Ocean Aquarium

This shop is clean and the fish look alive and healthy. If you visit here often, you will see that they sell everything and get fresh stock regularly. I have been to a few other places that do not have lively fish and they don't bother to remove them. This place is clean and the staff very kowledgeable and friendly. more

i love ady and his wife so helpful. i came all the way frome sanjose 1hourdrive. my friend told me about this place.its so green and healthy fishes and plants inside. more

I've been keeping aquariums for over 40 years. My very first job was at an aquarium store, at 13, and I hope my last job will also be at an aquarium store. I managed The Aquarium, in Pleasant Hill and Concord for many years, and we were proud of our store. It was big, clean and modern. Ocean Aquarium is small, clean and low-tech. And the fish Love it there! I'll tell you why. Justin and his family show the love they have for this hobby from the minute you walk in the door. You see green everywhere. It's the color of the plants reflecting out from all the aquariums, glowing in a healthy kind of radiance that no big store can ever match. The attention is focused on a naturalistic type of environment that encourages health in the animals, rather than the ""get 'em in and out fast"" approach that dominates most aquarium stores. I've always been told that it is simply the only way to make a store profitable and Justin and family proved to me that it just isn't so. The selection of fish is amazing, offering species that you will never see in other stores. I even saw a few I have only seen in books! If you are really into aquariums, you will be in awe of what you see in this store. Plain and simple, much like the store itself. The health of the fish is better than almost any store I have ever seen, and I've been to hundreds all over the country. As for the one review I read here claiming that the owners were rude, the writer must have been talking about other people. The family I met were joyful, passionate and friendly, giving me a tour and showing me highlights. I would suggest that one merely need ask, and Justin or one of the family will be happy to accommodate you. This review is long, and it needs to be. As a professional aquarist, a store like this is simply a rare delight. I encourage anyone looking for amazing smaller freshwater tropical fish to visit Ocean Aquarium. If you're merely curious about aquariums, even better! This store may give you just the push you need to get hooked, and reel you in to a lifetime of enjoyment from a simple, natural hobby. Fish weather recessions just fine, thank you. Fish food is cheap. Am I glowing yet? Bob Hartline P.S. If they had 6 stars, these guys would get another one. Pros: Outstanding fish, plants, knowledge and service! Cons: I didn't see any:) more

AAA+ These folks have been the shining light of our fish keeping experience. Their tanks always appear clean and healthy, at least to our untrained eyes. more

I went here based on the previous reviews, and was so glad I did! I have a sick fish and called ahead to see if I should bring him in, and the owner was friendly and to the point, ""Bring him in! I'll tell you what's wrong!"" Turned out to be an excellent precursor to the place - knowledgeable, efficient, to the point. Pros: Amazing, knowledeable service Cons: Strange location more

I've been going to Ocean Aquarium for over ten years and would never buy fish anywhere else. Justin, Ady and their daughter Josephine are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the hobby and are always happy to talk to you or help with any problems you might be having. A lot of other stores are just businesses trying to make a buck but Justin truly loves the hobby and is always busy maintaining his tanks, which are all planted, or reading about something new in the hobby. He takes pride in stocking rare fish and plants you won't find in most other shops and goes out of his way to provide you with information on how to keep and even breed these exotic gems. more

I have been to a lot of fish stores - this is the best for fish health and abundance of useful information. The fish are so happy there - you can immediately tell the water, plants anf fish are in perfect condition. Justin has told me how to care for fish, tend to them when they get sick, and even how to manage the breeding season for my difficult African cichlids. He also helped me spot problems with my live plants in my Amazon tank. He makes me feel so at ease about my hobby that I sometimes find an excuse to go there just to get some free ""counseling""! Pros: beautiful fish, plants, surprising amt of supplies for the space Cons: no marine fish more

This is like an underground place for real fish geeks that know about this place. Justin and Ada have been amazing to me, they always know what kind of fish I have and what I'm looking for. Their quality is 2nd to none (#1) good variety, healthy fish and plants, never had a problem, and I've been shopping ther for years. Thanks Justin! Pros: knowledge, great fish, super friendly Cons: hard to find, wish it were 5xbigger more

Went to this store on a recommendation from this site. It is exactly a hole in the wall, but open every day from 11 Am to 7PM and the couple who own it are very sweet, passionate and excited about what they do with fish. When you walk in, it is dark, a little dog may greet you as you step over him, but there are fish everywhere! We went with my 4 year old son, and walked out full of knowledge for our 10 gallon tank, live plants, and a fully set up Betta for my son's room. We know that we will never go anywhere else because they took care of us so well without ripping us off. We were witness to people come in and ask about expensive filters, and directed to a better quality for less money without being condescending. Pros: Knowledgeable, Patient with Novices, Inexpensive Cons: Location more

store is small cramped hole in the wall, but the staff was exceedingly helpful/ knowledgealbe. Unlike most larger fish stores I saw NO sick or dead fish in any of the tanks. They even gave us a free bag of water from the aquarium our fish came out of to help set up our new tank's bacterial balance. Overall awesome, everything you need to set-up a new aquarium was there, and all my questions were answered. Pros: inexpensive, friendly, knowledgeable Cons: cramped, bad neighborhood more

Justin and Ady pay the same amount of careful, friendtly attention to novice and experienced aquarists alike. They believe in the simple cheap solution whenever possible. Their fish are always healthy, and they will not sell fish until they have had them for a few weeks and know that they are healthy. Pros: friendly, reasonable prices, expert more

Ocean Aquarium is a hole-in-the-wall freshwater aquarium store run by husband and wife Justin and Ady. They specialize in planted tanks, rare, exquisite and small fishes. Justin is in business out of love for the hobby, and goes out of his way to help clients learn the joys of fishkeeping. He is a wealth of practical knowledge, and is free with his advice on request. You get very knowledgeable and patient attention on fish keeping and aquatic gardening. They never try to sell you equipment you don't need, and prices are very reasonable, almost insane sometimes. Pros: Rare species, knowledgeable, healthy fish Cons: Ambiance, Too many guppies, Equipment selection more

This family owned business takes great pride in the fish they sell and in the environment that they will be placed in. Even so, the owners can be incredibly rude -- and seem to delight in revealing customer ignorance. Rather than helping or providing education, they are dismissive and condescending. I hope places where they shop don't treat them the same way. Life is too short! Pros: Selection Cons: Arrogant, Unhelpful, Rude more

The fish at this store are always top quality. Always something new and interesting and they don't die when you get them home. Justin and his wife are always willing to give you advice. Pros: good selection, high quality, helpful Cons: Hard to find more