Really great store, loads of good quality plants and fish. There were fish I've never even seen or…read moreheard of in here. Highly recommended!

The best aquarium for freshwater fish I've been in a long time, I used to go to the hillfoot shop…read morethen the disappeared but they've just moved onto a industrial estate which is great for me as I work just round the corner and it's so much easier to park. Well we're to begin, as I said I always used this family ran aquatics until they moved I then had the joy of dealing with dobbies and pets at home, which is ok if you like paying through the nose for dull fish and pretty rubbish advise I was thrilled when I saw the sign at the side of the road for a new aquarium and was pleasantly surprised when it was the guys from my old shop...ace so stocked up my tank with beautiful fish and yea I know everyone slates guppies but there my favourite and they have like 15 different types, loads of tetras and random stuff I don't even know of, their expanding the shop soon they say and I can't wait about another 50 odd tanks so the place will have tons of different varieties to choose from, don't be put off by my comments if you like unusual fish and hate guppies lol there loads of weird and wonderful stuff and really colourful cichlids, discus, arrowana, rasbora, Angels and their cold water fish are stunning big fat bubble head goldfish...amazing so I'm going to set up another big tank from them and have fancy goldfish, there so reasonable you have to visit and get something for your tank. Going to take my dad in for some koi carp as he says everywhere else for pond fish In liverpool is over prised and they never last, he's made up the guys from hillfoot aquaria are still going strong and looking forward to getting some big koi. Well done guys all the best and can't wait to see the bigger store......lots more guppies please. :) sorry everyone!!!!

A solid five star experience, amazing 70ft shark filled tunnel and a massive cinema style seating…read morearea that I thought had a projection on to a screen instead it was a huge glass wall into one of the shark tanks. The other tank areas and exhibits of frogs snakes spiders and Cayman were excellent. The restaurant with portholes into the tanks is fantastic. It's expensive to visit but worth every penny and the drive over from north wales. I'd love to go for the diving with sharks experience offered, excellent that children can also dive with sharks too. It has to be the Uk's best aquarium. Cannot recommend it enough

This is a fantastic place for a family day out - I really can't recommend it highly enough! We've…read morebeen to aquariums before, but they weren't a patch on this place, it's really so much more than just an aquarium. Firstly, it's set in its own grounds, with a private car park. It's actually just round the corner from Cheshire Oaks designer outlet, so that's handy if you fancy a bit of shopping afterwards! As you enter, they have a massive wooden replica of a pre-historic shark's jaw, which is great for having your photo taken next to! Then you start the tour - you follow a path through corridors with loads of glass panels on either side, with all kinds of fish, reptiles, insects etc. It's fascinating, and you can enjoy the educational aspect, safe in the knowledge that there's a glass panel between you and the creepy crawlies! That said, we did have a fright as one panel appeared to have an escaped spider, but it turned out it was safely behind the glass, it just looked as if it was free! The highlight is the manta ray tank. They actually encourage visitors to tickle the water with their fingers to attract the rays,and then stroke their backs. The children absolutely loved this and we couldn't drag them away for ages! Next stop is a massive aquarium with a full length perspex viewing panel. They have a seating area and give talks from here several times a day as divers actually go into the aquarium and feed the fish. It's really fascinating and brilliant to watch. At the end of the route you arrive at the cafe, which is large and usually crowded. It's not a particularly pleasant or sophisticated cafe, but it does the job, I suppose. Of course, there's the obligatory gift shop, which sells all kinds of over-priced novelties, cuddly toys, gifts etc. And outside they have a little enclosure with otters, which are incredibly cute - unless you happen to go at feeding time, in which case it's pretty gross watching them eat mice! There's also a play area for younger children. All in all, I'd say this is a fantastic place for a family trip and you could quite easily spend the best part of a day here.

For a theme park aquarium that is NOT a theme park based on aquariums it's a pretty sharp one…read more The displays are well done, they are staggered at different heights and levels. There are interactive stations and so much to do and look at. This was probably my 3rd favorite portion of the park, the new coaster and the actual summer house being my favorites.

