Came here after some recommendation from other forums. Large location and good parking. They have plenty of fresh and salt water fish and coral. Their tanks were well maintained and clean. Mostly helpful but not much patience for new hobbyist. Products and fish are expensive and feels overpriced based on other pet stores. Not a good for those just starting out with the hobby. Bring cash since there is a 2.5% credit card fee. read more

Love this place! Has a great selection of fish, accessories, etc. It is a bit pricey but I've found that everything is worth it. The employees have always been really helpful and everything I've purchased from here has been good quality. read more

Absolutely Fish - Some of the tanks - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Should be named Absolutely Amazing . I had a wonderful experience starting with a phone call , I called and asked some questions about what kind of fish did they have etc ... person on the phone was extremely helpful. Drove in the next day and from the moment you walk in the door there's plenty of people willing to help you and answer any questions you might have , and that was simply amazing to me . Not like going petco or pet smart where people barely know what they're doing . I was greeted by Vinnie and Nick and they simply followed me through the store and answer every question I had with confidence and helped me make a decision on what fish to get . I mentioned to them I was traveling far and the fish would be in the bag for at least 6 hours , they added oxygen to one of the bags and explained that the other fish didn't needed because of the kind of fish he was . I then asked about a small cooler since I didn't think they would fit in the one I thought and Vinnie went out of his way to accommodate me . Service is EXCELLENT.. Now let's talk about the store .. They have hundreds of fish of every size , breed and color in freshwater tanks , salt water tanks and even have a little pond in the store with some beautiful Koi . I must say every rank looks clean and well cared for , and I didn't see one single dead fish in any tank . ( every time I went to other places there's always dead fish inside a tank or two ) . , They also have a huge variety of tank maintenance products and decor . I am considering a larger tank in a few months and will definitely go back for more . Thanks to Vinnie and Nick for the exceptional customer service . They have so much knowledge and experience it's simply amazing to see . read more

Absolutely Fish - Glo Tetra - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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Always a fun place to find tropical fish! The staff always asks if you need help with anything and do their jobs expeditiously and open to questions. Feel lucky to have tropical fish place so close-by. read more

Nice selection of fish but overpriced. I think also they sale sick fish sometimes. I also don't feel comfortable as a minority in the store. I've noticed different treatment of customers. read more

Probably like a lot of parents with young kids that watched 'Finding Nemo' for the first time: we thought a fish tank (with yes, a clownfish) would be a good introduction to having 'pets'.  And unfortunately we started out at our local Petco (understaffed, undertrained) which set us on a bad path at the start. Then a friend told us about AF and while more expensive and eerily warm inside (with that funky aquatic smell that my kids weren't fans of) we were able to 'right the ship' and leave Petco behind us for good. Over the years a few fish didn't last all that long (never sure where to point the blame - us or did Absolutely sell us whaley old [dad puns - I won't be offended if you're rolling your eyes] fish, and yes - sometimes another fish bullied the new guy to an early grave) which stinks since you're dropping some serious money and that stunning looking basslet or jawfish didn't last a week. Our tank finally carped out [you were warned about the dad puns!] and our last surviving fish (another clownfish that lasted so long we all forgot his name) was donated to Absolutely Fish so we're hoping he can have a joyous final act here. The staff have always been helpful and knowledgeable.  They have a really solid variety (of all shapes, sizes and price points) and the workers seem committed to help you with which fish are compatible vs. the size of your tank, etc. If you're new to all things salt and freshwater-related: I'd warn you that it's definitely not a cheap hobby and AF isn't shy about giving your wallet a workout. My kids (now almost teens) lost interest a long time ago but if we ever opted to get back into the game - we'd come (back) here before somewhere else. read more

Wow wow wow i'm so glad i came to Absolutely Fish first. Being a first time fish tank owner the guys over there helped me out so much. All very knowledgeable. However my main go to is Luke H. His knowledge on fish and how to deal with any and all issues is very impressive. Luke stopped me from making several mistakes due to my little knowledge for my new found hobby. Any and every time i needed help Luke H. came through for me. This is my main go to for all my Freshwater fish. Absolutely Fish is Absolutely Amazing thanks guys. read more

