AQUARIUM SHOP Visit REport

Shop Name: - K.G.N. Aquarium

Address: - M.G. Chowk, Near Antop Hill Church, S.M. Road Antophill,
Mumbai 037
Date of visit: - 15/03/2023

An aquarium shop or market is a specialized retail store that sell aquatic

animals like fishes, crustaceans and mollusks, even exotic bird, mammal
and reptile species, aquatic plants, and equipment needed to create and
maintain a healthy aquarium environment. Aquarium stores may be small,
independently owned businesses or larger chain stores, and may cater to
hobbyists or commercial customers such as restaurants and hotels. In
general fishes are given more priority. Mostly exotic freshwater fishes
have an exceptionally high demand all over India as well as in Mumbai.
Aquarium stores sell a variety of supplies and equipment in addition to
animals, including aquarium tanks, filtration, lights, and decorations.
These establishments typically have skilled employees that can advise you
on the best aquarium-related materials and equipment. In India however,
we rarely see qualified and skills fish keepers. This is because most people
in this business are money minded and not passionate or maybe it is their
generational family business. This report is about a visit to any local
aquarium and asking the owner a few questions along with my personal
review on the same.
My report posted me with three fundamental questions, they are
1) How do you maintain your tank/shop?
2) How do you build an aquarium
3) What is the process of establishing an aquarium shop?
The aquarium I visited is named K.G.N Aquarium. It
was established 10 years ago by Mr. Javed. It was
situated near Antop Hill church for 5 years but from
5 years until now they have shifted near S.M. road
lane. The shop was small with asbestos sheet roof
above and well managed electronic setup. It had a
total of 18 tanks with live fishes. The ornamental fish
variety was not the most amazing and costly but very
common and cheap. The cheapest fish were goldfish
which costed Rs. 30 per pair whereas the costliest fish
was flowerhorn fingerlings which costed Rs. 200 per
piece. They order fishes and other aquarium
equipment in whole sale from Kurla (the aquarium hub of Mumbai). Fish
feed products included fish specific feed for fishes like Flowerhorn, Betta
and in general food for all types of fishes along with turtle food. I was not
sure about the quality of the brands they had. The electronic setup
included only two types of filters including an underwater pump and air
pump plus sponge filter. Other materials included Methyl blue (for fish
treatment) and Dichlorination liquid. Decorative items included colorful
stones and artificial plants. The electricity bill came up to 1500 monthly.
Overall, the shop was below average in terms of professionalism but
decent in terms of economical and basic needs. Let’s look forward to the
answers to the 3 questions –
1) How do you maintain your tanks/shop?
We clean the tank once in every two days by changing water, discarding
dead matter, and cleaning the shop to maintain a good hygiene. We wash
new tanks every week so that it looks good.
2) How do you build an aquarium?
As per the size of the tank (and as per buyer’s need) we choose the
dimensions and with the help of adhesive like silica we join the glass
slabs. Then we add the water along with dichlorination liquid. We add
stones and artificial plants. We then add a light above followed by
aeration and filtration setup (as per fish’s need). After a while we
introduce the fish.
3) What is the process of establishing an aquarium shop?
To establish an aquarium shop one will require two distinct approvals.
To properly file taxes and keep accurate records, you must first get a
license under the Shops & Establishments Act and then a GST Number.
Also, if you own your own brand, you might want to think about MSME
Udyog Aadhaar Registration and Trademark Registration. Examine your
city's licensing concerns. We issued a Gumasta license which is
mandatory for all kind of shops in Maharashtra. You will need to invest a
lot before starting this business. You need to do a lot of research about
the business since its very competitive. You will aquarium supplies like
tank hoods, stands, electronics and tank decorative etc.
My Review
I was extremely disappointed with the condition of the shop. The tanks
were dirty and poorly maintained, and it was evident that the staff had not
taken proper care of them. Additionally, I noticed several dead fish in
some of the tanks, which was very concerning as they are a medium for
nasty infections and diseases. Some fishes even had white spot disease.
The variety of fish species available was also very limited, and it was clear
that the shop did not take the time to stock a diverse range of fish for its
customers. The staff did not seem knowledgeable about the fish they were
selling, and could not answer my questions about proper care and feeding
of certain species. Overall, my experience at K.G.N. aquarium was very
disappointing. I would not recommend this shop to anyone looking for a
quality aquarium or quality fish. Sadly, this is the story for most aquarium
shops in Mumbai. Shop keepers need to really upgrade their quality of
fish keeping. Hygiene is a very crucial aspect most shop keepers forget
about. In future, I would expect this shop to upgrade the quality.