# UK Shops for the Planted Tank Hobbyist



## Mowze

It seems to me that throughout the UK with the exception of The Green Machine there are no real stores that specialise in aquatic plants or aquascaping. In the past few years iv visited a LOT of shops and none of them it seems really specialise in our hobby. Sure enough you get a few that are better than others but most of them really seem to just stock the usual bunched and potted plants mostly in a neglected and poor condition. A few if your lucky stock specialist substrates and fertilisation techniques and maybe mini landscape rock, the odd bit of dragon stone and vine wood but you never seem to see large amounts of these or a good variety of aquascaping products. Whenever you talk to staff they never seem to have a great deal of interest in the plants themselves and knowledge is at best often a little basic. Iâ€™m not exactly an expert in this subject myself but it seems when you mention something even slightly more technical you just get blank confused looks. None of the shops out there seem to have particularly specialised systems for the upkeep of their plants or very inspirational display tanks, looks like TGM has the right idea and found a little niche in the market although maybe it isnâ€™t a big enough one for more than one shop to make a great deal of profit from.
 I must be wrong surely there are a few places out there worthy of a visit for a half decent chat and some slightly different products worthy of spending my pennies on! Does anybody know of shops worth checking out especially around the south? I always get bored on my days off and at the best of times end up driving miles to visit different shops for a look!


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## Stickleback

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Have you been to The Aquatic Design Centre in Central London? They have a good selection, can order more specialised things in and Gregory really knows what he is talking about and keeps a number of planted tanks there.

It also has some amazing reef tanks. Not my thing but I can see how people get addicted to them.

R


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## George Farmer

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Here's a few shops I can think of that stock a decent range of planted aquarium products with decent display tanks.

There's probably some more, so I apologise for missing any.

Maidenhead Aquatics @ Morden.

Maidenhead Aquatics @ Fareham.

Maidenhead Aquatics @ Crowland (stock a wide range of healthy Tropica plants, but their display tanks aren't the best...)

Living Waters in Croydon.

Aquajardin in Gloucester, Newent and Eastleigh.

Hobbyfish in Milton Keynes.

Harrogate Aquatic in Knaresborough.


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## LondonDragon

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green, London


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## Ajm200

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Maidenhead Aquatics @ Winnersh usually have a good range of plants (not Tropica) and equipment.

Lately Maidenhead Aquatic @ Bracknell have had a good range of plants in including some of the more unusual ones.  Best day to visit for plants seems to be Thursday.


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## NeilW

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Anyone been to the Aquajardin in Eastleigh?  Do they sell nice rock?  Be great if I can pick some bits up from there instead of getting stuff shipped from the other end of the country!  I usually end up getting just RO water from my local MA near Basingstoke which tbh is pretty basic/not great so that would be ideal if I can grab proper planted things I want from Eastleigh.


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## Mowze

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*



			
				rufus_blackwell said:
			
		

> Have you been to The Aquatic Design Centre in Central London? They have a good selection, can order more specialised things in and Gregory really knows what he is talking about and keeps a number of planted tanks there.
> 
> It also has some amazing reef tanks. Not my thing but I can see how people get addicted to them.
> 
> R



 One of my colleagues keeps going on about that place but I was under the impression from her that they dealt solely in marines, not really my thing but if I ever actually go to London in my lifetime it will certainly be one of the places I check out!



			
				Ajm200 said:
			
		

> Maidenhead Aquatics @ Winnersh usually have a good range of plants (not Tropica) and equipment.
> 
> Lately Maidenhead Aquatic @ Bracknell have had a good range of plants in including some of the more unusual ones.  Best day to visit for plants seems to be Thursday.



Most MA seem to stock aquafleur, as good quality as tropica most of the time IMO and much cheaper but there is less choice when it comes to the more specialist species and the quality isnt too great at this time of year either.



			
				NeilW said:
			
		

> Anyone been to the Aquajardin in Eastleigh?  Do they sell nice rock?  Be great if I can pick some bits up from there instead of getting stuff shipped from the other end of the country!  I usually end up getting just RO water from my local MA near Basingstoke which tbh is pretty basic/not great so that would be ideal if I can grab proper planted things I want from Eastleigh.



 Iv been there a few times, not bad compared to a lot of the shops around here (I mostly check out shops in Dorset, Hampshire and sometimes Somerset when I get the chance.) They stocked a few things you donâ€™t get in the usual places but I didnâ€™t really think they had anything to get excited about certainly not anything that was overly inspirational although they had a few cool things of the fishy side of our hobby especially oddballs and L numbers!

 I'm really going to have to get myself up to The Green Machine for some inspiration next time I'm up north in Birmingham visiting familly although with the prices they are charging it will probably end up being a 500 miles round trip to come back empty handed!


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## Lisa_Perry75

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Aquajardin in Eastleigh used to be quite good with lots of display tanks, lots of nanos planted and marine. It's rather overpriced for corals even though they are nice. Lately though they don't have anywhere near as many display tanks so I don't tend to go there.

MA in Fareham is quite a small shop but they do have a good range of plants, quite a few times I've gone.


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## paul.in.kendal

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Perhaps this list just shows how far ahead of the rest TGM really is.  Most of the above shops are really being listed for stocking appropriate stuff, but in terms of inspirational planted tanks, TGM just blows everyone else away, surely?
For me, if there'd not been a shop like TGM to inspire me (and persuade the missus!), I'd simply not have a tank today.

How big the niche is that TGM occupies is an interesting question - I see they're seeking franchisees, so we might find out over the coming months...

I wonder if there are any inspirational planted tanks out there that aren't in shops, but accessible to the public, perhaps.


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## LondonDragon

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*



			
				Mowze said:
			
		

> One of my colleagues keeps going on about that place but I was under the impression from her that they dealt solely in marines, not really my thing but if I ever actually go to London in my lifetime it will certainly be one of the places I check out!


They have a very large section on marines and also one for chiclids and lots of display tanks in the basement.
On the ground floor they have the usual tropical and goldfish holding tanks, they also usually have a nice selection of Tropica plants. And occasionally have a nice selection of inverts.


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## CeeJay

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Hi all


			
				paul.in.kendal said:
			
		

> Perhaps this list just shows how far ahead of the rest TGM really is. Most of the above shops are really being listed for stocking appropriate stuff, but in terms of inspirational planted tanks, TGM just blows everyone else away, surely?


Couldn't agree more. 
My visit there was what got me started down the hi tech route.
Truly inspirational.


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## mlgt

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Theres also the relaunch of Tachbrook Tropicals. I went to visit them a few months back when they had moved from Victoria and from what they said to me. It seems they will have a large planted area.

I will go and visit them this saturday. Then will update on this thread.


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## Stickleback

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

Where have Tachbrook Tropicals moved to?

R


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## George Farmer

*Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*

I'm going to make this useful thread a 'sticky'.