Alton Towers is a behemoth of a place... I remember when I had my first visit (Circa 1995, maybe?)…read morewhere all you would find is rides and queues (and lots of ways to spend your pocket money). Fast forward to 2015 and there has been many changes, additions and new ways to spend your (now earned with a job) money. I have been attending Pirate weekend over the last few years at Alton Towers Splash Landings Hotel. This entails a waterpark day entry, overnight stay in the hotel, breakfast, pirate entertainment and entry into the small (bur perfectly formed) Sharkbait Reef within the park. All this for a princely sum of around £25? Bargain. These weekends are held when the main park isn't open and we sauntered up from Birmingham at 1pm on a Friday afternoon to get our Pirate on and have a good time. Now, we don't always get to Sharkbait Reef as part of our visit. Firstly, the opening times are normally geared towards Saturday stayers (rather than Friday adventurers) and secondly, it can be affected by the weather. It seems as though we chose the right weekend to go this time as the Reef opened at 10am, giving us plenty of time to get down there before the minigolf tournament was due to kick off at 10:30am. The reef is situated in the park in the pirate section. This can mean quite a walk from the hotel or a two minute drive. There is a dedicated parking section for this, but this section (Express parking) is rammed during actual park opening days. This little Sea Life centre isn't the biggest of the bunch, but it is well put together. From entering in via the "photo opportunity" (a giant statue of octopus tentacles), there are sharks, lots of varieties of beautiful shimmering tropical fish, jelly fish and rock pools (where you can stroke a starfish or meet some cute little shrimp). The walls are jam packed with information about the ocean and it's inhabitants and the staff are friendly and ready to answer your questions. The real stand out for us was the fact it was feeding time in the big tank. Have you ever seen a Ray eat broccoli before? I did for the first time ever on Saturday. It was fascinating (see photos). The walkthrough area is great for seeing the lovely creatures of the sea swimming about and interacting with each other. You end your visit (it takes maybe... about 20/30 minutes to walk around and you (predictably) end up in the gift shop. There are numerous "budget" gifts (starting from £1) in this shop, so if your little ones are desperate for a souvenir - you could do worse than checking out the cool stuff in this shop over the other more expensive options in the park. Whether you're a seasoned ocean expert or a small fry looking to get up close and personal with some of the inhabitants of the sea, a quick trip around Sharkbait reef is definitely worth your while during your trip to Alton Towers.

We called in here on the off chance as my other half has an obsession with fish and reptiles. I do…read morenot live far from here but only recently have they turned this farm into a proper visitor place. I was a bit unsure at first because of all the stories escalating around about farms. But as soon as we parked up, we walked over to the pig sty and I instantly fell in love with the little pigs wandering around with their parents in their little den. Then we went into the massive store area and there are unreal amounts of fish in here. If you are a massive fan of tropical fish then this is the place you should go. It is clean, presentable and well organised. They also have reptiles such as snakes and mini-dragons and if you have never had a pet like this before, there are loads of staff around to help you out. Also they have a large range of books to help you raise certain species. Originally this was a farm that sold food produce. Now it has expanded beyond recognition. They still have food stock such as meat, eggs and juices etc. Also they have a cafe inside so if you want a cup of tea or a scone, then you can here. What I really enjoyed though about this place is that if you pay a pound each you can through into the stables and feed the pets in there. They have goats, llamas, sheep and bulls. I was a bit unsure at first but as soon as I started feeding them, I just fell in love with them all instantly. They were so cute trying to jump over the fences and lick your hands. This farm is really clean and extremely well run. I enjoyed the time we spent here, it was fun and exciting. I would recommend this twice over. Go and have fun!

Went to Cockfields Farm 3rd December 2011 to top up my tank with some new additions, as we were…read morelooking at the tanks , we noticed a DEAD fish floating on the top, so I informed a member of staff who joked that it was asleep and they always went pale and lifeless and floated when they were resting !!!! I thought this comment was inappropriate and not called for... we continued our now short visit by seeing another two tanks containing DEAD fish, I find this unacceptable and will not be going back there again. as there are many better fish shops with more pleasant staff within the Oldham area.

The aquarium in the world museum is brilliant, it combines fish from Australia to Anglesey with the…read morevery latest technology. They have combined a new learning and activity space within the aquarium; the Living Laboratory. In this part everyone can get up close to fish and other sea life in special low-level tanks. As interesting as aquariums are, they can often be quite boring but with the staff running regular demonstrations for the visitors and a chance to observe and properly get involved so for that reason it has to be one of the better ones that I have visited. There are many displays and activities in the Living Laboratory and they have tried their best to emphasise links between the live specimens and the museum's historic collections. Video conferencing facilities are also available, this allows to link through to behind the scenes activities, events in the Treasure House Theatre and other parts of the museum. Be sure to ring to find out what events they are running so you don't miss out.

If I could give 6 stars I would! I was a bit dubious in…read moreordering livestock online but since Pea Puffers were hard to come by in my area I decided to give it a shot and I am SO glad that I chose to shop with Abyss. Incredibly fast service, my order was ready to ship 30 minutes after I ordered and I received them less than 24 hours later! I really have no faults with my experience. My fish arrived well packaged, alive and healthy. All 6 of them have settled in really well. An absolute pleasure to shop with Abyss- highly recommend! :)

Great quality Fish and huge variety and helpful staff .but find them quite expensiveread more

No bachelor pad is complete without an aquarium and this is the place to get one. Good advice and…read morethey sell tanks as well as fish, and no aquarium is quite the same without fish in it.

This pet shop carries a range of cat and dog food and toys as well as supplies for birds, fish and…read moresmall mammals. They usually have some mice, guinea pigs, hamsters etc available which appear to be well cared for. I do not usually choose to buy cat food for our animals here as they do not stock the brands that i like. However when I call in to buy other supplies such as toys or bowls I have always found the service to be very friendly, the staff always comment on the weather or start a conversation with customers. There is quite a large fish department which has a range of fish, aquarium accessories, and fish food.

