A friend referred me to this place, and I'm so glad they did. From the outside, it doesn't look especially fancy, which I think is because they primarily focus on wholesale. But looks can definitely be deceiving - this place is truly a hidden gem. Kenneth helped me throughout my visit, and he was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely invested in helping me create a successful guppy tank setup. They have an amazing selection of fish and plants, and I really appreciated all the guidance he gave me as I figured out what I needed to upgrade my current tank. I ended up purchasing a variety of shrimp, a beautiful koi guppy, several plants, and a really cool pleco. Thanks to Kenneth's advice, transitioning everything into my new tank was a huge success, and all of the fish and shrimp are absolutely flourishing. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I'll definitely be coming back. read more

The 2 stars are solely because they had what I was looking for, otherwise it would be 1 star. I went looking for a fish with certain traits, which they had a several variations of. When I found one that I liked I asked the guy helping me out the price; he gave me a number. When I looked it up online using their code it was off: he gave me a number $15 more than their website. Had I not checked I would've overpaid. Not to mention (I found this out after I'd left) they had a 10% discount until 7/7-my purchase was made before that date; however they made no mention of this. The conditions in which the fish are kept is less than ideal. There's numerous dead fish; some of the betta's are in small jugs with another dead betta. They weren't the only fish with dead companions but it was harder to photograph the ones in bigger tanks without being seen. Definitely wouldn't recommend going there if you're looking for something that was raised in good conditions. read more

See all

Everything. They don't communicate. They have no professionalism. They ship when it's convenient to them. If you're looking to buy anything aquatic and actually want it to arrive at a reasonable time for the amount they charge for shipping id avoid that place at all costs. It's just not worth the gamble. read more

Coast Gem USA - I won't be patient. I paid you. You weren't patient when you charged me for it. Got your money didn't you? - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. As a new hobbyist of Fancy Goldfish, I have learned they come with specific needs. Buying healthy fish and keeping them healthy depends 100% on; quality food, proper cleaning & filtration and the correct water paramotors for your breed. Although that sounds easy it can be overwhelming and small variances can be critical. Today, I discovered I had a couple of sick Orandas. Although, I truly thought I was doing everything right, I discovered my water quality was causing my fish to become sick after just a few weeks. I called the store and spoke to a very patient & compassionate representative whose name I believe was Nimit. He walked me through setting up a hospital tank and how to properly treat it with Methylene Blue. His customer service was outstanding (even with my 100 questions). With his help my fish seem to be responding and on the mend. I highly recommend Coast Gem for all your tropical freshwater fish needs. Buying from caring and experienced professionals AND having their support is definitely what this place delivers. Thank you Coast Gems & Nimit for all your help. read more

Owner Changed His Mind, Saying the Fish Was No Longer for Sale I have visited this shop multiple times, hoping for better experiences, but unfortunately, my most recent visit was the final straw. Although customer service has never been their strong suit, it has recently reached an all-time low. Upon entering the store, I felt invisible. There was minimal acknowledgment to make me feel welcome. The staff seemed uninterested and not very informative or helpful at all. Today was meant to be an exciting day; I had set my sights on a $100 fish that I envisioned as the main attraction for our 60-gallon tank. The first employee warned me that while the fish could be aggressive, I was prepared to re-home our angel fish as my children were eager to find something larger and more colorful. I was relieved when a second employee confirmed that my plan was solid and that trading in our angel fish wouldn't be an issue. Confident in this agreement, I asked them to get the fish for me. However, just as things were moving forward, the owner intervened, stating that the fish was no longer for sale. To my disbelief, he ripped the price tag off the tank and attempted to suggest other fish as replacements. I didn't want to create a scene, but I left feeling disappointed and frustrated. This interaction has left a negative impression on me regarding the store's overall customer service and their business practices. I felt it was necessary to share my experience with the aquarium community, as it's important for others to be aware. Overall, I would not recommend this shop given my experience. read more

Found this on the internet. Lots of tropical fish, gold fish and koi. Great variety and reasonably priced for gorgeous healthy fish. Mostly an internet business but open to the public too. For me it was right down the street so I went there to pick up some koi I saw on their website. read more

Inconsistencies in fish quality and customer assistance aside a solid store when buying bettas.