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## Garuf

There's one in Stoke-on-trent that's very good, he's one of the Dennerle crowd so some of his info is out of date but his plants and tanks are without rival in the area. 
I do wish he'd join ukaps, I suggested it but I've not noticed if he joined, guessing by his info page I guess not.


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## Garuf

There's one in Stoke-on-trent that's very good, he's one of the Dennerle crowd so some of his info is out of date but his plants and tanks are without rival in the area. 
I do wish he'd join ukaps, I suggested it but I've not noticed if he joined, guessing by his info page I guess not. Forgot to add the name, It's kidsgrove aquatics.


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## Lisa_Perry75

Just been to MA @ Fareham, unfortunately they are not stocking any tropica plants. Due to the current poor exchange rate and customers complaints about price they now only stock Aquafleur


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## JamesM

Lisa_Perry75 said:
			
		

> Just been to MA @ Fareham, unfortunately they are not stocking any tropica plants. Due to the current poor exchange rate and customers complaints about price they now only stock Aquafleur


Why the sad face Lisa? Aquafleur have proved time and time again they can compete with Tropica on quality, and their price is certainly much better.


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## Garuf

The only issue I have with AF is that they lack 3 plants I use a lot and their E T appears to be a different cultivar. If AF introduced Rotalla green I'd be more than happy!


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## Mark Evans

Garuf said:
			
		

> E T appears to be a different cultivar



compared to what?IME with tenellus from AF, it's the same as tropicas....i've grown both BTW and in my LFS gumi, after several trimming sessions it ended up like the short red stuff you see in amanos tank.

No doubt tropica are at the top of there game, but seriously, Aquafleur are up there with them....the only difference is price!


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## Garuf

I used AF's E T and tropicas side by side and E F's seemed broader and had a more eliptical in shape than the strap like growths of Tropicas. It seemed to produce much longer runners too. It's purely anecdotal however, as I've known plants to take different forms just by moving them from one side of the tank to the other, swords are supposedly exrtremely difficult to identify so it's not beyond imagination that tropica have one species and AF have a incredibly similar specie or cultivar, or vice versa.


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## Lisa_Perry75

The sad face is that I like to have a choice. Before they sold half and half, and TBH the aquafleur ones quite often looked algaefied and leggy - vs tropica was lush and green more often than not. Obviously this could be the way the shop were treating them (in separate tanks you see), but I'm just going on what I've seen...


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## NeilW

Went to Aquajardin Eastleigh last week and was pretty good.  Being down south and miles from TGM my only contact with any planted tank stuff is through the internet    This means that I'm used to the traditional fish shop with maybe a couple miserable looking crypts if I'm lucky, with no other kit.  Most of my stuff is through the post.

These guys stocked loads of Dennerle kit, CO2 refills, dragonstone, knifestone, and a small but healthy selection of plants.  They also had some Oliver Knott NS and can get hold of ADA Aquasoil for Â£14.99  .  In future I've been told they will be able to get hold of a range of ADA stuff.  There livestock tanks for fish were really clean with bare-bottom glass and nothing dead - which I see quite a lot elsewhere.

They have a mock 'living room' set up with a couple of really tasty gloss-black Red Sea Max marine tanks, one large planted setup and a couple of planted nanos.  The display tanks had really healthy plants in, was great as it was a first to see any planted tank in the flesh that isn't my own     They also had an inspirational fresh water crab tank, really clean with nice stone.

So all-in-all a little gem from my limited experience of local fish shops.  I even fell for one of their 'membership' cards for a fiver which gives me 10% off for a year


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## ukco2guy

I use a place called the Water Garden in Hinton Parva (Wiltshire, near Swindon). They have a good selection of plants, fish and equipment, what i like about the shop is that it`s family run and they give genuine advice rather than being a commercial establishment that just wants to push products at you. They also specialise in pond and have a few large gardens with it all on display. 

If anyone in the area it`s definitely worth a look.

Cheers,


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## beeky

That's interesting - I'm in Chippenham so shouldn't be that far. I've never heard of the place, but I'll check it out.


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## Garuf

Paws for thought, I went in their yesterday and they had bunches of bolbitits difformis and many bacopas for 70p a bunch. The plants in their are usually pretty terrible but the livestock choice is excellent. And for those half dry inclined there was a large selection of tree frogs and Dendro species.


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## eternal optimist

pretty impressed with ferrybridge aquatics. went there last week, they had lots in and all good quality. plants are from france apparently.


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## Cordi

Lisa_Perry75 said:
			
		

> Just been to MA @ Fareham, unfortunately they are not stocking any tropica plants. Due to the current poor exchange rate and customers complaints about price they now only stock Aquafleur



I do the plant ordering at MH @ Swindon and there's one thing i can guarantee... i will not order plants from Tropica!

Aquafleur may have a slightly smaller selection of plants, but i sell most (excluding bulbs and motherplants) at 5/Â£10. There is a store near by who get Tropica plants in and their price and quality just can't compete with Aquafleur


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## ukco2guy

I grabbed a bundle of HC and Eleocharis from Cordi last week at MH Swindon Cheney Manor branch, good plants, nice rich colours and competitive pricing. Recommended.

Had a look at the MH Swindon Stratton branch, most elecharis looked brown and not in good shape, although they can order most plants in i`d recommend going to the Cheney Manor branch as stocks seem to be replenished often.

Cheers,


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## Tom

Kesgrave Tropicals in Ipswich do several types of shrimp including Cherry, CRS, Tiger, Yellow, Orange, Amano and Rock Shrimp! They also do mail order on their eBay shop. I went there for the first time a couple of days ago, and it's basic but great! Really quite "oldschool", tanks lined up in a shed/garage but the health of everything was very good. Good prices too - even better on ebay.

Tom


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## Dacious

Aquatic Design Centre is very good, I always make a detour for it, but then again I am in London a lot. They know their stuff and seem to have the latest things plant related. The price is very good too. 

Surprisingly I get a lot of plants from Pets at Home; they have a lot of choice and it's Tropica! The price is excellent too, but the key is to get there when they just come in.


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## dw1305

*Re: UK Shops for the Planted Tank Hobbyist - SW*

Hi all,
I've been to pick some fish up from Amazon Aquatics/(Last Trading Post) in Warminster/(on Ebay) this morning and since I was in last they now have a much larger display tank of plants in the shop.

The owner (Mike) is a hobbiest with a shop, rather than a shop keeper who sells fish, and they have a lot of interesting  fish in at the moment, all both extremely reasonably priced and in excellent condition. I bought their remaining Marbled Hatchets, 6 _Corydoras pygmaeus_ and some Threadfin Rainbow pairs.

Other ones I noted down at the time were:
_Corydoras similis_ and another very smart dwarf Cory. species _ C. habrosus_[/i].  He had had_ C. pygmaeus_ in as well, but they had all just been sold. Also had a lot of local bred _C. panda_. Other catfish were _Panaque maccus_,_ Otocinclus_ spp. and the _ Hisonotus leucofrenatus_ from Luis's post. Last but not least some nice _Farlowella_ Twig catfish (possibly _F. acus_). He also had a couple of other L numbers but I failed to note down what they were.

