 The fish i purchased never died from there and the prices are great. They also buy back my unwanted fish for store credit. I hear alot of bad things about this store, but my personal experience has been great. I been shopping there for over 5 years. Rick 14:29:41 11/12/2007 |
 This is place is nice if you're looking for cheap supplies, etc. But if you're looking to buy fish, look to buy some medicine as well, granted they carry some exotic fish for slightly cheaper prices with an easier access... so it's up to you if you want to make the gamble or not, i do... and I haven't paid for it, yet. All the fish I've bought from them are still well. Maurice 01:28:07 7/31/2007 |
 Almost everything I buy from this store refuses to eat and then dies shortly after. It isn't my water. I know what I'm doing, also whenever I buy from someplace else, my fish survive. I want to know who their supplier is. Saltwater Junkie 04:04:37 2/09/2007 |
 The treatment of fish at this place is horrendous . . . however, having said that, this place is CHEAP! I recommend only buying the corals (via a coral card 10 corals for $150) and fish that are swimming in the tanks. DO NOT BUY THE SUNDAY BAG LOT LIVESTOCK . . . guaranteed to die on you 8 out of 10 times. Wiggie 17:11:40 1/25/2007 |
I had a blast in this store! Great prices. So many crazy unusual fish. Helpful staff. I look forward to shopping there again. never been anywhere like THAT store. Ken 19:02:33 10/05/2006 |
 Edit for below: I meant I called all the other fish stores in the bay area and they did not carry the supplies I needed..But Sixth Ave, carried it..So what I am saying is that this is a good store.. common sense 23:50:42 10/04/2006 |
I know many people dislike this store but I have to give it to this store for supplies..I mean, this is the only store in the whole San Francisco Bay area that carries the instant cycle product, Bio Spira..And the only store in the bay area that carries that one small hard to get part for my powerhead...I called all the stores in the area and they carry it and this store does..*knock on wood*..What I said speaks for itself.. common sense 23:47:57 10/04/2006 |
This place Owns!!! GREAT prices! Huge Selection...BEYOND HUGE SELECTION! I travel 60 miles to shop there as often as I can. The most rare fish I've ever seen! I always look forward to my trip there.
And Yes, a FEW fish are sick and dying, but Fish do that. They get sick and they die. Nothing too shocking there. To expect any dealer, especially the ones that deal in mass to have a 100% perfectly healthy inventory is beyond crazy. Stop whinning about the few defective fish and give the HEALTHY ones (which is a HUGE percentage.) a loving and awesome home! If you are so intimidated by the fear of buying a sick fish: LEARN TO PICK OUT A HEALTHY FISH. Look at the scales, eyes, fins, are they clear of infection/parasites? Do they appear to be eating? Are they too Docile? Its ultimately up to you to know a good fish from a bad one. Read up and learn to rely on your judgements. The only bad thing I can think of was that I was disapointed that they carry injected fish. but other than that? No complaints. I just bought a Banded Cat Shark there today for 20 bucks. I see them at other places for 50+ He is healthy and adjusting just fine. I will shop at 6th Ave. Aquarium repeatedly. GREAT STORE!!! |
 Dorado, You're so wrong. They may have a good "selection" but when your selection dies in the bag, or a day after you get it home, it's not so good. For browsing, it's usually like a If they just spent a few more hours of a few more dollars on their fish care, the store could be drastically improved, but they think of fish as "product".
