying a red head spot, like the Tancho koi. Such fish are always to be found in normal batches but never in the numbers seen in this ‘specially edited highlights’ consignment. Read on for more

With dazzling colours and interesting behaviours, Fairy wrasses are a gift to the reef keeper. This Orangeback fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis) will add a touch of glamour and spend most of its time in open water.

It may be chilly but spring is in the air and we’re preparing for the upcoming pond season. Traditionally Easter sees the start of things and we’ll spend the next weeks making sure that our fish are ready to face the British weather head on. 

A close relative of the Green barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus) these Snyder’s barbs (B. snyderi) are a rarely seen Taiwanese native, perfect for unheated aquaria although more likely to appeal to the dedicated cypriniphile with a taste for the unusual.

With an almost tartan colour pattern that blends with the finely branching corals on which it often perches, the Long-nosed hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) is a popular choice for reef aquaria. 

A familiar ally in the fight against algae in our aquaria, the Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) has a complex lifecycle that has meant captive breeding took a while to crack. 

It may be getting colder outside but that suits Orfe (Leucisus idus) whether they’re Golden or Blue. They love the higher oxygen levels that go hand in hand with cooler water and are easier to transport as well. 

Having been bred into a large number of colour and finnage forms, the aquarium lines of Bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus sp.) are perfect algae eating community residents for all but the smallest aquaria.

Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) have joined the roster of rare and expensive marines in the last few years and it’s great to see a chunky and fin-perfect specimen like this one at Scotsdale. Their availability might have changed dramatically, but caring for this fish hasn’t – especially since captive bred specimens now dominate the trade.

In a departure from the usual format, here’s a fish which is currently arriving in our stores for all the wrong reasons. The Marbled clarias (Clarias batrachus) is a domestic strain of a fish that is also known as the Walking catfish. With an adult size of around 45cm, this tough and rather belligerent food fish is being sold as tiny, adorable youngsters by a number of irresponsible retailers – most of which are unable to house them when customers attempt to return them

Pond plants can go from mundane to spectacular and these Japanese Iris (Iris ensata ‘Cheesecake’) were definitely eye catching. One of the Dinner plate series, this is Cheesecake, although I’m led to believe they taste like normal iris. As with most pond plants, this is a hardy perennial that requires sunshine and wet feet to thrive. Flowering will be enhanced by the use of fertiliser balls or regular repotting to ensure optimal nutrition. These beauties were seen at our

Sarasa comets (Carassius auratus) are always eye-catching, with reds that put all but the most highly bred Koi to shame. Whether mixed with contrasting varieties such as Shubunkin or Canary goldfish, or brightening the pond with their crimson and white, it’s hard to find a better pond fish for the average garden pond. You’ll find them in all of our pond sections at the moment.

They might not be as generous as the easter bunny, but rabbitfish are very giving when it comes to algae control. This One-spot fox face (Siganus unimaculatus) at Reefkeeper Rugby makes a great alternative to the more active tangs but will reach a size that necessitates a spacious aquarium. Every time I write about these fishes I wonder why the old common name of Badger fish isn’t more widely used, but then the native name of Spinefoot (thanks to their stinging

As different mutations are combined, Rams are getting further from their wild ancestors. Originally a seasonally colourful dwarf cichlid that demands warm soft water with low nitrates, their descendants such as this Longfin electric blue ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) are far more forgiving thanks to generations of domestication. This batch was looking good at our Cheddar store.

L number plecs are an area of the hobby where you could easily spend many years and end up with a lot of aquaria. As their needs become more widely known and increasing numbers of dedicated hobbyists unlock the secrets to breeding them, it’s nice to see the fishes playing their part. This batch of Flash plecs (Panaqolus albivermis) were seen at our Reading store recently. See what else we have in store this month. 

Having been misidentified for some time, it’s great to see this pair of Lavender firefish (Nemateleotris lavandula) given proper credit at our Reefkeeper Rugby store. For years, this species was seen as helfrichi and may be more familiar to many keepers by that name. As often happens, the real helfrichi is slightly different and very rarely seen outside of its native habitat. Firefishes are all excellent choices for reef aquaria although liable to jump from

One of the largest and most impressive freshwater invertebrates that can be safely added to an aquarium alongside peaceful fishes, the Giant fan shrimp (Atya gabonensis) is a filter feeder that needs very fine particle foods. Shy by nature, they tend to find a secure spot where a strong current brings food and oxygen to them. This group was seen at our Derby store.

Temperate fishes are a misunderstood bunch, straddling the divide between tropical and coldwater fish. Typically, they hail from regions that have warm summers/wet seasons followed by cooler winters/dry seasons