visiting London

[Cancatmandu]

Hi I'm going to be going to London to visit my daughter from June 26th to July 10th and I'm wondering what stores in the area might be worth visiting for catfish, unusual anabantids or dwarf cichlids.I live in western Canada[Edmonton Alberta]so some input would be helpful

Thank you
Eugene

p.s. Birger what do you want me to bring back for you?

[MatsP]

Give me a ping when you are here - I work in central London, so we may be able to meet up at some time...

Wholesale tropicals, 227 Bethnal Green Road - walking distance from Liverpool Street Station (10-15 minutes), about 5 minutes walk from Bethnal Green station - or about 45 minute brisk walk from Waterloo station.

Aquatic Design, Great Portland Street is a shop I've never been to.

If you either have your own transport or can fix up a ride with someone else, you probably also want to try to get to Wildwoods in Enfield - it's quite a distance from central London, but a good shop to visit. Whilst there, if you have car transport, you can also visit Maidenhead Aquatics St. Albans.

And if you have a long day to spare, take the train to Wigan and visit Pier Aquatics - sure, it's 200+ miles from London, but well worth a visit.

--
Mats

[Birger]

p.s. Birger what do you want me to bring back for you?

Any cool little synos you do not normally see around here, just slip a few in your pockets.


Mats... is it Neil at Pier Aquatics who usually has some interesting Asian fish(cats,anabantids)?

Birger

[MatsP]

Neil does have good contacts with Asia, yes. He has some interesting cats from that region. I haven't spent much time on the Anabantoids - not something I particularly care to spend tank-space on. But if you send a PM to Sojapat (Neil), he will most likely tell you what he has. If you find something on the list that you really want, let's see if I we can work something out...

Wholesale Tropicals [and they are NOT "wholesale", despite the name] usually has a few unusual Synos. Another good place would be MA in Oxford (Wheatley) - they certainly have S. decora, S. alberti, S. brichardi in stock [or had when I was there a few weeks ago].

Wildwoords have in the past had some interesting Synos from the rift-lakes (and probably others too - I tend to look at the plecos when I'm there, and that's a lot of looking, so I end up in a rush to look at the remaining fish!

@Cancatmandu: Is there anything in particular you are interested in?

--
Mats

[Richard B]

If you give me a bit of notice i might be around too...

Also consider MA wembley - some good cats

If you can only go "locally" wildwoods is a must in the South - (just as Pier is a must if you're up North). Wildwoods has unusual fish of all types including anabantids at times & some of the cats are pretty special - including some i've seen very few other places if not at all anywhere else...

[Cancatmandu]

Thanks all, I'll figure out how to P.M. on this site and get some contact info for myself to you after I get to London,probibily the second week of that I'm there around the 7th of July.As for what I'm looking for I usually dont know until I see it but unusual corys or wood cats come to mind or Betta Macrostoma or Apistogramma Tucurui would be nice.
Thanks Eugene

[bamboosticks]

Very interesting...I was also wanting to do a one-day London fish store romp, in late June. I've already been to Wholesale tropicals and my they were impressive (Corydoras Pulcher, Meronodontus Tigirnus (I think) and - this is a first - live Tubifex worms.) Apart from Wildwoods and Pier Aquatics (which is a bit too far away...), where else would you recommend? Note: I've pretty much got a whole day to do this. I am really looking at Corys, Loricariids, maybe Auchenipterids...and certainly Loaches and Gobies.

[MatsP]

I have heard good things about Aquatic Design, but as I said before, I've never been there.

And Richard mentioned the Wembley branch of Maidenhead Aquatics - again, I've never been there, but it sounds good.

--
Mats

[grokefish]

Aquatic design is very cool.

But Wildwoods is the best shop in UK in my opinion.

[MatsP]

But Wildwoods is the best shop in UK in my opinion.

I think that depends on:
1. What you are looking for.
2. How you define "best"...

I agree, Wildwoods is a very good place to find those fish that are very rare...

--
Mats

[Richard B]

Very interesting...I was also wanting to do a one-day London fish store romp, in late June. I've already been to Wholesale tropicals and my they were impressive (Corydoras Pulcher, Meronodontus Tigirnus (I think) and - this is a first - live Tubifex worms.) Apart from Wildwoods and Pier Aquatics (which is a bit too far away...), where else would you recommend? Note: I've pretty much got a whole day to do this. I am really looking at Corys, Loricariids, maybe Auchenipterids...and certainly Loaches and Gobies.

MA shirley had some very impressive gobies i'd never seen before before christmas & not as far as London

[racoll]

Betta Macrostoma or Apistogramma Tucurui would be nice.

BAS in Bolton would be the best bet for Anabantoids. They get interesting stuff in from Borneo and Sumatra etc, although Bolton is not close to London.

Here is a stocklist, but I don't know if this is February this year, or how many years ago!

Nowhere springs to mind for really rare Apistos.

Maidenhead Aquatics at Crowland (Peterborough) is very good for Indian and Southeast Asian stuff, especially loaches and cyprinids.

[Redtailrob]

Both already mentioned on here, Wholesale Tropicals @ Bethnal Green & you CANNOT miss out Wildwoods whilst your near.
Fantastic shop, cant rate it highly enough

[shamrock]

really convenient thread. i was just going to ask for your opinions re. great aquatics shops in the country. i live in northampton and we have a few around here, but i'm looking for something unique and special.

definitely going to check out wildwoods. wigan is a bit too far for me though :C

[MatsP]

Keep an eye out for posts in the "Speak Easy" forum, we (myself and Richard B at least) do make trips up to Wigan every now and again, and I think Northampton isn't that far off from either Warwick (where I pick up Richard) or some other point on the M40.

--
Mats

[racoll]

You can also search a lot of shops stocklists (including many of those mentioned above) at http://www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk/default.asp.

[shamrock]

nice thread! nothing like going to your "LFS" (or in this case, not-so-local fish shop) to get some inspiration.

[bamboosticks]

I'll be in London in 3 days...any more fish stores?

[racoll]

I'll be in London in 3 days...any more fish stores?

If you are only staying central - i.e. on the Tube, then the Aquatic Design Centre and Wholesale Tropicals are your best bet.

Otherwise, get to Wildwoods!

There are also a few Maidenhead Aquatics stores that might be in range. Not been to any of them, but there are usually at least a few interesting things at most MAs.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy your trip - the nice weather might hold out, and we might still be in the World Cup by then, so there'll definitely be a good atmosphere in London.



EDIT: just realised bamboosticks is from Bradford, not Canada!

[Cancatmandu]

Thanks for all the input,We'll be in London tomorrow around noon.I'll get some contact info to Mats P in a few days after the jet lag dissipates.A few other beasts I would be looking for are Hemiloricara Melini we had an order of these beauties come in from Germany a while back but sadly they didnt travel well,and a friend of mine would like me to track down some Blaptica Dubia and Blata Lateralis,yup cockroaches, he wants them for feeders for herps.Once again thank you all for your ideas I'm looking forward to the trip.

Eugene