Kent and Matt thank you for the great job on our messy pond. You brought it back to life. Our Koi are dancing. Very quick and efficient. Left our yard as they found it. Vickie and Leland Wardell. read more

The place had a bit of a smell and a lot of the tank hardscapes were covered in algae and not the clearest waters. Not the cleanest aquarium store I've been to but at least I didn't see many dead animals. The shop was dimly lit in some areas so I'm assuming that they're in the middle of re-organizing or something. Livestock price wise, i think it's reasonable. Although some tissue cultured were on the pricier side. The selection of plants and livestock were OK, I would probably only visit if you need equipment though. They have some ADA, UNS, Chihiros, CO2 tanks, etc. Here are some of the livestock prices to give you a sense of what they charge. This is not a comprehensive list but rather some livestock I was personally interested with: Prices as of June 2026: FW Fish Assorted Male Bettas - $10 Ember Tetra - $5 False Bandit Cory - $12 Kuhli Loach - $6 Longfin Bronze Cory - $10 Pea Puffers - $8 Pygmy Corydora - $6 Sterbai Cory - $15 Super Red Bristlenose - $30 Whiptail Catfish - $20 SHRIMP Amano Shrimp - $7 Bamboo Shrimp - $10 Black Tiger Shrimp - $15 Cherry Shrimp - $8 Opae Ula Shrimp - $5 Super Tiger Shrimp - $15 SNAILS Jade Mystery Snail - $5 Japanese Trapdoor Snail - $9 read more

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Update 3/12/2026: I recently bought a house in San Jose that came with a pond. Unfortunately the previous owner had passed away and left no instructions, so I had absolutely no idea where to start. I've never had a pond before and knew nothing about how to maintain one. I remember having a great experience with Aqua lab back in 2016 so I called them back up and Kent was incredibly helpful from the start. He took the time to walk me through everything and explain how the system works without ever making me feel dumb for asking very basic questions. We decided to do a one-time deep cleaning to restore the pond. Before the scheduled cleaning, Kent stopped by to check out the system and figure out what actually needed to be done. He ended up fixing a broken part, doing a full deep clean of the pond and the filter/skimmer, and adding beneficial water additives. Since I live about 3 hours away, he kept me updated throughout the process with photos and messages, which I really appreciated. He even left me some pond tools to use and offered to come back another time, at no extra charge, when I'm at the house so he can walk me through the system in person and show me how to do the regular monthly maintenance myself (or help with that if I decide I'd rather have him handle it). His pricing was very fair and actually came in lower than other local shops I contacted. Overall just a really great experience. I've attached before and after photos of the pond. Highly recommend Aqua Lab and working with Kent. What a great guy! read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria is great store that sells brands like ada and other stuff you will not find at other stores. Prices are on higher end but the price is fair. Planted tanks start up cost can very costly. Rimless tank, aquasoil. Good duel stage co2 regulator, anf There are equipment that they have that isn't found in big chain store. You're paying quality stuff. I been in fish hobby for 10+ years with African Cichlids, Rare Turtles, and koi ponds, but never tried high tech planted aquarium. High tech Aquarium was quite of challenge for me and aqua lab aquaria guided me to finally built my ideal setup. I no longer have room in my aquarium for plants but this is my favorite store for planted stuff. Another bonus is that they are only store to sell co2. read more

I really love the quality of their plants and fish, especially the betta fish! I do have some minor issues with inconsistent hours (sometimes i show up and it's closed when they say they're open), website locked behind a paywall, and their display tanks have gone unkempt. love it tho! i go back often! read more

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All there display tank are dirty. Salt water tank room is disaster. Dead fish dead coral bubble algae all over. Water leaking all over the floor. No light turn on. I asking staff if I can get some caulerpa seaweed. He only gave me a tiny portion. Probably one stem and going to charge me $20. I refused. What a rip off store. Stay away this place. read more

My family and I love Aqua Lab Aquaria! It's our local "fish store", but Kent and his family have SO MUCH more than just fish available to offer. We have stocked our fresh water aquarium's (x3 in total large and Betta's) with fish friends from them. All have been hearty and healthy. We also bought crabs, because our son was curious and we are crazy people apparently. They are awesome. Support your local retailers! Reading some of these comments, also understand the challenges of maintaining a business in this day and age. It's a labor of love most of the time and there's no shortage of passion here. Heading to buy another fish today. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

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Ordered several tanks (~$300). Never heard anything after a few days so I decided to reach out. Annie said there was an error on shipping and that it would be an additional $200 - $250 to complete order--why was this never communicated? Order didn't make sense at that point either, $300 becoming now a $550 order. Just terrible customer service and communications. Please do better. For the hobby and for your own sake. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Email from Aqua Lab - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

