Our Travels and Adventures
Ever since being a small child, Giles has had a keen interest in travelling to far-flung jungles in search of rare and wonderful tropical fish. From an early age, he wanted to learn about where fish lived and the environments that shaped them.
Barlows Aquatic Trading finally became the vehicle for these adventures, and Giles has since visited many parts of the world in his constant thirst for knowledge.
Peru
In the early part of this century, Giles travelled deep into the Peruvian jungle — catching wild tropical fish, visiting remote catching stations, and scouring local fish markets (often for long-since deceased specimens).
It was on this trip that the idea for B.D. Trading Aquarium Sand was born. Giles and a group of aquarists slept on a sandbank along the River Nanay near Iquitos. Beneath their feet was the very substrate that hundreds of fish species have evolved to live on — and, in some cases, within.
Upon returning to the UK, Giles set about supplying this identical sand to the aquatic trade. The rest is history — thousands of tonnes have since been sold and it has been recommended by some of the world’s best fish keepers.
Since that Peru trip all those years ago, further travels have included Fiji, Honduras, Borneo, and several visits to Thailand, where strong relationships have been built with breeders and exporters.
On our most recent trip to Thailand, we photographed biotopes during the dry season — when roots and rocks rise above the waterline, just before the rains arrive.
Take a look through them for inspiration on how to aquascape your own home aquarium.
Our shop in Accrington is packed with roots, bogwood, rock, and sand for all your aquascaping needs.
