What’s new for April

Its nice to see some sun again especially after the dreary summer we had last year. The number of visitors at each branch has increased dramatically with this nice spell of sunny weather, even the brief snow storm didn’t put many people off! Hopefully we will continue to see more visitors through out April.

In readiness for the scorching hot summer (fingers crossed), our Oxford and Shirley branches have had brand new water feature displays, showing off some stunning resin features with prices starting from £89.99. These features are some of the best we have seen and are easily comparable to the more expensive stone features. Our Solihull branch has always had an exceptional display of water features and has extended the range this year with a massive selection of Granite, stainless steel and natural waterfalls.

Each year we put on a fantastic display of pond and bog plants, with many species in stock from the last week in February. April really sees this range expand as the weather spurs on the growth of hundreds of locally grown species. If you need any advice on care, positioning or selection of aquatic species let us know.

Monthly bargains

Prizm skimmers £78.00!
The prizm skimmer has always been a skimmer against which all other mid range skimmers are measured. This month we are offering it for an amazing £78 a massive 48% off recommended retail price whilst stocks last.

20% off Aqua C Remora
The awesome Aqua C range has quickly become one of the leading ranges in the country. The only skimmers in the world to use spray injection technology makes them simple to use and easy to maintain. There is no better performing skimmer than the remora in its class.

During April we will be offering the remora nano including a maxijet 900 for £111.99 (normal price £139.99) and the remora including a maxijet 1200 for £143.99 (normal price £179.99) again whilst stocks last. For more info visit www.proteinskimmer.com

New era Tropical flake food 25g Buy one get one free! A complete balanced diet and advanced mineral formula for tropical freshwater fishes. Over 20 years of ornamental aquaculture experience and research and development have produced this highly palatable and digestible tropical flake diet.

Benefits of New era Tropical flake food:

Shirley aquatics are proud to announce that this fantastic food is now available as an exclusive buy one get one free offer on the 25g pot priced at £3.99

For more info visit www.new-era-aquaculture.com

Featured Creature

From April onwards, Shirley Aquatics will be introducing some of you to a series of animals that you probably see every week but may not take too much notice of.

This month we have chosen the Chinese Water Dragon as our star attraction.

As bearded dragons, corn snakes, royal pythons and leopard geckos sit on their thrones as the most popular pet species, we hope to expand the list with some suggestions of our own. There are many lizards and snakes that will interact with you as calmly as their popular counterparts, although they are far from being considered ‘favourites’. So why the water dragon? The choice was simple. It is by far one of the most overlooked species in the hobby. They can be just as loving, just as calm and just as gentle as beardies and leopard geckos and their dietary needs are not too different either.

Fully grown adults are simply stunning. Their bright green colouration helps them to camouflage, but also makes them stand out in a display. They are ornamental, yet playful and are likely to become more of a friend than a pet.

Chinese water dragons are very able climbers and incredibly good swimmers. If provided with a decent sized water bowl they will spend hours lounging around on branches, basking in the sun before diving into the water to cool off and go for a swim.

The only problem with water dragons is their high humidity requirements. However, with regular misting, this is easy to maintain. With a mix or branches, leaves and bark chippings, you can have a slice of Chinese forest in living room.

To sum up, water dragons make great pets. They are active, bright and beautiful. They can be taken for walks (although they’re a lot more stubborn than dogs!), have long life spans and can be housed in a great living room display.