Aquatic Design Centre

Wonderful place, love to go there on regular occasions. Plants, fishes, decorations, all you may need to set up Tropical or Reef aquarium. Knowledgeable staff members. Always busy, 100% worth visiting

I’ve been going to ADC for about 10 months now, I was a first time reefer getting a marine tank and I can’t comment enough on how helpful the staff our - in the last 10 months they’ve gone above and beyond to help me every step of the way. Lovely stock of fish, friendly environment and stand out employee is definitely Neil (the Scotsman in a beanie hat!) he’s personally taken me under his wing when it comes to my aquarium, has told me straight if my tank is ready for a fish or coral, even if I’m unhappy about it, to save me the heartache of anything dying and genuinely cares about the customers he’s serving.. an absolute asset to the shop and cannot recommend him as a staff member more!

Honestly this place is just great, the staff are so helpful as they really helped me with learning how to take care of fish, furthermore the fish are really good quality I have never had any issues with their health. The shop itself is in a convenient location as you can park in front if you’re planning on a large purchase. Plus it’s just really cool, when I go buy food for my fish I usually hang around and just look at the tanks.

Probably one of the best aquarium centres in London.The staff could not be more helpful and knowledgeable!Pippa was outstanding!I always leave with no just a great product, but more knowledge!

If you're new to the area and looking for a LFS, AVOID THIS SHOP. Here’s a comprehensive list of reasons why:1.The fish and corals were in deplorable health, posing a serious risk of introducing pathogens into your tank. Most butterfly fish there had ich, with one clown tang appearing wobbly and malnourished, indicating possible neglect in feeding and deworming. Anthias and eels (juvenile but still natural predators of small fish) were confined in the same container. An emperor angel's face had white blotches, indicating parasites, infection, or simply being stressed from poor treatment. The tank contained multiple dead animals, causing pollution in the system. Various types of algae covered the frag; the clam seemed misplaced, and the corals' tissues were decaying, leaving only their skeletons. The list of issues goes on and on.2.Expect condescending treatment akin to that received by an elementary school pupil. The customer service was abysmal. While most of the employees seemed friendly, my experience with a particular staff member, who was wearing a hat, was nothing short of appalling. Despite my previous experience with keeping a butterfly FOT and sourcing my fish directly from wholesalers, conducting detox, acclimation, deworming, and using appropriate antibiotics (I have an MBBS and am medically trained), this individual refused to listen to my reasoning, dismissed my purchase, and patronizingly lectured me, often interrupting and not allowing me to explain my background. He implied negligence on my part while himself didn't seem to follow basic animal welfare practices, such as turning off the lights or drip acclimating the fish. I was required to rush home to test the water parameters (which were satisfactory), and even after that, he attempted to prevent the manager from selling the fish to me. His abuse of his limited authority, stemming from a clear insecurity when challenged, was deeply disgusting. The entire encounter was utterly appalling.3.The back-order system proved to be utterly useless. I went to the website and was told customers could order fish out of stock. A list of fish was taken over the phone, and I was instructed to pay in the store, with the assurance that they would keep the fish in the shop for a week. Yet when I arrived, it appeared to be a first-come-first-serve system. No fish was reserved, and I was simply told to look for what’s left available by the mentioned employee until the manager came to ask what I wanted. I was too tired to find out whether the system is broken or the said employee was being hostile again at this point. Simply frustrated with the whole experienceI ultimately purchased a pair of yasha gobies solely to ensure I had a receipt as proof of being a genuine customer.However, will I be returning? Absolutely not.Pics of the ailing animals and the receipt serve as concrete evidence of the stated issues.

Amazing stock which are genuinely well looked after, the staff are extremely knowledgeable too & will go the extra mile to help you.I mostly dealt with the fella with the ponytail (didn’t catch your name) who helped me (a complete newbie) pick out some floating plants for my first betta tank setup. I went with dwarf water lettuce.Never was he condescending or rude as some of these reviews suggest. I will definitely be coming back here again!Photos are of my Honey Gourami which I also picked up (as a juvenile) from here, after my tank had completed the nitrogen cycle. Mango is thriving in his fully planted home, along with his tank mates.

I cannot recommend ADC more highly. They built my aquarium and planted it so beautifully, it stopped people in their tracks. I have never had success with tropical aquariums in the past and they were not only able to point out what I had been doing wrong, but empowered me to keep a beautiful ecosystem beautiful - something I had lost faith in having the ability to do. Tom, the head aquarist, is a fountain of knowledge and never too busy to advise and support. Such a brilliant team. Thank you!

Had my best experience yet today at this shop! Was served by Pippa who was lovely and super helpful with me buying my first fish. Amazing selection of fish and plants, don't know anywhere in the area nearly as good. Will definitely be going back :)

Love this place!! It's guaranteed to make anyone who's interested in keeping fish want to buy everything! The saltwater fish are incredible! But everything is great. And the fish are nice and healthy, never had any issues. Can get a huge amount of plants, food, and coral, fish, anything and everything you could ever need! 10/10