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I like going to sixth ave because of the freshwater selection..They have a good selection at times..I often like to go there and browse..Please keep negative comments to yourselves since this is suppose to be a hobby..If sixth ave closed, my hobby would be quite dull since no fish stores carry the variety of freshwater fishes.. Dorado 21:47:47 9/03/2006 |
The fact that some people realize that the fish hear come from cyanide fishing and continue to by fish here is disgusting. I won't even buy hardware from here for that reason. The damage to reef environments by cyanide fishing is terrible and reefs all over the world are suffering from this. This might not matter much to some people, but you keep fish, you should know better and choose not to support the destruction of our reefs. I am ashamed that people are acknowledging this practice but continue to be customers. Mother Ocean 18:02:26 8/25/2006 |
Sunday specials will make you cringe, as I doubt 50% of those fish in those bags survive.. I have bought there before when I first started reefkeeping ( cheap prices ) and was NOT aware of this place's ethics and quality of fish. Had tons of them die on me, some the minute I get home. Gills turn black, they don't eat what so ever. Common signs of Cyanide poisoning. But if you want to take a chance of a time bomb in your reeftank, go ahead but make sure you have a good QT. and have great filtration and possibly a UV in case of an outbreak. Just my 1/2 cent. saltwaterfishlover 09:47:21 8/18/2006 |
Its kind of funny, all the places that sell like bread and butter fishes always get high marks..In sixth ave, you can find some odd ball freshwater aquarium fishes from time to time and a decent price..That is what makes me come back..But if you a petsmart type of person in terms of buying just regular fish that you can buy any where else, sixth ave might not appeal to you.. Bala Shark 19:32:23 7/31/2006 |
Great place to look around. Great selection of unusual, rarer fish - a consistent selection of rarer plecos, for example. I'm not a salt person - but pretty cool stuff there as well. Personally, however, I would stick with the fish on the upper level only in terms of freshwater - and only if they have something you just have to have. Downstairs fish all seem disease ridden and generally not very healthy - just look at the water in some of those!! Upper level is not great either but better, it seems. Also, while I think its cool you as a customer get to choose and net your own fish - it can't be good to the fish overall - that many unexperienced people putting their hands/arms in the tanks chasing fish with their nets! Maybe that has something to do with the quality of the fish/water? BTW, you can't even get to this upper level if you can't get up a very dark, narrow set of old stairs. Service-wise, sometimes they're very friendly and helpful, other times not so much. Not very good about warning people about their fish purchases though...wouldn't you want to point out to someone that something is brackish or better off eating worms as opposed to flakes, or is better off in a lower/higher ph, or is aggressive/community, etc? You don't really get that here...but depends on who's ringing you up. Well, I take that back...you get it but you have to ask the right person/people. Otherwise, they don't really care...volume business for them I guess. And no guarantees... Again, good place with ok prices but possibly better off for more experienced hobbyists due to lack of service and general condition of fish/water. Nitty gritty (freshwater only): Selection: A
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aqua 123... aqua traders in san bruno.. same kind of place that's a warehouse for places like this. that sell fish without ethics... just want to make it a revolving door just to get the product out... with out care of fish well being or customer tank health. Like I said.. be my guest buy from places like this and waste your money and continue to help places like this stay open instead of going to LFS that are managed by REAL hobbyist.. One thing though is they do have good prices on DryGoods and equipment. saltwaterfishlover 10:39:28 7/17/2006 |
I use to go to this store weekly for $5 feeder goldfish bags. Now, everything is OVERPRICED and their fishes seem more SICKER than ever. You can even return fish products you would unless you had a reciept. I also bought $5 guppies and 1 week later they turned pale and died. My tank has guppies and they seem to be fine. Don't ever buy here if you're just starting out in the hobby or a pro at the Aquarium hobby. They lie to you saying the fishes are Super quality and will tell you ANY LIE for you to buy from them. Trust me, they've lost a loyal customer and this place will be out of business soon enough. |
aqua123 warehouses open and close and different locations, after closing in burligame they opened somewhere in ssf. under another name.. same crap though. so if you people don't believe what I say.. go have fun an waste your money, ruin your tank and help crap ass places like this to stay open and continue to destroy fish. saltwaterfishlover 09:12:22 6/05/2006 |