Looked at the guinea pigs and rabbits in horror,shortage of food & water no greens or fruit in…read morecage,very little hay and no where for the little creatures to hide when they feel like it,will be dropping in to check on the animals again!!!!! gentleman in shop got quite sharp when we enquired about the well being of the animals.

I loved my trip here yesterday!!! But my wife does say that I'm just a BIG KID so that would make…read moresense... I don't even know where to start because everything was just so great so I'll start with my only 3 recommendations for improvement: 1. Get a cloak room! Seriously, nowhere to put your coat or bag? That's just odd, sorry but it is. Take this example... it's freezing outside and pouring with rain, what do you have on? A big coat, hat, scarf and yes, an umbrella... So as you enter this tropical indoor paradise of warmth, what do you instantly want to do? Yes, take it all off! So where do you put your stuff? "Oh, you have to carry it all around with you" which just spoils the experience on one level as I was uncomfortable walking around holding all this stuff. 2. The prices were a little high, £17.50 per adult was a bit too steep in my opinion for a 1 hour experience as it's only a small place. I think £13.50 would be more reasonable and have me coming back again and again, but at £17.50 I don't think I'll ever come back, it's just too expensive for what it is. 3. Bottled WATER: Yet again, Merlin Group... I really don't understand your logic of only providing Coca Cola products? I had to ask the attendant if they sold water and she said, "not in the machines, but you can buy it at the gift shop as you leave" - what? That's outrageous... I just don't get it at all... Ok the good stuff: Everything else! It was an amazing experience! All the fish were swimming around happily and enjoying themselves. The great tanks, decor, the bright colours, the fantastic stages that had been built, the backdrops, wow, I was so impressed! I just sat and watched the octopus for what seemed like 20 minutes! I was so amazed at the beauty and uniqueness of this alien creature... I also sat down and just watched the fish in the big tank that has the open top, the way they swim around like they don;t have a care in the World, so peaceful, so majestic... it really relaxed me and I almost fell asleep! ha! They also had a great 4D show that was not only entertaining, but also educational for the children - a big thumbs up for this, very noble. I loved this too. I think my other favourite thing was seeing the giant Sea Turtle! I've never seen one before so when I saw it swim past me in the tube, I was just awe struck. I had no idea they were so big. Overall a magical day out, and I loved it apart from points 1-3 above. Had these criteria been met, I would have rated 5 stars instead of 4.

This is worth a visit, but very pricey (£21 for an adult that had no discounts; that's about $30)…read more For a family, you're now about $80 for the experience) It's beautiful and nicely laid out so that you can focus on one thing for a bit of time and not worry that you're holding back the ones behind you. As you wind your way up the ramps to the upper levels, you get to see the same exhibit from several angles. Very unnerving to see a shark from above and then realize that his eyes are on the top of his head and they're looking at you as well. The penguins are adorable. Photography is fine as long as you don't flash. The 4D experience was a 15 minutes condensation of the movie Happy Feet. The 4D comes from the fact that the seats shake when they're dancing and you get a spray of water when the shark crashes down. I noticed a lot of education on saving species from being used in medicines or being over hunted. The gift shop was a bit dusty and I noticed that many of the stuffed animals were a bit grimy. PS: yes, the photo I uploaded is of the actual penguins. They seemed to pose for my camera.

For all those who love what lies beneath the waters, blue planet aquarium is likely to be a…read moreheavenly visit. You will be mesmerised by a huge range of fish and sea creatures. There is plenty for all to see as the aquarium houses one of the longest water tunnels in the world. I also noticed that there were some divers swimming with the sharks...crazy people!!! The centre offers these shark diving experiences, whatever floats your boat I guess. A recent new addition to the aquarium as been "Venom". Aptly named this part of the aquarium includes some of the most venomous creatures on the planet including spiders, lion fish, vipers, insects and reptiles. If you are scared of spiders you might want to stay away from the Tarantula tower, because stepping inside you will find yourself surrounded by over 50 massive incey wincey spiders. Alongside Knowsley safari park this is the other gem of a day out for adults and kids alike. Ticket prices are similar to the safari park, £15 for adults and £11 for kids. For a day's adventure into the deep it is well worth it in my book!!! So go on dive into the world of blue planet aquarium.....

During your day out at this amazing aquarium, you'll be taken on an incredible voyage of discovery…read morethrough the underwater world. It isn't just a place with a big fish tank, it has everything from freshwater lakes and streams to rocky shores and stunning coral reefs on display. Hard to imagine but it's true. At the heart of the aquarium is the extraordinary Carribean reef, complete with its long underwater tunnel to wow visitors. There is a huge variety of species including stingrays, sharks and a collection of amphibians too. Blue Planet Aquarium is family friendly and it's easily accessible for pushchairs. Disabled access is excellent and wheelchairs are available for hire. A restaurant offers a rest bite for tired legs and a relaxing tea break if you need it (I suggest you should)! There is a themed shop to end your day leaving you with some brilliant memories and a perhaps a special gift. I can't find anything negative to say about Blue Planet Aquarium, not that I want to; I absolutely love it and would highly recommend it to others.