 This place rocks!!! Enough of the backhanded reviews. The store isn't the cleanest but it is a high traffic area. They are the nicest people in the industry. They are always helpful and have taken of us everytime we have been in. by the way the fish at the Chinese market are sick and are nasty and you eat them . Gro-o-o s-s-s John Paul 20:29:11 5/06/2008 |
 Go to the asian market down the street instead. You'll have more luck keeping that fish alive. Several years ago this is the place that got me interested in aquariums. Now its just a sad place to go. They also charge on some days which is definately bad business. If they have problems with the foot traffic that the location brings. Then they should move. Jayson 22:16:24 8/01/2007 |
WOW what a difference the remodel makes. I hadn't been in to the store in 3 years and now it is cleaner better stocked and just plain cool. They have all kinds of crazy fish, reptiles and amphibians. They have some of the coolest turtles, and a big giant fish in the front. It eats fruit the guy showed usand even let me drop a piece of pineapple in. They made me and my girlfriend feel at home with our questions. As soon as we get moved into our place -we know where we are going to shop for our tank. very knowledgable folks. I highly recommend stopping in if nothing more then to just check out thier lifestock. |
Good selection of sick fish, over crowded tanks and a dirty old fart who thinks he knows what he is talking about. The new girl knows what she is talking about but is working at a very sad store. Oscar 21:09:11 9/07/2006 |
I have no idea where all the super positive reviews of this store are coming from (shilling, maybe?) Anyone who's been in hobby a few months knows that this store is a trainwreck. The animals are kept in inhumane conditions. The store is overcrowded and the aisles are filled with hoses, boxes, and other crap. The staff is unknowledgable and indifferent (and I do mean unknowledgable--the mix of cichlids in some tanks is just plain stupid). I feel SO sorry for the fish (and other animals) that are housed in those conditions. If you've never been to this store, and you're reading the reviews trying to figure out whether or not you should spend the gas money and fight to find parking, trust me--don't waste your time. There are other, better stores on the peninsula. Even Petco is better than this place. |
This store is great! The place to be! Whenever I've needed that one perfect weird fish, they could get it in for me. For anyone who's looking for delectable coral specimens, this is a great place to start. And um, really now - if you can't tell the difference between a coral and macro algae, then you probably shouldn't be buying corals just yet. And if anyone else is wondering, some macro algae is rare and can cost more than the more common corals. What gets me is people writing these reviews - maybe not for this store but for others - complain about small tanks. HELLOOOO! These are stores! Anyway, back on topic, this store is great. And if it's a friday night and the place is packed tighter than some of the bars on Castro street, expect to pay the oh so bank-breaking cover charge of 50 cents to get in. I think that was a good idea considering that most of the people that cruise castro on weekend nights aren't there to buy fish, but to look at them. I've been in the hobby for over 18 years.