 I have been going to 6th Ave for at least ten yers and have a love/hate relationship with the store. I love the ridiculously cheap saltwater fish which are sold Sundays straight from the wholesaler (still bagged), but I hate the fact that you can count on half of them dying soon. My initial feeling was that if I could get the fish before they were introduced into their the sketchy looking main system I could avoid problems at home. Wrong. I have lost more than half of these discount purchases within 48 hours, and it has been this way forever. I have had several fish from there which have lived several years as well, it's a total crapshoot. If you decide to take the gamble, QUARANTINE all purchases which I have been doing for awhile now. You will still have mysterious deaths (probably cyanide related), but at least you will not be introducing pathogens into your main tank. I know it sounds horrible, but even losing half your fish at these prices still costs less than what most stores are selling fish for (clown trigger $20, 8 clownfish $12, tangs $10-$20). This store is best suited for hobbyists with a lot of experience, excellent tank conditions and a thorough knowledge of quarantine and disease management. As someone else stated, I have always had good success with the inverts/corals. They have/had a great deal where you can buy 10 corals for $100, which I did a while back. Unfortunately they sell creatures which do not survive in home aquariums. I have seen jellyfish, nudibranchs, ribbon eels, octopi and other such animals which are doomed in almost every home setup. They keep selling them because people keep buying them, so it's up to aquarium enthusiasts to stop buying animals which have no business being in a most home aquariums. MD 18:17:21 5/27/2006 |
The bottom review is not accurate..He says that Sixth Avenue buys from tropical fish wholesalers such as Aqua123..Aqua 123 closed down about 5 to 6 years ago..Aqua 123 went out of business..How could Sixth Aveue buy from thim still..I like going to Sixth Avenue because of the rare fishes they carry..This store is not for regular Petco or Petsmart shoppers..It carries rare fishes.. Phillip 18:35:55 4/19/2006 |
If you want fish that would only last a couple of days to a week then go here. Since a lot of the reef fish they get are mostly cyanide caught. ( gills turn brown to grey after they die ) Liver goes bad due to the poison. thats why they have sundays blowout bag sales cause they are trying to get rid of the fish from the beggining of the week before the get sick and die. Bought from here before and trust me very bad results and they get their fish basically from those warehouses that house the fish in extremely bad conditions like aqua123 and such places. Do not go here unless you want to lose money and screw up your current tank. But if you want cheap equipment you can go there to get it. but do not get live stuff from this place. saltwaterfishlover 09:24:03 4/17/2006 |
I have mixed feelings about this place. They do have a lot of fishes to choose from and they do have a lot rare fishes you won't normally see in other stores. But then the quality of the fishes and the condition they are kept in are questionable. All of tanks are overstocked and some of the fish don't look as healthy as they should be. The colors of the fish seemed washed out. Also parking is really tough to find especially on the weekends. Prices on both dry goods and live goods are pretty good. The isles are pretty narrow and upstairs is even narrower. If you buy fish here you better quarintine it for at least a month. Randy 23:15:04 1/26/2006 |
| This place is for people who are into serious fish keeping. I mean if you want a nice place where you can buy small tetras, go to petco, or petsmart and talk about how they keep their fishes in good condtion. If you want rare or oddball fishes, 6th avenue is a place to go. Sure, they kind of overstock their tanks but who cares, the fishes are going to be sold anyway. Prices are good and I always go here for fishes and parts. Serious aquarist know what store had the rare fishes. Sixth Aveune is a place to go Phillip 00:28:26 1/02/2006 |
| I give it 2.5 because some of their stuff is priced pretty good. Some equipment and tanks are actually really nicely priced. The fish and coral are pretty cheap. They are risky purchases. Inverts seem to be fine from there. I think you have to be very selective about the fish, avoiding the bargain bags. If you want a decent price, this could be the place for you. If you want the place which treats everything nicely, this isn't the place for you. HL 22:00:36 8/25/2005 |
| Thank goodness for this site!!!!!! I have been buying all my livestock here and feel like I've created a mini-auschwitz. I have finally stuck to snails, crabs, and shrimp ONLY in my tank and THEY have died. I am so glad to hear the rest of your comments. This fish store is sad - lots of dying fish and overcrowded tanks. I do, however, like to go in and check out all the weird creatures I never knew existed. FishKiller 08:13:51 8/06/2005 |