I placed an online order and received it within 3 days of the shipping notification. The stones are exactly what I was looking for. There was an issue with low stock of the item I wanted. Customer service was very quick to respond and I love the stones I received. read more

Online experience. Located in SoCal. Picked Aqua Lab as they are in Northern California and 1 of 2 shops up north that had ADA products. Needed substrate for tank build for the weekend so ordered on a Monday. UPS ground is usually 1 or 2 days in Ca. Didn't actually ship until Thursday and now coming on Tuesday. Also paid 7.99 extra to UPS at their website to upgrade to ground, but didn't help. This review and all of my frustration could have been relieved if they answered 1 email. but radio silent the whole time. called in to hear a message that there is no online order support over the phone. I will do business with the other ADA distributer from now on. read more

When my family and I had to move recently, we faced the difficult decision of rehoming our beloved fish, as we couldn't take them with us. This was an emotional experience, and I was so anxious about finding a responsible and caring place for them. Aqua Lab Aquaria was an absolute beacon of kindness and professionalism. Annie and Kent were incredibly understanding and empathetic to our situation. They treated our pets with respect and assured us they would be carefully looked after until they found a new, suitable permanent home. We are heartbroken to part with them, but we have peace of mind knowing that whether they stay with the store or find a new home, they will be happy. They didn't just take our fish in; they asked thoughtful questions about the history of the tank, the species, and their feeding routines, showing a deep commitment to the animals' welfare. It was clear that they genuinely cared about their health, future, and operated with integrity. I 100% recommend Aqua Lab Aquaria and would not go anywhere else for your aquatic needs, questions, or support. They took a stressful situation and handled it with grace, care, and extreme kindness. Thank you for giving our fish a new start! read more

i've always liked and now it is so cleaned up with supplies and fish tanks and looks fantastic. You've go by and meet Ginger. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

We live on the coast, so kind of hard to travel all the way to San Jose to get information. So I called the store and spoke to a gentleman by the name of Kent, who went out of his way to help me with problems I am having with our fish tank. Not only did he spend about 20 minutes on the phone with me he also suggested I send him pictures of our tank and fish then he promptly followed up. I call that great customer service! read more

I don't think they are a serious or very professional business. I called ahead to see if they had Co2 check valves. A woman answered the phone with extremely loud screaming toddlers in the back ground. She said they do have check valves, but they had stepped out and would reopen at 5:00pm. I specifically asked if they would be open until the posted time of 7:00pm. , she confirmed. I showed up at 5:50 to a completely dark, lights out and closed store. read more

Had a very pleasant experience with a knowledgeable person here. Down home goodness with the correct information, it pays to shop local peeps! I will definitely be be back for this Willow Glen win. read more

Great place if you need fish boarding! They took amazing care of our betta for over a month and even improved his aquarium. Highly recommend! read more

Have to buy a subscription to even view their website, or see what live fish they have for sale.

I call a few times during business hour. No one answers the phone. The store pictures on Yelp look nice.

You would think that after being somewhat local the order would at least come at a decent time. This is what $34 worth of plants gets you and even more so, one of them isn't even the correct plant. Package was leaking with brown Water and almost all of the plants were absolutely destroyed. After being a customer for so many years I am severely disappointed at what came in today. An absolute shame. read more

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Knowledgeable staff. Helped me pick out some plants without upselling me. If this first batch doesn't work, I'll definitely be back as I know it's a hit or miss when establishing a new aquarium. read more

Aqua Lab is an amazing store for aquascaping supplies, tools, plants, and equipment. I went there with my 9 year old godson Alex and his father to aquascape Alex's low tech tank, pictures attached in early February. The store gave us lots of inspiration with their display tanks, the staff was able to give us lots of information, and answer our questions. There was a large variety of plants for us to choose from that other stores just don't have. We purchased 6 different plants, 2 Wabi-Sabi stones, Kakako wood, and Manzanita wood for the aquascape. We also purchased Ultum Nature System all in one plant food fertilizer, kH test, and a gH test. Two months later the tank is thriving after some initial algae outbreaks and one plant death, which is due more to my thumb then anything else. We didn't change any equipment, and our tank is low tech, simple filter, heater, 10 gallons, Dwarf African Frogs, Neon Tetras, and snails. The frogs love the Nymphoides Hydrophylla 'Taiwan' which we haven't seen available else where. My godson Alex could not be happier or more proud of his tank and the advice and information we got from Aqua Lab, let alone that everything was available in one place for us to purchase has made this tank possible. 1st picture is of Alex's tank before Aqua Lab 2nd picture is Alex's new tank right after Aqua Lab 2/6 3rd picture is Alex's tank today, the Nymphoides Hydrophylla 'Taiwan' is doing so well we have clippings to go into the quarantine tank for when fish get sick. Final Note - regarding Covid-19 all employees were wearing masks correctly, so were customers, everyone was attempting to stay 6 feet apart, and taking turns in parts of the store were social distancing wasn't possible. It was a wonderful experience in that aspect. read more

