wholesale tropicals

helen nightingale · Post by **helen nightingale** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:16 pm

today i had to take my car to London to be fixed, so i thought id go and see what wholesale tropicals is like, as i was fairly close. i wish i hadnt. they had some large clown loaches - the sort of size that would be small in Emma's tank. they were terribly skinny, and werent orange much, rather a dull brown sort of colour. they had 2 yoyos in a tiny tank, maybe 8" square, with a tiny internal filter that wasnt working, and skuzz all over the tank glass, especially at the back. they had a skunk in with the extremely skinny striata, and robusta in with other very placid fish. the fish mix in the tanks didnt seem to make any sense at all.

i dont know corries very well, but they seemed to have 4 tanks with an identical species in, under 4 different names and prices. Oh and a red tailed catfish. the staff ignored me, except eventually one of the staff came to talk to me. she was saying that i must be looking as all my fishies must have died and doesnt that make me sad when fishies die? she definatly had learning difficulties (i think that is the term we are supposed to use), and the other woman in there seems to be a tea lady straight out of a dated sitcom. the tea lady seemed to be randomly throwing mussels in to the occasional tank

another customer was loitering about trying to persuade people that they really did want to take his enormous convict cichlids off him, as he didnt like them any more.

i really wish i hadnt gone. i nearly walked past it as it was so dark and dingy.

Emma & Steve's shop truly is the best on the planet

Emma Turner · Post by **Emma Turner** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:37 pm

Sorry you had such a horrendous experience, Hels.

And to think that is supposed to be one of the best stores in the country!......

We went to a local-ish garden centre a couple of weeks back (you might know of it - thay are famous for their owl collection) and I actually came out of the aquatics section with tears rolling down my face - the loaches (and the rest of the stock) were in the most appalling state with staff completely oblivious and more interested in standing about gossiping. I felt so helpless and bad for these fish. The striata were so underweight and stressed and one looked as if it made eye contact and it had a look about it that suggested it was pleading for help. Poor little things, it was heartbreaking.

We always try to keep our standards very high. I wish other shops would too.

Emma

botiaboy · Post by **botiaboy** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:59 pm

I had a bad experience once,a tank full of dead or dying clown loaches smothered with ich...i wanted to cry...

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:00 pm

Wow! I'm amazed. That place used to be like Pandora's box and Aladdin's cave all rolled into one. I saw fish there that I'd never even seen photos of. The guys were super nice too. Even gave us a cuppa!

That was a few years ago though. Things do change.

Bought my batch of Homaloptera orthogoniata from them

Martin.

Mad Duff · Post by **Mad Duff** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:33 am

Sorry to hear about your experiance Helen

I have to admit that I have stopped going to a lot of my local fish outlets because I always leave disgusted with the quality of the fish mainly the Loaches. One of the local shops that is normally very good had quite a few loaches in last week and every one was so skinny it was painful to look at them. When I left I wished that I had said something about it but I have already been banned form a couple of shops for telling them their fish were disgusting and if they couldn't keep the fish in the correct conditions they shouldn't have them at all.

It really does make you wonder how some of these shops keep their licences.

I have to admit that after seeing the quality of Emmas tanks and fish I don't really buy any fish from local shops, Since I was down at Emmas last I have bought 1 fish from a local shop and 8 fish from a friend who imports fish.

I cant wait for December, I think I am suffering form MFPW (multiple fish purchasing withdrawal)

.

pedzola · Post by **pedzola** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:22 am

Speaking of good or bad fish shops... my fish store rating project is still in progress. If you feel like taking the time to post your comments on my project forum, your feedback would be appreciated. =)

http://www.fishiz.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21

On a sad note - I'm not going to have the international component completed by my original december timeframe.

So for now, the site will only include the USA and Canada. There are several technical barriers to including other countries, and true international support will come along w/revision 2 (date TBD).