| I have purchased 10 fish from this place since getting into the aquarium hobby in March. Of those fish, only 3 have survived (2 are new acquisitions and the verdict is still out on those 2). The place is a fish purgatory before those lil' fishies go to a better place. So sad. But they do have cheapo equipment and cheap corals! All the corals I have purchased here have done well. Bottom line, buy your equipment and corals here, but avoid the fish! Newbie Reefist 11:37:12 7/19/2005 |
| Appalling conditions...they don't even deserve a "half a fish" rating (more like "dead fish" rating. I've never seen so much carnage in one fish store. Their tanks are extremely overcrowded that I only felt sorry for the remaining fish that were barely alive. Euthanasia would be a dream come true for any living creature subjected/tortured to live in that store. OH, and they have a sign at the entrance "no camera/photography" Hmmmm, I wonder why? Fish Power 23:35:11 6/18/2005 |
| Excellent prices, yet not so great quality fish "living" in poor quality/overstocked water. However, they do sell dyed/injected gourami and koi, among others...not good for health of fish at all =/. You do get to take your time and nit pick with exactly what fish you want, as you net your own. Bought two koi, and they mysteriously died several days later for no apparent reason. To which, I bought koi at Petco and Petsmart and they have been fine for over a month. Cheap aquatic plants, with ample selection if arriving after a new shipment. Very good deals on aquariums and stands upstairs. Employees are helpful if asked. However, I seem to get rude workers who answer the phone. Called twice...first time asked about the standard 10 gallon aquarium kit they sell, but the guy practically yelled at me when I tried to clarify some information, and I still didn't get the correct info to what they supplied in the kit. (Undergravel filter+air pump or power filter? both I was told...not possible) Second time, asked if they sold angelfish. Guy answered "I don't know, why?", rudely. I said I might have the wrong number, then the guy said, this is 6th avenue aquarium. So I did have the right number...asked again, and was told "Uh I think so, depends on what you want." Aggravating customer service over the phone. I recommend going to the store yourself and finding your own answers to save the hassle of talking to them. =/ Recommend sticking with 6th avenue for plants and some hardware, but buy fish at other stores (with guarantee) for much much better quality, those that will actually survive and thrive, and better service. Jeff W. 13:05:22 5/11/2005 |
 O.K. Store, Clerk on counter seems very business and doesn't greet the customers. Usually busy on the weekends and barley anyone on the weekdays. Great selection and prices can't be beat for Fancy Guppies, Mollies, Kuli loaches, all sorts of freshwater. Saltwater is reasonable and fair. Don't have exotics for reasonable price. Fish food and misc, are over priced (just order parts and food online). Over all I think this store is fair, Mainly cause they don't care what you do even if you shoplift. jim chan 14:12:57 2/28/2005 |
| This is an awful store for any living creature. The tanks are crowded, dirty and you see dead fish all over the tanks. Parking is hell, they make you fish out your own fish, plants etc... You may save a few pennies but bring home real serious infestations. They have cheap tanks prices but you get what you pay for. It is good place for filters, chemicals, etc... But never buy any living. It is truly SAD to see these fish! Lizzy 20:14:34 9/20/2004 |
 Make sure and not visit this store during an earthquake, because the tanks on the catwalks will come down. The saltwater fish are VERY crowded, but cheap. I would never buy anything there. Michael 16:24:20 8/09/2004 |
| Best deals are on Sundays because the owner sells fish out ofthe back and reports the shipment on his taxes as lost - Sleazebags - sickfish and creepy people Alex 10:21:36 7/25/2004 |
| over the years all the fish i have purchased from there have died and customer service is better at a flea market. I probably spent over 300 bucks in dead fish. Why do I keep going back like an idiot you ask. I can hardly resist the prices. The fish are dirt cheap, however you get what you pay for. |
| A great bargain on equipment and media (ie. CoralLife bucket of salt with free T-shirt for $29). Good selection on fresh amd salt. However, most of marine fishes are sharing ONE huge tank with dividers so pick your fishes carefully. Best deals are Sundays when they have their bag sale. I got a medium coral beauty for $9 and a small Power Blue Tang for $18. Can't beat those prices, but again, QURANTINE-QURANTINE-QUARANTINE!!! Overall, if you know what you're looking for, go for it (kinda like Frys Electronics), but if you don't, take caution. Customer service is kinda lacking, but it varies. |