Congressional Aquarium Inc

Well this store does have a wide variety of fish with a few uncommon fish. I bought my first fish there and all the equipment I needed to start the tank. They have both a good variety of freshwater and saltwater with a good amount of plants. Now the down side and there are quiet a few. First of all the stuff there extremely overpriced. Secondly, most of the staff knows nothing, you would be lucky to find a staff member that knew a little bit on what your looking for. I bought my first fish there 4 of the 7 I bought are still alive. The black ghost knife fish died within a day because they miss led me on what they ate and its sensitivity to water conditions, and the flounder I got is brackish not freshwater. Both cases were also partially my fault I was naive and didn't look up the proper information. I also lost a florida flagfish because they told me they were community fish, which they can be, but they can also be a terror to your plants and your other fish which is what happened to me. Therefore I quarantined mine and one past because of it. They forgot to alert me of this. It was partially bad luck and a lack of information. Now why is it a 3 and a half? Simply very poor on knowledge only trying to get you to buy stuff and everything is very overpriced. Anyway if you are willing to spend a pretty penny you can get fairly healthy fish, and some you wouldn't find to often, but be warned you best do you your research before you go because don't expect to get any help from them. So 3 and a half probably generous, but they did have a good selection of healthy fish and plants.
Simon K 13:46:59 7/18/2011
 

As an online fish store owner, I like to visit stores to see how they compare and how I compare with prices. The prices at this store are outrageous! I know the cost of living is high in that area, but that doesn't mean people will pay high prices for fish. The dead fish floating in the tanks is understandable. When ordering in bulk, you'll always have "a few bad apples". It's just the cost you pay for dealing with live product. What is not understandable is the fact that they import from Asia and don't quarantine before adding to the tanks. Your begging for trouble with diseases. All fish must be kept a min. of 1 week before selling to make sure they are healthy and disease free. This goes to show you they are in it for the money. As for dry goods, they are overpriced. You can order the same thing on liveaquaria.com and pay half as much even with shipping included. This store is designed for impulse buyers. There are much better stores out there.
Will not say 08:00:30 6/13/2009
 

Won't go into a lot of detail. Prices are WAY to high, all they want is your $$. All the fish are imported and added to the tanks without quaratining them-thats why your fish never live long from them.
jay 19:40:54 4/12/2009
 

This store has a great selection of hardware and a decent selection of fish, but nothing special. The prices at this store are absolutely ridiculous. They are so way over priced. This store is the closest aquarium store to me. So, when I need an item I am tempted to go here. Every time I do, they have what I want, but the prices are so high, that I refuse to buy anything. An item that should cost 3$ is 9$. Everything is at least double the price. Another big problem is the fish health. I have been burned by buying fish only to have it die or introduce disease to my tank. Another example, I bought a dwarf puffer here a few month ago for 12$, only to find out later that Pet Smart was selling them for 3$. The puffer ended up having an internal fungus and a week later. It was then I decided not to buy any more fish at Congressional.
Aspen Hill Dude 08:06:51 10/09/2008
 

Dry goods are great, if you are in the mood for high prices. Be very careful of the fish...I saw numerous dead fish and ich in several tanks. Even after keeping my fish in a separate tank for three days after I bought them, they infected my whole tank.
TonyK 06:10:16 9/04/2007
 

This store has its ups and downs. On the upside, the tanks are clean (for the most part). I have gone in and seen dead fish floating in the tanks, but I have encountered any disease outbreaks like ich in the tanks. The freshwater selection is pretty wide as well, but there aren't many rare species seen. The downside is that the employees seem more concerned with making a sale than with getting you what's best for your tank. Along those same lines, the prices are a bit on the high side.

Overall, if you are on a budget, you might want to steer clear of this store. Otherwise, it's a decent choice for a LFS.
Rob S. 08:03:52 2/22/2007