Which are the top aquatic shops, manufacturers and products in the UK? Look no further – here are the winners as voted for by PFK readers in our 2010 Readers' Poll.
Earlier in the year, we asked you to vote for your favourite aquatic shops, and after several months of campaigning by shops and voting by readers, we can finally announce the winners of the 2010 Practical Fishkeeping Readers’ Poll.
We’d like to thank our sponsors Rolf C. Hagen, Tetra and TMC for providing some fabulous prizes. Without them the Readers’ Poll would not have been possible.
Thanks too, to everyone who voted in this year’s poll, either by magazine or via the PFK website. By supporting manufacturers and retailers with your votes, you are placing your official stamp of approval on their business and they can be proud to be a Top 20 retailer or specialist category winner.
Retailer of the year: Tri Mar, Cornwall (pictured above)
Runner-up: Sweet Knowle Aquatics, Warks.
Top 20 shops (in alphabetical order)
Aquajardin, Gloucs.
Cambridge Coraltech, Cambridge
Chilton Aquatics, Co Durham
Devotedly Discus, East Sussex
Ferrybridge Aquatics, West Yorks.
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Cardiff
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Crowland
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Truro
Oasis Aquarium, Manchester
Prestwood Petzone, West Midlands
Real Reefs, Gloucs.
Sweet Knowle, Warks.
Taunton Aquatic Centre, Somerset
The Aquatic Centre, Edinburgh
The Goldfish Bowl, Oxford
The Green Machine, Wrexham
The Waterzoo, Peterborough
Tri-Mar, Cornwall
Wholesale Tropicals, London
Wildwoods, Middlesex
Regional awards
North:
Chilton Aquatics, Co Durham
Runner-up: Ferrybridge Aquatics, West Yorks.
South:
Wholesale Tropicals, London
Runner-up: Wildwoods, Middlesex
East:
The Waterzoo, Peterborough
Runner-up: Cambridge Coraltech, Cambridge
West:
Tri-Mar, Cornwall
Runner-up: Aquajardin, Gloucs.
Midlands:
Sweet Knowle Aquatics, Warks.
Runner-up:Prestwood Petzone, West Midlands
Scotland:
The Aquatic Centre, Edinburgh
Runner-up: East Lothian Aquatics, Edinburgh
Wales:
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Cardiff
Runner-up: The Green Machine, Wrexham
Ireland:
Fish Antics, Co. Dublin
Runner-up: Exotic Aquatics, Belfast
Specialist awards
Small retailer of the year:
Ferrybridge Aquatics, West Yorks
Runner up: Real Reefs, Gloucs.
Tropical retailer of the year:
Tri-Mar, Cornwall
Runner-up: Sweet Knowle Aquatics, Warks.
Marine retailer of the year:
Real Reefs, Gloucs.
Runner-up: Oasis Aquarium, Manchester
Cichlid retailer of the year:
Chilton Aquatics, Co. Durham
Runner-up: Wildwoods, Middlesex
Discus retailer of the year:
Devotedly Discus, East Sussex
Runner-up: Discus South, Southampton
Plant retailer of the year:
The Green Machine, Wrexham
Runner-up: Aquajardin, Gloucs.
Online retailer of the year:
iQuatics
Runner-up: City Aquatics
Manufacturer awards
Manufacturer of the year:
TMC
Runner-up: Rolf C. Hagen
Freshwater product of the year:
Hagen Fluval G filter (pictured above)
Runner-up: Tetra TetraPro Crisps
Marine product of the year:
TMC 1000HD LED lighting
Runner-up: D-D H2Ocean Salt