Fish in the shops
World of Water Watford
Address: Watford Road, Hunton
Bridge, Kings Langley, WD4 8QG.
Telephone: 01923 270707.
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm;
Sun 10.30am-4.30pm.
Tanks: 145 tropical, 17 marine, and lots of pond fish, koi and pond plant vats.
Of all the World of Water stores
I’ve visited over the years, this one in Kings Langley in Hertfordshire is my favourite.
What’s more, I’ve seen its tropical and marine fish improve due, in no small part to Jamie Rooney, its livestock guy. Jamie takes a standard fish room, that could be quite mundane and clinical, and fills the tanks with a high number of fish of all types, all varieties and all sizes. The result is a really enticing, eclectic mix of lots of things that you are sure to, or at least I, want to buy.
There was everything there from large cichlids to colourful africans, to oddballs, L-number catfish, killifish, corydoras and literally anything and everything tropical freshwater — except discus.
Outside the fish room the store is vast, with a huge pond, and there is a water gardening section both indoors and outdoors. World of
Water always seems to carry both large pond fish as well as some interesting native species.
I liked the colourful dry displays as you walk in and felt there was lots to inspire new and young fishkeepers to take up the hobby.
The World of Water store also carries garden furniture, pet dry goods, reptile dry goods and livestock, as well as a sizable angling section.
These extras may serve as unnecessary detractors for the die-hard fishkeeper, but there is no doubt that there is a certain amount of crossover between fishkeeping, reptile keeping and angling with some people.

A very spacious dry goods section that goes on for miles.

Verdict
Despite water gardening very much being World of Water’s traditional pedigree, it is the selection of tropical fish that really did it for me. I will definitely be back there soon to buy some of one of my favourite small species