I placed an online order because they had freshwater eels for sale I have had aquariums for 60 years The eel was $19 To make the $60 dollars of packing and shipping worthwhile I placed a $300 order including some live bearers As is standard I ordered 3 to ensure 1 male and 2 females On the check out page there was a place for shipping notes routing insurance was added to the invoice with no option to remove it and no link to be able to read the insurance info so my assumption was this was added so that the shipper could replace dead fish They called me before shipping because one of the fish I ordered had Ich So we spent an hour on the phone deciding on a substitution The packaging seemed good when I first opened it as I unpacked the fish I noticed the eel had been packed in a bag that was the same length as the eel and it was dead Eels are fickle Any stress and they die to pack an eel for shipment with no wiggle room was bad and he died Other bags had leaked and barely had enough water to cover the fish I had to open the leaking bags and combine fish from two bags into one so there would be more water for acclimation Then I noticed that they had sent all females for all the live bearing fish Something that a professional should know not to do And it was apparent that the pictures online had been color enhanced because the actual fish received did not have the intense coloring displayed in their pics Had they been honest about what the fish actually look like my order would have been completely different if I had known they were going to unload all females I would not have ordered them because they look like ditch minnows I spoke to a manager and told him about all things listed but mainly because the one fish that prompted a $300 order was dead due to either sick stock or improper packaging and the shop bears the responsibility The manager said I should have specified the sexes of the fish but there was no place on the fish page to choose the sexes even though there was a drop down menu to select size and to choose quantity the only place I saw where notes could be typed was in shipping instructions Besides these are supposed to be professionals When I pressed the manager on this he admitted that when people buy in the store they are asked what sex they want the fish to be I was on the phone for an hour with the guy to make a substitution for a sick fish and that was plenty of time to ask that simple question They also informed me that I would have to pay shipping and packaging again for them to replace the eel with no guarantee it will arrive alive. when I asked about the insurance they had forced me to buy they told me that I would have to contact the insurance carrier and file a claim and even then they probably wouldn't cover the shipping I told them that they should be the one to do all that is necessary to replace the dead eel that died in transit because that is what customer service is Shipping is the responsibility of the shipper I honestly thought the forced insurance on the checkout was so the shipper could cover these kinds of issues Especially since there was no link to review the terms and conditions of the policy And there was no place to unselect the insurance The manager could not explain to me why there was a forced insurance purchase if it didn't cover dead fish their online ordering is a scam They deceive with color enhanced pics, unload excess female fish by not having a place to select the sex, they force you to buy insurance that has no benefit to you if the fish arrive dead, and they deflect blame When I sent an email detailing all this, the owner replied and said that their policy stands I have scoured the website and I cannot find any information that tells the online ordering customers that they will not honor replacing dead fish even if they perform poor packaging or send dead or dying stock They kept telling me they were a small store and couldn't afford to absorb replacement costs for dead fish. Then don't sell online!!!! Or actually purchase insurance to cover replacements including shipping Out of curiosity I went to the post office and the UPS store near my house and asked them the overnight shipping cost for the box they sent with water in all the bags and it was half what they charged for shipping costs Keep in mind they charged $15 for all the packaging material DON'T ORDER FROM THIS STORE Shop at your local store this company is a scam by using bait and switch tactics with pics, offloading undesirable female live bearers, poorly packaging the fish, forcing the purchase of useless insurance, and deflecting blame back onto the customer I asked how this would be if I paid the $60 shipping and packaging for the eel to be replaced and it also arrived dead they had no answer They may be nice in person but they have no problem cheating online customers read more

I come here ALL the time, the staff is so friendly and helpful! plus there's always a huge assortment of both freshwater and saltwater fish. i've been coming here for 2 years now and have never had a bad experience. i recommend this store highly!!! one thing (in my opinion) that really sets aqua imports apart from the other fish stores nearby is they take the time to update their website to show what they have in stock, as well as always having labels with pricing & fish breed on their tanks. i don't see this often, especially for the quantity aqua has, it's very impressive. read more