He has a good range of small fish:
Some Pencils, _Nannostomus beckfordii & N. eques_ (I was very tempted) Dwarf sparkling Gourami, _Trichopsis pumila_ (even more tempted) and I think Mike said the "other" Chocolate Gourami _Sphaerichthys osphromenoides selatanensis_ but I didn't see those. He had 2 different Badis sp. one was probably _Badis ruber_ (very smart), and another smaller one. The smaller one wasn't either_ Dario dario or Dario hysginon_, but again it looked a very smart fish. Both species changed colour and pattern while I was watching them and they were both another instant "I want". Cichlids I noted were _Apistogramma cacatuoides, A. macmasteri, Nanacara annomala "Green", N. taenia_ and the Slender Blockhead _Steatocranus tinanti_.

Last a bigger cichlid, but another absolute cracker, _Thorichthys aureus_ their colouring was fantastic.

cheers Darrel


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## Whitebeam

I've got to put in a word here for Porton Aquatics, just to the North of Salisbury. Apart from holding one of the most extensive selections of equipment I've ever seen in any shop (prices are nearly always as good as you find on the Internet too), they maintain their plant holding tanks every week - I rarely see any examples of the poorly maintained piles of slimy plants I see in other shops around the region. Plant stocks usually include a good, if somewhat variable, selection of small Tropica pots as well as the usual array of bare stem plants (sadly they do also maintain stocks of those non-aquatic plants that seem to catch out so many new starters to the hobby). They only have one or two members of staff that know their aquarium plants from their elbows, so if you need advice you may have to wait until that particular assistant becomes free - avoid peak times.

Good freshwater and marine fish stocks too, held in a tank room currently undergoing a major refit. I usually seem to find an excuse to call in there once a week or so if I'm driving past - worth a look if you're in the area.

They could probably do with a passing planted tank guru offering to work on their show tanks for them though   

Peter


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## ghostsword

Dacious said:
			
		

> Aquatic Design Centre is very good, I always make a detour for it, but then again I am in London a lot. They know their stuff and seem to have the latest things plant related. The price is very good too.
> 
> Surprisingly I get a lot of plants from Pets at Home; they have a lot of choice and it's Tropica! The price is excellent too, but the key is to get there when they just come in.



Aquatic Design is really good.. And now they stock ADA, and can get items from the ADA catalogue.. No more travelling out of London to get ADA stuff..


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## jasoneales

Hi all, 
I moved down to Hampshire for a while and have traveled to all the fish shops in that region. If you want a large choice of Tropica plants I would seriously recommend that you vist MA based in Fair Oak. They have two large planted tanks, which were usually stacked on my visits. This shop is just a few miles from Aquajardin and has a massive selection of fish and a comprehensive range of drygoods too.

Jason


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## Bessybear

If you live in the south west Cornwall / Devon there is a shop called Homeleigh and they seem to have a good selection. I go there quite regularly and the guys know what they are talking about. They have just launched a website www.homeleighonline.co.uk and although they have an aquatic section the prices for all the JBL stuff seem to be the cheapest I can find. Because they have just started they only have a few bit on there but I phoned the guys in the shop and they got a product on there within hours and matched the best online price!


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## Sentral

Does anyone know of decent places around the South West area? I'm in Bristol and appear to be limited


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## Iain Sutherland

Maidenhead Aquatics In Shelford Cambridge have recently installed a lovely teared 10ft plant tank on CO2 and have a good selection of tropica now.  Was talking to the guys there and they are setting up 2 x 75g planted tanks over the next few weeks and plan to expand their range.  This is on top of their specialty which is cichlids, they have an AMAZING 700gallon (guess? 15ft x 4ft x 3ft ish) chiclid tank.
things are looking up


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## dw1305

Hi all,


> Does anyone know of decent places around the South West area? I'm in Bristol and appear to be limited


 You could try Parker's at Iron Acton, I haven't been over for a while, but their fish are usually quite good and if Paddy is in he is an absolute expert. There is an MA at Brislington, again I haven't been in for a while, but they had a good range of fish in last time I went. Aquajardin at Haresfield (just towards Gloucester from Slimbridge) would be the best locally.

cheers Darrel


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## oldwhitewood

This is why TGM is so unique, the attention to detail is spot on, for example they have a area with sand so you can select rocks for your layout and see how they look in that setting, really nice touch - let's face it have you ever seen something like that elsewhere? I certainly haven't. The coffee is good too  8) 

Anyway not everyone can get to Wrexham so, in the Manchester area there isn't really anything apart from Woodford Park Garden Centre in Poynton, which sells JBL CO2 stuff, refills etc, some decent plants, again depends when you can get there. Oasis Aquarium in Salford is alright for plants they have had a good selection in the past but the knowledge there is more focused on marine tanks. I haven't been in Oasis for a long time since ordering stuff over the internet is so effective I'd rather do that, or go to TGM.


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## Derek Tweedie

OutsideInside in East Lothian has a good selection of plants and he list all of his species online with prices and there is a mail order service available. If he doesn't have it he will try and get it for you. I don't know if they are tropica plants or where he gets them but they are in all shapes and sizes. They also have a nice selection different wood types.


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## JohnC

Derek Tweedie said:
			
		

> OutsideInside in East Lothian has a good selection of plants and he list all of his species online with prices and there is a mail order service available. If he doesn't have it he will try and get it for you. I don't know if they are tropica plants or where he gets them but they are in all shapes and sizes. They also have a nice selection different wood types.



They can get any plant ranges really but tend to range between Dennerle, Tropica and some custom suppliers.


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## Morgan Freeman

MA @ Iver has had some good Tropica stuff in recently. Nothing major but worth a visit if you're nearby. Plenty of HC when I last went.

They're also building a HUGE display tank atm, I can't wait to see it when it's finished.


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## gillo45

i personally think ADC have the best plants in London and i have been to most places


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## ghostsword

gillo45 said:
			
		

> i personally think ADC have the best plants in London and i have been to most places



In london the ADC shop is the best. And they can order Tropica plants.


___________________________

I don't know what is the secret of success, but the secret of failure is trying to please the world!


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## Greenview

Agreed. ADC is the best place for plants in London, and they stock ADA stuff too.


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## LondonDragon

Greenview said:
			
		

> Agreed. ADC is the best place for plants in London, and they stock ADA stuff too.


I was buying Tropica plants at ADC even before I knew about UKAPS and what Tropica was! lol guess thats why I always had good results from the start


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## tim

my local MA in osterley stocks aquafleur i've always been happy with the quality and price. The manager is pretty helpful and will order plants in for me as long as aquafleur stock them. Friday afternoon best time for weekly delivery.