#ITryToSupportMyLocalLFS I understand that we're in the middle of a pandemic. I waited outside (I'm OK with that...safety first ) and also in the store, for the next available person to help me, no one came up to me and asked, " Sir, are you being helped?". But yet there were multiple people up at the cash register. Standing there talking amongst themselves with "absolutely Fish T-shirts on. Meanwhile, people are outside waiting for me to leave so that they can go inside and get what they needed(Folks waiting in the hot sun). I have no beef with this company, I go there all the time, generally, it's a great experience, somewhat hectic. Because it's a very busy store. But today, May 29th Saturday at 1:40 PM the store is slow. #Summer I finally get help, my final purchases would've been around $220. Hanna PH Checker Live Animals Re-Mineralizer for RODI Fish Food Finally payment, I'll preference this by stating I'm a millennial. I had recently lost my bank card, it's gonna take 7 to 10 business days to get a new one. But I had Apple Pay, I asked the gentleman do you accept Apple Pay, another gentleman interjected and stated we're not allowed to use Apple Pay. We can except the physical Apple Pay card. I looked at him, thinking poor guy he doesn't know the difference between a credit card issued by Goldman Sachs and Apple Inc. Versus an Apple Pay wallet on someone's iPhone, looked past that. I proceeded to ask what can you except my card information manually because I have a digital debit card issued by my bank that is in my banking application on my phone. I'm thinking that they're going to ask me for some ID to match the name that's on the card to my driver's license ID. They skipped that security question altogether and immediately just said no. So now, absolutely fish has just wasted an employee's time because he's gathered livestock and helped me answer some questions around remineralizing water. And lost about $220 worth of revenue. But yet when I go to their website (absolutelyfishnaturals.com), and I use that same digital card. I don't get the ninth°. I guess I'll just stick to Amazon.com, bulk reef supply, aquarium co-op, flip aquatics read more

Absolutely Fish - Just a show I'm a regular supporter, not making this up! Bad customer service experience - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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I can't believe all the negative reviews of this place. Absolutely Fish is the "absolute" ;) best; their prices match the quality of their stock, and all the staff are knowledgeable in their field. If you're looking for lesser quality, go somewhere else. Also, if you need help, don't hesitate to ask! They're extremely busy right now (and the pandemic doesn't help). If you ask for help, they we will help you as soon as their free. Shout out to Glen, Phil, and Eric for all their help in helping us achieve our beautiful 65 gallon tank; wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys! -Christina & Stefan read more

Absolutely Fish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Great staff, knowledgeable, helpful, and willing to go the distance. Had questions about adding fish to an established tank and the employee I asked admitted that he was still learning and promptly got another employee who was quite helpful. They're always up for the most random of questions and while there are undoubtedly comments made between each other - human nature - never once have I felt like an imposition or that my questions were stupid. read more

Every time I'm in here the staff is so annoyed when I ask for help. The service here is just flat out rude and condescending. It's really painful spending money here. Global Fish Co and Fishhut are better options if you have a freshwater set up. read more

I'm leaving a review specifically for Luke H. This guy is absolutely amazing and deserves a raise and then some! He was patient and kind and most of all knowledgeable on EVERY fish and plant in that store. He answered all my questions and made the process seamless. My girlfriend got me a 6 gallon fish tank for Christmas in order for me to begin this hobby. I'm a beginner at this so I didn't realize the fish she initially bought were too large for the tank and it caused a major algae bloom that I wanted to fix. I informed Luke of everything going on and even showed him pictures. He instantly told me the dos and donts and what kind/how many fish can be in there as well as educating me on the live plants and how beneficial they are. I completely changed my fish tank from the ground up with Luke's guidance and it's now a beautiful living eco system all thanks to Luke H! I will continue to go to Absolutely Fish because of this great experience I had. Thank you Luke H! read more

Great quality and selection of salt and freshwater fish. Also sell all boxed goods too.

