Unfortunately I couldn't get a quality review from this visit as it seems they had a fire. It was hard to breath in here. It was crampt and dirty. I hope to try visiting again, after things are cleaned up, to adjust this review. read more

Azalea Aquariums - Aquarium Services Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I am relatively new to the area but an old-time aquarium hobbyist and retired professional in the industry. I visited another highly recommended fish shop in the area and was highly disappointed and disgusted. I did review that shop today too. I really want to find some good shops near where I live instead of driving to my trusted old haunts in the Viginia Beach/Tidewater area. I found Azalea Aquariums on Yelp and saw it was close to where I was and took a chance. I got there 10 minutes before closing, but I live about 30 minutes away so I thought I might as well check it out, get the feel for the place, and come back later if I like the vibes and am interested in the stock. I wasn't planning on getting any live plants or fish today, but I have a new tank set-up to review for a company and I will need to stock it when it's cycled. I wanted a plan and was just hoping to window shop today. I walk in, and while it's not the cleanest or most professional looking shop, it was clean enough and the fish looked cared for. It had that worn-in, well-loved feel about it and even had a cozy cat napping on the bottom shelf of a tank. It had a saltwater side and freshwater side of the shop, which I thought was an organized way to present them and care for them. The lights were low and there was just one alley with tanks on either side which was a bit uncomfortable, but I could see all the fish easily. There were very few empty tanks and species names and prices were visible. I didn't see one floater or sick fish. I was impressed by the health of the fish. Even most of the bettas were in nearly full-color, which shows that they are not super stressed out. Five minutes after I entered, I was ushered out of the store by a woman who came from the back room; previously there was just a man helping a customer. I looked at my watch and it was 4:55; it was five minutes until closing. I didn't argue but said something like, "Oh, I thought you closed at five." She said she would get me something if I needed it, but they were closed. She passed by me in the aisle, went to the front door, then went back to the back without a word. When I got to the front door a minute later, sure enough it was locked. It was off-putting. I was 30 minutes from home and not easily able to get back anytime I wanted. I was interested to see what gravel stock they had, how healthy their fish seemed, and just get an idea of the species they carry. Another five minutes would have fully satisfied my whole reason for being there in the first place. She didn't even ask if she could help me. She didn't introduce herself and was wearing street clothes. The tanks could be maintained better, and while it wasn't as bad as the dump heap of a fish shop I visited earlier in the day, it did leave a sour note that I won't forget. I probably won't be back. read more

Azalea Aquariums - Cute painting on the wall, and incidentally a gross filter. - Aquarium Services Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Wow, what a selection! I stopped in to scope out what they have as a favor to my brother who is in the market for a new tank and fish. I had no idea this place has been in existence since the 1970s! Super nice employees who are willing to assist and tank after tank of the usual suspects you'd expect plus some really exotic breeds, both fresh and saltwater. Prices seem reasonable. The interior of the store isn't much to look at... pretty dark and dirty. Doesn't look like it's been updated since the 1970s. Located in an all but dead shopping strip across from Azalea Flea. read more

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i have been going to azalea aquarium for over 40 years...they have the nicest fish on the planet and the staff is awesome and knowledgible....this should be your go to store read more

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Great store great place very knowledgeable one of my favorite stores in Richmond! Keep up the good work.

an aquariest for over 35 years; I had to start from scratch when some special species over 5 years old perished. The 50 g tank had a form of green water algae. The wonderful folks here helped me get it back to beautiful, even suggesting new fish...and a mongo frog to add. Their expertise is (lol) top shelf, although I had to choose some 'babies' on the lower ones. They graciously accepted back, a gorgeous (but bulling) male betta and 2 lovely but aggressive cichlids. Thank u for being close, friendly, and accommodating! read more

What a wonderful store dedicated to fish keeping. They have a large selection of fresh and saltwater creatures that all looked healthy. Very pleasant and knowledgeable staff and their prices were good. read more

I got 2 very healthy mocha clownfish yesterday and 2 hermit crabs. They are great and already eating!! Very nice guy I talked with, don't remember his name but he was very helpful and educated me a lot.Thanks so much you guys! read more

Azalea Aquariums - mocha clownfish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Visited this store a couple times. Been in the hobby for a while now and have constructed over 20+ Walstad planted tanks. I like this store, it has a different vibe from your average retail chain and the fish are actually healthy! read more