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## Steveyg81

Does anybody know of any good places n the north east? 
I live just outside new castle and im really struggling for anywhere other than online,

Many thanks
Steve


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## Ady34

Hi there,
the only place i know of that does any real planted stuff is Paddock Farm Water gardens at Croft, Dalton on Tees. Other than that for plants, any Pets at Home store stock Tropica.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## logi-cat

Aquatic Design in London is amazing. Knowledgeable staff, lots of plants, and very nice display tanks.


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## dean

any good shops in NW


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## dean

I take it as a No then


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## AAB

Any shops anybody would recommend in West Yorkshire?


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## eternal optimist

interested in west yorks also if anyone can help?


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## Garuf

No. Nothing worth visiting. I visited planted tanks incognito and found it to have mediocre selection of everything and staff with very little knowledge of the hobby, the south Leeds maidenhead aquatics has better quality stock and hardscape materials, paws for thought aren't a plant specialist but the staff are very friendly and the fish selection is excellent.


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## sr20det

The Water Zoo in Peterbourough is impressive for fish selection.

Maidenhead Aquatics in Peterborough, thought a small shop, had large selection of shrimp, and the centre tank was amazing.

http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=21851


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## leemonk

Following a visit last week to Living Waters in Croydon, I too would like to recomend these chaps.

Proper "Spit and sawdust", so don't expect wonderfully clean and shiney framed tanks with tiled flooring and nice lighting etc. It's tanks, tanks and more tanks. I'd say that around 75% are planted up and a large %'age of those too are mosses......

Really worth a visit if you want to see some nicely planted tanks.

Also, worth mentioning, many of their tanks are low-tech. No CO2 and no ferts. In fact, if I recall correctly, only two of their main growing tanks were CO2 injected.

Regards

Lee


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## mi casa

HI all i went to planted tanks.com they have a small shop in selby south yorkshire no fish but all plants it is a small shop but every thing you will need have a look at there web site i got all my dry salts from there as they sell aquarium plant food .com salts at the same price. small but perfect shop.


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## Gill

Me, I will be transforming the planted section of our store in the months to come.


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## Brian Murphy

I want to set up my own store here in Northern Ireland over the next year but it's going to be hard work getting contacts for stock etc, so if anyone knows people in the know, Im all ears


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## jonnysutton11

i stock aquafluer plants @ maidenhead aquatcics @ Bracknell and looking to make the plants better this year and more selection . seen a lot of nice tanks on here and going to be moving one of the tanks around at work and aquascaping it again. best time to come for are plants is thursday on wards as we get ares delivered wednesday afternoon


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## Brian Murphy

jonnysutton11 said:


> i stock aquafluer plants @ maidenhead aquatcics @ Bracknell and looking to make the plants better this year and more selection . seen a lot of nice tanks on here and going to be moving one of the tanks around at work and aquascaping it again. best time to come for are plants is thursday on wards as we get ares delivered wednesday afternoon


 
How long do the plants last in your selling tanks, do you supply nutrients and Co2 when they are in there.  Do potted plants last longer than stems in bunches when in these tanks?


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## jonnysutton11

Murf said:


> How long do the plants last in your selling tanks, do you supply nutrients and Co2 when they are in there. Do potted plants last longer than stems in bunches when in these tanks?


um some weeks there all gone in a week (sold) but some there can be there for couple of weeks. both the pots and bunches seem to be doing alot better in these new tanks . potted side has massive external filter on it and both got a heater in them to keep the heat up at 25 - 26 . i some times give them some liquid co2 and 20% water changes . potted plants also has a few fish in it some loach, shrimp , rainbows and panchex loach seem to be eating all the snails that come in lol .

hope this helps your questions  ill upload a picture in a bit of the tank


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## jonnysutton11

abit murky as just put sand in when id taken the photo . its all clear now 




and potted plants .


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## Nathaniel Whiteside

jonnysutton11 said:


> abit murky as just put sand in when id taken the photo . its all clear now
> 
> 
> 
> and potted plants .



4 for £12 is a good rate! Nice dedicated setup too!


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## NatureBoy

Living Waters in Croydon. I'm a bit far away but they are guys I get my plants mailed from. Finally got some Cryptocoryne Retrospirallis from Darren, I don't think anyone else in the UK will be able to get half the plants they regularly bring in, they are connected to all the world plant suppliers, not tied to any brand, just quality plants from the best sources time n again. Darren is up to date with all the latest species / varieties flying around and will be able to suggest (and sometimes throws in a few freebies to tempt you) different plants to add and compliment your scape. Give them an email with your wishlist for your scape and see how cheap it'll come in, quality and attention to detail assured.


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## Arhino74

Chiltern aquatics - Bedfordshire had a reasonable selection of plant and the staff were good too.
Maidenhead aquatics in St Albans have a good selection and
Whole sale Tropical aquatics in Bethnal Green had a few different plants I hadn't seen before and lots of unusual fish not found in your local fish shop, prices seemed good also.


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## Occean

I went to The Aquatic Design Centre last night for the first time based on recommendation from UKAPS, very nice shop indeed and nice and central with opening hours til 8pm mon-thurs.

And I wish I had never seen the ADA rimless tanks 

Cheers guys for the great forum btw


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## fish fodder

Paddock farm have a decent selection of tropica plants, ferts and substrates along with other brands like TMC and easylife. They also have quite a bit of redmoor and have a few planted display tanks. They stock mother plants too which is a rarity.


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## linkinruss

Occean said:


> I went to The Aquatic Design Centre last night for the first time based on recommendation from UKAPS, very nice shop indeed and nice and central with opening hours til 8pm mon-thurs.
> 
> And I wish I had never seen the ADA rimless tanks
> 
> Cheers guys for the great forum btw


 
V.good shop for those that don't drive.
Their plants usually came in late Thursday so I usually pop down after work or Friday evening.

Good selection and in recent months have really given the store a good clean. The dedicated plant section is soooo clean!


----------



## nayr88

Adc is unreal!!


----------



## Ady34

fish fodder said:


> Paddock farm have a decent selection of tropica plants, ferts and substrates along with other brands like TMC and easylife. They also have quite a bit of redmoor and have a few planted display tanks. They stock mother plants too which is a rarity.


I visit here quite regularly.
They have just had a refurb and rearrange of their tropical room and are having an open day saturday 2nd March with some discounts on the day 
Recently it has been a little hit and miss, most likely due to the alterations, but hopefully they will be back into the swing of things and fully stocked with quality plants from now on......fingers crossed, as locally there is limited supply.
Cheerio,
Ady.


----------



## LondonDragon

nayr88 said:


> Adc is unreal!!


My local shop since I started the hobby, was buying Tropica plants even before I knew what it meant to have a Tropica plant, only found that out after joining UKAPS


----------



## nayr88

Wish I didn't have to pay a 22.50 travel card before going there. I can only really attend when I'm working local


----------



## LondonDragon

nayr88 said:


> Wish I didn't have to pay a 22.50 travel card before going there. I can only really attend when I'm working local


Shame!! its just a quick detour on my way home from work


----------



## nayr88

LondonDragon said:


> Shame!! its just a quick detour on my way home from work


Ahhh mate!! Well it's good for my wallet I guess I don't live too close I guess. It makes it all the better when I work local to treat myself to a little purchase.


