Why is the Aquatics Industry so small? (UK)

[Greg's Pea]

Would love to hear the opinions on why our (UK) aquatics industry is relatively small compared to some other nations. Surrounded by water and a nation of pet lovers yet not really fussed by what goes on in the sea or our rivers.

What do folk think? Do people imagine the industry will increase dramatically at some point or continue 'plodding along'?

 

[Radik]

I think it is not small but dominated by mostly Marine, then Cichlid and gold fish .

 

[Greg's Pea]

I can see your point that figures wise its marine but I wonder if more people have marine setups or if its the ones that do spend a lot more £'s on there setups compared to FW. Though goldfish have there place (massive tanks!) as a biologist I feel sad that our national species are not thought of for coldwater tanks.

 

[Radik]

I hope wave is turning thanks to few dedicated people and I hope more and more will follow

 

[George Farmer]

The UK aquatic industry isn't small. Are you talking about relatively speaking; planted vs other sectors?

The marine market is huge compared with planted. Both are growing, but marine exponentially. The gear is cheaper/smaller than ever and the knowledge widespread. Marine is the most desirable form of fishkeeping, and probably always will be. I follow a lot of marine industry leaders and they are driving the aquatics industry as a whole in terms of new technology and ideas.

Goldfish is still an easy revenue generator for retailers, as they're ill-perceived as easy fish for beginners. Sadly this couldn't be further from the truth. Mass market; folk seeing goldfish as disposable ornaments.

Planted is a tough one. Most folk get algae and are put off for life - and Joe Bloggs is still scared witless of CO2 and nutrients. The information is there but it's still not commonplace in retailers - no way near. We're doing our best and it's getting better - slowly but surely.

I feel sad that our national species are not thought of for coldwater tanks.

Most true native species would need a chiller I think - expensive to purchase and run. But you are right, there is much beauty on our own doorstep. I won the 2009 AGA Aquascaping Contest Biotope Category with a stickleback biotope.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

I feel sad that our national species are not thought of for coldwater tanks.

Thats a thought, im embarrassed to say my knowledge of native fish that could work size wise etc is pathetic
If you educate me i could be inspired, as may many?
In fact i would love to see a thread of UK flora and fauna....

George - i really hope that the marine industry growth only push's for more cultivated corals and tank bred fish, the sustainability of the hobby makes me feel bad

 

[jalexst]

Definatley in my local shops the planted section is very very small if there at all... I have 3 MA shops close and I still get stuff online because they just don't stock it. Also it's great to see tanks planted up but thay are scarce too.

I won the 2009 AGA Aquascaping Contest Biotope Category with a stickleback biotope

I would love to see a thread of UK Flora and Fauna too...

George, if that scape was the one in PFK a while back, that was my fave. Always go back to that one for a look Love those sticklebacks, they looked great.

 

[Greg's Pea]

The marine market is huge compared with planted. Both are growing, but marine exponentially. The gear is cheaper/smaller than ever and the knowledge widespread. Marine is the most desirable form of fishkeeping, and probably always will be. I follow a lot of marine industry leaders and they are driving the aquatics industry as a whole in terms of new technology and ideas.

Goldfish is still an easy revenue generator for retailers, as they're ill-perceived as easy fish for beginners. Sadly this couldn't be further from the truth. Mass market; folk seeing goldfish as disposable ornaments.

Planted is a tough one. Most folk get algae and are put off for life - and Joe Bloggs is still scared witless of CO2 and nutrients. The information is there but it's still not commonplace in retailers - no way near. We're doing our best and it's getting better - slowly but surely.

Most true native species would need a chiller I think - expensive to purchase and run. But you are right, there is much beauty on our own doorstep. I won the 2009 AGA Aquascaping Contest Biotope Category with a stickleback biotope.

Thanks for your input George. It does confuse me though that CO2, and algae could be more off-putting than the relatively higher costs & effort required for a salty. Granted I haven't had a reef set-up for years though so my knowledge will be extremely outdated.

Fertiliser fear though surely can't be that great as huge swathes of people fertilise their gardens and even house plants. I know a lot of poor information is still present regarding this however.

I think if more LFS's put the same effort into making their FW show tanks aspirational pieces as they do with their SW tanks that planted tanks would become just as desirable as reef ones. In my experience, most fish shops still seem to be catering to folk who would rather cram as many fish in a tank as possible or breeding. I just think from a desire driving perspective that both can be pitiful or wonderful.

Oh, and yes I was talking relative not in general, should have made that clearer, my apologies.

Cheers

 

[skeletonw00t]

All the chavs love their 350litre marine tanks in their council houses... Next to their 50inch plasma.

 

[Emyr]

I personally thing that its a good thing that its small. A niche hobbie and its quite specialist, especially with a high tech planted aquarium. Why would you want millions of people all interested in the same industry and hobby. It makes the whole thing more exciting and interesting rather than another generic hobby. Its partly what i love about it personally.