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really nice guy, I can tell the owner has a lot of care about his hobby and his shop. The only bummer I would say is that the shop isn't always open during the week I think it's more of a side job for him. And there's not many saltwater selection, but when he gets them fresh, and there's always great deals read more

I'm new to the aquarium hobby and recently started my first freshwater tank. Every time I've ever had any questions about my tank or possible future fishy friends, this is my go-to aquarium store to get advice. I have a new pond snail issue that they had no problem helping me get through and gave me multiple options on how to address the issue. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable, and they were always prepared for any type of question that I had! Definitely recommend this place for fish enthusiasts, especially beginners like myself :) read more

Happened by here because another LFS was closed and boy I couldn't be happier. I was throughly impressed with their selection of freshwater plants, equipment, customer service, and their beautiful display tanks. I was originally looking for some freshwater plants but couldn't resist buying some coral frags while I was there. My new GSP colony opened up quickly and looks healthy and great! Would recommend to anyone looking for a cool freshwater & marine fish shop! Good service and great prices. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Bad photo, great GSP colony from Aqua Lab Aquaria. Coral is happy and healthy - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

Called in to inquire on some fish. I spoke with one of the helpers and she was very nice and professional. The owner on the other hand, was one of the rudest person I've encounter while trying to purchase some fish. First, the same fishes I were looking for were double the price of retail and online. I asked if I can buy all of the cat fish they had and if they were able to provide a discount. The helper asked the other and he said no. I then proceed to add those fishes plus 4-5 more. I ask them if they can give me a deal, but nope. The store owner comes out and states there will be no discounts of any kind. I get it, asking for any discount at a store is an Asian thing, but this guy's demeanor was uncalled for and not professional at all. You can sense the anger in his voice when spoken too. Im always trying to support local businesses than retails stores but I WILL NOT come back here or recommend it to anyone. Seems like he hasn't sold anything all month with those prices read more

Kent has really help me and my boyfriend out. My boyfriend almost quit the hobby until we stumbled across ALA. We highly recommend him over the other stores in the area and only give him our business. Thank you Kent for all of your help! read more

Your reputation continues to follow you...apparently you don't learn and continue to take people's money.. There are multiple people complaining about you on reef forums so I am resharing my review from a few years back to be sure to make all consumers aware of your unethical business practices. https://www.yelp.com/biz/aqua-lab-aquaria-san-jose?hrid=FU0xTDz2NIiE4222FGmMCQ&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) read more

I am a novice fishkeeper, and was looking to set up a planted aquarium for the first time. I was surprised that there weren't many aquarium specialty stores in the area (I don't consider Petco or Petsmart aquarium stores, although they do carry a fair bit of stuff). What I was looking for was the expertise and advice. Well, I found what I was looking for at Aqua Lab Aquaria. I spent some time talking with Kent, and he helped explain some of the bio concepts and requirements for a new planted tank. I browsed their ample selection of plants, rocks, woods and decorations, as well as their variety of fish. I'm just getting my substrate and hardscape set up with some gravel, aquasoil, sand, rocks and wood - and once I get things running, I'll be back for my plants and eventually, my scaly residents. The help and advice from Kent were just as valuable as all the hours I've spent watching YouTube vids, and I highly recommend both to any new aquarist. read more

I've been coming here for almost a decade. Kent helped me pre-baby with two two large tanks with decor and more. You can't do better... I stepped away from the hobby after my daughter was born but I recently brought her in with me and she started her own tank with Kent's help. You can't find this kind of customer service. Ignore the haters. Long time customer and fan. Highly recommended. Make a personal connection, it lasts a lifetime. read more

One of the great aquarium stores in San Jose. Aquascape and aquarium displays were amazing. Their service is awesome. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable. Not much fishes for sale but tons of other aquarium materials. read more

Excellent knowledge and friendly service. Great place to get you aquarium ideas and materials. Fish selection is not that great but good enough. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Great place to find a good setup for your aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

Solid selection of fish and aquarium supplies. I went in to check out their otocinclus and and amano shrimp, both of which were very healthy. They have a full row of ada plants in culture as well. They seem to be focused on their own aqua lab tank bundles which looks like a solid value for a quality low iron tank setup. Minus one star for cleanliness in the store - some shelves and tables felt a bit dusty and some display tanks had quite of bit of algae. read more

Amazing shop with aquascaped tanks and a great variety of Malaysian driftwood, cholla wood and hardscape. Everything is meticulously organized. The store has a 'gallery' feel to it. Proprietor suggested remineralized RO water for my bettas which is perfect seeing how tap water in this area tests well above 7.6 all the time. Thank you so much for the suggestion! If you are a hobbyist then this store should be on your list of places to visit. To the owner: Can you guys please put the solid red veil tail betta near the register in a larger habitat? read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Corner of Lincoln and Pedro next to Ganado feed. - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