----------



## linkinruss

I only work around the corner and have to stop myself visiting at lunch and after work. 
I'm sure the locals already know my face.


----------



## James87

Ripples Waterlife. Stock tropica plants and 1-2 grow pots. They also stock seachem range of products and good selection of aquascaping rocks and substrates. 

Can't comment on their other branches but the flagship store at Bridgemere gardenworld is really good. Got some really helpful advice from the staff and best plants I have seen.


----------



## Andy Thurston

Fish shop with plants in west yorkshire that have the most plants are tong garden centre usually have a reasonable amount of plants but seriously lack equipment
Qss koi at bradford have quite a few plants but call first to check stock also pets at home in bradford seem to have a few. Theese 3 shops are about 3 miles apart on outskirts of bradford so can be visited in 1 trip
Another shop is calder valley aquatics at sowerby bridge this is my favorite fishshop but only have a good selection when they have delivery so again call first and check stock
All other fishshops in area i've visited have very few plants
I have also had hitchhiking snails from all bradford shops so plants need treating just in case


----------



## Andy Thurston

Just looked on tropica website they have a find a dealer button tells you where there sold . Go on there and find shops and go see. maybe list better ones on here when you find them
If everyone visited 1 new shop and reported good ones back you could have a complete list of trusted shops very quickly


----------



## gramski

In Edinburgh Eden Aquatics usually have some nice plants.
There is also a branch of Maidenhead here but the last time I was in the plants looked to be in a poor condition.


----------



## gramski

Anyone fancy compiling a compact list of decent plant dealers?


----------



## Andy Thurston

Lists are done in where to buy forum. i dont know how you would compact them but here is something to try, it worked for me.
Look on tropica website dealer locator and see wheres close to you 
pick a few check em out speak with staff, look at plants, fish, prices, quality etc and if your not happy check some more another day
I use a shop 45 mins away because i dont rate local ones. im on mailling list with them so i know what stock is coming soom and i dont go when theres no stock in they will also ordrer in if i want something different


----------



## fish fodder

The one problem I found with tropica's find a stockist feature was that many near me are pets at home.... Now if you are lucky you could get some nice species a couple of days after they come in but leave it any longer and they are ridden with algae and dying


----------



## Andy Thurston

Thats why i drive 45 mins to better shop (nearest pets at home to me is a half hours drive)or buy 1 2 grow, or other in vitro plants online.
Take the 'luck' out of it, speak to manager find out when plants arrive. Ring first and find out when next delivery is. get cuttings off people on ukaps. Finding quality plants is hard. Fish and general equipment are easy to find. 
Im very impatient when it comes to doing things. When i want to do something i dont like waiting for things , i want to go buy and do job all in same day. Even i am starting to realise patients is key to this hobby.good aquatic plant shops are few and far between. My lfs used to have hi tech displays but got rid because he only had 2 customers for that kind of thing. Our hobby is not that big but it is growing steadily.
Spread the word introduce as many folk to planted tanks as you can. When theres customers there are shops


----------



## mal blackburn

James87 said:


> Ripples Waterlife. Stock tropica plants and 1-2 grow pots. They also stock seachem range of products and good selection of aquascaping rocks and substrates.
> 
> Can't comment on their other branches but the flagship store at Bridgemere gardenworld is really good. Got some really helpful advice from the staff and best plants I have seen.


 
Thumbs down for fish stock at telford branch with counts of 20+ dead on two visits whilst staff sat around chatting and drinking coffee. disgraceful. Plant selection there was ok if you was after some large swords but that was about it. Would I give them my business ? NO.


----------



## IanD

I went to the Charterhouse Aquatics showroom launch and felt very poor looking at their stunning display tanks,  the ADA tank look reasonably priced by comparison. You could swim in one of the tanks it was that big. Worth a look if anyones in east London town.


----------



## richard powell

Emperor tropicals in plymouth is a great shop. What they lack in size they more than make up for in quality they have just won the best retailer of the year in practical fishkeeping magazine and they sell everything all the ada products and all aquascaping equipment its brilliant.


----------



## SA_Aquatic

Mowze said:


> It seems to me that throughout the UK with the exception of The Green Machine there are no real stores that specialise in aquatic plants or aquascaping. In the past few years iv visited a LOT of shops and none of them it seems really specialise in our hobby. Sure enough you get a few that are better than others but most of them really seem to just stock the usual bunched and potted plants mostly in a neglected and poor condition. A few if your lucky stock specialist substrates and fertilisation techniques and maybe mini landscape rock, the odd bit of dragon stone and vine wood but you never seem to see large amounts of these or a good variety of aquascaping products. Whenever you talk to staff they never seem to have a great deal of interest in the plants themselves and knowledge is at best often a little basic. Iâ€™m not exactly an expert in this subject myself but it seems when you mention something even slightly more technical you just get blank confused looks. None of the shops out there seem to have particularly specialised systems for the upkeep of their plants or very inspirational display tanks, looks like TGM has the right idea and found a little niche in the market although maybe it isnâ€™t a big enough one for more than one shop to make a great deal of profit from.
> I must be wrong surely there are a few places out there worthy of a visit for a half decent chat and some slightly different products worthy of spending my pennies on! Does anybody know of shops worth checking out especially around the south? I always get bored on my days off and at the best of times end up driving miles to visit different shops for a look!



The stores around UK , especially in London do not have decent selection of plants. I would suggest to try http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk. We use them a lot as the plants seem to adapt with London water.


----------



## RichardJW

And Lancashire water which is soft !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Pav79

Do not go to pets at home, plants are usualy melted, and prices are like in Harrods  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Lee Sweeting

I know it been said earlier, but I have to agree, aqua essentials are great for plants and there always reasonably priced. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Adam humphries

Hi looking for a good shop in north west area if any ,looked at maidenhead aquatics in chorley but not much offerings.


----------



## SA_Aquatic

Hi
Try www.aquaessentials.co.uk
They have some decent plants (however it is an online shop)

So far all our planted tanks are thriving and they supplied the plants. It seems their plants adapt very well with UK waters.


----------



## Adam humphries

Thanx just checked them out some nice gear ..


----------



## 13r0wn7

I have just used http://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk  plants came very good condition and very well packaged  
They are also very helpful if you need help. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Naveed Baig

thanks


----------



## dean

I've just been to Batley Aquatics (Batley West Yorkshire) who I found on FB 
They are selling potted plants by Aquafleur 5 Potts £10


----------



## dean

I've just been to Batley Aquatics (Batley West Yorkshire) who I found on FB 
They are selling potted plants by Aquafleur 5 Potts £10


----------



## Andy Thurston

Nice one dean thats in range for me whats the shop like? Might have a ride out tomorrow


----------



## dean

It's new so not fully stocked but had two four feet tanks full of potted plants


----------



## Andy Thurston

Might leave it till the new year then


----------



## dean

Had some nice rasboras sparkling gourami etc


----------



## Andy Thurston

I'm ok for fish and plants at the moment but its always worth knowing where the nice shops are. Its also good talking to new shop owners and getting to know them and what their plans are


----------



## dean

It's a big shop with lots of potential and owner is easy to talk to


----------



## haytch

does anyone know of a good dart frog and/or treefrog breeder/seller  ??


