Local Fish Stores

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i'd be there a lot more if i had any more room in my tank. especially since i live only 12 minutes away from them. last time i went 2 1/2 weeks ago they had true siamese algae eaters and i picked one up. he is bigger than the chinese but the chinese still bullys him.

i like the fact that they use 15 or 20 gallon tanks (or more depending on fish). not sure which but it's not the usually grossly over crowded 10g tanks everyone else uses.
 
So finally got a chance to go visit Exotic Aquatics (north of B-more) and all I have to say is Holy Smokes!

Very nice, and HUGE fish store with a ton of fish that I have never seen before. Tanks all looked very clean, place smelled fine. Only problem was that it was really dark in the store, and in the tanks... sometimes hard to see in them.

I really like the fact that they quarantine everything. They are able to isolate individual tanks from the central water system. Looks like they do a general QT once they get fish in, and then there were several tanks that were being medicated... dark blue water w/ a big NFS marker on them (not for sale). Nice to see that they pay attention to their fish and are unwilling to knowingly sell diseased fish.

I picked up 4 zebra danios last night as I continue to stock up my tank. They all are still acting super healthy still this morning.

I just wish that it wasnt a 40 minute drive for me to get there... though oddly enough, my wife and I turned the corner into the shopping center and she started to laugh heartily because she realized she was very close to her office and she is in that shopping center at least 2 or 3 times a week for lunch... she had yet to see the place.
 
I'm glad you were able to make a trip to Exotics. That is my all time favorite lfs (even if it is 1.5hrs away). :)
 
there is only 1 fish store to visit in the richmond va area and that is fishworld he has a 1500 display tank and a 900 besides he has everything u could want as far as fish ,coral,inverts , and all supplies he has been in the business 25 years and he is great to talk to and he knows all. very much worth the trip
 
Brad, there is another one that has a 2000 gallon tank! Mike should know the name of it, we went to both of them when we took a trip down there.
 
I'm new to the hobby but Wet Pets in McMurray, PA is awesome. The owners have art degrees and the entire store is shows it. From the oak trim around the tanks to the covered outdoor pond section. It is huge and impressive!! BTW, I'm not an employee!! I live 2 hours away but still drive up so my 2 little girls and I can take in all its beauty!

Wet Pets and Friends
 
I see that this thread hasn't had any action in the past year or so, and within that time frame another fish store has opened, so I figured I'd add them to the list. Neptune's Attic is the name of the place, and they are located on main street in Hancock, Md. I have been going to this store since I've started my aquarium, and to be honest this is the best fish store I've been in. Prices are cheaper than anywere else (even big stores like petco), great knowledgale customer service, has a nice selection of everything you would need including fresh water and saltwater fish. This is were I buy at least 98% of my aquarium needs. I strongly urge you to visit this store. You won't be dissappointed.
 
I'm looking for a online store, something like bluezooaquatics.com but on the east coast not the west.

I've just started a sw tank a week ago and have learned a good bit already from this forum. I don't get out much and do most of my shopping online. The one aquarium store that I have been to and like well is about an hours drive. They are very helpful and the store doesn't smell like a fish place, prices are not bad from what I've priced online.

Belpre Aquarium
1806 Washington Blvd.
Belpre, OH
 
Both, equipment I don't mind getting from the west coast but it seem like too much distance for livestock.
 
Nevermind...I email Blue Zoo about shipping the distance and they said that a high volume of their livestock is shipped to the east coast. So now that I'm comfortable with that...Let the shopping begin :)

ok, I know I need to wait for my tanks to cycle before I shop :(
 
Ok, so I live in Martinsburg, WV and decided I'd go check out the lfs "Dog Gone Pets". The place looks like no one every cleans it. EVER. The tanks are all dark and it's almost impossible to see the fish. They have two biocube sw tanks, and each had a dead fish in it. About one out of every four fw tanks had a dead fish in it. They also have dogs. There were four there today. The three small dogs looked sad... like not feeling good sad. The only creatures that look like they're being cared for are the lizzards. I'm certainly no expert, but there's no way I'm buying my fish from this place. I feel bad for the dogs too... but at nearly $600/each, I can't afford to save them from this disaster of a pet store.
 
This thread is super-old, but the need still exists.
I'm in Silver Spring, MD. Moved here a few months ago and have been looking for good suppliers.

Quick review of my extensive and recent combing of the aquarium stores/big box stores in the area:

Best decor of all kinds, supplies, and plants: House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie - just south of Baltimore. Meh on the FW fish. Didn't look at Marine.

Best fish: PetsMart in Bethesda - hands down!!! Immaculate tanks, healthy fish, great prices.

Congressional Aquarium in Rockville, MD - huge selection of SW and FW fish, knowledgeable staff, BUT day after deliveries (they took me they get they're fish on Wed. and I was there on a Thursday), lots of tanks had numerous dead fish in their tanks. Causes could be that their suppliers aren't great, they don't acclimate properly, or they don't inspect their tanks very often. Don't know which it is, but I won't touch their fish or large selection of plants.

Plenty of supplies, though.


Tropical Lagoon just inside the Beltway in Silver Spring: tiny, dingy, not much selection of anything. Nice staff, though.


Keeping my sleeves wet...

~ Sent via Carrier Goldfish
 
I've been going to Congressional for 10+ years, never had a problem with anything I purchased there. Of course you get the staff members who give out bad advice but that's unfortunately common with lfs.

I still want to check out House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie.
 
TheresaM said:
I've been going to Congressional for 10+ years, never had a problem with anything I purchased there.... I still want to check out House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie.
Click to expand...

So glad to hear you haven't had problems. I so want to be able to go there. It's only 25 min. at most, non-rush hours.

House of Tropicals may not be worth it if Congressional is actually not a problem, except the wood and rock selections are hugs and cheap.

:flowers:
 
I'm not a fan of house of tropicals. They do have a lot of supplies but their fresh and salt livestock is eh. Especially marine, their prices have gone way up.

I went to congressional once and it was eh, maybe I just caught them on a bad day.
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
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