Pet Shop Licence #:078105 – Awarded 5 stars
Frequently Asked Questions
Website & Company FAQs
We are open:
Monday to Saturday 10:00am – 5:30pm
Sunday 10:30am – 4:00pm
Bank Holiday’s 10:00am – 4:00pm
We are closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day & Easter Sunday.
We deal with some of the largest ornamental fish suppliers in Europe, they send us an availability list every week of the species they have in stock. We can only order in species of fish that appear on one of the availability lists, we will happily take details of the species you are looking for and inform you when/if they come into stock.
If you are going away for a week or two, you can use an automatic fish feeder or slow release holiday foods can feed your fish while you are away, although it is still worth getting a fishkeeping friend/relative to check everything is OK in your absence.
We are frequently requested to re-home fish by members of the public, and it is unfortunately not possible to accommodate all the numerous requests, especially as many species offered are undesirable. Therefore, we only take fish back unwanted fish from regular customers, this service is subject to terms displayed in our livestock area.
Provided livestock is properly packaged and does not get too hot or too cold it will be fine for at least six hours. Nearly all tropical & marine fish come from abroad and are often in transit for 24 hours with virtually a zero mortality rate. However, the less time in transit the less traumatic it is.
Many aquariums that we supply are literally add water & plug in so little expertise is required to install them. Although we can offer an installation service, although there is often a long lead time.
Although we list our livestock online so that you can see what we have in store, we would prefer our customers to collect them in person and be given care advice face to face.
We are primarily a retail business, but many products are shown on this website to allow customers who cannot visit to buy online, it is also a useful resource for local customers to see stock levels and product info.
The WaterZoo opened on March 11th 1986. It was then staffed by Mr. Roy Scott (owner) & Mr. Roy Clarke (manager) who had previously run his own shop (Coral World), both Roy’s retired many years ago. In 2000 The WaterZoo was purchased by Mr. J.A. Scott and in 2014 he became managing director as the business changed to a limited company.
Fish Care FAQs
Only a few species of fish often sold from tropical aquariums are suitable for unheated aquariums. The term coldwater is slightly misleading as what we are normally referring to is unheated aquariums, temperate or sub tropical is a more accurate term. Provided a ‘coldwater’ aquarium is in a relatively warm room then they will probably have a temperature around 18C (65F). At this temperature they are several species that will be at home, these include Paradise Fish, Golden Barbs, Rosy Barbs, and Amano Shrimp. Mixing these fish with Goldfish is not recommended as many are too active to be mixed with Goldfish, especially fancy varieties. Due to the large size of Goldfish, they may eat many of the species listed above.
Many fishkeepers started out with a Goldfish in a bowl or small aquarium without a filter. Whilst it is possible to keep fish without a filter, water quality & clarity will always be a problem. This will also means the water needs changing frequently to maintain an acceptable water quality standard for the aquariums inhabitants. The installation of a filter will reduce the frequency for water changes as well as improving the environment for the fish. Therefore, a filter is essential in our opinion.
All Goldfish have a swim bladder that helps them maintain neutral buoyancy. Due to their shape fancy Goldfish have a compressed swim bladder this causes them to have many more problems maintaining their balance. To prevent balance problems try feeding a wide variety of food including frozen foods like Bloodworm or Daphnia. It is also worth soaking any dried food for a few minutes before feeding. This prevents the food from swelling up inside the fish and putting pressure on the swim bladder. If your fish already has a problem you can try Swim bladder treatment. This, when used in conjunction with salt is quite an effective remedy.
The White ‘fungus’ often seen on the heads of large Orandas is actually the natural mucous secretion fish produce to help protect their bodies. As this is natural using an anti fungus treatment will not have any effect. While it may be unsightly there is very little that can be done to prevent this mucous from collecting on the Orandas hood. However, it will have no effect on the fish’s health.
The most likely reason for the water to be cloudy in a coldwater aquarium is lack of, or insufficient filtration to cope with the waste produced by the fish. Cold water fish are much larger than their tropical counterparts, so therefore need a more efficient filtration system. The most immediate way to clear the water is to carry out a partial water change of say 25% and reduce the amount of food given. The addition of Interpet filter aid will also clear the water, but only in filtered aquariums. While this will clear the water it will not offer a permanent solution. It would be wise to look into the cause. New aquariums also may suffer from cloudy water despite sufficient filtration. Read about new tank syndrome.
