Excellent fish store with a wide assortment of livestock and equipment at fair prices. The staff is also very knowledgeable and friendly which is a major plus. The fish and plants I have purchased from CTE are always very healthy and thrive when they are added to my tanks. CTE is also very active in the Maryland Aquarist community which shows their dedication to the hobby. Overall A++ read more

See all

Great salt water coral selection, could use more fish choices Staff is always friendly and tanks look clean read more

See all

I know I am a little delayed in writing this review but we visited here a few weeks ago during Easter weekend. We had been here several times before but the new easter egg hunt drew us back. (GREAT IDEA!!!!!) hoping they do this every year! Anyways, while the entrance is gorgeous showcasing some amazing fish, the overall fish selection wasn't great. A lot of similar fish being sold but they do have any amazing stock of tanks and other items/equipment. They also carry a line of Aquarium co-op items which is great because we usually order everything online but who doesn't like instant gratification! The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable! read more

See all

Tucked away behind a small shopping strip on Deereco RD near Magooby's Joke House, this small private owned tropical fish store really is a hidden gem. For a small store, it is jam packed with a large variety of freshwater and saltwater fish, invertebrates, plants, and aquarium supplies! On top of that, the staff is very friendly and knowledge as well. I couldn't recommend this place enough! read more

Came here for a betta and some friends. The staff was really helpful. Some of our fish didn't make it due to other mean fish and they let us replace them without issues!! Will definitely be back for supplies and more fish and plants!! read more

Cool place-went to look around while visiting the area. Pretty big and had cool fish.

Staff was not helpful. sold us 2 crayfish. one died the next day. they blamed our water which tested fine. bought one more, died in 2 days. no refund offered, these crayfish were $20 a piece. very hard to get waited on. They talk down to you. had much better success at petsmart timonium and Toms on belair rd. Don't give CTE your money. Manager never called back. read more

stay away from cte aquatics dry goods is good and frozen food is very good but actual freshwater livestock is terrible they sold me 3 discus i paid 150$ for all three and they're only 2 inches each all three had fungal infections and one had gill flukes and i'm no discus rookie i have two 7 inch discus that are 2+ years old. then they have the audacity to request you send an email with pictures and get approval by email to return a fish that passes(2 passed and one my medicine was able to fix him) in 24 hours along with a water test i emailed and got no response until now and i tried to call just to realize they are closed mon-weds so they ran away with 150 on me never spending anymore money there seems really petty to have a 24 hour policy and it's not even refund it's exchanges only 24 hours so i have to make sure im in the window of thurs-sunday if i get it on sunday automatically its invalid... do better. read more

Last fish i got from them had an epic flat worm infection. Fixed him up good with some prazipro. Should never have been sent home with me but is what it is. Always qt. Good shop. They can't control the wholesaler tanks which would be where the super worms originated. read more

This place is small but mighty! They have everything you need and want for both fresh and saltwater. The quality of the coral is jaw dropping and the fish selection is terrific. You never see neglected or unhealthy fish in their shop (unless they are rescuing one from a terrible owner). And the staff is absolutely fantastic, I mean that crew is exceptional- they take the time to answer questions, give advice, and guide you away from things that likely won't work in your tank. They have saved my tank more than once and because of them our mixed reef tank is truly stunning. Thank you Tanner, Haley, Michael, Christopher and Carter - my learning curve would be infinitely longer without you all. read more

My husband is a hobby aquariumist. We get ho hum service at the big box pet stores. The staff here is friendly and genuinely happy to work there. They love the fish and are so knowledgeable. The store is located in an industrial park so don't let that dissuade you. Nothing fancy but the aquariums salt and fresh are pristine. Prices are probably comparable to the other stores but you have great customer service to go along with it. read more

A little gem for both fresh and salt water aquarium enthusiast's. Not as large as some, but a very clean space with knowledgeable employees. Zac has been a great resource. read more

By sheer convenience, I have stopped by here multiple times. The tanks are clean and the fish seem well kept. Extensive saltwater section, much smaller freshwater section. That being said, I always got a chilly, unfriendly vibe from this place, even when it's nearly empty. The friendliest "employee" is probably their large German Shepherd, who actually seeks out human interaction. After cycling my tank, I am finally on the cusp of getting some new fish. Alas, when it came time inquire about the fish, I again got a chilly and unhelpful set of responses from CTE. I won't come back. In fact, I would rather drive the extra 15 min to visit Go Fish instead. read more