I have this kid that will call, ask tons of questions, and these guys listen and address whatever his concerns are. When the fish arrive in Bakersfield, they are always alive and in good condition. And the price is fair. read more

Coast Gem USA - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

Sick and dead fish on arrival. Did not refund appropriately. DO NOT RECOMMEND. I lost money and an entire tank is now diseased.

Came in to buy some African cichlids to add to my existing peacock show tank. Purchased 8 highly colorful "male" peacocks. Slowly, over the course of a month, color fades on many. Six months later there are babies in the tank as half of those purchased have turned to a dull color typical of females in this species...needless to say, very disappointed by the deception. My only assumption is the breeder overseas knew what they were doing to "cheat" and reseller either willfully or unknowingly (doubtful) went along with it. Either way, item not as advertised. I made the best of the situation and moved all but one known male to my main show tank. read more

Not my first time doing business with Coast Gem USA. Delivery was unexpectedly quick, sometimes it takes a while to get fish from farms to customers, not this time. With two day shipping, the fish that I ordered arrived in 80° water and looked as if she had spent about 5 minutes in transit. read more

I recently ordered from here 2 Female and 1 male Big Ear Lavendar Mosiac. After a few days I started looking online at reviews of this place. I almost immediately regretted placing an order.But a couple more days went by and I was sent my tracking info and it was saying it would be delivered on Monday,which was 4 rdays away. So I held my breath, today door bell rang and there was theg mailman delivering my fish.. Your wondering, were the fish alive? Very much so and packaged just the way they described. I would definitely order again. Give these guys a chance, Everyone has a hiccup read more

I ordered a beautiful male yellow, Pink rosetail on their online site. I wa very excited and trusted the overall positive reviews. However, when my fish arrived, he was very sick. I know shipping causes a lot of stress to the fish but these conditions were caused pre- shipping. My fish had sever bacterial fungus, that caused multiple scales over his whole body to be missing. He also had brown/grey spots on both sides of his body. He looked to have had severe ammonia burns on his gills, that were bright red. On the stock photo, these problems were not yet present and he had a healthy body form. However, when I got him, he has a significant dip in his head due to poor water conditions. I was very certain he was not going to make it through the night, as he was breathing very heavily and gasping for air. Fortunately, he did make it and is on his way to recovery. His scales are slowly growing back and his gills are now black again. Hopefully, with time, his strange spots and deformed head will get better as well. I would also like to point out, that his overall behavior is very skittish and fearful. He doesn't seem to have a positive history with handlers. I contacted customer service and they only replied back with an automated message asking for photos and packing slip. All of which I had already provided. I did not want a refund or a replacement. I just wanted to let them know of their fishes conditions for better handling and future reference. I love my boy and hope he makes a full recovery soon in his own little jungle. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. I ordered three male guppies on 2/1, and they were not shipped until 2/24. I emailed customer service three times during those weeks to find out when they would ship, and didn't get a response until right before they shipped. When they arrived on 2/28, they were not only dead, but so disintegrated that in one of the bags you couldn't even see where there was once a fish. So, they packaged them on 2/10, let them sit on a shelf somewhere for two weeks, and then shipped them to me. Now, despite emailing, texting and calling, I cannot get ahold of them for a refund. And, according to their policy, if I do, I will only get store credit and no refund for shipping. This was not a matter of the fish dying during transport. This was negligence on their part in packing and shipping in a timely manner. Do not waste your money. read more

