Maidenhead Aquatics  Reviews 473

TrustScore 3 out of 5

3.2

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 76 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Many customers appreciate the helpfulness and knowledge of the staff, often highlighting specific individuals who provide excellent advice on fish care, tank setup, and product selection. Reviewers frequently mention the staff's passion and willingness to go above and beyond, making the process of setting up and maintaining aquariums much easier for both new and experienced fish keepers. The quality of the products, including tanks and accessories, is generally well-received, and the selection of fish is often praised. Conversely, a small portion of people felt dissatisfied with the customer service, citing instances of unhelpful or rude staff, and issues with product quality such as diseased fish or faulty equipment. Some customers reported receiving incorrect advice, being sold sick fish that subsequently died, or encountering problems with returns and replacements, leading to frustration and a perception of poor value.

What people talk about most

Staff

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with staff, with many reviewers praising specific... See more

Product

Customers had ambiguous experiences with product, with many reporting issues with the health and quality of... See more

Quality

People report ambiguous experiences with quality, with many reviewers expressing significant dissatisfaction... See more

Customer service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about customer service, with some customers reporting excellent support,... See more

Service

Users describe ambiguous interactions with service, with many customers expressing delight and satisfaction,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Fishkeeper scotland,Aberdeen Pretty shitty when alot of the fish are ill or neglected(marine section) Especially the tangs,hippo tangs. Should be quarantined ,not allowed to mingle with others.thi... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Recently used gosforth/ponteland stores for fish and tanks & accessories. And all has been good. Only 4 star as one early visit was a bit abrupt put after returning recently it was a much better exper... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Bought a number of fish in their Radyr store on Saturday, looked in the tank yesterday (Monday) and the pleco i bought was dead. Not happy but not a problem as the other fish are thriving and I assume... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

After waiting 20 minutes just to be served and Kidderminster store I decided on buying 5 wreck fish at £160. Expensive I know but it’s what I wanted. After getting home one was dead before I even got... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Aquarium Shop

Information provided by various external sources

Run by fishkeepers for fishkeepers, with an online store and over 160 stores throughout the UK, Maidenhead Aquatics is THE leading aquatics retailer. Visit your local store or shop online today!


Contact info

3.2

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

473 reviews

5-star
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3-star
2-star
1-star

Replied to 96% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 2 out of 5 stars

There Norwich shop sells same old fish…

There Norwich shop sells same old fish over and over these days you really should as manger looks to what is in trend, have lived in US they seem to get in what people are trending to with the result better sales for the shop in their aquarium shops over there, UK is so far behind US and Europe aquarium shops.

June 2, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The manager couldn't have been more helpful

The manager couldn't have been more helpful
My impeller had broken and he found us one that would fit and explained how to fix it
( My daughter and I had no idea!). Well, came home fixed it and we now have a pond full of happy fish. Thank you

May 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for your lovely review. We’re really pleased that the store manager could help get your pond back up and running.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Very knowledgeable people great help with plants for our pond, served by felicity, excellent, the Ferndown branch

May 25, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for your lovely review. We’re pleased to hear you found the team knowledgeable and helpful with choosing plants for your pond.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not use Maidenhead aquatics hickstead!

I broght a black moor from Maidenhead aquatics hicksead,when I got into the car i noticed it wasn't acting tight but put it down to the trama of just been abducted,added it to my already established tank and it stayed at the top,by the next morning it was dead,I got in contact with them and they said to bring in a water sample so I did,they done 2 ammonia test strips that were already green and one stayed the same colour and the other went very green so they said the fish death was my fault,I went home and ordered a proper test kit form amazon and surprise surprise the water was fine,so I contacted the head office and only then did maidenhead aquatics offer to do something.

May 3, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re very sorry to hear about the loss of your Black Moor.

Our teams in-store aim to provide the best advice possible based on the information and water samples that are available to them at the time. However, we’re sorry that you felt that the situation wasn't handled when you initially visited the store.

Customer service and animal welfare are extremely important to us, and we appreciate you bringing the matter to our attention with Head Office. Once again, we apologise if the service you received at the time of the visit did not meet the expectations that we aim to achieve.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Customer satisfaction

I have to say Jamie at the coventry branch was a very knowledgeable informative young man
I wanted to purchase something to help clear brown water in my pond Jamie was very thorough in pointing out the treatment I could use to help elevate the problem I left the shop a very happy man purchase in hand
Cheers Jamie
Regards phil

May 20, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a great review. We’re delighted to hear that Jamie at our Coventry branch was able to help with your pond water issue. We’ll make sure to pass your review on to the store to make Jamie aware.

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I was in St Albans to change my Fluval…

I was in St Albans to change my Fluval Light which is in warranty and they didn’t charge because they realised my light is good!
If you have warranty buy mew one!

May 17, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your visit to our St Albans store didn't meet your expectations.