----------



## Andy D

haytch said:


> does anyone know of a good dart frog and/or treefrog breeder/seller  ??



Does it need to be local to you? If so where are you based?


----------



## haytch

no not necessarily - any recommendations that are UK based would be fine - I am in Edinburgh


----------



## Daniel

Have you tried these guys... I've found them helpful in the past, haven't used them for a while though...

http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/amphibians.html


----------



## luckyjim

Does anyone know a retail shop in London selling pond plants that is accessible by public transport?

The best I can find is Crew Hill in Enfield, and it will take around two and a half hours to get there from where I live in Central London / N1!!!!!


----------



## stu_

A lot of MA stores sell pond stuff.Wembley any good ?
https://fishkeeper.co.uk/store/wembley


----------



## fleetEWD

Downtown Grantham Just off the A1. Plants stock is poor but has a full range of Seachem  products at reasonable prices.


----------



## Manuel Arias

Emperor Tropicals, in Plymouth. They have got the UK No.1 Aquatic Plant Retailer of Practical Fishkeeping for two years in a row. 

Good for aquascaping, fishes, plants, equipment, products, ponds... practically everything.


----------



## oldbloke

Called here today *Aquarium Gardens*
Unit 20C Uplands Industrial Estate
Mere Way
Wyton
Huntingdon
PE28 2JZ

Delighted to find it as it's only a couple of miles from me. Very helpful lad and plenty of stock in.


----------



## hypnogogia

Goldfish bowl in Oxford stock Dennerle plants (despite Tropica claiming they stock Tropica!).

aquaessentials.co.uk have lovely plants but expensive IMO.
aquariumgadens.co.uk are great and not too expensive.


----------



## Djoko Sauza

Any list of shops in London?


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## kadoxu

Aquatics Design Center just moved out of London, but it's surely worth the trip.


----------



## Tim Harrison

Paid a visit to Emperor Tropicals in Plymouth last weekend on my way down to Cornwall. It's a very decent aquascaping shop, fantastic livestock and a huge plant list, and not bad for hardscape either. And the staff are very friendly...if you're ever in that neck of the woods check it out http://www.emperortropicals.co.uk/HomePage.html


----------



## Merovingio

kadoxu said:


> Aquatics Design Center just moved out of London, but it's surely worth the trip.


I went to visit them, got a bit disappointed. It was big but the place was like "not well taken care of".


----------



## FishLifeLondon

I reckon ADC has gone down hill since the move as well, but maybe they will bounce back


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## kadoxu

Merovingio said:


> I went to visit them, got a bit disappointed. It was big but the place was like "not well taken care of".





FishLifeLondon said:


> I reckon ADC has gone down hill since the move as well, but maybe they will bounce back


I went there 3 or 4 times in the last 6 months and could see the (slow) evolution they were doing, so hopefully time is all they need to pick up their pace. Anyway, comparing the the other LFSs I have been to around here, they're still the best in almost all areas...

Are there any other LFSs around Kingston/Surrey I should know about?


----------



## LondonDragon

kadoxu said:


> Aquatics Design Center just moved out of London, but it's surely worth the trip.


Clapham South/Balham not really out of London, I am still to visit, will do soon  They were my first retail shop and were one of the best in Central London, I am sure they will bounce back, but loosing the premium stop just off Oxford Street may affect them!


----------



## Barbara Turner

Has anyone found anything Sheffield/ Doncaster area, I found a mention midway through to www.plantedtanks.co.uk in Selby according to Google they are now permanently closed so guessing now online only.


----------



## Danielm

Can anyone recommend any shops in East London/essex borders....use WetPets locally, but other than that any hidden gems?


----------



## kadoxu

There's a shop finder in a reefing forum I use, it's mostly for shops with saltwater stuff, but most of them have freshwater stuff anyway... it's not updated frequently though, so use it carefully... http://www.ultimatereef.net/pages/shopfinder/


----------



## Danielm

Anyone recently used freshwater shrimp in Chigwell? Their Facebook page has not been  updated for a few years....


----------



## Petra R

I suddenly feel very old... I still remember Maidenhead Aquatics when it actually was just that... A fish-shop (singular) in Maidenhead...
I used to live walking distance away from the one in Binfield (Bracknell officially I guess) - I used to "walk the dogs" and came home clutching a bag with fish or plants or "things". Great guy called Mike ran it.
I had absolutely no idea it had grown into such a huge enterprise.


----------



## Gill

Derby Area, I would recommend Deans Fish Room on Upperdale Road. No Parking unless you park in B+M and walk down to him, or are lucky to get a spot opposite in the 1hr parking bays.
Always has Loads of plants with a Great Selection of them. And a very good range of scaping supplies. 
Been using him since I moved up this way. 
Pricing is very good and when he has a deal on the plants etc he passes on the savings, so All plants from Aquafluer are 2quid a pot. Even mother plants are a very reasonable price.


----------



## Gabriel19

Perhaps there’s a way to make more stores specialise I’m planted aquariums


----------



## oscarlloydjohn

The Aquatic Store in Bristol usually has a pretty decent plant selection. They get weekly deliveries from Aquadip and Dennerle. Surprised nobody has mentioned it yet!


----------



## Oldguy

Aquajardin in Gloucester have good display tanks, but their plants for sale are variable. I now always phone before I go to any aquatic outlet. Found a very small retailer in Worcester who sells from home with grown on plants from tissue culture. Was attracted to him for shrimps, ended up buying plants as well. He's on ebay, but I turned up in person (by arrangement of course).


----------



## John White

Petra R said:


> I suddenly feel very old... I still remember Maidenhead Aquatics when it actually was just that... A fish-shop (singular) in Maidenhead...
> I used to live walking distance away from the one in Binfield (Bracknell officially I guess) - I used to "walk the dogs" and came home clutching a bag with fish or plants or "things". Great guy called Mike ran it.
> I had absolutely no idea it had grown into such a huge enterprise.



I have returned to the hobby after more years than I care to remember away and like yourself I remember MA when it was a singular shop in Maidenhead. Interestingly Maidenhead is just about the only place in the UK that dosen't have a MA outlet in it  It worries me that the big chains ( MA, W of W, P @ H etc ) are taking over and soon there will be no independents left which has to be a bad thing for the hobby.


----------



## Aloe_Danielo

Barbara Turner said:


> Has anyone found anything Sheffield/ Doncaster area, I found a mention midway through to www.plantedtanks.co.uk in Selby according to Google they are now permanently closed so guessing now online only.