See all

There is a bit of parking in front of this shop. The shop has a huge variety of plants, fish, spiders and amphibians. I stopped by for a Holiday gift and while waiting in line no less than 3 people asked if I needed help. Excellent service! The shop itself is could use some upgrades which is why the star ding. read more

See all

Aqua Imports is my go to fish store! I drive down from Fort Collins it's so good!!! The staff is very friendly and always happy to help. I love their massive stock list and they have great prices. A definite must go if you're in/from/around the area :) read more

my starlight pleco died in less than a day and when I informed them they said it was past the 2 hour window and maybe I could be helped on a future purchase it was a 50$ fish read more

I've posted the review on google but I need to cross post the review here so everyone can be aware of their fish quality and how they take care of the fish you are going to buy. I bought 6 Zebra otos on the website from them. One is dead on arrival and another one died immediately after I put them in my tank. Those otos were in horrible condition and had been starved for a very long time. They are skinny and pale compared to 4 zebra otos I have in my well-established tank. Not sure if the remaining 4 can make it. They refunded one zebra oto and didn't respond to my message after that. If you want to squander your money and buy dying fishes, they are your top choices read more

See all

I came in for some plastic tubing, to cover a lobster clasp on a necklace, that was grabbing my hair. The nice helpful guy cut me off 2 inches of tubing, and gave me a razor for free. I'm going to come back and buy one of the beautiful pieces of Malaysia wood, as a decoration, that they sell at this store. read more

When I went to Aqua Imports all of the employees were willing to help me out. One employee took his time to help me figure out how to raise the KH and GH of my tank water. He was very helpful, knowledgeable and I will be going back to this store. During that time I purchased 2 "Orange" rabbit snails and an Orange crayfish. Great experience with the employees. read more

Aqua Imports - Orange crayfish. He lives in a 75 gallon and has a great personality! - Aquarium Services Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

See all

Paid for next day air. Shipment delayed, but not due to weather. UPS claims Aqua Imports is at fault for when they dropped the package off. Aqua Imports says the package is lost, but hopefully the fish will be located. Aqua Imports says the fish will be fine and that they don't normally get a refund from UPS. Obviously the refund needs to come from Aqua Imports. This should not be on the buyer when I have zero control and I AM THE CUSTOMER!!! read more

My favorite fish store in a 40 mile radius for koi. They are always cleaning and planting beautiful tanks and have a good mix between salt water and fresh water fish! I get all my filters and koi food here and I've even considered getting into salt water with how many cool fish they keep in stock. very friendly fun and happy people to stop in and see! I wouldn't buy online as I like transporting myself but if theirs ever been an issue with a sick fish I took an interest in they wouldn't even take money down until it was healthy and ready to go and after healing and taking home those fish are thriving! They know their stuff and they're great at what they do. Love love love aqua imports! read more

Aqua Imports - Aquarium Services Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

See all

I bought black arowana, it's beautiful and healthy. She will grow big like my other silver albino arowana. read more

Cool environment and helpful staff! I've visited a couple times and definitely will again.

Amazing! I loved the tank for the bettas the most, much better then little cups. Every petstore should care for their animals as well as this company does read more

Everyone has been very helpful and informative. It's usually really busy so I would go when you have plenty of time to enjoy and admire the various ecosystems they have going. read more

Good fish place lots of fish. I did see a pleco jump out tho don't worry it was ok and swimming after