One of the worst customer service experience I've had in my entire life - if I could give them 0 stars, I would. Similar to the other reviews, there are 6 people hanging out on the front desk and no one to help you. One of the guys who I approached didn't even seem like he wanted to be working but was standing around looking bored. Mind you, they have a mask mandate and this guy was NOT wearing a mask. There's another review where the owner responded saying they are a private business that can enforce masks for the safety of their own workers yet their worker was not wearing a mask and it made me feel uncomfortable. I had to approach one of the guys working and ask him to help me, and he rolled his eyes at me. He rudely told me he felt uncomfortable selling to me and did not bother to explain anything to me. Right off the bat, it seemed like he didn't want to sell me the fish no matter what I said. If you don't want to lose potential customers, I strongly advise you to properly train your staff on how to communicate with people. It seems like this has been an ongoing issue looking at the reviews and has yet to be resolved. Go to Fish Hut of NJ instead - they're only 10 minutes away and the staff there were extremely nice. All of them asked me if I had any questions and took their time to educate me on the fish I was interested in. read more

Dropped from maintenance service for 'asking' about my bill. I was set up for maintenance on my 300 gal mixed reef aquarium. The service personnel were professional and knowledgeable. They arrived on time as scheduled and, not only did they perform the scheduled maintenance but they made suggestions as to how I could better maintain my tank and committed to update me on in-stock corals that might further enhance my display tank. After two maintenance visits, I had called and left a message for the Maintenance Manager Patrick to inquire about invoicing. e.g. Do I pay per man or per hour or per call, am I charged for supplies or discounted for providing my own, ect. The information was to serve to inform my bookkeeping as I write off the maintenance as a business expense. Somehow, the inquiry was translated or interpreted as me saying that there "I have a problem with my bill". At least that is what I was told when I asked the service person why they skipped my appointment. I did receive a call back from Patrick but was unable to take the call at the time. Subsequently, and unbeknownst to me, my next schedule appointment was cancelled as I had been removed from the schedule. I called to inquire and was informed that Absolutely Fish would no longer 'be able' to provide maintenance service for my tank. I was told first told by the service person when I had called to ask if I would be rescheduled because of the 'missed' appointment - that he thought I would not longer be serviced for reasons including, but not limited to, that I had a problem with my billing then, after reaching Patrick, I was told that I would no longer be serviced because my tank was too complex....., then I was told that they were too busy due to an influx of customers related to COVID....., then I was told - I was accommodated in the first place but ......well, you get the picture. To be certain, they did try and help me by giving me the phone number to another service professional that has yet to return my call. I was completely blindsided and ultimately flabbergasted by and at the turn of events. Particularly because I was simply asking, "How do you bill". Terrible and unfortunate experience. read more

Absolutely Fish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

If zero stars was good I'd give it that used to but rush here all the time, one hawk killed couple of my fish told my they give me store credit payed 60 bucks for fish they said 10 dollars store credit owner is a ........... u know the word I would never spend another dollar in this store terrible customer service read more

Love this place! Livestock clean and always have everything I'm looking for. Every person who work there are very knowledgeable. My go to spot for all my saltwater fish needs. read more

UPDATE: Went back to Absolutely Fish because this is, unfortunately, one of the last remaining aquarium stores with a large selection of marine fish in my local area. I had found a fish listed for $60 on their online store but would've had to pay an additional ~$40 for shipping, which I wasn't going to do as I only live 15 minutes away. In-store, the fish cost $80. I asked the associate how I could order online and pick up in-store or get a price match as there shouldn't be this large of a difference between prices. The manager said that the shipping made up for that difference, admitting that shipping doesn't actually cost ~$40 and you're paying for some of the price of the fish in that, too. This just seems like bad business. Shipping fees should pay for shipping fees, not the 'discount' that you have on your online goods. It should also be noted that I stood in front of the same tank for probably 20 minutes (in front of the main desk) and did not get asked if I needed help once. Really don't know why I came back to this store. Nothing has changed. read more