Scary location. Rude staff. Got what I needed but felt like I was bother by asking questions and needing help which seems to be on trend with customer service quality these days. It's a shame. Would NOT recommend. read more

I'm pretty nerdy when it comes to fish (I've visited reddit.com/r/aquariums, reddit.com/r/plantedtank, and fishlore.com almost everyday for 2 years), so I've visited a lot of tropical fish stores in California and Virginia, and I have to say Azalea Aquariums is definitely in the top 10% of stores I've visited. The employees know a lot about fish, and I love that I occasionally learn new information from them that I didn't know before. Main upsides of this place are that the aquariums are clean and their fish stocking is somehow more mature (e.g., closer to adult size, if not adult size already) than other fish stores I've gone to. It's awesome getting adult fish because they're more likely to survive than younger fish. The downside I'd say is that their fish can be more expensive. For example, a young corydoras at Petco or Petsmart might be $4-5, but an adult corydoras at Azalea might cost you $7-10. That being said, your average proportion of deaths from Petco (assuming you have perfect water parameters and do regular water changes) might be 30% over the course of a year while your average proportion of deaths from Azalea might be 10%. Also, given that the employees know a lot about aquariums, if you are pretty new to aquariums, you'll want to hedge your expectations when you go the first time (or do lots and lots of online research before you get your first aquarium). You might not be able to take any fish home because the employees might want you to get an aquarium up and running for 4-6 weeks before you get your first fish. At Petco, they'll tell you to have your filter running for a few days before getting fish, but this isn't enough time to get the nitrogen cycle established, so you'll end up with 90% or more of your fish dying. I'm biased, but I think it makes more sense to get a slow, boring start when it comes to fish rather than do trial-and-error and end up killing a bunch of fish needlessly. I tend to understock my aquarium, so I wouldn't have first hand experience with this at this store, but I could also imagine that the employees might refuse to sell you fish if they realize your tank is too small or overstocked to add a certain fish. So if you are set on a certain type of fish, make sure you Google and look at at least 3-4 different websites to see the suggested minimum tank size for that fish. read more

Once the best fresh water selection in the area - now snarky, unprofessional staff can't be bothered with netting fish for sale, answering pricing questions correctly and changing prices once quoted. Many fish mislabeled and/or not priced read more

I honestly don't know where all the negative feedback is coming from. Since I moved to the Richmond VA area I have frequented this shop several times and have gotten nothing but superior service from both the owner and his staff. They have an incredible selection of fish for very fare prices, and truly care about the quality of their livestock. From what I've seen from the negative reviews on this and other sites, people get upset when the owner, who has DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, tells them that they are not prepared to buy fish from him. Sorry but Azalea isn't PetCo, they care about their fish and if they find out you're trying to dump them into an un-cycled tank yes they will be leery to sell to you. Think about it, your average joe buys a fish, brings it home, and it dies. Knowing nothing about the nitrogen cycle, they assume the fish they bought from Azalea wasn't healthy and tells everybody they know the store has bad stock. By being careful about who they sell to, they ensure the safety of their livestock as well as their reputation as a business. I have personally purchased 4 emerald cory cats, 4 peppered corys, and 4 otocinclus catfish from them as well as 2 bunches of anacharis. All the fish are very healthy, and my anacharis has exploded to the point that I may have to bring some back to the store just due to the fact it's taking over my tank! If that doesn't speak to the quality of Azalea Aquariums, I don't know what does. read more

Wonderful place to purchase fish and aquarium supplies. I can't say enough good stuff about this place. I have been going here since 1981 so I have many wonderful childhood memories of this place as well. read more

What a fun little adventure! This little shop has tank after tank of incredible aquatic life. Half of the store is fresh/ brackish water and the other half is salt water. While the shop isn't pristine or new, the dimly lit rooms really let the tanks mesmerize your attention with their above lighting. My friend and I love to keep fish, especially betta fish and this place had the most beautiful betta fish for half the price of the big pet stores! My friend also got a blue crawfish, something I've never seen before, and he is very cute in his new tank! If you are into home aquariums, I would absolutely recommend this place for the incredible variety of animals. They also grow amazing coral in many of the tanks that are also for purchase. The only thing I would say is that the staff wasn't super talkative which would have been nice since I had never seen many of the fish before and wanted to learn about some of them. Other than that, this little place might look like a hole in the wall but they for sure know how to breed healthy fish and aquatic life. read more

