How much for a fish ?

Found myself in Bradford yesterday afternoon at a clients which was located just behind QSS Aquarium and Koi Centre, so I popped in for a look.

Its in an anonymous old methodist-style chapel building on a busy six lane carriageway out of the city centre and it does not shout its presence from its ideal location at all, a small sign above the door it has by way of identity and for all of the years that I've known its there its always looked closed.

But WOW ! When you walk inside your perception changes.

Its obvious where the money has been spent once inside the building - its been spent on the stock and the presentation of said stock.

I was there to price up a liner for the new pond which is now under construction after She decided that it was time to improve the garden instead of the inside of the house but of course while in there I might as well have a look at the fish eh ?

I wish I hadn't.
My requirements for my own fish have now risen tenfold.
I want some Koi.

The pond stock at QSS ranges from small English Koi at around £7.50 each to huge, unique, registered Japanese Koi specially imported by QSS with a price that is not displayed - you have to ask and if you have to ask then I can't afford - the highest marked price that I saw in there was £225 per fish for some carp but I suspect that we would be talking thousands, possibly tens of thousands for some of the registered Koi.

Lowering my sights slightly they do have some beautiful Koi marked Comets (a sort of big goldfish) and I may/will go back there for a scoopfull of them when the pond is completed.

Bought my liner at a cheaper price than I'd seen anywhere else so this morning will buy the rest of the timber needed to finish the pond and hopefully by tonight it will be filling with water, the garden is now a developing project and is under way.


PS - It'll never be as good as if this guy had done the job but there are stacks of good ideas on his blog.