Well, this is my very first YELP review of an aquariun store. Today I went to Exotic Aquarium at 6643 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95823, as my grandaughter is fascinated by fish and has a 55 gallon, 37 gallon, 10 gallon, and 5 gallon tank (over 20 different fish). The best way to describe this store is like going to a museum. No cats, dogs, or other pets for sale. They do have rats, mice and crickets for feeding purposes. If you are looking for fish, lobster, turtle, you came to the right place. A warehouse full of any type of fish you could possibly want. I do want to address the mention of sick fish. I've bought fish from other stores and yes, they died 3 days later. I really like the idea of a quarantine tank, especially if your going to introduce it to an established habitat. This is not a discount store so expect to pay a bit more for high quality brand name tanks, food, fish, and supplies. All the employees are friendly and willing to answer questions. The store is kept very clean and the wall murals are really nice. A lot of effort goes into maintaining this store and well worth visiting if in the Sacramento area. read more

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Fish are way too expensive. It would be nice if they would reduce their prices. Staff are nice though.

Fantastic Q&A service before coming to the store, very knowledgeable, friendly. Jed is amazing, so knowledegable and a personal greeting when you walk through the door picking just the right person to help me. Chloe stepped in and helped me with every purchase from aquarium, fish, shrimp, plants, food, fun activities for my new pets. Thank you so much for everything. I found the prices to be excellent. read more

I was absolutely stunned!! In the best way possible. The outside is a worm of art but the real magic happens as soon as you walk in. I have never seen such a large aquarium store anywhere. As soon as you walk in, to your right you have rows and rows of beautiful blue tanks I thought I stepped into avatar for a second To the left you have everything you could possible need to take care or fish and reptiles. The staff is also so amazing and incredibly knowledgeable!! I was looking for some plants to go in my tank and a staff member who I swear has to have a PhD in aquatic plants because I learned so much and left with exactly the plants that would thrive in my style of tank instead of selling my something that would die. I will definitely be back for all my future purchases read more

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Came by to see their selection of salt water fishes - not much to see here, very disappointing since they have a large selection of fresh water fishes. Not many people to help out or offer any services. Wasted our time to come. read more

Update, all but two of the fish I purchased at exotic have died and now I have an aquatic mite problem from the plants I purchased there as well. Super disappointed. read more

Exotic Aquarium - Mites - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Super big selection of items with lots of things to look at as you find what you need! All of the staff is knowledgeable, especially the younger guy with the glasses in the front (I believe his name was Jen?). Be friendly and everyone will be friendly back! read more

Exotic Aquarium - Mantis shrimp - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great selection! Huge store and super knowledgeable staff. Go check it out. Incredible place to find fish marine and fresh

Spent $150 on 3 shrimp and plants substrate Sand just for the plants to die after being carefully introduce to the aquariums. Trust me, I did my research and the plant still died. They gave me floaters that were already dead. The shrimp died within a day mind you the guy that gave them to me gave me some that were already looking weird. I asked the owner and he just brushed me off.. it's actually I spent almost $150 on bullshit don't recommend they barely even help you. read more

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The father and son duo that run this aquarium shop have helped me on my journey of a saltwater tank. Jen, the son, is always there to help. Thank you so much for all your help. sincerely Tim read more

Came here randomly while in the area and left with some Rainbow shiners to add to my school. They immediately colored-up and it's clear they are more vibrant and of a better quality than the rest of the group from other stores. They had a huge selection of fish; rows and rows of tanks. Especially smaller, schooling freshwater fish there was a large selection and prices are pretty good/fair. All tanks were clean and fish were well-taken care of. read more

Exotic Aquarium - Rainbow shiners - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

This is a wonderful place for Aquarists. They have packed more wonderful options than you would think of. Wonderful staff! read more

This place is huge. John was amazing and super knowledgeable! I needed help with plants and a new tank that I got and he answered all of my questions. The prices are fair too. Def worth checking out! read more

Most of their fishes need serious quarantine. Bought a bubble eye gold fish from them after one month later it kill all of my gold fish from my tank. Total garbage! That is what happened when you tried to give small businesses a chance...shifting blames ?! my other gold fishes were 2 years old and I maintain my tank's cleanliness once a week. What you really need to do is to fix all of the one star comments from here and hopefully not go under. People need to really examine this manager's snarky attitude doubling down talking smack by selling sick ick fishes before this place will seriously go under bleeding capital. Big chain like petco fishes has no issues with guarantee protection and protocols in place. read more

Hey what's up everybody just showing some love to exotic aquarium. Came across this gem on Jun 24th and decided to walk in, was surprised by the setup. They had all kinds of reptiles, had aisles of fish. Don't worry foos and ladies youll definitely leave with a few by the end of your visit. The workers there were real cool and laid back, informative. They just opened up recently so definitely give them some love and check them out. EXOTIC AQUARIUM will be having a hard opening on July 13th, more fish and reat deals. Also food trucks. So come check these guys out!! don't be a fool. I came out of here with 20 fish, I was just supposed to be looking. Picked up some long fin Cory's cute Lil dudes. They are partnered up with Dubi Deli for all your pet food needs. read more