This use to be my go- to place for fish. This last experience will keep me away. Spent a good amount of money on several fish to have over half of them die. My tanks are established and my water parameters are fine. I have other fish that I have had for a long time in the same water that are healthy. This store's policy is that they only refund half the cost of the fish if you bring it back within 7 days. Took 9-10 days for most of the fish to die, imagine that. Anyway, waisted time and money. Should have known to walk away when I saw dead fish in some of their tanks. The two stars are for the nice young man that helped me with the fish. Very knowledgeable. read more

Overall visiting this store was a great experience. I was a little thrown off on if we were allowed to go behind the counter (which lead to the other half of the store) but after getting the courage to ask all was well. The staff was a little strange but friendly and helpful and not at all what they might appear to be on the surface. They had what appeared to me was a great selection of fresh and salt water with along with live plants. The staff was very knowledgeable and really seemed to care about fish. My wife and daughter and I went for a fish for my daughter which we got with everything we needed to include live plants. When my daughter said she wanted a little bridge decoration the man cashing us out said we could just have it. He was very knowledgeable and helpful with our many questions. Don't judge a book... If the place looks weird or people look like weirdos you might actually end up very surprised. Great shop great people. read more

Very cool little store everyone seems to really care about the fish. It seems like they take alot of rescues which is good. All the tanks look so clean. Its a mom and pop store so dont expect all shiny and new. Expect to talk a while about fish lol read more

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The tanks are very clean, the fish are all of a healthy stock, and the workers are extremely knowledgable and helpful. This is the only place I get fish from because they're always healthy and live for years and years. They also have a large variety of fish for various tank sizes. I highly recommend them! read more

The people who work here are probably the most rude people in the fish business. They treat people who have been doing saltwater for years like they don't know anything just because they want to feel better about themselves. Today they told me I could only have 1 clown fish in my 150 gallon aquarium because it would get to be too big to have any other fish. I currently have 3 clownfish and 2 damsels in a 15 gallon and if I even attempt to take one out they all get stressed and turn black. I think I know what I'm doing. I've been doing this for approximately 3 years and still going strong. ALSO their prices are RIDICULOUSLY overrated. Who would pay $500 for a puffer fish there when you could go to Richmond Aquarium and get a baby for $49.99?!!?! I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst fish enemy. Don't waist your time with this disappointing piece of fish waist. PLUS THEY'RE INFESTED WITH ROACHES SO YOUR FISH MAY DIE..... Like mine did. read more

The store has bad points and one good point. The staff is horrible. Don't bother asking them questions if all you have or want is a small tank. They will make you feel stupid for asking average questions. They get really annoyed when you tell them you're just looking around. If you happen to have a large tank, their eyes will light up with dollar signs as they try to sell you one of their largest and most over priced fish. Worse still, they're sheisty. My fiancé and I were there two days ago and were asking about an albino Oscar for our 180g tank. The man told us the one that was the size we wanted would be $35. I told P we would talk about it and come back. Today P goes back to Azalea's to get the fish, the guy said the same fish would cost $70! They told him they charge differently depending on how much money they've made that day and if it's slow they "need money for the bar." He also explained that any price they give you is the 'right then' price, not the 'go home and think about it' price. Needless to say, P blew them off and stormed out, getting a bigger, prettier oscar down the road at Lakeside for $40. The only good point to this store is the fish. They have a pretty good selection, with a few unusual ones. And they maintain their tanks decently. But this is the only good thing about this store. To me personally, it's not worth going back. It's a shame, since if the staff could be even somewhat nice, it would be a wonderful aquatic resource. read more

This place is for a true fish lover. The owner himself has an almost annoying amount of information on just about any species of finned creature there is. If you ask a question, be prepared for a real answer that covers about every detail of the subject you could imagine. He is a true delight. This would also be a fantastic place for a novice fish tank owner to start to learn how to care for the pets in a more advanced manner. The place carries an array of fish an has a few back rooms for some more exotic species. When you go in hopefully it will not be busy, if it is you may be waiting for a while. It is surely worth the wait for a chance at the accumulated knowledge the owner has to offer. read more

I used to work at a specialty fish store in NY and I can be extremely picky when it comes to fish. Azalea is awesome, though! It's a bit of a "hole in the wall" but they have a good selection of fish (mainly freshwater) and they're all really healthy! I got 2 Cory cats, 2 kuhli loaches, and 3 zebra danios from them and they're doing great! The staff is also friendly and knowledgable, and I was happy to find locally made ceramic aquarium decor that was fully finished! (Smooth edges mean no ripped fins for fish like betta) they also have a nice selection of aquatic plant life. I highly recommend! read more