After all the great initial communication I have got to say I'm very disappointed with Aqua Imports. Ordered online 4 Panda Garra, 6 Empire Gudgeon and 4 Denilson Barbs. They didn't have 4 Garra in stock (1 Garra sent) (they had my email and phone number) so instead of trying both of these they substituted the Out of Stock Garra for Chain Loaches as apparently they are similar fish. They are not similar fish for starters, Garra are algae eaters and Chain Loaches are snail eaters and potentially fin nippers. A better choice would have been an SAE or Bristlenose Pleco. problem I now have is I only have a 55 gallon quarantine tank to put these fish into (which would not have been a problem if the Panda Garra or a algae eating substitute would have arrived). Now I have Chain Loaches chasing my already stressed Rosaline Sharks (Denilson Barbs), one has even had the yellow bit nipped off its tail fin! I had to rush out to get an isolation net and make an adaption to separate the fish which is very frustrating. Other issues 1) Panda Garra sent was literally the size of my thumb nail ended up putting it in my shrimp tank. I'm sure a "Medium" sized fish is not this small. 2) Looks like one of the Denilson Barbs is either malnourished or has a possible bent spine or deformity ? 3) I find it ridiculous that Aqua Imports sent out these fish with all of these factors going on, they even had a phone number to call (not just email), they should have emailed then called? 4) Aqua Imports sent 5 instead of 6 Empire Gudgeon 5) No return contact after I made this complaint. Photos were sent proving all of this I will be making a complaint to the Better Business Bureau shortly read more

Aqua Imports - Rosaline Shark (Denilson Barb) which has been fin nipped by Chain Loaches - Aquarium Services Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Really amazing fish in this store, and relatively friendly staff. My only issue is their fish are super hit or miss. I've bought from this store about 4 times over the course of 5 years, and after bringing the fish home, it's not unusual for about half of them to die. I have never bought expensive fish from them for this reason. I always go to Aqutic Dog or Rays Tanks for that. But good stock of food, decor, and fish. Just with they treated their fish better. (Also yes my parameters are nearly perfect. Tank has been cycled, PH at a desired level, etc.) read more

This store is hidden but it is a gem. I only bought a couple of landscaping items and plants for my fish tank I did not buy from them. They came out to my home and Help me set it up. read more

Aqua Imports - Aquarium Services Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

See all

Great service from the whole team. Love the fancy koi that we got here. Also great loaches and always helpful with our pond maintenance.

Extremely disappointed with my experience. I usually buy online from the likes of Imperial Tropicals or Dansfish without issue. I was impatient and ordered here because they had the fish I wanted in stock. I have a well-established and heavily planted 125 some of the fish I ordered came in okay, but an expensive pleco that did not last more than a couple days. It is a common issue of sellers importing fish and reselling without ensuring the health and quality of the fish in order to make a quick buck. Their rigid policies of not guaranteeing the life of the fish much beyond initial opening is a reflection of their lack of care and reputability. It can be hard to determine issues within the 2 hours especially when you are adapting the fish with the lights out to de-stress. I wish I had done more due diligence before ordering with them and would seriously suggest against it. I have photos showing the dead fish, me receiving the package the exact minute of delivery, the healthy environment it was placed in to, and my water parameters. They refuse to take any responsibility read more

See all

Love this shop. So many interesting creatures and the staff is super helpful and knowledgeable. We got an Axolotl without any tank pet experience. We are all thriving with the help of the staff and service. read more

They have a great selection and very nice staff. Definitely the best game in town. Highly recommended

Best staff around! Love these guys. Always helpful, patient and super knowledgeable. I'll be a lifelong customer!

Employee gave us bad information which made us put incompatible fish together that resulted in the death of 2 fish in one day. We went back to Aqua Imports and they refused to replace the fish. They said it's not their responsibility. It is there responsibility to give us the proper information about their fish. The man we spoke to was extremely rude and condescending and obviously could care less about the customer. read more

If you are looking for RO/DI water, Aqua Imports is not the place. I have been buying fresh water from them for like 10 months and for the first time I tested the water with my TDS meter. It showed 75ppm, which should be close to zero. Arvada tap water is 54ppm. So the water I bought is worse than my tap water. I would not suggest anybody to buy salt and fresh water from them for their reef tank. They got 2 stars because they have good selection of fresh water fish. read more

Highly Recommend. Great website, easy to navigate and use. Large selection of freshwater fish species across an array of different sizes. The overnight shipping process was easy and I received updates every step of the way. I was skeptical buying a fish from out of state due to air freight and travel but they were very informative and made the process pain free. The fish I received had vibrant color and looked extremely similar to the pictures on the website. Fish sizing was accurate as well. Large actually means large, etc. No bait and switch or misleading marketing practices. If you are looking for that rare or specific fish and size that you cannot seem to find at any of your local fish store definitely buy from Aqua Imports. read more