Our in-store teams always aim to check the products thoroughly before processing any warranty replacements. In this instance, if the light had been functioning correctly, they would not have been able to provide a replacement unit under the warranty.

Once again, we are sorry that your visit did not meet your expectations on this occasion. If you have any other issues, please email us at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk, and our team will be happy to help.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unhealthy livestock and minimal knowledge

My negative rating refers to the quality of the livestock provided and the level of knowledge shown by those working at the branch.
I purchased 6 guppies and 4 pearl gouramis one of which had clear signs of fin rot when properly examined at home on arrival. The fish were purchased from the Chester branch.
Within 3 days 1 guppy was dead and the entire tank (6 cherry barbs and the above new fish from Maidenhead Aquatics) had developed fin rot within a few days, the guppies were flashing and rubbing on the sand and the gouramis were swimming very close to the glass with their sides rubbing it. 3 days later 1 more guppy was dead.
I spoke to the shop on the phone regarding the issues and was told they'd replace 1 guppy. On arrival at the shop no one was aware of my call and I had to make a case for not paying for the fish I'd been told would be given as a replacement. Made me feel like a beggar and it was apparent the shop assistant believed he was doing me a favour, when in reality the replacement was agreed upon on the phone.
The replacement guppy is now dead and I have serious concerns on the quality of the livestock and the level of care provided as 43% of the guppies I bought have died, and the fin rot came from the fish at Maidenhead as the cherry barbs were healthy, showing no signs of illness.
Also regarding the care promise on your website which states you will help solve issues and provide advice: I brought in a water sample as required and all the assistant did was so a dipstick test which I can easily do at home, nothing else was done, no actual advice or help. Basically your care promise is empty if your staff's level of knowledge is the same as that any amateur fishkeeper can acquire by doing a Google search.
I would urge the public to not be taken in by the variety of fish on show and the flashy nature of the livestock, in my experience the fish are not healthy and the staff are not more knowledgeable or expert than you or I could be through a simple online search or through reading a fish keeping manual.

April 24, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. We’re really sorry to hear about your experience and completely understand your frustration, especially after losing multiple fish.

We’re also sorry to hear that you felt unsupported when you returned to the store and that the replacement process wasn’t handled properly. Our aim is always to offer helpful and knowledgeable support, and we are sorry to hear that, on this occasion, we fell short of this expectation.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with our customer service team at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk with your details so we can look into this properly with the Chester branch and try to resolve things for you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

WhiteSpot fish infected my tank

These people sold me diseased Rummy Nose Tetras that infected my tank with WhiteSpot. Absolutely appalling, a report has been submitted to Trading Standards.

The staff pretended they quarantine their fish, which they DO NOT.

Avoid at all costs.

May 7, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about your experience, and we take fish welfare very seriously.

White Spot can unfortunately be triggered or introduced through several factors, including when the immune system of the fish is weakened due to stress, such as temperature fluctuations, compatibility issues, or sometimes an introduction into a new environment.

Please contact us at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk with your purchase details, including the store that you purchased the fish from, so we can review the situation fully and work toward a resolution.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bought 9 gold fish 1 survived

Bought 9 gold fish 1 survived, had water checked, girl charged a pound even after I said fish were dying. Water was fine .
Won't buy from there again.
Had some from a friends pond all healthy and growing. Don't waste your money at percy throwers.

September 1, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for leaving your feedback. I am sorry to hear about your experience and the loss of your fish. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tong Garden Centre

Tong Garden Centre, Bradford. Bought tropical fish from here for the first time last week. Really good service, and the fish great. Bought 6 Odessa Barbs, 3 Black Ruby Barbs and 6 Rosy Barbs, all good healthy fish. Highly delighted, will definitely use them again in the future.

April 23, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for your kind words. We are thrilled to know that you received great service and are happy with your fish purchase. We will be sure to pass your kind words on to the Tong store.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DO NOT PURCHASE - NO CUSTOMERS SERVICE HELP - DON'T ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND FISH

I bought a fish tank from them. The filter became noisy - and contacted customer services. Sent them videos and sound recordings. Fish tank 2 months old

There response. send the filter in is the only thing we can do.

Errrrm - the fish will die - how is that in anyway a resolution.

Terrible customer service - do not buy from them!!

April 23, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about the issue you’re experiencing with your filter. I can see from the email correspondence that you are already in contact with our sales team, and they are currently assisting you with the issue you are experiencing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Maidenhead Aquatics Thatcham Branch

I have been dealing with the Thatcham outlet for the past fortnight.

My Oase 5500 pump was working intermittently and I went in for advice. Regrettably, after ordering in a new impellor, it still failed to run properly, so I bought a replacement pump of identical capacity. At £235 it's a fairly major purchase but the pond is dead without it.

Darren honestly could not have been more helpful and the other staff were all pleasant, polite and interested as I tried to fix the issue.