See all

I went in here to get shrimp for a tank me and my 5 year old have been building and were really excited about. We took the shrimp home, put them in a small quarantine container ONLY with the water they came in, and less than 24 hours later, all of them were dead. I called them the next day and explained the situation to whoever answered the phone, he blamed it on my water quality (even though I never used any of my tank water), but said to stop back in and he'd give me replacements free of charge. Two days later I went into the store, the guy I spoke with on the phone gave me a cup and net to get the shrimp, and out came the owner. He starts complaining and whining to me that my water quality is the problem, it's not his fault they died, and he's not going to give me replacements unless I spend $40 more dollars on them - I originally bought 10 of them. He was insulting, in front of all of his customers in the store. If one of your employees offers a customer replacements, you HONOR it. I worked out time to get off early from work and drive over there to be there before they closed, so he wasted my time AND insulted me. I hope your dumpster fire business tanks this year. This place is complete trash. Almost every other place you purchase fish offers at least a 7-day guarantee on your fish. Don't waste your money here. The owner is rude and greedy. read more

The fish I received from Coast Gem USA were easily the best fish I've ever bought from anywhere. 15 ,2-3 inch peacock cichlids in perfect health and already showing color. They all were individually bagged and expertly packaged. Once they were shipped ,shipping from California only took 2 days. I did take a while for them to fill the order, but in their defense ,it was the middle of winter so I can't rule out the delay was due to weather. Highly recommended if you want excellent fish . read more

I have been looking for Oranda Goldfish most of our local store are sold out so I tried this place. I have ordered two Oranda one is tri color and a panda. The communication was phenomenal. I live in Bay Area so I ordered from online. I was desperate especially the Panda. Lox who I appreciate and delivered my request for the fishes. I probably called twice and emailed since I was too excited and she communicate everything I want. I actually hesitated after seeing all the reviews. I was nervous tbh I was thinking my fishes won't make it! But look at them they are healthy! They package the fish very well! I loved it! I am not sure if the blue water was methylene but they are blue! Which is plus less stress for the fish! The only complain was the delivery company they kind of delivered the fish upside down clearly there is a big sign that it was a live fish and with the arrow. I freaked out who wouldn't? OVERALL THIS PLACE IS A BIG RECOMMENDATION. Thank you for everyone! read more

See all

Got into a bit of a misunderstanding with the products. But the associate was calm & collected and offered a solution to make it right. I'm very happy with their solutions - they went above & beyond with those! Thank you. *online purchase read more

See all

I feel their pricing of betta sorority bettas is super unclear. I genuinely thought I was getting 6 fish per type I selected since the description lead me to believe that. I paid entirely too much for the fish I received. Additionally, the nerite snails I received are the smallest ones I have ever seen and they were $5 each!! I certainly learned my lesson about not checking reviews for this company. Back to Amazon adn chain pet stores I go for fish ordering because at least I can read reviews, and the prices are better considering what I paid for very basic female bettas. I thought I was adding a significant number of fish to my 75 gallon tank, and instead it is still nearly empty after adding the priciest bettas I've ever bought. read more

Been purchasing from coast gem for years since they first opened back in 2013. Mr.Pong is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Always highest quality fish and imports. His customer service is great and his attention to detail goes beyond measure. I've never left dissatisfied and every fish I've ever owned that came from him has lived well beyond expectancy. Will continue to support this gem of a store for years to come. (No pun intended intended) read more

I don't think I would want to buy from them again, unless you absolutely must have to. They're not professional in how they take super long (at least 3 weeks to over a month) to ship your fish. The worst thing is, you won't get the fish you ordered but something in similar quality and looks. They seemed to have used another fish's photo in the "actual fish listing" but shipped me a different fish, though the one I got is of similar quality. Still, it is not professional and the time it took them to ship feels like forever since mine took over 3 weeks to ship. Surprised they're still in business after all these complaints and years. read more

I had a silly special request for one of my bettas to be iridescent, and they not only replied right away assuring me my request would be guaranteed, they also combined the two orders I had placed back to back (and excluded shipping prices) without me even requesting. So awesome, and I highly recommend buying your aquatic needs here! read more

Waited 3 months for my order. Finally got a hold of them and cancelled the order. Customer service is okay when you can get ahold of them.