Never....and I mean NEVER, purchase anything from this establishment! They do not stand by their warrantee and will ship sick fish to you and gladly take your money for it..... I have purchased fish online in the past and have always been pleased with my purchase.....I never, not once ever received a deceased, or unhealthy fish from others venders. After spending $158.53 at AI, to start my grandkids off into the wonderful hobby of fish keeping,...was all at a lose. I had a tank that cycled for a month and was ready to receive new inhabitants, so while the other well known supplier didn't have the fish that I was looking for, I decided to give AI a chance....BIG MISTAKE! I have been in the hobby since the age of twelve and I am now starting my grandchildren off with their own aquarium. I was first informed that the shipment was delayed due to the Cardinal Tetras I ordered had acquired Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and were quarantined.....My first thought was; Great, I won't be seeing this order for at the very least, a few weeks to a month. A week later, AI sent a notice that my order was on the way....My first thought was, that was a awful quick recovery! To try and sum up my experience with AI, I received one dead Cory cat in the bag along with the other four looking quite lethargic.....AI claims a store credit will be granted for the already dead one.....nothing for the rest. As for the Cardinal Tetras, they were not at all cured and should have never been shipped....This is not good business practice and will never see by business again.....They can keep their store credit, as they clearly have no idea what they're doing. read more

Found this shop about a year ago and have bought a variety of live stock and live plants over the year. Absolutely one of my favorite fish stores due to the quality of fish and the huge variety of species. They carry fish I've never seen at other LFS. Prices are fair and the shop will not have a problem replacing fish that die due to poor health or stress from the purchase (within a day or 2), as long as water parameters were not the issue. The owner and employees are super knowledgeable and have been very helpful with sexing (picked me out a GBR pair when I couldn't tell the difference at all) and answering questions regarding treatments and tank care. Best thing about this store is their warehouse location is used to quarantine fish before they are sold in the retail store. I'd highly recommend them for all livestock needs. My only complaint is high-tech plants are not stocked well and/or aren't in the greatest shape. However, I have not had a problem with them bouncing back once added to my tanks. read more

If I could give them no stars I would. The employee gave me horrible information and had me put incompatible fish with my other and they ate them! I even asked the employee if that would happen and he told me no! Then I asked if I could return the fish because I was under the 72 hour return policy and they said they would take them but no refunds unless they were dead... I'm sorry but that is bull when I spent so much money at this place for crappy results. DO NOT GO HERE. Just go to petsmart at that point. read more

NOT recommended for animal care. I was going away for three weeks; I needed somewhere to board my one-year-old ball python snake. I found Aqua Imports online and brought my snake there. The cheap price of the boarding should have warned me. I should have stayed away from the second I got there. I brought my snake and cage into the back room, where there were two other animals (on the floor) that were being boarded. Neither had water in the tank, or had their lights/heating elements hooked up. They had been there for five days! I thought maybe they were just being moved around, but I eventually worked up the nerve to ask the sales associate, whose reaction showed me that these certainly had not had any care for 5 days. He was surprised. I had to ask him to show me that he was going to hook up the heating elements for my snake. When I dropped off my snake, his skin was starting to look a little dehydrated because he had just started shedding. I asked the sales associate about it and he said they would be happy to take care of him (by soaking him) and would feed him once or twice. Now to pickup: my snake was still sitting on the floor, one of the heating element bulbs was burned out (who knows for how long) and the tank was bone-dry. Also, my snake looked AWFUL, really sick, and was wheezing (sign of an infection). I asked the owner, who was there, if he had been fed. He had no idea, said "maybe...probably not...the guy who feeds the snake isn't here right now." I should have asked for a refund, but I was so angry I just walked out. I WOULD NOT TRUST THIS PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR ANIMALS. Zero stars if I could. read more