The worst customer service I've ever dealt with in my life... Upon walking in there was 2 employees at the front desk and not one of them greeted... As we walked though the store viewing the selection we came upon 2 more employees that said nothing... Reached the rear of the establishment to find 2 more employees that didn't greet... So I figured if I walked back pass the employees and spoke loud enough about what I wanted someone would greet me or ask if I needed help but that wasn't the case... So I continued to walk to the other side of the establishment to find 2 more employees that didn't speak either... Now I walk back past the front desk and there is 3 employees there conversing and you guessed it no one said a thing... After seeing and walking past 8 different employees that said nothing to me I proceed to walk to the area in which the fish I wanted were located to see if anyone would come over but no one did... What sealed the deal for me to walk out was when another customer of a different race/nationality entered the store and immediately was greeted and assisted and not only that the employee walked the customer right pass me to help her with her selection... At this point I decided I would spend my money else where... Upon leaving there was 3 employees at the front desk and still no one said a word... As we exited my GF decided to make them aware to as to why we were leaving... Just so happen the person we spoke to was Mike aka the manager who suddenly want to ask what we needed help with when we passed him personally 3 times during the course of our visit... Although I drove 45mins to get to this store and definitely saw several fish I wanted and haven't seen available in other stores I frequent I will never return to this establishment... I would rather pay extra for the guys over at Fish Hut to special order the fish I need... The one star rating is because it's the lowest I could give... After I finished my review I looked through the 64 other reviews to find that several other visitors have had similar experiences through the years and nothing has been done about it so it's clear they just don't care and expect you to just spend you money with them... Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. read more

Absolutely Fish - The Entrance - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

10/10 rating. Staff here are incredible, super knowledgeable about anything you could ask. This is the perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. The outside of the store may look bland, but inside you'll get an incredible experience of staff and owners who actually treat fish like pets instead of products. Highest quality I've ever seen, and each employee is knowledgeable and expresses true care about these animals. Only place I will go to from now on. The young gentleman with long dreads helped me out immensely today, and was an absolute joy to interact with. Will definitely come back just because of his exceptional customer service and knowledge. read more

The most awesome aquarium fish store in the area. They only sell high quality livestock at very reasonable prices. Hidden gem of a pet store. Literally hidden. Being your GPS, this store is impossible to find without one. read more

Just got 3 fish from this awesome place, I got a Black Nd silver Angel fish, and 2 orange oranda goldfish , this place is heaven for fish lovers I will rate this 10/10 if I had the chance also amazing costumer service, read more

Absolutely Fish - Oranda goldfish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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Pat the owner is very knowledgeable when it comes to fish tank. They offer house services for your tank 100$ an hour usually take about an hr and half for my 125 gallon tank plus salt and taxes comes to 150$ a month. They have a stamp card for every time you purchase stuff from there you get a stamp. After 6 stamps u get like 15$ store credit. Fish here are like any other fish store but they have some weekly specials if you sign up for the emails. They can order stuff if they don't have it but yes your going to pay for it. They sell anything you could possibly need for your fish tank fresh water or salt water. read more

My husband and I enjoy coming here for all our aquarium needs! We are always helped by Kaleb and he is extraordinary with his knowledge regarding Fresh and Salt water. We started with African Cichlids and he helped us along the way teaching us all we needed to know since we were new in this hobby, and now with salt water for our second aquarium he has gone beyond in teaching us and guiding us in building our Nano Reef Tank. Not to mention he has so much patience and makes us feel welcome every time. Thank you Kaleb and Absolutely Fish for your great service and variety of African Cichlids and Corals and beautiful fishes! read more

I've been shopping here for 5 months now. Purchased everything to start up my 125 gallon salt water tank, from live rock, live sand, heaters, pipes,decor, water, food and all my tank babies, etc... Cam and Heather are whom I usually work with and they are so helpful, sweet and knowledgeable. I always enjoy my visits here everyone is also helpful. read more

