Marine enthusiast opens aquatic shop

3:08pm Tuesday 29th January 2008

Comments (3)   Have your say »

A father-of-two who had a "life-long ambition" to open a one-stop aquatic shop has done just that.

Cliff Betts, 43, who lives in Great Notley with his wife Michelle, 40, joint business owner, and their children Laurelle and Brandon, officially opened Fintasia, in Braintree, on Saturday, having wanted to since he was "knee-high to a grasshopper."

The property renovator's second business has over 10, 000 fish when fully stocked, including expensive marine and tropical varieties such as sharks and rays from as far away as Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.

Mr Betts, who has been keeping fish for 25 years, said: "I have been brought up on it like my parents, I just love it all. It's just a different world, a different universe.

"Our aim is to bring a piece of the underworld to people in the Braintree area rather than travelling out to Colchester - the next town which stocks tropical fish."

Fintasia is at unit three, Springwood Court, Springwood Drive, Springwood Industrial Estate, telephone 01376 529569.