 

[hinch]

most domestic freshwater uk species grow far too big to keep in an aquarium (even most garden ponds are too small)

You could possibly get away with some little rudd, roach or young perch + as george mentioned sticklebacks.
Little F1 hids could do ok in a 6 footer but not much smaller.

thing to remember is that even the smaller species like rudd and roach will get to a good couple of pound! and perch will get upto about 5-7 pound all of them are bigger than most tropicals (apart from some of the catfish)

 

[Gill]

I can Understand how you feel about the subject.
In some parts of the country there are more shops with better quality of goods.
Take coventry for Example, at one point we had 11 Aquatics Stores here, and between them you could get most things you wanted.
In the Last 5 years there are now only 5 I would count as LFS'. The Smaller Stores have all closed down. And these were where the best variety could be bought. Now a Decent LFS is atleast 35Min drive each way.
The Internet has been great for the hobby, allowing a greater diversity for the buyer and the hobby.
It takes so much hard work to get an LFS up and Running and becoming a profitable enterprise to keep going, long term. Which is one of the reasons, those who have the backing of a Chain are doing better and growing.
The Hobby is growing, but not at the pace in which consumers want at the moment. Online is growing more, and more prfitable.

 

[ghostsword]

I believe that online is much bigger, look at the lot of ebay shops that there are available at the moment?

All pond solutions for example is a big shop, so is rare aquatics.

I think what is needed is to get shops displaying better tanks but many shops make money selling non aquatics.

It is good that ukaps is full of information, but the people are stubborn buying gold fish and mon aquatic plants.

Things may change, pfk has been doing more and more articles about planted tanks and people will start to notice, although would be good to have a dedicated aquascaping magazine.




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[callmephathead]

I think the reason why marine is bigger is because it is more talked about and more readily available in LFS. I went marine myself because it was the most stunning thing i saw in the LFSs I visited , and I wanted that exotic looking thing at home, regardless of the price to pay.
I had never heard of or seen a high tech planted tank at the time so i never thought of starting one. Also, all the LFSs with a marine section that I have visited had at least one member of staff passionate about the thing, but I found only one shop where I could find someone able to share it's love about planted tank ( aquajardin gloucester BTW)
Now, another point:

All the chavs love their 350litre marine tanks in their council houses... Next to their 50inch plasma.

what is wrong with you? What pushes you to write that kind of rubbish? Are you angry because some people actually decide to spend more money on their tanks than you can perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sussex_cichlids]

I dont think it small in any scale in the UK few years ago the aquatics trade did take bit of a dive as i sore about 4/5 local shops close or down size and other shops stop retailing fish altogether not just small shops but some quite big name in the trade like Fishy Business think they only closed one store in Burgess Hill West Sussex but that was a shock one week its there next it was gone.

Few others change hand like Dicker Aquatics and another lost was Kingston Aquatics at Wyevale Garden Center in Lewes East Sussex i should expect some member may of heard of Tranquility in Brighton massive store one best fish & reptile houses in Sussex they now gone that shocked me when i went there 5 months ago as there was no signs they were doing bad spoke to few people at aquatics live who knew them they were very shocked

But we had few new shops open a new MA at Tunbridge Wells and new P@H in Newhaven

Yes aquatics trade has been hit hard a bit but what hasn't in last few years economically

But with more shows like Aquatics Live taking off in the UK were only going to see the hobby grow and get stronger again with more publicity and growth we could see some of the old shops reopen in time and from the numbers that were at aquatics live 2011 its looking good to see hobbie starting to grow again

STOP BUYING FROM EBAY & ONLINE AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FISH SHOP HELP THEM STAY OPEN

 

[ghostsword]

Easy to say stop buying from ebay. Come on.

There is only two decent shops in london, a city with almost 12million people, and even sometimes those two are over priced and do not have what I need.

For example I wanted 10 pots of UG, could any local shop do it? So bought 5 from Ireland and two from Edis. Only got 7 as they are in vitro.

I support local shops but one should also buy online. If a few pounds difference then I buy at the shop.


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[skeletonw00t]

I'll buy where it's cheapest - most LFS are expensive, poor quality & give poor/no advice.

I refuse to feel sorry for any business that fails to adapt or better itself in the wake of competition.

 

[ghostsword]

I'll buy where it's cheapest - most LFS are expensive, poor quality & give poor/no advice.

I refuse to feel sorry for any business that fails to adapt or better itself in the wake of competition.

Well said. The internet has helped to weed out the bad service.

I think that has also made many shops close down. But isn't that good riddance?

A goos shop lasts a long time for sure. Many people rather buy in person than online.




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[skeletonw00t]

Yeah exactly - good LFS with good reputations, service & advice are flourishing... It's the poor ones that struggle... And thats their own fault.

The state of some of the LFS you find is just a joke & they know very little about their trade.

 

[Gill]

I'll buy where it's cheapest - most LFS are expensive, poor quality & give poor/no advice.

I refuse to feel sorry for any business that fails to adapt or better itself in the wake of competition.

Totally.
I buy 95% of my fish On Ebay/Forums/Classifieds. The internet Allows you to buy from a wider Scope of people and breeders.
LFS' that have embraced Online are doing better than those who have not.