If you’ve been waiting for something genuinely interesting to appear in a UK shop — rather than the same juvenile Oscars and common Plecos that cycle endlessly through the high street — this is the post for you. Marc has been busy. Here’s a run-through of what’s currently in the tanks, what each animal actually needs, and whether it’s right for your setup.
Every fish listed below ships with our Live Arrival Guarantee via next-day specialist live courier. These are hand-selected animals, not bulk-ordered jobbing stock — and a few of them are genuinely one-of-a-kind.
£250 each | 2 in stock
The Black Arowana is the less-talked-about sibling of the Silver, and in our view the more interesting fish. Juveniles are jet black with a vivid orange-yellow lateral stripe that fades as they mature — by adulthood, the body shifts to a deep steel-grey with an iridescent quality that shows differently under different light. These are coming in at 12–13”, which is past the notoriously fragile juvenile stage: they’re established, feeding, and significantly easier to acclimate than the 3–4” fish you’ll find elsewhere.
Setup requirements:
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Tank footprint | 8 × 2 ft minimum (approx. 800–900 L) — adults need 10 × 2 ft |
| Temperature | 26–30 °C |
| pH | 5.5–7.0 |
| dGH | 1–8 |
| Filtration | High-volume — these are messy fish at size |
Arowana are obligate surface predators and confirmed escape artists — a tight-fitting lid with no gaps is non-negotiable. Feed Hikari Massivore sticks, whole prawns, and occasional earthworms. At 12–13” they should be off live feeder fish entirely.
With 6 available at £250 each, this is one of the better-value entry points into the genus you’ll find in the UK right now. There’s also a Malaysian Golden Blue Base Arowana in silent bid auction for collectors after Asian Scleropages — worth watching.
£1,250 | 1 in stock
This is a specimen-grade animal. The Snow White Pearl is a selectively bred freshwater ray variant — a near-white base with bold pearl spotting arranged across the disc. At 11–12” disc diameter, this male is a fully grown adult and showing its best colouration. There is one available. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
For the uninitiated: freshwater stingrays are not beginner fish. They require pristine water quality, sand substrate (never gravel — it damages the disc underside), and a tank footprint that lets them turn and forage naturally.
Setup requirements:
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Tank footprint | 6 × 2.5 ft minimum (approx. 600 L+) for an adult of this disc size |
| Temperature | 26–30 °C |
| pH | 6.0–7.2 |
| dGH | 1–10 |
| Substrate | Fine sand — no gravel, no bare bottom |
| Filtration | Over-spec heavily — zero ammonia/nitrite tolerance |
Feed meaty, sinking foods: earthworms, whole prawns, Hikari Massivore sinking pellets, mussel. Rays should be trained onto dead food before purchase — this one is feeding well. Never use bare hands when working in the tank; the barb is venomous and injury is genuinely painful.
We also have the Albino Pearl Stingray (male, 9–10”, £850) and a Female Motoro Stingray (~6” disc, £200) in stock for those wanting to build a ray setup at different size and budget points.
View Snow White Pearl Stingray →
£450 each | 13 in stock
The Florida Gar is already a visually distinctive fish — elongated body, armoured ganoid scales, a beak packed with needle teeth. The Red Florida Gar takes that and adds a striking warm-red or orange-red pigmentation across the flanks that a standard platyrhincus simply doesn’t carry. At 9–10” these are settled juveniles well past the most delicate phase.
This is one of the few species on this list that can genuinely be kept with other large, robust tankmates — other large Gars, large Cichlids, robust Catfish. They are obligate carnivores: expect to feed whole prawns, lance fish, sinking Hikari Massivore sticks. They’re ambush predators rather than active hunters, so anything smaller than two-thirds their own body length is a meal.
Setup requirements:
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Tank footprint | 5 × 2 ft minimum (approx. 500 L) — they reach 24”+ |
| Temperature | 20–27 °C |
| pH | 6.5–8.0 — tolerant of a wider range than most tropical species |
| dGH | 5–20 — can handle harder UK tap water |
| Lid security | Essential — they jump with force |
Gar have a modified swim bladder that functions as a primitive lung. They must be able to gulp air at the surface — surface access is not optional. A tight lid prevents jumping; surface gaps allow breathing. Design your hood accordingly.
With 13 in stock at £450, this is the most readily available animal in this update — and one of the best examples of a genuinely prehistoric predator that still surprises experienced keepers with its explosive strike speed.
£400 | 1 in stock
There are no truly safe tankmates for a large Hoplias aimara — the gape is enormous. This is a specimen fish, kept alone.
That caveat stated plainly: the Aimara is one of the most compelling predatory fish in the freshwater hobby. Native to the Orinoco and Amazon basin river systems, it is built for ambush — a thick, muscular body, a disproportionately large head, and a jaw that can engulf prey approaching its own body length. At 5–6” this animal is already showing adult body proportions. It will reach 24–30”+ in a well-maintained system.
Setup requirements:
| Parameter | Target |
|---|---|
| Tank footprint | 6 × 2 ft now; 8 × 2.5 ft as an adult (600–1,000 L+) |
| Temperature | 24–29 °C |
| pH | 5.5–7.5 |
| dGH | 1–12 |
| Décor | Heavy cover — driftwood, roots; Aimara are ambush predators that need structure |
Feeding: dead meaty foods only — whole prawns, lance fish, defrosted mussel, Hikari Massivore. Do not hand-feed. Use feeding tongs; the strike response is genuinely startling and the teeth cause real injury. This is an Expert-level fish — not because it’s difficult to maintain day-to-day, but because the long-term commitment to tank size and solo housing rules out a large proportion of setups.
There is one available. If you’ve been looking for a true specimen predator and you have the space, it’s worth a message.
Every animal listed here has been sourced by Marc directly — bypassing the UK wholesale chain entirely. That means fewer handling stages, shorter time in transit from origin, and fish that arrive in better condition than the standard UK retail route delivers.
All orders ship Mon–Thu via next-day specialist live courier (£30 delivery). On arrival, you have a 2-hour window to photograph and report any DOA — the Live Arrival Guarantee is straightforward and we honour it without argument. Full acclimation guidance ships with every order: float the bag, temperature-match, drip-acclimate to bridge any water chemistry gap. None of these animals should be dumped straight into your tank.
If what you’re after isn’t in the current list — a specific Bichir species, a wild-caught Corydoras, a particular Pleco L-number — the transhipping service lets you order direct from our Indonesian and South East Asian exporters. Contact us with the species and Marc will tell you honestly whether it’s achievable and at what cost.
| Fish | Size | Price | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Arowana (O. ferreirai) | 12–13” | £250 | 6 |
| Snow White Pearl Stingray (male) | 11–12” disc | £1,250 | 1 |
| Albino Pearl Stingray (male) | 9–10” disc | £850 | — |
| Female Motoro Stingray | ~6” disc | £200 | — |
| Red Florida Gar | 9–10” | £450 | 13 |
| Wolf Fish / Aimara (H. aimara) | 5–6” | £400 | 1 |
Stock levels are live and can change. Prices include the fish; £30 delivery is added at checkout.
Browse the full current stock and book your fish — every animal ships with our Live Arrival Guarantee. If you want a species that isn’t listed, enquire about our transhipping service — Marc sources to order.