There's the fish room in Poynton, Stockport? They have a little hardscape area for you to try out your hardscape combination before you buy


----------



## Mattallic

Any known places in the West Midlands? Preferably Dudley / Wolverhampton way ... Or Birmingham.


----------



## crlowe84

Mattallic said:


> Any known places in the West Midlands? Preferably Dudley / Wolverhampton way ... Or Birmingham.


I like Shirley Aquatics which is out towards Bromsgrove, the time before last when I went there were quite a few options for the planted tank. Went last week and there wasn't much there, but they did seem to be having a clean/move around.

My staple is Prestwood Petzone on the A449 heading towards Kidderminster. Staff know their stuff, they lack on plants, but have a decent amount of hardware and livestock.

Miles away, but dedicated shops like Aquarium Gardens are well worth the journey of you're serious about the hobby and can get there. Hoping for something like that in the area one day.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk


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## JAX3000

All I can say is the best planted tank displays I've seen (I travel up and down the country for work and try to pop in to every fish shop I pass) is Maidenhead Aquatics Farnham.

Truly inspiring scapes. I don't know much more about the shop except friendly staff and some super cool fish on display. Some Pike Cichlids and Arowanas that could turn anybody's head. But those planted tanks... seriously. Jaw dropping!


----------



## Harry H

JAX3000 said:


> All I can say is the best planted tank displays I've seen (I travel up and down the country for work and try to pop in to every fish shop I pass) is Maidenhead Aquatics Farnham.



Yes, that shop I frequently go to, very friendly stuff, very helpful. EA900 there scaped by @George Farmer himself


----------



## Kalum

there seems to be a severe shortage north of the border.......gap in the market.........who's in?


----------



## Matt @ ScapeEasy

I'd absolutely love to... probably never will though!! (Like many others I'm sure!!)


----------



## Snox73

Starting out and apart from pets at home there's nothing in Tamworth . Don't wanna be buying rock online . Any suggestions .


----------



## alto

Day trip to Aquarium Gardens 
(call ahead to make sure they’re not just waiting on a shipment)

- obviously check any nearby garden centres and landscape supply shops first


----------



## Tim Harrison

That'd be my recommendation as well. It's a fair old schlep from Tamworth but worth it. Maybe it'd be an idea to organise another UKAPS get together there at some point, make it more of an occasion for folk who have to travel a bit further


----------



## chrisjohnson

Have u tried aquarium gardens?  Iv not visited the shop cos it’s in wales but check out their website. Photos of the showroom look like a great shop selling plants, wood and lots more.


----------



## Tim Harrison

chrisjohnson said:


> Have u tried aquarium gardens? Iv not visited the shop cos it’s in wales but check out their website.


It's in Huntingdon England...
*



 

Aquarium Gardens*
Unit 20C Uplands Industrial Estate
Mere Way
Wyton
Huntingdon
PE28 2JZ


----------



## chrisjohnson

Ah yes. My bad.


----------



## Siege

chrisjohnson said:


> Have u tried aquarium gardens?  Iv not visited the shop cos it’s in wales but check out their website. Photos of the showroom look like a great shop selling plants, wood and lots more.




You may have been thinking of the green machine that was in Wales (now closed).

AG is only 45 mins from kings cross on the train, then a 10 min bus/taxi ride!


----------



## Jayefc1

Tim Harrison said:


> That'd be my recommendation as well. It's a fair old schlep from Tamworth but worth it. Maybe it'd be an idea to organise another UKAPS get together there at some point, make it more of an occasion for folk who have to travel a bit further



A day out sounds like a good plan to me I'm in close to burton not to far from tamworth 

Have you tried warf aquatic in Mansfield there rock selection is ok but no where near as good as AGs


----------



## Chris Tinker

is it possible to search this specific thread for fish stores near leeds that are good

mainden head are a bit basic up here i found. fish quality is good but plants are about as good as pets at home.. algae ridden. 

a lot of pages to get through


----------



## sparkyweasel

Click the 'Search' box near the top of the page and a menu appears with options including 'Search this thread only'.
Tick that box, and type in 'Leeds' or whatever.


----------



## RainstormZA

Any good shops in or near Selby in North Yorkshire?  I've been to this pet shop on Bawtry Road (next to Selby Carpets and Beds) and they're not that great, the decorative items (gravel, stones, etc) are quite pricey and the plants are in very poor condition, with very little selection to choose from.  

I've been planning to go to Ferrybridge Aquatics to have a look - will report back on it as soon as my godfather stops looking for excuses as I want to rescape his tank and give it a good cleaning too.  His wife (my godmother) wants me to rescape it so she's bugging him to let me do it.


----------



## Chris Tinker

RainstormZA said:


> Any good shops in or near Selby in North Yorkshire?  I've been to this pet shop on Bawtry Road (next to Selby Carpets and Beds) and they're not that great, the decorative items (gravel, stones, etc) are quite pricey and the plants are in very poor condition, with very little selection to choose from.
> 
> I've been planning to go to Ferrybridge Aquatics to have a look - will report back on it as soon as my godfather stops looking for excuses as I want to rescape his tank and give it a good cleaning too.  His wife (my godmother) wants me to rescape it so she's bugging him to let me do it.



interested to know the result of this as not far from me


----------



## Chris Tinker

sparkyweasel said:


> Click the 'Search' box near the top of the page and a menu appears with options including 'Search this thread only'.
> Tick that box, and type in 'Leeds' or whatever.



worked well but nothing worth reporting boooo


----------



## RainstormZA

Snox73 said:


> Starting out and apart from pets at home there's nothing in Tamworth . Don't wanna be buying rock online . Any suggestions .


I bought Seiryu rock from Aquarium Gardens online - my mistake was not asking them to supply smaller pieces for a 23L tank but they are really great and will go out of their way to accommodate your requests.  I asked them if they could get the courier to deliver my parcel before 12 and they couldn't guarantee it but still DPD delivered at just before 9am in the morning, which was a nice surprise for me.  So if you have any specific needs, email them.  They will try to help you out.  I recommend them highly.


----------



## WAILIYA

NeilW said:


> *Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*
> 
> Anyone been to the Aquajardin in Eastleigh?  Do they sell nice rock?  Be great if I can pick some bits up from there instead of getting stuff shipped from the other end of the country!  I usually end up getting just RO water from my local MA near Basingstoke which tbh is pretty basic/not great so that would be ideal if I can grab proper planted things I want from Eastleigh.


. A few if your lucky stock specialist substrates and fertilisation techniques and maybe mini landscape rock, the odd bit of dragon stone and vine wood but you never seem to see large amounts of these or a good variety of aquascaping products. Whenever you talk to staff they never seem to have a great deal of interest in the plants themselves and knowledge is at best often a little basic. Iâ€™m not exactly an expert in this subject myself but it seems when you mention something even slightly more technical you just get blank confused looks. None of the shops out there seem to have particularly specialised systems for the upkeep of their plants or very inspirational display tanks, looks l


----------



## Craster

It's worth noting that the two Aquajardins in Eastleigh and Southampton aren't owned by the same people as the ones in Gloucester/Newnham any more. Was speaking to the chap in the Gloucester one and he said the two outside Gloucester had been sold off.


