Category: Aquatics

IMPORTANT UPDATE Before you visit.

Posted on by Whilton Locks Garden Village

To all our customers,
If you have placed your order with us – thank you, but please bear with us. We have had a rather dramatic increase in orders in the last few days, and we are working through them as quickly as we can. It may take us a day to get back to you with a quote for your order. This is because with the huge amount of orders we are receiving, we just want to take time to get all the orders and pricing correct for each customer.

We then have a 3-4 day wait on the deliveries themselves, again with so many to get through we simply can not offer same or next day deliveries to anyone.

We have taken the decision to stop offering collection from store for orders. This is simply because we are trying to keep our team as safe as we can.

If you are planning on coming to visit the store, we just have a few things we would like to – politely – let you know before you get in your car….
YES the pet shop is open – but for ESSENTIALS ONLY please pay for what you came for as quickly as possible and keep a safe distance from our team,
NO – we are not open for browsing,
NO – you can not pop in store to quickly look at the garden furniture and
NO – you can not just go and browse the plant area out the back.

Please stay at home and if you are after something from the store, please follow these simple steps:
1. Phone us on 01327 843100 and we can pop an order together for you. Please make sure you know what you require, as we are inundated with phone calls for orders. We are very sorry, but we can not describe every plant we have to every customer – you will find a vast majority on our website https://www.wlgv.co.uk/whiltonlocksgardenvillage/shop/ so please take a look before calling.
2. Once we have got your order, we will then check we have the stock – picking the order as we go, so we know we have the items you desire. We will then phone you back (this may take a day or two) with a quote and if you wish to, we can go ahead with contactless payment over the phone.
3. We will then deliver your goods to your doorstep, (this may take a further 3-4 days) making sure to step away to a safe distance. But waiting for you to collect so we know they – and you – are safe. Giving you a little wave whilst doing so!

As previously stated, our phone lines are very, very busy at this time, so if you don’t get through, just try again. We may also ask for your name and number and call you back to place your order.
Being prepared with a list of what you require is a massive help to us – it enables us to get your order through quicker. At this time, we can not design a space in your garden – unfortunately we simply have not got the time to do this.

Thank you for your patience at this time, we really appreciate it. And thank you all for you for your kind words, and continuing support during these tough times – we honestly have the best customers.
Hope you are all keeping safe and keeping positive❤️

See you all soon,
The team @ WLGV

Introducing New Fish to Your Aquarium

Posted on by Whilton Locks Garden Village


Introducing new fish to your aquarium

It is important to acclimatise your fish correctly, so not to cause stress on the fish that can lead health problems and/or fish loss. Acclimation is the process of introducing fish into a new environment with minimal disturbance or sudden change from their existing environment.

When you purchase your fish from us we will put them in to a bag, some fish we may double bag because of the spines on certain fish, they can pierce the bag. We will then place the fish into a carrier bag; we strongly advise that you keep the fish in the bag until you get home this is to block out excess light and visible movement so that the fish remain calm whilst they are being transported. If you are travelling quite far we can put the fish into a box also to minimise heat loss or gain.

Always take your fish straight home, when you get home follow these steps to acclimatise your new fish.

1) Turn off your aquarium lights, bright light may disturb the new fish.

2) Take the fish out of the carrier bag/box and float the clear bag containing the new fish in your aquarium. If they have travelled for more than 20 minutes then open the bag to allow air in. fold the sides of the bag down to create a ‘floating rim’, keeping the bag upright.

3) After about 15-20 minutes the temperature of the water in the bag should have equalised to that of the aquarium water, if the bag hasn’t already been opened, fold the sides of the bag down to create a ‘floating rim’, keeping the bag upright

4) Add a cup full of your aquarium water into the bag approximately every 10 minutes for half an hour

5) You can then either; net the fish out of the bag and dispose of the water or gently tilt the bag and let the fish swim out. DO NO POUR THE FISH OUT

6) Leave the aquarium lights off for at least another hour

Guide To Feeding Pond Fish

Posted on by Whilton Locks Garden Village


In the summer when the water temperature is 50 °F (10 °C) or above, Fish can feed up to four times a day. Never feed more than they can consume within two minutes. It is better to feed in small portions so everything is eaten, this will prevent waste and pollution.

Autumn/winter and spring only feed once per day
When the water temperature drops to 10°C or below feed your fish on Wheatgerm. Wheatgerm is rich in fibre, and fish find it easier to digest in low temperatures.
When the water temperature drops fish lose their appetite, they are less active and find it difficult to digest ordinary food

When the water temperature drops below 45 °F (7 °C), your pond fish will not need feeding. At below freezing temperatures fish become dormant

Setting up an Aquarium

Posted on by Whilton Locks Garden Village

You should never buy your fish and aquarium at the same time
What you will need

  1. Aquarium- we have a wide range of fish tanks in stock, both glass and acrylic, from 10 litres to 200+ litres.
  2. Aquarium gravel- we have all sorts of colours and sizes in stock. Always make sure you wash your gravel (with water only) until the water runs clear, before you put it in to the aquarium as it will be dusty.
  3. Aquarium Filter- most of our aquarium set ups come with a filter, but we can advise you on a filter if you already have an aquarium. Goldfish can live in a tank without a filter, but we strongly recommend using a filter as the water quality will be better for the fish. Remember to change your filter media (sponges, carbon etc.) regularly most manufacturers will recommend changing them about every 3 months but refer to the packaging/ instructions for more details.
  4. Aquarium Heater- we can advise you on what wattage heater to buy for your aquarium, depending on the size aquarium you have. Most heaters come with a built in thermostat, so they will switch off when they get to the required temperature. The ideal aquarium temperature is 25/26C but different fish do require different temperatures so depending on what fish you a going to buy, will determine the temperature you will require.
  5. Décor- it is best to only buy ornaments designed for an aquarium, some paints/ acrylics could be very toxic to fish, be sure to give them a rinse before you place them into the tank to get rid of any dust.
  6. Water Treatments- de chlorinator, this will neutralise all the harmful chemicals (chlorine and chloramines) and metals that are in tap water making it safe for fish, you will also need to use this when topping up your aquarium. We have a selection in store and can advise you on the amount needed for your tank.
  7. Live Bacteria- this will help to start the biological filtration, the bacteria needed to keep ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels to a minimum, keeping your fish healthy.

The set up
When you get your aquarium home, put your aquarium into position (avoid heat sources such as radiators; windows and electrical appliances such as a T.V or stereo).
Once your gravel is washed place it in the bottom of your aquarium and gently even out, be careful not to scratch the aquarium, especially if you have bought an acrylic aquarium.
Time to start filling your aquarium, depending on the size that you bought, you can use a hosepipe, bucket (that hasn’t had any detergents used in) or a jug. When the aquarium is half full, this will be a good time to add your décor if you didn’t do it when it was empty.

Tip- Place a plate at the bottom of the aquarium and pour the water on to the plate to keep disturbance of the gravel to a minimum.

When you have filled your aquarium you can add the required amount of de chlorinator and live bacteria (depending on the size of the aquarium you have) refer to the manufacturers guide on how much to use.

Put your filter into place, give the media and the filter a rinse before you place it in to the aquarium, plug in and leave the aquarium to start the cycle.

Place your heater, the best position in near the filter so the flow move the heat around the aquarium.

Leave the aquarium to cycle for a few days before adding your fish, we recommend 5-7 days before adding fish.