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 Seascapes is a great place to checkout as they are always bringing in new stuff. Staff is friendly and helpful, and the store really brings livelihood to Mountain View's Castro St. Another bonus is they open until really late, so a great place to run to incase you run out of supplies, etc. late at night and all the other stores are closed since 6pm. I'd like to see their reef tank restored, which I know the store owners are already planning on once reconstruction is completed. Thumbs up from me. Andrew 01:15:32 7/22/2006 |
Since Aquatic Variations closed last month they let you pay for any advise they make. There´s a huge sign at the front door where you have to pay by entering the shop. That´s ridiculous !!! Kia 00:11:45 7/21/2006 |
The very last shop I would recommend. Maybe I am too critical but I wittnessed an older, female stuff member selling a red algae for $ 24 bugs. It was claimed as a coral. An algae you can usually buy for a few bugs claimed as a coral. Wow, I was speechless. It you take a gander into the tanks you feel sick for every fish insinde of it. If you decide to go there, than be sure the older stuff women is there. She does´nt know much about fish. The shop looks dirty and seems do be not aclimated. It´s hot and stifling inside. This shop should really be closed. |
Sad ...Sad shape. I feel sorry for the big gourami they have in front of the store. The tank is too small for the poor fish to swim in. Like the other post wrote, the store is small and the fish they have there are not very healthy looking (most either have ich or they looked drup out with cyanide). I also noticed the poor octopus they have in the tiny tank. Octopus needs to be in a 100 + gallon tank. What's with these people? I hope they will close soon so that someone else may buy out the fish and put an end to the fish miserable condition. Fish_lover 15:59:16 4/04/2006 |
This store needs to be shut down. Crowded, dirty, unsanitary, fish look sick, pipes hoses are every where...what else can I say. The Aquarist 23:55:57 3/26/2006 |
 Overall, these guys tried to take good care of their creatures. The store is rather small and I think it is hard for anyone to seriously find everything that you would need here. All items are overpriced. Example - I bought a RIO pump 1700 series and paid over $75 for it. I went to Pet Club and found that the same pump was on sale for under $35. SeaScapes basically overcharged me 2.5 times the going rate. Ouch! I hope the folks at SeaScapes are reading this. "You fooled me once - shame on you. You fooled me twice - shame on me!" MV_dude 10:33:11 3/09/2006 |
Shopping at Seascapes is an ejoyable experience. So much so in fact that we make it a weekly experience, if not more than that. The staff is enthusiastic, well informed and unless the store is packed with busy people, like it is occasionally, they are more than willing to answer any questions that one might have. We have never been lead astray by any advice that they have given regarding fish, aquatic plants, or reptiles. David and Janice 19:06:56 3/02/2006 |
 Either I'm thinking of the wrong store or there's some really bad shilling going on here by the operators and their friends. This store isn't as bad as the MV Petco, but it's not great, either. The fish are in decent shape (a few tanks were riddled with ich), but are kept in really crappy conditions. You might want to buy some just to save them from the crowded tanks, but I didn't want to give this place my money. The best thing about the store is its location, which is pretty convenient, especially to foot traffic. Unfortunately, that also means that they cater to novices and kids and don't really know what they're talking about on a serious level. The store itself is kinda dirty and grungy... not the kind of place you really feel comfortable in. It's a good place to pop into and buy a goldfish for your 8 year old nephew who's just gonna stick it in a bowl, but a bad place to go for the enthusiast. |
Seascapes is the only store we trust when we need help with our fish. After months and months of trying to get our tank water balanced (and countless trips to a pet superstore that involved bored teenagers trying to sell us lots of junk we didn't need), we went to Seascapes for advice. The water finally cleared, the tank chemistry evened out, and our fishes had a much better place to call home. One of our fishes, a black moor, has had a lot of health problems (we bought him at a pet superstore that buys fishes in bulk, unlike Seascapes, which hand-selects them to make sure they are healthy) - the employees at Seascapes have been WONDERFUL, giving us lots of useful advice to get our little guy well again, and have always been patient with our endless questions as very overprotective fish parents. They are very knowledgeable, and are clearly in the business becuase they love the fishes. You will not find a fish store that cares more about the the fish - or the customers. We couldn't recommend it enough. Ted and Addie 21:45:33 2/12/2006 |
 Not much good can be said about this store. They have a diverse selection of fish, but a lot of them look distressed or downright sick. Lots of clamped fins and gulping. Maybe I caught them before a big water change, but the water in many of the tanks was cloudy and funky. Dry goods? Smaller than average selection, larger than average prices. Customer service? Pick your poison: the unassuming and ill-informed girl, or the hostile and sketchy guy. My recommendation? Keep walking down the street to one of the cool little restaurants on Castro, and then hop in the car and get to one of the half-dozen *good* fish stores within a 15 mile radius. Jay O. 13:28:02 1/17/2006 |