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Drove by a few times and finally took the opportunity to check it out. I was quite surprised and impressed by the size of the store, reminded me of the glory days of old when aquarium stores were more prevalent. They had a large array of fish species and some unique oddball ones you would not find often in other stores. They essentially sell everything you would need to get set up, tanks, decor, equipment etc . Even though I was only browsing I looked at the prices and felt they were quite competitive with what's out in the market. I feel this store has a lot of potential, it's definitely no frills and could work on sprucing up the ambiance but no denying it's impressive. read more

Exotic Aquarium is conveniently located off of Franklin Boulevard and has plenty of parking. They sell amphibians, freshwater fish, plants, and saltwater fish. They have all of the supplies you could ever ask for from aquariums to food to maintenance supplies, medication, and salt or water. They'll test your water for free with any purchase of $10 or more or for $5 without a purchase. They carry everything from frogs to geckos to snakes and tortoises. Everything looked like they were pretty well taken care of. It's a fun and educational place to take your children to. They can see snakes molting, fish being rehabilitated, and the occasional fishy friend who have crossed the rainbow bridge into their next life. Some people unfortunately associate dead fish with poor maintenance and upkeep, but the reality is some just don't make it for a variety of reasons since they're oftentimes shipped to the vendors. Sometimes they're just bullied, eaten, or sick. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I was pleased to find my dream aquarium I've been eyeing online and I hope to make it a reality in the near future. If you're disabled as I am or have little ones in tow, beware that the aquarium area floors are a tad bit wet, particularly on delivery days when the fish they've received are being acclimated to their new homes. My daughters loved looking at everything from the African cichlids to the Japanese koi, mbunas, and snakes. If your little ones love Disney films, don't forget to look for Dory and Nemo! The saltwater corals and plants are very fun to check out as well. You can have a fantastic time in the store if you devote 30-45 minutes to scope things out. Have fun exploring and it's a wonderful way to support local businesses versus the big box stores if you have or would like to acquire amphibians or fish of any type. read more

I came here in search of aquatic plants, drift wood, and exotic mystery snails for my 20 gallon tank planted tank. Let me start off by saying this place is massive and the fish are obviously beautiful and so well taken care of which is well worth 4 starts right away. I have heard amazing things about this store through a local plant group that I'm active in called '916 plants BUY/SELL/TRADE', so of course I had to check it out and show a local business support. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was for the lack of communication and interaction from the workers-it's almost impossible to get help physically on the floor the workers are busy cleaning tanks, feeding fish or in their conversations with other workers. I went up to the front counter and the main guy was easily able to get someone to grab a few things from tanks for me. read more

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I go to this location a lot, it's close by to me. They do have a good selection of fish. The employees are friendly but I do go in almost every week. The only thing that's an issue is a lot of their fish are sick or have something going on. Specially the feeder fish. The issue is they don't let you know. Buying feeder fish that are sick can literally kill all the healthy fish in your tank that you're feeding them to. Luckily I noticed before purchasing. Their female betta selection is terrible. Overall you just need to pay attention to what you're purchasing. read more

Fish are not the best, if you decide to purchase here make sure to medicate and quarantine. My whole tank got ich and the 3 fish I bought died. My tank fish are alive but are being treated. These fish are weak and are prone to disease. Do not put them in your main tank. Ich is annoying but treatable but their immune systems couldn't even handle it. No refunds as-well, so if I did quarentine they still would have died. So stick to cheap fish only if you have a separate tank. Good price and selection but not worth the hassle. read more

Great place. Amazing fish. I have been here plenty of times over the last year and a half. Very helpful staff, and I will add the gentleman with the round glasses might be awkward to approach (referring to previous review- he's the best in my opinion) but he knows his business. I've taken my kids 1 & 3yrs old and nothing but respect. Thank you guys for the help and guidance. You have been a great help and guidance upon my journey as a new fish keeper and I hope you guys keep it up. Thank you for your dedication to the hobby and the health of the fish you supply. read more

Exotic Aquarium - Jack Dempsey - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Do not use sales associates for fish related questions use AI, you will get much more reliable answers. And never listen to them when they tell you to step away from the fish you are buying. They do this so they can select the absolute smallest fish in the tank. Like ones that you could argue aren't even adult size yet. This is not a friendly store. read more

Super cool place. We have never been here before but we will be back! So much to look at, the have everything. David was a great help and very friendly! read more

The pictures on yelp doesn't do justice for this place. I'm new to the fish hobby and I was amazed here. If you like being left alone and a variety of fish to truly think about. This is the place!! Great prices and bundle deals. Make this the first shop to go! I was so impressed! read more

Exotic Aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

So many different plants and fish! They have nano fish which is what I like to go for! A variety of neocaradina too, love this place read more

Exotic Aquarium - Part of their plant selection! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Meh. I keep betta fish and I was really disappointed with how they keep their bettas. It was sad. Going through their tanks, every aisle had at least two sick fish in tanks that were not marked as quarantine, so I don't think I'd be comfortable getting fish here. Good plant selection and amazing supply selection. I might go back in a pinch, but I don't like patronizing LFS that keep bettas in tiny cups like that. read more

