Wholesale Tropicals closes after 60 years

Family-owned and run Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green, London has finally closed its doors for the last time. A retail aquatic store, Wholesale Tropicals was the stuff of legend for thousands of hardcore tropical fishkeepers over the decades, and the store won many Practical Fishkeeping Retailer of the Year awards during that time. 

When I used to visit it was run by founder Terry Jones, and his son Terry, two proper cockneys who didn’t suffer fools, and said exactly what was on their minds, making a visit both highly entertaining and terrifying at the same time – even to those who knew them. 

Amid the shouting, smoking in the shop, and Terry Junior’s mum always making them both lunch, Wholesale Tropicals made its name for rare and interesting tropical fish – especially cichlids. Half a century of experience brought with it some of the most unusual fish I’ve ever laid eyes on, many of them firsts in the UK, and I always came back with dozens of “Interesting Imports,” to write about for PFK after a visit. 

There were even rumours of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, it was that entertaining.

A traditional independent, high street aquatic shop, Wholesale Tropicals faced many challenges over the years from recessions, to the internet, mailorder to covid, the cost of living crisis, and the congestion charge, but they endured them all, and I’d like to think that now, even with Terry junior probably in his fifties, was the right time to end their era, and not that they were forced to through still sky-high electricity prices. Terry’s son, and third-generation, Jordan worked there too. 

It’s a massive shame to see that store go, and I’m so glad I had the privilege of visiting it several times over the years, meeting Terry Senior, Terry Junior, and their mum.