No other fish store like this in SF. PERIOD. Literally a garage homemade aquarium shop! It's so amazing, i would suggest it to anybody and he is extremely friendly.
Rick 14:22:53 11/12/2007
No other fish store like this in SF. PERIOD. Literally a garage homemade aquarium shop! It's so amazing, i would suggest it to anybody and he is extremely friendly. Rick 14:22:53 11/12/2007 |
Not the place to go for reefkeepers but definitely a great store if you're into freshwater planted tank or tropical tank this is the place to go. First time i went there i got sent home fish-less because the owner insisted that my house's water conditions are too far apart from his store's conditions(temp 85 vs 79). Great guy to go to really if you're serious about fishkeeping. He quarantines ALL his fish and the selection is good if you got the money. The store even sells wild discus with NO deaths (the wild ones are known to be hard to keep). Hope you other fish nerds out there in the bay area get to check the store out. slin 01:36:50 10/16/2006 |
All these reviews are true!! This is by far one of the best places I've been to in all my years of of being a hobbyist in both the Southern and Northern California tropical fish markets. When you first walk in its a little dim and cramped and at first I was a little dismayed by the seemingly unorganized manner of the store and haphazard placement of the fish tanks. BUT, upon a closer inspection (of each section), I found some of the coolest fishes I've ever seen for sale under one store front. If you're into unusual, rare and different breeds of fish, this is your place! An amazing selection of rare plecos, freshwater shrimp and catfish/loaches for starters. If I heard the owner, Justin, correctly, he has direct contacts in each of the major tropical fish markets: South America/Asia (need to find a new one - he mentioned)/Africa/etc which means he gets cool stuff you can't find at Petco or the typical mom and pop. No illegal stuff though... Justin is also one of the most friendliest and knowledgable owners I have ever met. Very patient in answering questions, offering suggestions, and essentially just a good time talking fish. And yes the family style atmosphere is very comforting. You know you're not getting ripped off here! In fact one of the coolest things in the store, in my opinion, are the family pictures of the store pinned near the entrance/exit...you can see how the family has grown over the years in the context of the store. So, the nitty gritty: Selection: A PS. But, yes, I did see those Betas in the tool/nail drawers...not sure what to say other than that I wasn't there for betas and that all the other fish in the store are not like that...they must not fancy betas much.... |
 Great place for freshwater fish. I didn't quite believe the reviews myself but had a old-school customer service experience there just now with my two young boys. He hand-crafted a dripper for me as well at no cost. I watched him work on an aquarium cover for about 10 minutes, drilling holes to install a special light setup, and then he refused to charge the customer for it. "No, no, you've been a customer for a long time. Customer service is important". Amazing, didn't know folks like that still existed. The only down side I see is that there is not an infinite variety of fish, although I'm sure he could get it for you if you asked. But all the fish there are in excellent health. Great place and highly recommended if you have a freshwater tank. Rick 14:49:49 4/15/2006 |
This is an awsome store, defianatly one i will come back too (and that a 90 min. drive). a little dificult to find as the 'street' its on looks like a one-way ally. Every tank is planted and a couple of them had fry in it, and you really have to inspect for the shy-exotic fish. i got a 3 inch botton feeder that is one of the most exotic things ive ever seen, you wont find some of these things in other LFS. Ask this guy anything and he will help you. he hand crafted me a dripper to help transition fish from his pH level to mine. ask him questions about his fish/tank and he will take off asking you to follow him, he has mounds of info once he starts talkin. over all i highly recoment this store |
Justin and Family have a truly amazing store. You would never guess when you pass the store outside to even go in, but it is well worth a visit. The exterior is very nondescript, and to be candid, the floors and shelves are filled with all the crap we all have in the cabinets under our tanks. ALL of Justin's energy is spent inside the tanks and it is worth it. Truly a secret paradise for fish fans. CHECK IT OUT. Bear Cub 16:18:45 3/03/2006 |
Went there today for the fisrt time and it was worth the trip. Almost all of their tanks are planted and thriving. Even the betta jars have a java fern in it. All of the fishes seemed healthy. I didn't see any dying fish or sick fish. The owners were friendly and helpful. Even the family dog was friendly. The prices are pretty good also. There are no prices posted on the tanks so you gotta ask the owners. Their cichlid selections are pretty small as they deal mostly with fish that do well in planted tanks. So mostly tetras, platties, guppies, etc. Overall I think this will be one of the few stores that I will come back to. Randy 22:51:17 1/26/2006 |
| Knowledgeable owner...always available in the store cleaning & maintaining his tanks flourishing with live plants. Great source for live blackworms. Fish Power 00:34:03 12/01/2005 |
 I agree about the bettas... The containers are very small, if they used the next size up screw containers, it would be fine, but they are a bit too small. I never liked the way any store keeps bettas though, so it seems par for the course. There is no difference between plastic cups, ans plastic screw containers IMHO. As for the livestock and the tanks, they are beautiful. We saw no dead fish (and there was A LOT of fish here), lots of baby fish, beautiful guppies, and huge discus...
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 If I was to rate this store purely on service I would definately give it 5 fish. The people in there are very nice. I went in to look at their bettas to find that the majority are kept inside of the tiny tool boxes used to keep screws/nuts/etc and some didn't even have enough water to cover half their body. All of them were diseased, dying or dead. Appauling condition for any fish! Holly 17:10:35 5/14/2005 |
| This is one of those little "hole in the walls" that you don't want to miss. Definitely a diamond the the rough. If you are into freshwater planted aquariums and tropical fish this should be your first stop. Every tank full of lush established plant growth (no plastic pots here) with thriving fish- many of which have spawned. Many type of Plecos and Betta's and many others that I have never seen. You won't find a better place to get your livestock or nicer people to buy from. Justin is the owner and he is a super nice guy and very knowledgeable. He works alongside his wife and daughters and sometimes grandpa. He goes above and beyond any level of service that I have ever received at any store. All his fish are quarantined and I have yet to loose a single fish I've purchased from him including German Blue Rams that I was about ready to give up on after purchasing them elsewhere over and over from several places and loosing them in a matter of weeks. He'll actually refuse to sell a fish until he is certain that it is healthy and ready to go. I once wanted to get some cories and he literally picked the fish up and turned it over to show me his stomach, explaining that it was still not fat enough to sell, "come back in a couple weeks." Not the place for hardware, but for all livestock this place cannot be beat in quality and selection. With that said be warned that it is very crowded in the store and I wouldn't recommend being there during an earthquake. The street the store is in is actually an ally just off Van ness and can be a little creepy, but upon walking in and being greeted with a nice friendly smile and the wow factor of all those plants and fish you'll get that kid in the candy store feeling and all that other stuff just won't matter you'll be hooked and will find yourself returning over and over. |