My second visit purchased saltwater fish and coral. Fish died in a few days. Went back with fish and water, was told ammonia was very high. Had gone to another fish store and had it checked as well. They told me water was fine. Purchased testing kit and it was nothing wrong with my water. If you don't want to refund people don't lie to them and have people concerned about the other fish and coral in there tank. I will not return. read more

CTE has the best selection and prices in MD! This store specializes in salt water fish, coral & aquariums. Unlike many stores the livestock are healthy and the facilities are always clean. Their great customer service is a bonus. And they have continuous specials. We travel from Germantown for these great deals and its always worth the trip! read more

CTE Aquatics - Aquariums Near Me - Timonium, Maryland

A++++ The young girl working there had a cold and didn't feel well and was more helpful than any other fish store we've been to. Mostly tropical fish, but they are expanding their freshwater choices. The tanks are sparkling clean and plenty of choices. Shop is clean but weird set up in the rear warehouse. If you do aquariums, get your stuff here. read more

We went there today. The staff is incredibly friendly and willing to help us get started on setting up our aquarium. Never felt rushed or like we were bothering anyone. We had many questions and he was very knowledgeable. We will be back. read more

It's not a general LFS with a wide stock of parts, accessories, and food; however, they do stock themselves with good brands. Their live rock look very good, and decent selection of coral for the area. My favorite thing is that they carry different marine plants so you wouldn't have to order online. I haven't seen anyone else here that does that. The fish look healthy too. They're in a good spot too. Nice and away from crowded strip malls. read more

See all

horrible service. the kids that work there talk to themselves more than the customers. bought 2 crayfish, 1 died in 2 days, told the store. the girl wouldn't test our water for several days. we bought another crayfish, it died the next day. the store would not offer any credit. these were mexican crayfish $20 each. the third one was rung up by another employee for $15. he said that was the correct price. so we were over charged and sold sick crayfish. since then we have been going to petsmart. bought 4 aquariums, dozens of fish, no problems at all read more

Heard about this place after having a few bad experiences at House of Tropicals. Aquarist at the Natl' Aquarium recommended CTE and I thought I'd see what was up. Good selection of SW corals and fish, man made live rock, macroalgae, RO/DI FW and SW by the gallon, etc. FW section is getting bigger, they have an average assortment of various tetras, barbs, new world and old world cichlids, discus and angels. Dry goods/hardware section is a little small but thats due to the lack of space (in my opinion). The real gem here is an employee named Mike, he's knowledgeable and a riot to talk to. Nice guy, and if they begin to expand their FW plant section this will be my one-stop-shop always. read more

We went to this aquatics store a few weeks ago because of the good reviews. We live over an hour away. We walked out saying we would never purchase anything here. There were lots of dead fish in numerous tanks and looked like they had been deceased for a while. Sad because I think they have not been in business long and it is always great to find something new. read more

This store has taken turn from being one of the best store in the area to one of the worst! For the Marine fish stock coral I give a a 2 on the scale of 10. There is nothing there! The tanks are empty, no coral.. nothing ! Of marine fish will save it if not you are better off going to Petco read more

Nice selection of African but not a large selection. A very transactional atmosphere. My suggestion is you should know what you went when you go there. It was my experience that the employees there were more interested in talking to each other about their personal lives than being helpful. NICE PLACE TO VISIT BUT I WOULD NOT SPEND A DIME THERE. Just my opinion based on my only visit. read more

I went today and the people their were helpful. They awensered our questions and I would go back their again when my tank is set up. They have a pretty good inventory a few things were out witch I can understand and the fish were well kept and their were information by the tanks saying the size if they were aggressive and the tank size they need. This fish store is awesome. read more

The only aquarist with a professional level supply and selection of African cichlids. I was impressed not only by the cleanliness of their facility but by the helpfulness and friendliness of the staff. I've definitely found my goto fish store. read more

Great place for aquarium supplies. Freshwater is building inventory but fish are healthy.