It's a bit of a trek for me to get here, but always worth the effort. Although can be quite busy on the weekends, have never had any issues getting help from the staff. Only recently got into the saltwater hobby, so having support from the employees in answering my questions and them being patient while picking out livestock has been very appreciated. They're always eager to offer advice and have never pressured me into buying anything unnecessary. They don't hesitate from steering away from selling you something if it is not in your (and your pets') best interest. read more

I absolutely love this beautifully well maintained, quaint mom and pop store and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new hobby or want to get back into an old one. Whether you need serious educational assistance (the staff is amazingly helpful) or just some intelligent recommendations and quality products, this is the perfect place for you. To all you avid aquarium fanatics, I'm quite sure you're already aware of this gem on Rte 46 in North Jersey. The staff is highly skilled, extremely knowledgeable, kind, patient and friendly. So much to choose from. Even if you don't want to keep your own fish tank and just love to admire the many pearls of the sea, it's nice to visit them once in a while with your little ones. They have a huge variety of salt water and fresh water tropical fish to choose from. You won't be able to say no to getting your child their first fish. I say forget the big retail stores like Petco or Pet Smart. They will never carry the amazing products this store carries, nor will their staff ever take the time to share with you as much knowledge as they have on their amazing products. Here are pics of my newly designed ecosystem thanks to Absolutely Fish. read more

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Way overpriced they sell feeder fish u can get for 10 cent at global fish down the road for 1.25 a peace everything there is overpriced tho all the fish ur better off going down the road to global or the fish hut read more

Great fish store with a large selection. Extremely knowledgeable staff, always friendly and helpful. They truly love what they do and give advice for you to succeed instead of then making extra money. My go to spot read more

Great selection of both fresh and salt water fish, with very knowledgeable staff. They have your basic goldfish to your fancy arrowana and they all seem to be very healthy fish. I've yet to buy something from this store, but I have been here multiple times. The prices are fairly competitive and some are cheaper than other places. If you're looking for tanks, stands, food and other tank needs, this place has it all and a great selection. One of the best fish stores I've been to and will continue to go to. read more

Decided to give the store another shot beings they had the one fish I was looking for. Last time I was there my experience wasn't the best let's say but like anyone there human and make mistakes. This time my experience couldn't have been better. The guy jimmy or James who helped me was awesome. Knew the answer to everything I had to ask. Prices are what they are but you get what ya pay for I'm learned in life. I'm super happy I gave them another chance. They have my business from Now on whenever I need anything that's not easy to find. Thanks guys !! read more

Absolutely Fish - Dull and crappy. The store actually keeps the good stuff for themselves it's insane!!!!! - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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This is a great location with a huge selection of fish ranging from salt to freshwater. But the workers here just are not it. As in my first experience, I had a 19 year old try to dumb me down about my tank and how many gallons and what I have in it. Like as a hobbyist and a fish lover myself. This isn't my first rodeo and you shouldn't tell me what I should and should not get. Such as he tried convincing me not to buy the 2 inch Amano shrimp because I have a female beta in my tank and I already had 3 in there and he said apparently it will not recognize it and eat him. I still bought it after and it is still living happily. I have also went a second time and greeted by a young girl which was a better experience because at least she telling me information about the fish and not trying to interrogate me. I was happy they received yellow honey gourami's but I should of known better by the color of them I shouldn't have got them. They were basically pale and when I took the two home I didn't realize they had ick. So great I have to treat my tank and worry about my sick gouramis. They ended up dying the next day sadly and I checked my tank levels everything was fine. I ended up giving up and decided to not come back because I am making the hour drive because another fish hobbyist recommended the place to me but with the matter of experience I had here. Not worth it to me. read more

I got to be honest, at first reading some of these reviews I thought they were fake. But having gone here, it does appear all the guys (how come no girls btw?) who work here really do care very much about their profession and they seem a bit fanatical fish lovers. When you ask for a fish, they ask you lots of questions to make sure your tank has fish that would make good fish mates for the fish you are trying to purchase. That tells me a lot about a place, that they truly care about the fish first and then the sale second. I wish there were more places with more passion like this place these days. read more

