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Stephen Carr
Store Manager
at
Wenvoe
How long have you been a Maidenhead Aquatics team member?
Around 13 Years
How long have you been keeping fish?
I started keeping fish 16 years ago after work Placement with our store in Cardiff
What was your first aquarium and what fish did you keep in it?
I started with an Elite 60 aquarium and had Black Phantom Tetras since they have a unique colouration compared to their wild counterparts.
What species do you most enjoy keeping and why?
Catfish is a true soft spot of mine.
What pearl of wisdom would you give to first-time Fishkeepers?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions in the shops, it's what we are here for and we have all been there with our first aquariums not fully confident in the ins and outs on fish keeping.
What would be your dream aquarium?
A long river tank consisting of different danios, hill stream loaches and other fast water species.
What’s your favourite aspect of work at Maidenhead Aquatics?
Being here helping everyone enjoy this hobby we are all very passionate about. Educating fish time fish keepers and troubleshooting problems you may be experiencing.
What questions do customers ask you most often?
Often it's when something isn’t quite right in the customer's aquarium or pond, which we often explain the importance of testing your water. A lot of the problems we face often can be liked to the water we keep our fish in.
What’s your secret fishkeeping “top tip”?
Top Tip is to get yourself a test kit because there are so many different opinions on what to do or how to look after your fish. The bottom line often is, if your water is healthy your fish are healthy. One thing to note is clarity and quality are two different things.
How many aquariums do you currently keep at home, and what are these?
0, all the aquariums and ponds I now keep are in our Wenvoe Store, and they defiantly keep me busy.
What do you think is the future of fishkeeping and what developments would you most like to see?
More Goldfish in Ponds rather than Aquariums, too many goldfish are kept in cramped conditions and without this becoming an animal rights movement, it would be great to see more suitable species sold for suitable aquariums.
What’s the most unique species you’ve ever cared for at Maidenhead Aquatics?
Unique is difficult, we have had rare species in stock, Zebra Shovelnose catfish, black arowana, Zebra Plecos L046 and Royal Clown Loach. Also some amazing Japanese koi, from jumbo tosi goshiki and showa to huge chagoi and Yamabuki. Aswell and so much more.
What is it that first got you hooked on fishkeeping?
I got hooked on the sheer vastness of the different areas of fishkeeping, I have a large interest in animal behaviour and there is no end to the different types you can witness with the shop. That as well as the genetics and history you can find surrounding the aquatics industry. You can learn something new every day.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned since joining Maidenhead Aquatics?
There is no end to the interesting things you can learn about fish, from how clownfish can change genders to fish in America that have been genetically modified to glow in the dark. Even the British heart foundation did research into Zebra Danios because they are one of a few animals that can repair their heart after they have had a heart attack.