Their customer service and their care for their fish is terrible. Twice I've ordered from them where they've forgotten the heat pack, and all of the fish were dead on arrival. It takes days to weeks for their customer service to reply to messages. Sure, the shipping is cheap, but so is their customer (and fish) care. read more

I just got my fish delivered to Los Angeles. He is in great health. He came out of bag with minimal stress. I put him in quarantine (Pic). It took him about one hour to start swimming and eating. Recommend CG for online shopping. read more

Coast Gem USA - The Betta Fish I ordered - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! They don't respond to calls, chat, or email. I placed an $850 order 2 weeks ago and have yet to receive my order, updates, or even talk to ANYONE! DO NOT BUY FROME HERE! read more

Really great customer service. He took his time waiting for me to pick out the perfect little fish for my aquarium. Would definitely come here again. read more

Coast Gem USA - How cute is she? - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

It's disappointing that I even have to write this review. I've been a customer of coastgem for a few years, having purchased beautiful horkin oranda from them, they used to even follow me on Instagram. Today was by far the worst customer service experience I've ever had. I walk in to the store to pick up my 13 goldfish I ordered through a wholesaler in Indonesia and the owner's father was the one inside. I asked the older man for help as I was there to pick up my fish. The death stare I got after for even asking him because I didn't have an order number, of which, I wouldn't have one since these fish were not Coastgem's, they were just the ones to receive them of which I paid $700 for them to receive. The older man continues to give me attitude for wanting my fish and demanded I call the person who was in charge of my order, of which I called Namit and then he called his dad and then they had an employee come to help me, which I waited 30 minutes until he showed up. We go downstairs where the goldfish are and half of the tanks, of which many of the fish they sell on their website, are filthy like they never have been cleaned, mine included. I see my fish were sick which is just icing on the cake after being disrespected by the owner's father. My fish were in Thailand for as long as they were at Coastgem and were very healthy and then get to Coastgem and become very sick. I'm praying my fish are okay now that they are home with me. Such a shame what has happened with this business, as I have spent a lot of money here and have always been treated nicely but today I got the worst customer service I've ever received with no apology and sick fish, of which in the past the tanks were always clean so I trusted them which was a huge mistake to leave my fish with them longer. DO NOT BUY FISH FROM HERE -- YOU MAY GET A SICK FISH OR DEAD ONE DUE TO THE LACK OF CARE IN THEIR AQUARIUMS AND RUDE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Shame on you Coastgem, I wish you well in your poorly run business. read more

Coast Gem USA - Oranda wirh dropsy and swim bladder - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

See all

Shrimp quickly died in the water we took them home in, but an employee was kind enough to offer us replacements. We drove back, just for the owner to get in our faces and blame us for it so he didn't have to honor it. When everything is the customer's fault, there's effectively no return/refund policy. Out $40.00 for dead shrimp, and getting nowhere, we left. On our way out, we had the pleasure of listening to the owner yell at us and rant in a foreign language(Mandarin?), which made our 5 year old cry. Class act, these guys. read more

ordered 10 female and 7 male bettas. The female are all DOA or died shortly after. 1 male is in very bad shape. Very bad packaging. Unboxing video: https://youtu.be/kChDtSDi7xk read more

See all

Paid $200 for nothing. Worst goldfish business. No response, no shipped products, scam business!

