My mother and I have just returned from…
My mother and I have just returned from visiting Maidenhead Aquatics Woodford, and sadly, we were very disappointed.
Over the years, we have noticed the shop decline significantly, and not in a good way. Some of the fish looked very skinny, as though they had not been feeding properly. We also noticed sickly and dead fish in some of the viewing tanks. On previous visits, we have brought fish home only to find that one had died shortly afterwards because it was so thin. Sometimes you do not realise just how underweight a fish is until you get it home and can see it properly for yourself.
The fish viewing tanks were filthy and looked as though they were falling apart. There are no longer any of the impressive display aquariums that the store used to have either.
Customer service has also become a major issue. Today, we were waiting quite a long time to purchase some fish while one member of staff was helping another customer. There was nobody else available to ask for assistance. We eventually walked out without buying anything. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened. We have left disappointed on several occasions after waiting far too long to be served.
One thing that particularly concerned me was seeing a large axolotl in a very small viewing tank with gravel. As many axolotl owners know, gravel can be dangerous if swallowed because they cannot properly digest it and can suffer serious health problems as a result. It raised questions about why the gravel had not been removed and whether the enclosure was suitable for the animal.
The whole shop now feels tired and neglected compared to how it used to be. I remember when there were more staff available, the tanks were well maintained, and the overall standard was much higher.
As I mentioned, this is not the first disappointing visit. We are seriously considering not returning until significant improvements are made. It is very upsetting to see a store that was once so good fall into this condition.