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I am a total newb to the aquarium world and needed some professional help. I spoke with multiple aquarium professionals and tried out another professional (very friendly, cost was a bit higher than Aqua Lab Aquaria but did not have Apex knowledge) before meeting Kent from Aqua Lab Aquaria. 1st call to Aqua Lab Aquaria was with Ehren and he was amazing! We spoke for a good amount of time and he was very friendly and knowledgeable. I scheduled my first service and Kent came to my rescue (I call it rescue because I reset my Apex System by trying to add myself as a user... and oh boy... everything went dark, started to make awful sounds, and I was having a panic attack) Kent thoroughly explained the set up of my tank (which was left by the previous owners), fully set up the Apex system (which is pretty amazing by the way since I can check and maintain virtually anywhere), helped me understand all the extra test kits that were left by the previous owner, and did a water change (not an easy task... he had his own personal system he made and it was pretty bad a$$) I already visited the store couple of times to restock on items and will continue to go back. Look no further when you need aquarium service...Aqua Lab Aquaria's pricing is very fair (compared to other professionals from Yelp, TaskRabbit, Google - I might have overdone my research...) and they seriously know their stuff! read more

Best LFS for paludarium/riparian set-ups. I love emersed growth and semi-aquatic species, and this is my go-to store for stocking the aerial portion of my tanks. Also, they have excellent livestock. Unlike other LFS's, EVERYTHING I buy here is healthy and active, and I experience minimal (if any) losses within the first few days. A+, so tired of wasting my money on sub-par livestock that die within 24 hours. I've bought the exact same species from Aqua Lab Aquaria and from the other big name South Bay fish store, and the fish from Aqua Lab Aquaria just do better. I also enjoy their hardscape selection. I came here to set up my new tank, plopped myself on the ground in front of the hardscape bins, and sat there and rearranged the rocks and driftwood EXACTLY to my liking before purchasing. I can't imagine doing it any other way. My only complaint would be... I wish they had a bigger selection, and they seem understaffed. Display tanks have taken a bit of a hit since the pandemic and they could use an extra salesperson on the weekends. But I can cope with that... the stuff they sell is quality. read more

Found this place on Google maps, and followed the positive reviews. Not disappointed at all. Really nice store, they have everything I could think of to setup 3 new tanks - the equipment, the soil, the plants etc. But most importantly, the expertise and the willingness to share and help! Every visit I get to talk to different guys, and all of them, no exceptions, are fantastic! Great staff! The prices are good, too - kinda important. Bottom line is we are now hooked - the whole family ))) read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Aqua hardscape - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a great online store to shop your aquarium needs! I purchased my first (nano tank ultum nature system 45u) and supplies from them all the way from Austin Texas! Customer service (Kyle) was great handling all of my questions and the responses were quick,and professional... Great store!!! read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Ultum nature system 45u 9 gallon aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California

Super rude! I sent an email to inquire about aquarium cleaning services. When I asked what was included in the price they sent me (which was higher than I had expected), this was the response I got from Kent: "If the price is too much then we should probably suspend any further conversation." Conversation suspended. Not because it was too much but because it was just rude. read more

Excellent selection of premium rocks and driftwood comparable price to online stores. Ken is cool friendly guy. Gave me an idea to cut a giant 30x27 driftwood to fit into my 24" high tank. Great place for aqua scaping but not much selection of fish and coral. 4 star because he said it's OK to put driftwood into existing tank. It'll make the water brown, but it's OK. NO. it's not OK. It would make the tank ugly and fishes unhealthy. To prepare the driftwood, I have to cook it 3 times to ensure water is clear instead of brown. Who thinks a brown tank is acceptable? Come on dude. read more

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Purchased a CO2 kit and had some difficulties with (it was my own fault). Kent not only was willing to help out, but threw a refill disposable co2 in for free! I believe this shop has a lot of potential, especially since planted aquarium tanks are becoming more mainstream. They are also one of two shops I have ever seen that carry Bucephalandra. Talking to Kent, they will be expanding to include more livestock in the back area, and currently are concentrating on plants and coral livestock wise. They are also in then process of training new employees, so I would advise to call in ahead of time. Another bonus of going into his shop in person is the fact that they give out free stem plants. You can technically go solely for the free plants, but I would advise you to spend some on products, as the aquarium hobby shop as a whole is a tough business, and we should support the good ones that are willing to take risks and venture out. I have high hopes for the future of this shop, and will go again with any aquarium needs I have! Update They have great customer service. I purchased a product that unfortunately needed to be returned. They graciously accepted it, and took the burden on themselves to deal with the company. Will return for future needs, I know they have got my back when I make purchases there. read more

Aqua Lab Aquaria - Co2 - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Jose, California