I've been waiting for months to get what I paid for. 2 different shipments of 2 different fish and they still arrived with white dots on they're faces WHILE STILL IN THE BAG. I've been nicely asking for what I paid for to be given back to me in some sort of exchange but the company I believe is starting to ignore me now. I've been waiting for a response from a manager named "James". For at least a couple weeks now as well. I have every form of screenshot and photo to prove everything, they even told me I'd get another fish sent out, a 3RD!!....yet no response. I'll be waiting. read more

See all

I was very surprised all my guppies came safely and in good shape. After I had placed my order I was trying to look for reviews since I realized there weren't any on the site. But after reading a bunch of the reviews I got a bit nervous seeing all the DOAs and sick fish people had gotten. But all 3 of my male guppies arrived safe, healthy, on time, and we're also well packaged. -------Update 8/4/22------- I was quarantining the fish before I put them into my main tank, one of them died after about 2 days and I couldn't figure anything out because they looked healthy. Then after a week I put the remaining 2 fish into my tank cause they seemed healthy, then another died but they seemed fine the days before. I still have one but they are starting to act lethargic so I put them back into a quarantine tank with medication, but I doubt they will make it much longer, pretty disappointed. :( read more

Coast Gem USA - Aquarium Services Near Me - National City, California

Buyers beware! Fish quality is okay at best and what really ruins it is the customer service. After 3 weeks of calling I kept getting lied to and I finally got the whole picture. They will not sell you the fish on the website, the fish don't exist. Instead, after you've paid they'll then order the fish from Thailand and send it to you. I ordered 10 bettas and after 7 weeks finally got 7 of them. No emails about change of sale, they just short me. They didn't try to make it right and offered no resolution to make you whole. You are better off ordering from Thailand direct to a transhipper thru Aquabid. I would give 0 stars if I could but am giving this warning instead. read more

I ordered three Tropical Fish Albino Red Vienna High Fin Cauliflower Swordtails (Order #53103) from Coast Gem USA. The fish arrived safely, very active, and looking extremely healthy. The seller did an excellent job packaging them securely, and the delivery was right on time. Very happy with my purchase and highly recommend Coast Gem USA! read more

I've normally had good experiences with this business up until now. I placed an order, no communication as to the delay in shipping. I checked their SLAs on when orders ship, then emailed them. No reply. A couple days later I emailed again, no reply. This was ridiculous. I disputed the charge with my credit card company, then followed up with an email requesting that the order be cancelled. Which it was, but zero communication...not ordering from this business ever again. read more

Not even one star should be zero. They never pick up the phone, nor reply to the text even though they leave a phone number for messages. They've given me zero updates on shipping and won't respond at all. At this point I want a refund but it's impossible to get ahold of them. Never order off their site they'll never ship your order on time or at all and contacting them is probably never going to happen. These guys are scammers. I wished I read the reviews or found the yelp before going on their website. the one and only time I was able to get them on the phone they said there was a hold on my item but did not say why then quickly hung up. read more

WOW! First purchase - Absolutely IMPRESSED with quality of fish and customer service! Fish arrived in individual bags, well packed and in excellent condition. Did have small issue, text was answered immediately, and corrected to more than satisfaction! Highly recommend! read more

I reached out to the shop owner on my order status via email and the Shop app (because my package was a couple of days late). I didn't get an email response right away so I called the store. I explained my situation to the owner and he overnighted my package within a couple of hours. From then on, the owner emailed me multiple times a day with FedEx tracking updates. Overall, I am happy with how the owner turned my worries around with the overnight shipping and constant communication. My fish arrived healthy and happy but I'm still quarantining them in a hospital tank before housing them in their permanent home. Their colors and quality is superb. read more

See all

Buyer beware: Coast Gem USA I order 8 2 1/2 inch to 4 inch goldfish. Some Ranchu and oranda. About $300 with shipping Was no clear shipping date but window was 10 to 15 days after ordering. but huge heat wave hit were I live. I sent 3 different emails trying to cancel cuz of the heat was going to be over 110 degrees. Was ignored and they said it was fine. Package was opened when arrived. 1 was DOA 3 more died within 4 hours. Only the one DOA was covered by the live on arrival and only by store credit. I know shipping is hard on fish but this felt so irresponsible to me and customer service is horrible read more