This is my go-to fish shop. They've been nothing but helpful and fun to work with. They are very realistic about how to take care of fish and which fish will live happily with each other. The owner showed me an example of why puffers do not belong with other fish! Their selection is good, and prices are very competitive. From the products that I've seen so far, Azalea's prices are equal to that of Petco & Petsmart. read more

Wow what a great variety of fish and very knowledgeable staff. Huge variety of cichlids to be sure. Not a lot of aquarium equipment. Only negative is they don't open until noon. read more

Out of all the aquarium stores I have visited, this has been the ABSOLUTE BEST!!! The staff are very knowledgeable and have helped me out so many times. I have never had a fish die (aside from incidents from my fault) from there read more

Fish done right. As one reviewer stated: "The owner (Keith) has an almost annoying amount of information on just about any species of finned creature there is. " I would change that to say that Keith is annoying, but you have to get past the personality and let him talk enough to get out of his own way. Once he feels that he has imparted enough information as to be impressive, he comes back down to earth and becomes quite helpful. The man knows his stuff. My wife and I have had tanks since 1989 varying from 20g up to 150g, and covered the spectrum from guppies to live reef tanks. We can attest that Azalea is one of the most interesting, best true fish stores that we have been lucky enough to get to know. Just go there to enjoy the beautiful stock that they keep in house even if you do not plan to make a purchase. Walk into the back room (entrance is behind the counter) to see more - it's OK, they let you. See both sides of the store. Awesome. read more

I have been dealing with Azalea Aquarium for 25 years. That is an indication of how I feel about this store. The staff are very helpful and the fish are in excellent health. They ask questions not to make you feel stupid but to make sure you are successful. Many people just sell products but don't take the time to ask you what you are trying to do. This store is not interested in taking your money but make sure you get what you are trying to do. This hobby depends on stores like Azalea Aquarium because many hobbyist just buy what they think they need versus asking or having the salesperson asking. They treat everyone the same small or large. I will continue to buy from them and recommend this store. I wish more stores took the time to ask and be concerned for the customers welfare for their tank. If they don't have what you are looking for just ask them and they will get it for you. read more

The store has a pretty good variety of fish, but the guys running the place are ridiculous! I went in today to ask about getting a red colored cichlid and the guy got all fussy and walked away from me. He told me a red peacock cichlid doesn't exist; in that they don't get that red. I told him that I had seen a really red one and he said it could have been painted. He's an idiot. Google red peacock on Youtube. You'll see some really red ones. I'm not an expert on fish, but don't tell me something doesn't exist when it does. These guys need to learn how to treat customers better! My advise, buy from liveaquaria. Good selection and you won't have to deal with douchebags. read more

I agree with Barbara's review, they have an endless amount of knowledge and not afraid to share it. They are not out to rip off their customers and will not sell a fish to someone who doesn't have a tank big enough to house it. The thing I like most is that they hold all new fish for at least seven days before they will sell them. Holding the fish allows them to ensure the fish is eating properly and that nothing is noticeably wrong with your fish, which saves you money on replacing dead fish. These guys are in this for true love of the hobby! read more

their prices can be high on some items but they a great selection of fish. they carry both marine and freshwater fish. although at the time i checked i didn't see the particular fish i wanted. they also are into aquascaping so they carry some rare plants that other stores do not carry. the people are not pretentious and are not intimedatiating to talk to. read more

Worst staff at any store I've ever been into in my entire life. They talk to you like you're stupid, bash other fish stores, and overcharge the absolute HELL out of you. The older man tried selling me a 6 inch Sulfurhead Cichlid for $200!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? They sold me to fish with ick that I didn't recognize until I got home. I brought them back and they wouldn't hold up their refund deal because I didn't bring my water in (even though I have 20 other cichlids in my tank that are all fine). By the time I got a chance to bring my water sample in, they didn't uphold their end of the deal AGAIN by saying it was past the 7 day limit even though I brought my dead fish back the next day. They told me they never sell sick fish, and the fish I bought from them died because the fish I already owned had picked on them which didn't happen. They told me they only fight when you're not around and that my fish were 100% the cause. HA! The man was clearly bullied in his childhood and now acts like a hot head because he breeds fish. Get real geek. read more