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Where to buy in Scotland.

Just a quick note to confirm that Outside Inside are awesome for both livestock and plants. Water Wonders in Edinburgh often has a surprisingly good selection fo fish as well as a small amount of ADA products, although the plants generally leave something to be desired.

I've also just got back from visiting Colin Dunlop who lives near Carluke. He's an expert fish breeder who has just got a full import licence and is a great bet for anyone looking for hard to find fish - some of his current stock can be found here - http://www.thefishhut.co.uk/, but get in touch with him for pretty much anything. Excellent fish and a thoughoughly decent chap. His male Betta macrostoma are possibly the most beautiful fish I've ever seen.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned it already -

OutsideInside have ceased trading as Huge and Helen have relocated to Canada.

Scotlands loss is Canada's gain.

Shame as they really were the best shop for plants i've ever been too. Loved by their customers locally and nationally they repeatedly came out as the top shop in Scotland and in the last PFK poll, third best in the UK. Not bad for a small shop in a small commuter town outside Edinburgh.
 
Now there is nowhere in Scotland worth a mention to get decent fish/plants! I know Hugh has bought a property for his business in Canada but I don't think its up and running yet.
 
Derek Tweedie said:
Now there is nowhere in Scotland worth a mention to get decent fish/plants! I know Hugh has bought a property for his business in Canada but I don't think its up and running yet.
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I've not been up to the Dundee shops so I can't comment on them.

Maidstone over towards Glasgow was pretty standard fare last time I went. Nothing that makes me want to make the journey to browse.

99% of shops make me leave within 30 seconds out of boredom. That's why OutsideInside was great. Always something new to make you interested.

I've mailed Colin to check his current stock.

Plants wise, P&H are actually pretty good value, the new one out in Fort Kinaird are actually regularly restocking their tropica and have confirmed they will order from the Tropica lists to me. With their same bulk discounts as the shop prices. Hopefully they won't let it go the way of the other P@H stores i've been too in edinburgh with algae infested plant tanks.
 
JohnC said:
Surprised no one has mentioned it already -

OutsideInside have ceased trading as Huge and Helen have relocated to Canada.

Scotlands loss is Canada's gain.

Shame as they really were the best shop for plants i've ever been too. Loved by their customers locally and nationally they repeatedly came out as the top shop in Scotland and in the last PFK poll, third best in the UK. Not bad for a small shop in a small commuter town outside Edinburgh.
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Just read the good reviews of the shop and was planning a visit 🙁

was excited at the thought.....
 
hobbyshrimp said:
JohnC said:
Surprised no one has mentioned it already -

OutsideInside have ceased trading as Huge and Helen have relocated to Canada.

Scotlands loss is Canada's gain.

Shame as they really were the best shop for plants i've ever been too. Loved by their customers locally and nationally they repeatedly came out as the top shop in Scotland and in the last PFK poll, third best in the UK. Not bad for a small shop in a small commuter town outside Edinburgh.
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Just read the good reviews of the shop and was planning a visit 🙁

was excited at the thought.....
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It was the only shop ive ever been too where you could drive out and spend 3 hours just chatting to people, customers and staff.....

They read here sometimes (HI GUYS!)...

I've just had my first order in mail order from Trimar.....excellent stock list, health and prices.

Ordering from Cornwall to Scotland seems weird but actually works out better.
Best Regards,
John
 
I've had stuff sent up from Trimar to Gourock over the years, and I agree their stock and service are great !
I still have an a veil tail angel from them who must be about seven or eight years old.
 
I've just done a little Dundee tour of the two larger shops I know of.

House of Pisces ---- is big and stocks A LOT of fish. They all seemed to be in good health, only a couple of dead fish in hundreds of tanks, with a large range of beautiful Angels, larger fish, some of which were new to me. Smaller fish seemed a little standard. Although they have a stand-out selection of guppies and other live breeders with excellent colours all in tanks by themselves. Some standard tetra that I saw in good numbers. Shop itself was pretty dark and 80's and I drove past it twice trying to find it in the car. Rubbish plant selection and hardscape.

Discovery Aquatics ---- is much newer, in conversation with the staff I found they have only been open a year, and it feels bright and airy. Although not as large as house of pisces they did seem to have a good selection of smaller fish, some odd balls and good dwarf cichlids. Multiple species in the same tank, unlike HOP which have mostly single species tanks. The selection of dry goods seemed up to date and with ranging in a separate area to the tank room (great for not rotting all the packaging). The selection of plants was small but fresh. Interestingly there was stock of dwarf shrimp and a 2m section of wall with a sign saying "new planted tank and dwarf shimp section coming end of July". Hardscape with ok. Choice of rock selection was bigger then most although the wood is just standard driftwood that I remember.

Both shops are quite close to each other so I think any trip I make from Edinburgh to Aberdeen (where my folks stay) I'll do the double. Although i'm more interested in seeing how discovery aquatics develops over time. It's head a shoulders above anything in Edinburgh.
 
Just heard a little rumour on facebook that we are going to get a maidenhead aquatics in edinburgh in August. 🙂
 
Just had it confirmed as leith. Bangor road.
 
bangor road good just along the road from me although my mate was through at the one in glasgow and he said they where rather expensive ?????????
 
I've only been the once to the one in glasgow and found it good but not overwhelming. Very clean, lots of fish, price wise i'm not bothered about (i would always buy from a shop that has healthy fish over cheap sicker ones). I think because I was spoilt with OutsideInside I went looking for odd balls and stuff i'd never seen and the glasgow maidenhead was pretty standard fare, when I went at least.

Does anyone have anything to add on that point. Maidenhead variability of stocking?
 
The only one I have experience with is the one in Truro, and they always had a good stock of oddballs.

I guess it depends a lot on the manager, but at least being a large chain they should be reliable for ordering things in. Some of the prices are perhaps a touch high... I know they have a habit of trying to secure exclusivity for newer species with some suppliers, meaning they can then charge what they want.
 
BigTom said:
The only one I have experience with is the one in Truro, and they always had a good stock of oddballs.

I guess it depends a lot on the manager, but at least being a large chain they should be reliable for ordering things in. Some of the prices are perhaps a touch high... I know they have a habit of trying to secure exclusivity for newer species with some suppliers, meaning they can then charge what they want.
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So what yer saying is we need to work over the new Edinburgh manager and educate him on the joys of giving us something new to look at each time we walk in.

The only downside I see in the Burgh is that the competition for tropicals is so poor that he might just get lazy and stick to basics. It's all great being able to order stuff in but my plant knowledge is 100 times better then my fish knowledge. Until you see some in the flesh you won't know how it moves, how it responds or in a group how it schools or shoals. A good shop keeper tempts you, draws you in but also educates you while selling you an idea and eventually stuff....

Here's hoping 🙂
 
Can anyone recommend a shop in or around Glasgow that keep's freshwater shrimp as heading down that way at the weekend and looking to add to my collection 😀

Cheers
 
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