I spent over 100 dollars on 2 fish and when I got them they looked super unhealthy and really skinny. The 2 fish also looked nothing like the picture. I dont recommend buying fish online from them. If you're at the store yeah sure, so you can pick out the fish you actually like not fish that are about to die basically lol read more

I'm sorry but I can no longer support this business anymore, I am happy for them that they are able to throw away $200 a visit customers. Called this morning to ensure they had everything I needed before I made the 75 minute trip and they assured me they did. Of course when we get up there 2/3 of my order is missing and Sorry!!! I have put up with the bad service and lousy bagging and no manners, but waste my day???? read more

A great and amazing store! Made two trips so far and both were totally worth it! Staff that is more than willing to help and they treat the fish SO well. Great selection and good displays and supplies! Amazing store and if I could give them 10 stars I totally would. They have good service and good prices. read more

This is definitely a phenomenal fish store. They have other things in types of animals as well, but we mainly shop here for fish. They have an amazing selection of fish. We go there all the time to put new types of fish in our aquarium. The staff that work and this establishment are most definitely skilled and knowledgeable. Whatever question we have about fish compatibility, they always have great advice. Thank you so much Aqua Imports for our fantastic 150 gallons used aquarium. It looks great. Thank you for cleaning it and delivering it to our home. We are definitely satisfied costumers. Thank you!!! read more

I have had many experiences with aqua imports. I have bought hundreds of fish from them and many many plants along with food and supplies. They have the best selection of exotic fish in Boulder and a pretty vast selection of supplies and food. They do not always have the best prices on supplies/decor but it's what I would expect from a specialty store that has it all. They also have some nice employees working there. Most of the fish are usually quite healthy, however there does seem to be tanks with sick fish and ick more often than is achievable. So (as with fish from any store) I highly recommend quarantining new fish in a separate tank at home for a week of observation before moving to a tank with other fish. read more

This place is great. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Large selection that is constantly changing. Highly recommended.

Great selection of fish, including some odd balls. They mark tanks with stars that they suspect have sick fish, and would not sell me any in that tank - props to them for having some morals and not pawning off sick stock on me (I didn't notice any issues but they said they were concerned hence the star). The price for common schooling fish is insane though. Cardinals were $3 or $4 a fish with no deals cut for large numbers beyond every 6th fish is free. Schooling fish are sold in increments of 3 where I'm from, unless you tell them you're trying to fill out a school with just a couple. So to pay x amount per fish seems crazy to me. They have an awesome selection of some harder to find cory cats. The $40 price tag for an orange laser was a turn off though, considering I've seen them for $15 elsewhere. I picked up 4 pandas for $6 or so each. I've seen pandas much cheaper but these guys seemed to be in great shape, so I bit the bullet. Other prices were pretty spot on, so I'm not sure why the variance but hey, support local. read more

This is an amazing place they have really exotic animals I have bought fish from here and they are are thriving right now when I got them they were in beautiful tanks I recommend to buy fish from here read more

I am starting a planted 29-gal tank on a budget. I stopped by the store and was amazed by the quality of their live freshwater plants. The plants were looking amazingly healthy and free of algae, and they were of a very nice size and affordable prices. The owner was very helpful with choosing plants that would do well with a fluorescent light I have. I will most definitely be coming back. I feel that Boulder is fortunate to have such a wonderful fish store. read more

I went in looking for substrate & rocks to establish a cichlid tank. They have an excellent selection of substrate & rocks. They are also very knowledgeable & were helpful in getting me setup with those necessities. I needed 25ish pounds of aragonite, which only came in 20lbs & 40lbs so they opened a bag and i was able to get an additional 8lbs to ensure a substantial base. Their accessories were excellent. Now the reason they received 3 stars...their fish. I was paroozing all their tanks and they had a plethora of dead and sick fish. One tank had about half the fish that looked very sick or dead and didn't have them quarantined and were STILL for sale. Their willingness to sell fish in this state is VERY disturbing to me. I highly recommend going there for tanks and accessories but would be VERY wary about buying fish from them. read more