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Greetings from Edinburgh, Scotland

Cintain

Cintain

Member
Joined
22 Aug 2023
Messages
25
Location
Edinburgh, Scotland
Hello everyone! I'm new here but not exactly new to the hobby. I started a very long time ago, when I was 12 years old, back in 1988! I kept freshwater fish for 9 years, basically whatever I could get my hands on in my native Mexico. My favourite fish are catfish and loaches, with an almost exclusive emphasis on small species. The turns of life forced me to give up my last tank and fish when I was 21, and since then I was never able to set up another one until now. Over the holidays I helped a family member set up their tank, and it all came rushing back... apparently I was so happy that my wife insisted I get a tank and start doing it again... I now have a 300-litre Aquabox peninsula set up, and for the first time I've done it right, buying gear first and setting up slowly, instead of just rushing to get everything all at once.
I am blown away by how much the hobby has changed in the 20+ years I've been away from it. I had never even heard of CO2 injection or surface skimmers... I am really, really excited to be getting my fingers wet again, and of course I am much more focused on plants (which were more of an accessory to fish back then). I feel like all my knowledge is still there, and yet I have so much to learn!! I hope to make some new friends and learn from all of you.
So happy to be here!
C
 
Hi .. welcome to UKAPS from another member of the Scottish contingent.
And welcome to Scotland! You are officially fully Scottish. (Yorkshire Scot here).
 
Cintain said:
Hello everyone and thanks for the warm welcome!

@hwscot and @pondgirl09 Hello fellow Scottish aquarium people! Where do you shop for your hobby needs locally?

~C
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Hi, @Cintain .. mainly it's two Dundee places: the Maidenhead Aquatics / Fishkeeper Scotland at Dobies Garden Centre. Most staff genuinely knowledgeable, and a good range of fish. Then Discovery Aquatics, an independent, much wider selection, very good staff. They will price match and for larger orders deliver locally (a wide 'local').
Very occasionally, the PAH in Arbroath. There is a place near Forfar which has limited opening and I've never managed to catch open.
You'll likely have a Maidenhead place near you. Store finder on their site.

There used to be a terrific independent on Broughton St (top of Leith Walk) but I believe it's shut now. Have wondered if it moved to cheaper premises in Embra, but I no longer have same options to travel around Embra area as I only ever visit the city by train now. I've never forgotten a tank of green swords I once saw there, huge, with fabulous deep colour. Never seen the like before or since. I've wondered since if they might have been X. montezumae, but were just labelled as helleri. I saw them when I was on a work visit for a few days, and when I visited shortly before the trip home, hoping to take some with me, they were, of course, all sold. Hey ho. I could buy fish there, hop on a train at Waverley and be home in two hours. There used to be another good one about halfway down Leith Walk, on the left as you go downwards, no idea if that's still there. Afraid I can't remember names of either.

Online for dry goods often. also for shrimp and snails. Pro Shrimp for shrimp (also very good for dry goods, competitive on price and once had a return which was quickly and amicably resolved) and several ebay sellers. Also a couple of ebay sellers for fish, both have been good and I can dig out their ebay names if you're interested.
 
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There's nowhere in Edinburgh city. There's one at Dobbies Garden Centre south of the city, but I've never been. I recall the one on Leith Walk from days lang syne.
 
@AlecF Ah! I have been to Maidenhead in Dobbie's... it's decent, bought some basic stuff there (substrate, some plants, a piede of corbo, my ottos) but I found the selection to be somewhat limited and with a marked preference for JBL products, which I'm not too sure about. The staff are really nice, tho... worth the visit if you haven't been.

@hwscot Sorry to hear about the missed plant opportunity... sounds like some amazing specimens! I don't believe there's anyone on Leith Walk/Broughton anymore. I walk the entire length of Leith Walk on occasion and have never seen any aquarium shops. I'd be really interested to see who you've tried out on ebay! I've just placed an order with Sims, who promptly redirected me to their website, which is fine... wow, do they have a massive selection! Fingers crossed, my fish arrive tomorrow!

@jamiepearson Ah! thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely check both of them out. The pics for Riverside look quite impressive... is East Lothian the one @hwscot was alluding to?
 
Yep, Sims / si5322, for livebearers - excellent blue tuxedo platys. Though through ebay, not their own site.
Also ecohatchery, nice panda corys.
 
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