Absolutely fish is absolutely fantastic. If I could give more stars I would. The customer service is amazing. Everyone who has helped us is so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. It's true you do need to ask them for help especially when they're busy helping other customers, but once you get helped, you get undivided attention. The place itself is clean and well organized. They have a wide selection of saltwater and freshwater fish and all of the fish look quite healthy. Once in a while they have really good sales so be sure to add your email address to their distribution list. We took advantage of the 20% discount off livestock and bought a yellow watchman goby, tiger pistol shrimp, falco hawkfish, and a chalk bass. The goby and shrimp paired off the day after. We also got an oscellaris clownfish pair, and both have vibrant orange colors with a contrasting dark black. We're truly and extremely satisfied with this place. This is the only place we trust in NJ to buy fish and corals for our reef aquarium. read more

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The best tropical fish store in the state. Knowledgeable staff and huge selection of fish, inverts, equipment, accessories and food. They will take the time to explain the aquarium set-up process to you and make recommendations on which species can co-habitat with others. Well worth the drive if you live out of the area. read more

Went to buy some fish today and the place was a zoo. To get help you have to wait in line, but people waiting for over twenty minutes started to leave the store cause no one would help them. The place needs supervision. I went to sea level aquarium instead. read more

Good selection but after spending a lot of money here over the past 5 years I've got to speak truth: The staff is often pretty condescending, and it honestly creates awkward situations, at times to the point where you could explain why they're mistaken but you'd rather just spend your money elsewhere. I must say the hours are also very inconvenient, they close only an hour after most folks get out of work and if it's close to closing time they can sort of act like they're doing you a favor by helping you. read more

This place is AMAZING. If I could give them six stars I would. It takes a lot to leave me in awe, these guys have more than accomplished this. Tanks are in pristine condition, employees are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, frags are cheap. The fish and some larger corals are a bit expensive, but they take such great care of their systems I would gladly pay the higher price. Definitely will be a regular here!!! read more

Absolutely Fish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

This place is amazing, the staff knows there stuff, always crowded but they help u quick and are very knowledgeable..love this place but it's very expensive..I'm addicted to this place it's awesome trust me read more

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Whether you are a new customer, old customer, or just an avid aquarist (a person who keeps an aquarium), I urge you all to take a moment to read my review. Absolutely Fish provides a decently sized selection of both freshwater and saltwater fish. There is always a lot of staff on hand to help customers which is opposite to the sparsely staffed chain stores that happen to sell fish (Petco/Petsmart). My issues with Absolutely fish are somewhat subjective and I will be forthcoming in saying that your experiences may be different (doubtful). It's also worth noting that I am writing this review after I set up a pair of aquariums for a friend with livestock exclusively from Absolutely Fish. One was a freshwater planted aquarium and the other was a saltwater mixed reef tank. Unfortunately, I spent a good deal of time identifying and exterminating the plague of pests that BOTH aquariums had. One of the corals purchased there had Aptasia which was relatively easy to deal with by simply discarding the affected coral. The freshwater aquarium was relatively worst in that we had an infestation of hydra. To add to the frustration the staff was fairly dismissive about it. To a certain extent, I blame myself because on more than one occasion, I crossed paths with employees who would occasionally throw in a tidbit of anecdotal advice on fish keeping. Considering how common pests in the hobby can be, I find it ironic that the "Aquarists" didn't spend any length of time educating new customers (like my friend) about them. I support the idea of supporting local fish stores (LFS). However, I think it's equally important to be a bit more compassionate about potential issues surrounding products purchased there. Kinda hard to dispute the presence of hitchhikers and pests when the aquariums were stocked exclusively with livestock, equipment, and products from that store. Absolutely Fish is a classic example of a "Jack of all trades, master of none". TL:DR Besides their aquarium maintenance services, there is nothing that Absolutely Fish offers that you can't find online. read more