----------



## Aqua sobriquet

I went to the one at Eastleigh about 7 years ago and I was impressed. No idea what it’s like these days though.

I wouldn’t buy plants from my three nearest LFS. I buy plants online or from my nearest pets at home.


----------



## Chris PP

Tim Harrison said:


> It's in Huntingdon England...
> 
> *View attachment 124126
> 
> Aquarium Gardens*
> Unit 20C Uplands Industrial Estate
> Mere Way
> Wyton
> Huntingdon
> PE28 2JZ


Definitely be paying a visit in the near future no doubt with my credit card. The pictures of the shop look fantastic !


----------



## Tom Ryan (@aquascaperay)

Aquarium gardens are great! Been using them for a while now


----------



## john arnold

Mmmm well I'm opening a shop in a couple of my months in Salisbury ! So hopefully that will fill gap for the Southwest


----------



## robbystoub

LondonDragon said:


> *Re: Stores in the Uk that REALLY specialise in planted aquar*
> 
> Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green, London


I visited this one recently, really good 👍


----------



## CJM70

Siege said:


> You may have been thinking of the green machine that was in Wales (now closed).
> 
> AG is only 45 mins from kings cross on the train, then a 10 min bus/taxi ride!


Hi Siege, i’ve joined recently and I’m working my way through some of the interesting posts on here and just saw your comment that TGM is now closed and that was as of two years ago. Did they go bust or did they price themselves out of the market or something? Or did the owners just decide to move on? I seem to remember it used to be considered the one and only aquatic planting retail outlet.  I did wonder because I tried to look up their YouTube channel and noticed that there have been no recent videos.


----------



## X3NiTH

I think James Findlay retired!


----------



## CJM70

X3NiTH said:


> I think James Findlay retired!


Well he was at the forefront for quite some time, although I think you had to either love or hate the green machine. Whatever your opinion of it was it was still an incredible resource. It used to crease me up how he referred to himself in the third person when he was narrating his aquascaping videos. At the end of the day though he obviously put a lot of effort into TGM I’m just surprised he didn’t sell it on rather than just retire.  I wouldn’t mind opening up my own place, but I wouldn’t be able to call it the green machine I would have to call it the algae machine😂😂😎.


----------



## BdubB

This thread is pretty long. Is there a list or summary anywhere that has all the stores? I am looking for a planted aquarium store in the South West, I live in Bath. Currently I have to drive up to my partner who lives in Cambridge and go to Aquarium gardens


----------



## BdubB

Ah, nevermind about the above post, just found the where to buy section





						Where to buy ...
					

Great shops listed here, area by area



					www.ukaps.org
				




Although if anyone has suggestions of stores that have a scaping dojo near bristol that would be awesome. Cheers,


----------



## LondonAquascaper

Only proper aquascaping stores in the UK are Scaped Nature, Aquarium Gardens, Horizon Aquatics and Riverwood Aquatics. 

Tbh we are very lucky to have so many. If you go to the USA or the continent thr chances of you being relatively near one are extremely low.


----------



## bazz

LondonAquascaper said:


> Only proper aquascaping stores in the UK are Scaped Nature, Aquarium Gardens, Horizon Aquatics and Riverwood Aquatics.
> 
> Tbh we are very lucky to have so many. If you go to the USA or the continent thr chances of you being relatively near one are extremely low.


Don't forget UKAPS new sponsor @Captive Worlds !


----------



## Earlscapes

BdubB said:


> This thread is pretty long. Is there a list or summary anywhere that has all the stores? I am looking for a planted aquarium store in the South West, I live in Bath. Currently I have to drive up to my partner who lives in Cambridge and go to Aquarium gardens


There's the aquatic store Bristol or aquajardanier in Newent Gloucester that both have a great range of aquascaping and fish essentials. Less of a drive bud down our way. Or a new one in sailsbury- they sponsor the forum as well now. Captive world's. We are limited with true aquascaping shops round the South west


----------



## BdubB

Earlscapes said:


> There's the aquatic store Bristol or aquajardanier in Newent Gloucester that both have a great range of aquascaping and fish essentials. Less of a drive bud down our way. Or a new one in sailsbury- they sponsor the forum as well now. Captive world's. We are limited with true aquascaping shops round the South west


Thanks for this. I will have to check them out!


----------



## Tim Harrison

Popped in to Friends in Soggy Homes in  Birstall, Leicestershire today. It’s been well over a year since I last visited and was very pleasantly surprised. The store has been around for decades and always been a mainstay of the high street serving many as a decent LFS. 

But it’s taken a slightly different direction recently toward planted tanks and aquascaping. It was great to see a selection of hardscape and some pretty cool wood on display, along with a well stocked and well maintained aquatic plant cascade. The fish tanks in the back were also well stocked with the usual trade staples and more besides, all in excellent health. 

If you’re ever in the area it’s definitely worth a visit, and it’s always good to help support bricks and mortar stores.









						Aquatic Shop Leicester | Friends In Soggy Homes | Birstall
					

Aquatic Store in Leicester. Your local aquatics specialist. Tropical Fish, Goldfish, Pond Fish, Plants, Food, Pumps, Aquariums.  Friends In Soggy Homes, the best place to buy fish in Leicester.




					www.friendsinsoggyhomes.com


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## Miniandy

Tim Harrison said:


> Popped in to Friends in Soggy Homes in  Birstall, Leicestershire today. It’s been well over a year since I last visited and was very pleasantly surprised. The store has been around for decades and always been a mainstay of the high street serving many as a decent LFS.
> 
> But it’s taken a slightly different direction recently toward planted tanks and aquascaping. It was great to see a selection of hardscape and some pretty cool wood on display, along with a well stocked and well maintained aquatic plant cascade. The fish tanks in the back were also well stocked with the usual trade staples and more besides, all in excellent health.
> 
> If you’re ever in the area it’s definitely worth a visit, and it’s always good to help support bricks and mortar stores.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Aquatic Shop Leicester | Friends In Soggy Homes | Birstall
> 
> 
> Aquatic Store in Leicester. Your local aquatics specialist. Tropical Fish, Goldfish, Pond Fish, Plants, Food, Pumps, Aquariums.  Friends In Soggy Homes, the best place to buy fish in Leicester.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.friendsinsoggyhomes.com


Can't believe they are still going, I worked in their Harlestone store for a while (first job) around the late 90's. 
Will pop in when I visit the folks next. Thanks!


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## Myrtle

I expect this may have been mentioned earlier in the thread, but just wanted to shout out for Maidenhead Aquatics at Dummer.  They aren't a specialist store, but they have a very good range of hardscape, are expanding their selection of plants (though you do need to get there when they're newly delivered, and have recently increased their range of nano fish quite dramatically. They also have a range of botanicals and more unusual harscaping materials, like huge bamboo roots!


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