Aquatropics

Aquatropics: online sale of live tropical fish in the UK

Aquatropics is an online store based in Ealing, West London, that sells live tropical fish, shrimp, snails and crabs. The company operates as Aquatropics London Ltd and holds a licence from Ealing Council. Its catalogue contains over 1,700 specimens, hand-picked by the team and subject to health checks before sale.

The business model is exclusively digital: the Ealing premises serve as a warehouse and packing centre, not as a shop open to the public, so all orders are delivered to your door.

Shipping live fish and live arrival guarantee

Orders are shipped via a courier specialising in live animals. The process begins with preparing the order the day before delivery: the fish are transferred from the aquariums to oxygen-filled bags, placed in polystyrene boxes and, in cold months, heat packs are added. Transport is carried out by DX overnight for mainland UK, with the delivery date confirmed at the time of purchase and tracking sent to the customer.

The company applies a live arrival guarantee: if any specimen arrives dead, it is replaced or the full amount is refunded upon sending a photograph of the sealed bag on the day of delivery. This guarantee does not cover the Highlands, islands or Northern Ireland.

The shipping cost is £20 for any number of fish, shrimp, snails or crabs in a single order, with free shipping on orders over £200. Starter packs include free shipping. Food and equipment purchased together with the fish travel in the same box.

Species catalogue and starter packs

The range is organised into categories covering a wide variety of freshwater and brackish species. The main ones include catfish and plecos (158 products), Lake Malawi cichlids (130), South American tetras (110), Lake Tanganyika cichlids (101), dwarf cichlids (94), bettas (83), South American cichlids (82), barbs (59), shrimp (58), labyrinth fish and gouramis (58), angelfish (55), guppies (50), platies (44), mollies (43), snails (40), algae eaters (35), rainbowfish (28), discus (25), rasboras (23), killifish (23), crabs and lobsters (16) and other varieties such as axolotls, bichirs, knifefish, pufferfish, sharks, loaches, coldwater fish, frogs and amphibians, among others.

In addition, the store offers starter packs designed to make setting up a new aquarium easier. Each pack includes a group of fish selected to live together, food and water treatment, with free shipping. The catalogue shows, among others, a community tank starter pack with 46 fish (£119), a barb and bottom-dweller pack with 20 specimens (£99), a nano shrimp and tetra pack (£69), an angelfish community pack (£109), a livebearer family pack with 30 platies, mollies and swordtails (£99), a Lake Malawi cichlid pack with 20 specimens (£139) and a rainbowfish pack with 20 specimens (£109).

Betta kits and selection for beginners

The company sells complete betta kits that include a male, a glass bowl, live moss, betta food and water conditioner, with free shipping. The catalogue includes options such as Midnight Knight (black crowntail betta, £55.99), Ruby Flame (red halfmoon betta, £68.99), Ocean Sapphire (blue delta betta, £62.99), Koi Carnival (plakat koi betta, £76.99) and Snow Angel (white veiltail betta, £62.99).

To make choosing easier, the store groups the packs according to the hobbyist's profile: easy-care fish for beginners, packs for children and families, packs for nano aquariums, shrimp and snail packs and breeding packs for advanced hobbyists.

Featured species and new arrivals

Among the best sellers are the Super Delta Dumbo Ear male betta (£13.77), the mixed angelfish 1-2 cm (£3.49), groups of Aulonocara peacock cichlids, the rainbow shiner, the blue neon dwarf rainbowfish, the cardinal tetra, the albino tiger barb, the ancistrus L144 pleco, the common bristlenose pleco, the pair of albino Nothobranchius Rachovii Beira 98 killifish, the harlequin rasbora and the chile rasbora.

The new arrivals and rare fish section includes varieties such as the gold lyretail molly, the gold tuxedo molly, the sunset wagtail platy, several bettas (female plakat koi, male white plakat, metallic halfmoon, red veiltail and assorted males) and male platinum dumbo ear, blue neon, gold and lyretail guppies.

Customer service and reviews

The store provides customers with a chat assistant available 24 hours a day on all pages to help with choosing fish. It also publishes care guides and a specific guide for 60-litre aquariums with stocking ideas.

The company displays customer reviews on external platforms: a score of 4.6 out of 5 based on 461 reviews on Trustpilot and 4.7 out of 5 with 110 reviews on Google. The testimonials highlight the ease of use of the website, the speed of delivery, the packaging and the inclusion of care instructions.