It's so easy to go the larger chains and just buy a new pump - yes, it would have solved it, but I'd have wondered if I was giving up on my old one too easily!

Thanks once again - excellent all round.

April 18, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback

We’re really pleased to hear that your experience with Maidenhead Aquatics Thatcham Branch and Darren, along with the rest of the team, was so positive. We will be sure to pass your feedback and kind words on to the store.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Rude women and gossipy teen employees

I've bought from the Burton Latimer store multiple times and been in on several occasions when I did not buy. Some of the staff are very helpful but most of them are not. Today, the woman I was redirected to was down right rude. She became snarky and aggressive when I asked about a store credit for bringing in fish. It was unnecessary and caught me off guard after I had already been led to believe bringing in fish would lead to such an exchange. She implied I was a liar when describing the individual who lead me to this belief and then stormed off. She's not the only woman working in this store that has been unpleasant, but she is the worst. Only 2 men have ever been truly helpful there.

April 16, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and we’re sorry to hear that your recent visit left you feeling disappointed. Your feedback is important to us in helping us improve both communication and customer experience for the future.

With regards to store credit for fish, this can vary depending on the circumstances, and we understand this can sometimes lead to confusion if it is not communicated clearly at the time.

We will be passing your feedback directly to the store management team so they can review what happened and address it internally.

If you would like to discuss this further, please email us at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk, and we will be happy to help.

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

missing price tags

i wanted a living coral.the prices marked was very confusing .£50 £70 £80 the one i wanted was at the back of the display .when i asked for that one i was told it was £140.i asked about the price tags and was told it must have fell of .so i picked another one in the £80 rack but was told that was £100 and the price tag had fallen of .i didnt buy any .i then looked at the marine fishes and there was a puffer fish clearly in distress with most of its tail rotted away .the tanks were not of a standard i would expect from a specialist marine retailer .i wont ever go in there again .i have spent hundreds of pounds in the norwich shop but never again .dont waste your time going when the livestock it poor

March 19, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention.

We understand how frustrating it must have been to find unclear or incorrect pricing on the coral display. Please contact our customer service team with the date of your visit so we can follow up properly with the store. You can find the contact us form on our website at the following link: https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/contact

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bought 12 new guppies, all died within a week

Bought 12 new guppies, 4 male and 8 females. Before I bought them I had them checked my water and they confirmed the water is perfect for guppies. Within 48 hours 4 female and 1 male died. After 1 week 3 guppies left!
Shop in Littlehamton replaced them with and on my request I asked for swordtail instead of guppies are these are over bred and therefor weak. Not buying ever again as the quality of the fish are just not good.
Service in the shop is perfect, no complains about that!

February 21, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re very sorry to hear about the loss of your guppies, and we completely understand how disappointing that must have been.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Customer led service

I was lucky enough to find a store that stocked what I wanted - but - more importantly, a Maidenhead Aquatics that could sell over the phone. Littlehampton branch manager Dave was extremely accommodating and sorted out my enquiry personally. Excellent service - thank you.

February 24, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We’re delighted to hear that you were able to find exactly what you were looking for, and that our team was able to assist you over the phone.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

First time visiting this store

First time visiting the Cwmbran store, staff were inviting, knowledgeable and incredibly helpful but not pushy. Service with a smile, you can tell they love their job! Fish all looked healthy, tanks well maintained. Slightly higher priced than st melons store but not as expensive as Wenvoe store so mid range id say. Noticed when I got home that I was accidentally overcharged. Phoned the store and the staff were very apologetic, they offered a refund but as I wasn’t sure when I could get back up there to collect it they’ve offered to hand deliver it to my home. Outstanding service. Will definitely be back!

February 22, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. We’re delighted to hear that your first visit to our Cwmbran store was such a positive experience. It’s wonderful to know the team made you feel welcome and provided knowledgeable, friendly service. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with them.

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Stockton store

Stockton store - Scott & Andrea the staff are so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit.

February 22, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you for your lovely feedback. We’re delighted to hear such positive comments about our Stockton store.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic shop

Fantastic shop, with a great choice.

Staff are very knowledgeable and spend time going through any questions you might have (no matter how silly you might think they are).

Massive thanks to Gary who's helped with the set up of our new tank, explained what plants would be great for it and has gave us detailed information about the types of fish that would be good for our first set up.

We've a very happy tanks ATM and that's thanks to Gary's information and guidance.

Thank again you lot.
Emma & Kate

February 21, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re delighted to hear that you’re happy with your new tank setup and that everything is running well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Just got home from the Bristol branch

Just got home from the Bristol branch. WOW!! What a shop, couldn't fault anything. Huge shop, huge selection, fabulous knowledgeable staff. We were served by a lovely girl called Lucy who went above and beyond for us. We'll definitely be using them again.

February 21, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Maidenhead Aquatics

Thank you so much for your fantastic review. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the store, the selection, and the service provided by the team.

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