They have an amazing selection of plants, fish, decor wood and rocks! Lots of tanks to choose from as well they really have it all. The service was great too there's always someone willing to help I like that they're not always asking and following you around the store you actually have to go up to them if you need help! Prices are reasonable a bit pricey but you're getting what you pay for! read more

Fun shop with great options. Bought 5 fish from here. 3 died within 2 weeks, 2 of them were living in water that was yellow. No return policy on the fish. Bought similar fish from Petco and they are all healthy and alive. I would love to support local businesses over the corporations but how when then quality is low and their policies don't allow for them to make it right for the customer. Won't be shopping here again. read more

This store is amazing, it's always well kept and live stock are happy and thriving. The staff is very nice and friendly, always willing to help, answer any questions you have, and give advice. The prices are great as well. Highly recommend! read more

Great place great prices on equipment. Lots of freshwater fish to choose from and friendly helpful staff.

Store is amazing but sold me a sick fish. It was a small goldfish that was in solo tank and we had to ask multiple employees to make sure the fish is healthy. After going through four employee, she said it's healthy and has been fine for a few months. Took home the goldfish gave it the benefit of the doubt which was a mistake on our part. Turns out new goldfish had a parasite. Now my whole tank got sick. I would not recommend buying from here, if you do set up a quarantine tank just to be safe. Never ever buying a fish again here. This was my favorite store not anymore. So hurt my older fish has to go through all this. This fish had lice. read more

Must stop aquarium shopping. Large selection, good prices. Not sure of the lower rating but has always been a great place for me to swing by and get what I needed for years. All my fish died except one during a move but starting over and guess where I went first? 5 read more

Exotic Aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

What an awesome fish store. Has a lot of different fish and tank options. They don't raise the prices from what I've seen. You are getting lights and such at the same price you would online read more

Exotic Aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Everything is great from the location, selection, pricing, quality, staff, etc. BUT... there are two major shortcomings that have prevented me from leaving an otherwise 5-star review: First and foremost is the guy who is at the register (the shorter gentleman with round glasses). He has never heard of the concept of "customer service", and sadly I have to say that he doesn't seem to know much about social skills and politeness either! The first time we had an interaction with him, we assumed that he must be tired or had a rough day; but the same mannerism was expressed on each and every visit. I also observed his behavior towards other customers, which ruled out the possibility of bias against us, so that attitude seems to be the standard of his personality. Now, if he is one of/the owner(s), I hope he understands the importance of socialization to attract a larger clientele, because as many of the feedback suggests, his attitude is annoying to many of the customers (and I assume, there are many more who choose not to leave a comment about it). But if he's an employee, I'm sorry that the owner/manager has not fully discovered the potential of each individual in their staff, and placed that gentleman where it does not suit his personality AT ALL! Anyway, to be honest, if I had such employee, effective immediately, I would have terminated my partnership with him, and would suggest him not to opt for any careers involving customer support. The second flaw is that this business does not offer any sort of warranty or survival guarantee for their fish; not even for one day, for their freshwater fish! Which seems quite irresponsible to be fair! I personally would rather purchase my fish (at least those that are carried by chain stores and other shops) from Petco which offers a month of guarantee for their fish, or from PetSmart which offers a two-week guarantee, or one week guarantee from Splash Aquarium. Then, if I didn't find those in the aforementioned locations, I would resort to buying from Exotic Aquarium or Aquarium & Reptile Depot; the latter having many more workers on duty compared to the former (where you need to chase down someone to help you)! I hope they revise and improve these issues soon because they definitely have the potential for perfection! read more

Big thank you to all the employees that keep this place clean and have a large variety of fish and plants. Special shot out to David in picking out my guppies so pretty. In the back ground you can see the beautiful plants Saul helped me pick out. They are doing great. read more

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This place has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I came the day before their grand opening and they had A LOT to offer. I drove from Loomis just to come here and sure glad I did. They have the largest variety of fish and supplies for fish/reptiles. They had feeders, plants, substrates, tanks, and so much more it was kind of mind blowing. They have tanks I've only seen on IG that I've wanted. I only got pearls and some plants but plan to come in for a lot more. I have to say it's hard to find a place with enclosures supplies like this. I hate buying online and would rather drive an hour to here to be honest. They had a lot of tanks on display and it made me want to drop $3k so I can get a new tank and redo some of my reptiles enclosures. Really stoked about this place. read more

Exotic Aquarium - I wish I bought this lol what a great set up - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place is wonderful & huge! I went in to get supplies for My New Turtle, a big assortment of products and the employees were very helpful and helped me get the items I needed. They also gave me some helpful advice. I really recommend this place, they have a lot to check out! read more

A lot of options but the quality was terrible . brought 10 tetras and the next day ICH ( white spot disease) also I noticed a lot of their animals have poor health, and there was a lot of dead fish and all the aquariums that they did not clean. read more

Good once close to home to be able to grab pinheads to large crickets. Haven't purchased fish but have purchased tarantula items. No live pets yet. read more

I freaking love Jen and the Team. Always so helpful, friendly and kind. If I could give them more than 5 stars I would. Thank you guys for everything every time I swing by read more