UK Rockpool Aquarium

I’m including these in one category as I’ve only kept Flounder and Dab so far and there seems to be little point in doing separate features when there is no real difference in behaviour. I say I’ve kept Flounder and Dab, but I’m guessing really as I’m not 100% what…

It’s been a turbulent month in the rockpool tank. Rising temperatures have left the flatfish looking thoroughly unimpressed, the ever-growing shore crab has followed his predecessors in being escorted back to his original pool, and the brown shrimp were pulled out just in time and tucked safely into a breeding…

Although not strictly for use in rockpools, the push net is a great weapon to have in the arsenal as it allows you to target species that can often be very difficult to find in rockpools. Larger shrimps and prawns often do not come in as far as the rock…

New Brighton is my go-to place and it’s where much of the inhabitants of the tank came from. There are half a dozen different locations around the immediate vicinity of Fort Perch Rock, and you can park right next to it free of charge. Low tide at New Brighton opens…

West Shore Beach in Llandudno is a charming, quieter alternative to the busier North Shore – offering soft sand, dunes, and lovely coastal views under the Great Orme headland. The beach is sandy (with some pebbly patches), featuring extensive dunes backed by a coastal path. It’s notably more tranquil than…

The Blennies are the life and soul of the tank. They’re the most active, the most visible, the most entertaining creatures in there. I started with just the one, but now have five in there and they’ve thrived. When there was just the one, it was a little cautious for…

These are the easiest creatures to get hold of as they’re everywhere and they’re so simple to catch. Drag your net into any seaweed attached to rocks and chances are it will come up full of prawns. I’ve watched it happen and the prawn extends a lot of energy freeing…

At first glance the Brown (also known as Common) Shrimp looks similar to a Common Prawn, but they’re actually very different. They don’t have the arms with the pincers on and they’re more of a flat shape, which aids them as they lie on the sea bed, often buried in…

Once you have done the hard part and actually caught something you want to take back to your aquarium, you are going to need something sturdy, reliable, safe and that isn’t going to spill water all over your car on the journey home. A bucket isn’t going to cut it,…

These little (and not so little) critters are very entertaining to watch but be warned, they will wreak havoc in a tank with other, smaller species in it. Absolute carnage, they’re the worst kind of anti-social neighbour and if ASBO’s were a thing in the underwater world the common shore…