The owners of this store are clearly in it for their love of fish. They went way above and beyond, helping me in a caring and generous way when I had some really sick fish I had bought at a different store. The knowledge and enthusiasm of the store owners is so refreshing. My tank is running so smoothly (thanks to their help) I rarely need to purchase anything, but when I do, I wouldn't go anywhere else! |
I agree with previous comments noting an "A" for effort on the part of the owners. The store if often open late as the rush around helping customers and offering advice. The store also usually has a pretty good selection and fair pricing, a vast improvement on the previous owner, a kid who seemed to lack any social skills or ability to run a business. The store loses credibility by it's lack of planning, layout and experience. The two largest saltwater display tanks in the store are perfect examples of what NOT to do, and they often are so murky you can't see the back of the tank. Tanks are overcrowded and I would venture to guess the store loses a LARGE amount of it's saltwater livestock on a daily basis. The owners seem to strive to buy fish that are "rare" or "unusual", but often don't know the name of the fish let alone proper care of the animal. Two recent examples are a 14" French Angelfish packed in a 55 gallon tank with 10-15 OTHER fish and two Blue Ribbon Eels, a beautiful eel which is virtually impossible to keep in captivity (just ask to see it fed). The Angelfish is just depressing to see, considering it will grow to two or more times it's current size and knowing almost no one outside of a public aquarium can take care of that fish. Prices are not marked and fish are often indentified incorrectly. I don't think the owners are NOT trying, but I would like to see them scale back on exotic specimens they don't know how to care for until they get things going. -I have been in the hobby for over 10yrs, have worked with two public aquariums, a wholesale tropical business, a fish farm and have a degree in Marine Biology Bay 10:35:34 3/08/2005 |
 Nice store. Blonde girl is very knowledgible. Saltwater area is small with a ok selection of fish, corals and inverts. Live rock selection could be better. Freswater section is larger but I think there tanks are over crowded but other then that the fish seem happy. Prices are high especially on some of there tanks and dry stuff. Customer service is good but girls watch out for the pervert dude. My gf went in to buy fighting fish with friends n he was hititng on them n staring at them. Only reason why my gf won't go back. |
I think that this store has made amazing progress since the new owners have taken over. The store used to be dirty, it looked like it was about to fall apart. Now the tanks are cleaned, the floor is vacuumed, and the fish look happy. The owners are very helpful and willing to answer questions and have even helped out people with there fish if they are sick just because they have a love for animals and are concerned about the fish. I think the new owners are perfect for this store, they obviously have a passion for animals and want to keep healthy fish and want what is best for their customers. Sabrina 22:37:17 3/02/2005 |
Very helpful and friendly staff. They have answered all of my questions very thoroughly and even helped with some problems I had. (went above and beyond what I expected) Store orderliness and cleanliness has definitely gotten better after new management but could still improve a bit. Give them business and I'm sure the money will lead to improvements in the store. J.B. 23:51:05 12/20/2004 |
What a change from the old ownership! It went from “you’re lucky if we’re open on the hours that are posted” to “we’d be lucky if we ever closed!” It was awesome to go on a stroll down Castro at 9:30 at night, on Saturday, and come across an Aquatic store that was still open (the store hours posted says it closes at 6-they just keep it open as long as people still come…smart)! SeaScapes is kept very clean-I’ve never seen privately owned aquatic stores with aquariums so clean. The fish look in great shape and they take great pride in hand picking their fish. On top of that the prices are very fairly priced for the quality and passion they put into their fish. The new owners are great and very warm. Not only did they welcome my husband and I but they also had treats ready for our two pups! Awesome! |
I had stopped patronizing Seascapes due to the very impatient/rude dude who used to work there. Few months back I gave this store a try after almost 2 years, and what a difference. The new girl who works there is so much more helpful and loves what she does. Pros: Cons: - Cramped, limited space. Given the ltd space, I dont think store can handle fresh,saltwater tanks together. It will be best if they use the space to build a better collection of freshwater fish. I have rarely seen adult cichlids, tetras, gouramis here. Most of the time the fish are juvenile fish. No exotic varieties that might interest a serious aquarist. However, this store is moving the right direction with new mgmt. Worth a visit. Try it out..... |
I have been to this store three times since the new owners have taken over and every time I go in there the place looks better and better. It is obvious that the store is loved by the new owners. They appear very dedicated to improving constantly. The last time I went I was really impressed with the amount of knowledge that they have. I asked many questions and they where very helpful.