Thanks.

helen nightingale · Post by **helen nightingale** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:18 pm

Emma sorry to hear about your bad experience too. that place you went to wouldnt be the place on the roundabout, that also has reindeer in at christmas?

if thats the one, i am glad i didnt get to the aquatics department. the owls made me cry. you cannot keep owls in very small cages with gravel on the floor and thats it. that is so far from humane.

theres a man at the fish club i go to that raves about the fish shopping you can do around Enfield. i hope he doesnt ever get to go back again, as he would be so dissappointed.

the only other place i have bought fish from in the last couple of years has been from Jollyes down the road from me. the fish are very standard in there, but the girl that used to work there looked after them. i bought my rasboras there. now she has left and another woman works there instead, it has gone downhill, so i wouldnt buy anything anymore. i was also given a few fish by Pete Cottle who gives us talks sometimes. i am so lucky i live near Emma's shop. the MA in cambridge is a few minutes down the road from work, and that is very clean and a nice shop, but sadly lacks info on loaches, and doesnt say anything about clown loach size. the fish looked good though. the fish that interested me there were a few corries, but i'm sure Emma has more species of equally interesting ones. i must admit i cant remember - i was too busy dribling over the loaches, then the danios and rasboras.

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:41 pm

Helen, if you like birds of prey in wide open spaces go to Banham Zoo next summer when they fly the birds of prey. It's quite "involving" when a 8 foot wingspan vulture flys very purposely straight at you and just skims your head as it lands on the top of the cage behind you. You tend to concentrate quite a bit on the fast approaching hooked beak and beady black eyes

And it's not just one bird. Try 3 at once!

Enfield certainly was a good place for fish nuts because you can hit 3 or 4 shops in a few miles. Used to go to Hertfordshire Fisheries too which was where I got some of my first rarer Hillstreams.

But nothing compares to.............

Martin.

helen nightingale · Post by **helen nightingale** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:16 pm

that sort of experience is wonderfull, isnt it? last year at work we had a harvest supper, and after pudding, a local bird of prey sanctaury came and flew a few of the tamest birds into our canteen, over everyone's heads, as a surprise. then a few people had a go at flying and catching the birds. a harris hawk decided it was more fun to land on people's heads, then got bored and discovered that there were remains of chcolate and cream on some tables, so had to investigate. out in the garden they had brought some of their other birds that arent so tame, like little owls. they were lovely.

banham zoo and colchester zoo are both quite good. they sound like they are much better than toronto zoo. have you and Angelfish been there yet?

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:07 pm

Helen...I PM'd you.

Martin.

angelfish83 · Post by **angelfish83** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:28 pm

don't EVER go to mayer's pets in Toronto. It makes Big Al's look like a bunch of experts.

My very ignorant friend has a paradise in a five gal. I've explained several times he's meant to be in there alone.

This dumbass sold him a BALA SHARK...

angelfish83 · Post by **angelfish83** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:30 pm

helen nightingale wrote:that sort of experience is wonderfull, isnt it? last year at work we had a harvest supper, and after pudding, a local bird of prey sanctaury came and flew a few of the tamest birds into our canteen, over everyone's heads, as a surprise. then a few people had a go at flying and catching the birds. a harris hawk decided it was more fun to land on people's heads, then got bored and discovered that there were remains of chcolate and cream on some tables, so had to investigate. out in the garden they had brought some of their other birds that arent so tame, like little owls. they were lovely.

banham zoo and colchester zoo are both quite good. they sound like they are much better than toronto zoo. have you and Angelfish been there yet?

Ive been going since 1986. It gets worse every year. Its become a joke. It was initially just decent, not good, but decent... its just gone down and down and down...

midman · Post by **midman** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:20 am

Emma Turner wrote:Sorry you had such a horrendous experience, Hels. And to think that is supposed to be one of the best stores in the country!......

We went to a local-ish garden centre a couple of weeks back (you might know of it - thay are famous for their owl collection) and I actually came out of the aquatics section with tears rolling down my face - the loaches (and the rest of the stock) were in the most appalling state with staff completely oblivious and more interested in standing about gossiping. I felt so helpless and bad for these fish. The striata were so underweight and stressed and one looked as if it made eye contact and it had a look about it that suggested it was pleading for help. Poor little things, it was heartbreaking.

We always try to keep our standards very high. I wish other shops would too.

Emma

I would contact the RSPCA - in fact I did when I visited my local garden centre and found every time that the clown's had white spot

helen nightingale · Post by **helen nightingale** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:26 am

did the RSPCA do anything? they seem to do cats and dogs. i went to a talk by the RSPCA and was quite shocked by their uselessness. if you think it may help, i can try though.

are there any other fish charities? i know of a couple that rehome fish, but im not sure if any exist that would have the same powers as the RSPCA.

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