The Puffer Forum

Unfortunately, even in the "first world: countries, access to specialty items such as fresh or even frozen seafoods can be pretty poor. Most of us are living in or at least nearby large metropolitan areas where fair selections of seafood from around the world are accessible within an hour's drive each way. But when you get well away from high-density populations, selections can be meager. In the best cases we should be aware of this before we select exotic pets, but that is too rarely the case.

Even with relatively easy access within reasonable reach, I do still rely on the one good LFS in my area to special order certain food items for me. That may not be the case for many folks in low-density population area - even the best shops may not be willing to go through the extra effort for customers they do not know well. I've known the owner of the local good shop >>30 years and have been one of his best customers for most of that time. I consult for him on science, and he special-orders for me. We both benefit.

Thanks RTR, sadly you're right.

I don't live IN Louth itself, it's simply the nearest town to me, and over half an hour's drive. Petrol up here is £1.35 a litre, I'd have to make a 2 hour round trip to Grimsby, and I simply cannot justify that. We don't have local independent butchers/bakers/candlestick makers, high streets up here died a death a long time ago, and I wouldn't enter the fishmonger unless I was wearing a Hazmat. They cater for a very unsophisticated palate up here, the fishmonger sells fish, none of that fancy stuff, unless you want a crabstick.

My supermarket choice is Tescos, Morrisons, or the local Co-op. That includes those prepared to deliver to my address. Again, they cater for the local wants and needs, and they simply don't have any call for shellfishs. Green beans are fancy up here, it's small, backwards, and rather like living in the 1950's. The upside of that is, I don't feel the need to lock my doors if I pop out, everyone knows everyone else, and I have the most stunning and empty beaches on my doorstep.

I can provide for Piggy; I am more than happy to potter about on the beach, looking for hermit crabs for him, but I won't get shellfish there because it is a purely sandy beach, he gets tiger prawns shell on, and I have a garden full of earthworms and woodlice. I'd love to be able to nip out and get him fresh molluscs, but that simply isn't going to happen up here. I don't think people realise that, when you live in a really rural area of the country, you are virtually stepping back in time. For me, it's worth it, but my compromise is having to shop in places where they consider Basil 'furrin stuff', and Tarragon is met with a blank stare.

I'm afraid that is a very real issue for many hobbyists. America's population density is well short of that for the UK, and some of our members here and certainly abroad have similar or even worse situations than you. Folks like me (exurban, but not really low-density). Two major metropolitan areas are about an hour away from me. Trips to one or the other are routine, but I can get almost all my fish supplies within 10-15 minutes drive from home. We are spoiled, and too easily forget that not everyone is urban to suburban to exurban. Access to supplies can be very limiting. Without such access, little things can become major issues.

Without my one good local store, I too would be faced with over an hour to decent sources of supply of specialized foods and repair parts and replacements. A least we do have a selection of seafoods locally.

Short of that, a good bit of ingenuity and a degree of make-do solutions are required, as you have found out. Posting about the solutions you have managed can also help others with similar geographic situations can and will help others here, so please do keep us posted on both problems and fixes of whatever sort.

Wood lice are my best find. Who'd have thought I could find a never ending supply of crunchy little crustaceans, right in my back yard

He likes the hermit crabs, when I manage to find them; I have a tide clock, as there seems to be a window of opportunity finding them. Hermit crabs are anonymous; never, ever name your food sources (RIP Leonard).

Failing that, fingers seem to be popular