I would rather go somewhere that is passionate about what they do than just in it for the money. I give Sea Scapes 5 out of 5 stars*****
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Going to Seascapes is like visiting a friend's house. Ok, a friend obsessed with fish. I used to go there with my friends waaaay back in high school, then left for college, and now I'm back haunting downtown Castro. The difference is drastic. Parking can be a challenge on a weekend night, but super easy otherwise. I walked in there and was surprised at the sparklingness of the tanks. All the fish looked wonderfully happy to be in their homes, with little well-fed bellies and hiding places. The owners inspect their vendors and the fish before bringing them to the store, and that helps my peace of mind when it comes to bringing home new fish pals. |
My almost one year old daughter and I visit Seascapes and it's residence weekly. It's amazing to see the transformation the store has gone through over the past six months. Everything from the tanks to the variety of fish as well as the underwater plant life has improved dramatically. I'm saddened to read any of the negative reviews posted before mine. It's almost as though the people never stopped to speak with the owners who are completely dedicated to each and every living creature in their oasis. The knowledge and love they have for their business is huge and they are happy to share this with others. Next time your in Seascape take a few moments to notice the time and energy spent on each individual tank and you will know what I'm talking about. I say keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your wonderful space with us! Riley and Reed 22:08:27 7/29/2004 |
This place is definitely improving since new owners have taken over. The selction, once sparse, is getting better, and the fish are in very good health. *We've bought a number of fish over the past three months, and not a single fish has died.* Let's things how things are in a few months...with continued improvements it should be a great place! Susie 14:56:07 7/25/2004 |
Seascapes is definately in a state of transition. The new owner is striving to make the best of a bad situation. The store has going from dark and dreary to better light less clutter and a much better attitude from that of the previous owner. Wednesday are their fish day. I found the best selections on that day. They owner hand picks her fish from local suppliers. Very knowledgable and friendly, she has place a few special orders on fish for me. The tanks haven't looked as good as they do now in a couple of years. They are promising remodeling soon and have made some layout changes but it seems like slow progress. Considering the large volume of customers and window shoppers it is amazing they find time to keep everything together. I was there over the weekend and there were about 40 people in the store. Children and parents seemed thrilled to watch the vast variety of fish with almost 100 tanks to look at. One of the helpers handed "lucky rocks" out to all the children and really made it fun and enjoyable for them. It's nice to see that the hours are somewhat suggested. They tend to keep the store open alot later than the stated hours on the door. The previous owner had a bad habit of never being there. Going surfing or snowboarding was posted on the doors quite often. They aren't quite the perfect place as yet but they seem to be working really hard at making it better. I really don't agree with the previous reviewers statements of rough handling of fish. Considering that they are cichlids I would assume they weren't jumping into the net to be taken home. I will continue to shop there because of their knowledge, love of fish and love of kids.
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Going into Seascapes is an exercise in chaos. You'll be stepping over and around buckets, hoses, and gravel spills to get to the tanks and equipment. The fish, while generally healthy, were placed in stressful situations: placid fish and juveniles placed in small tanks with aggressive cichlids; stillwater fish in half-filled tanks with gurgling filters splashing down upon them. The selection was a little on the sparse side, mainly catering to the goldfish/koi crowd, though there were a few South American cichlids. While reluctant to give this store any business, we ended up buying five fish desperately in need of rescuing. This ended up being the final nail in the coffin. The employee who scooped the fish out was quite rough with the fish, which were terrified and trying to hide behind the heater. The employee roughly bashed at them with the net, finally scooping them up when they fled for their lives. Obviously, this is NOT a store I'd recommend. |