United States Fish Store Directory

[Durbkat]

Please post ANY fish shops local to you, tell what state and city you live in and 3 ratings for each shop. One for Variety/Selection, One for Cleanliness and quality and one for Staff friendlyness and knowledge. Ratings are from 1 to 10 1 being the worst you've seen and 10 being the best
Write the ratings as follows

State: Kentucky
City: Louisville
Store: Feeders Supply

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley rating:

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State: Kentucky
City: Louisville
Store: Pets Galore

Variety/ Selection: 5
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 5
Similey rating:


Now tell about any fish store near you.

 

[tttnjfttt]

State: California
City: South Lake Tahoe
Store: Pet Supermarket

Variety/ Selection: 4
Cleanliness and Quality: 5
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 3
Smiley Rating:

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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: Jan's Tropics

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 5 - I have gotten some very questionable info from this store.
Smiley Rating:
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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: Petco

Variety/ Selection: 8
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 7
Smiley Rating:
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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: PetsMart

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:

 

[Annastasia]

Great idea Durbkat!

State: Maryland
City: Randallstown
Store: The Aquarium Center;
Website

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10
Smiley Rating:
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State: Maryland
City: Rockville
Store: Congressional Aquarium, Inc
Wesbite

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 6
Smiley Rating:
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State: Maryland
City: Gaithersburg
Store: Tropical Fish World;
Website

Variety/ Selection: 9 (If you're into Cichlids)
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:
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State: Pennsylvania
City: Lancaster
Store: That Pet Place/That Fish Place
Website

Variety/ Selection: 10
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9
Smiley Rating:
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I have a few more, I just need to remember the names. I'll edit those in.

 

[CroNiC]

Nice idea, i bet it will help alot of people.

State: New Jersey
City: Woodbridge
Store: Animal and Things

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:

Ill add more when I visit some. I am planning to visit a new lfs tommorow so ill add it.

 

[wendywc]

Tropical Fish Depot - 10150 Almeda Genoa Rd, Houston, TX
EDIT: This place is gone now.

Aqua Zoo - 15502 Highway 3, Suite 112, Webster, TX (SE of Houston)
Variety/ Selection: 5
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9
Smiley Rating:
Comments: Little, hole-in-the-wall place, but run by ethusiastic fish-lovers. They have freshwater setups only.

Megan's Tropical Fish Emporium - 11665 Fuqua St #C300, Houston TX
EDIT: This place is closing end of this month.

Time to drive further out and check out different places.

 

[lljdma06]

Great idea, Durbkat.

Central IL:

Sailfin Pet Shop
720 S Neil, Champaign, IL

Variety/ Selection: 8. They have some pretty funky varieties, and can get whatever you want. I am waiting for Rasbora brigittae.
Cleanliness and Quality: 8/9, depends on the time of year. Summer is better. Heater affects the fish a little in Winter. If I'm roasting in there, I bet the fish are. They're not dying, just not as spry.
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10, that is a no brainer. Resident plant guy is a bit out of date, insists I don't need to dose Nitrogen, but I'll forgive him.
Smiley Rating:
Comments: This is THE place to buy fish and plants in Champaign, IL. They appeal to the college crowd who just want pet bettas, but they really treat you awesome if you know what you're talking about. Some of the staff know me by name and give me free Salvinia minima. They are a bit pricey on supplies, but sometimes I'll throw them a bone, I understand they need to make money. One of the few places where they give as much attention to FW as they do SW, and Plants, which is very rare. They are also open to suggestions. They mislabled C. pygmaeus as C. habrosus. I pointed that out and the next time I go, it's correctly labled. By far, the best Harlequin rasboras I have ever seen or purchased at a store.

 

[SkiFletch]

State: New York
City: Buffalo (Kenmore)
Store: Niagara Aquarium

Variety/ Selection: 6
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8 (ask for John)
Smiley rating:

________________________________________________

State: New York
City: Buffalo (North Tonowanda)
Store: The Fish Place

Variety/ Selection: 9 (LOTS of saltwater)
Cleanliness and quality: 10
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8 (ask for Joe, at least the kids admit when they dont know )
Smiley rating: (Great quality, but a little pricey)

________________________________________________

State: New York
City: Buffalo (Amherst)
Store: Markheim Pets

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and quality: 7
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 7 (ask for Ron)
Smiley rating:

________________________________________________

State: New York
City: Buffalo (Amherst)
Store: Steve's Pet World

Variety/ Selection: 6 (adding saltwater soon)
Cleanliness and quality: 9
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 10 (ask for Kevin)
Smiley rating:

 

[StAbbitt]

State: California
City: Berkeley
Store: Octopus' Garden

Variety/Selection: 5
Cleanliness and quality: 1 (This place made me very sad. Lots of sick and/or dead fish. Filthy tanks)
Staff friendliness and Knowledge: 1 (Staff showed no interest whatsoever. For some reason, I felt like this place must be a front for something)
Smiley rating:
Made me want to call the SPCA.

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State: California
City: Oakland
Store: Lucky Goldfish

Variety/Selection: 7 (They get a lot of small batches of very interesting fish. I go about once a week just to look if not buy)
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 7 (The woman owner/manager? is great! Very helpful and fun to chat with!)
Smiley rating:
My favorite LFS in the area! Their in house reef tank is worth the visit alone!

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State: California
City: Albany
Store: Albany Aquarium

Variety/Selection: 5 for fish, 9 for live plants
Cleanliness and quality: 6
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 5 (As a newbie, employee threw in a free older Danio with TB telling me it would be fine though might not live as long as the other 6 i bought. No s*@t! I know better now. Also told me I absolutely needed bacteria drops for an already fully cycled tank otherwise Danios would all die.)
Smiley rating:
This place is great if you are looking for live plants. Very good selection. As for fish, I found the Petco a few blocks away to have a better selection with healthier looking fish and much cleaner tanks. I know, it's Petco, but it's the truth!

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State: California
City: El Cerrito
Store: PetCo

Variety/Selection: 6
Cleanliness and quality: 9 (Wow! Immaculate! Not a single dead or sick looking fish)
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 8 (This is the only LFS I have been to where the employee actually demanded to know the state of my tank and what fish I already had before he would let me walk away with the fish I wanted. He gave me some great tips and generally made for a great experience. As I said before, I know it's Petco and I hate evil corporations as much as anyone, but the fish department people I have dealt with at this one are great!)
Smiley rating: for the staff, to Petco proper
I would go here more if it wasn't a big ugly corporation. As good as it is, I am still from the People's Republic of Berkeley!

 

[Alex_]

State: Washington
City: Issaquha
Store: Blue sierra exotics

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and quality: 7
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 7

website

State: Washington
City: factoria
Store: pets and sierra

Variety/ Selection: 10 (all freshwater)
Cleanliness and quality: 5-6
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 6

 

[Kombat]

State: Ohio
City: Middleburg Heights
Store: RMS Aquaculture

Variety/ Selection: 8
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9

 

[onemisterchristian]

State: California
City: Capistrano Beach
Store: Petsmart

Variety/Selection: 6
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 3

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State: California
City: Mission Viejo
Store: Sanbar Pets

Variety/ Selection: 6.5
Cleanliness and Quality: 3
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 7

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State: Califronia
City: San Diego
Store: Aquatics Warehouse

Variety/ Selection: 10
Cleanliness and quality: 10
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10

(This is what every LFS should be like)
Plenty of L's and huge variety. If they don't have it they will order it.

 

[Anthony!]

State: Alabama
City: Trussville
Store: The Fish Peddler

Variety/Selection: 7
Cleanliness & Quality: 10
Staff friendliness & knowledge: 10

Summary: The PERFECT fish store!
State: Alabama
City: Brookwood
Store: Ed's pet World

Variety/Selection: 10
Cleanliness & Quality: 4
Staff Friendliness: 1
Staff Knowledge: 10

SUMMARY: Ed scares the S*&# out of me, good store though. Every kind of fish IMAGINABLE, just they might not be in great condition. Arrowanas, $69.95!!

 

[Iron Man]

State: South Carolina
City: Columbia
Store: Fishy Business

Variety/Selection: 8 (good saltwater selection, can order too)
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8 (great staff!)
Smiley Rating:

Summary: I've dealt with one KNUCKLEHEAD there but he's rarely ever there for some reason. Totally dedicated to fish, very knowledgeable and friendly, great place to buy your fish. If they don't have it they can order it.

State: South Carolina
City: Irmo
Store: Petsmart

Variety/Selection: 8 (good freshwater selection, no saltwater)
Cleanliness and Quality: 8 (very clean, rarely a dead fish or disease of any kind, all healthy fish)
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8 (mainly young folks but all are mature, knowledgeable, and friendly)
Smiley Rating:

Summary: Come here to get the freshwater fish you couldn't find at fishy business. They just might have them. Weekends are not the best time, they get busy.

 

[blitztidus]

Now here is one that may take a while to read

State for all: WISCONSIN

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City: Hartford
Store: Lincoln Tropical Pets

Variety/ Selection: 3
Cleanliness and Quality: 4
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: (I have to seperate these ) Friendliness: 10 and Knowledge: 3
Smiley Rating: /

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City: Slinger
Store: Friends of Nature

Variety/ Selection: 6
Cleanliness and Quality: 6
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 5
Smiley Rating:

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City: Menomenee Falls
Store: Petco

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 7
Smiley Rating:

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City: Oconomowoc
Store: Aquatics Unlimited

Variety/ Selection: 3
Cleanliness and Quality: 4
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 4
Smiley Rating:

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City: Milwaukee
Store: (ALSO,) Aquatics Unlimited
Website: http/www.bestfish.com/ (make sure to check out the virtual tour, it is a huge store, but not as big as the next )

This store is 100% fish, unlike the one in Oconomowoc. Also has a huge, enjoyable, 2, 960 Gallon Tanks!!!

Variety/ Selection: 10
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:

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City: Milwaukee
Store: Hoffer's Tropic Life Pets

This store is HUGE, but it is not just for fish. Half of their 32620 square foot store is dedicated to fish. It is amazing, they have 2 pits (not bad, actually really cool), one for alligators and another for some other reptiles. They also have other animal sections which the overall environment is really cool. The fish area is the best though. This is also Wisconsin's Largest Pet Center. Ine the fish center alone is GIGANTIC. IT is about 3 times larger than the Aquatics Unlimited with the virtual tour. I can't wait till the next time to go there .

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 10
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10
Smiley Rating:

 

[Taridan]

State: Virginia
City: Charlottesville
Store: Pet Forum - Seminole Tail shopping center

Variety/ Selection: 7 / 8
Cleanliness and quality: 7 / 8 unless you buy a plant... every plant I've bought from them had at least one baby snail come off in my tank. 6
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 9 - Probably one of the most knowledgable stores in C-ville
Smiley rating:

State: Virginia
City: Charlottesville
Store: Petsmart

Variety/ Selection: 4 / 5
Cleanliness and quality: 6 / 6 Cleanliness is okay, several times there has been dead fish in the tank with the live ones. Quality is good.
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 7 - alot depends on whose working that day.
Smiley rating:

Am not going to include Walmart in this.