125 gallon SPS & LPS reef system with fish…read more I had an emergency tank removal and long term livestock storage (3-6 months) request October 2019. Then COVID happened... I understand the lag with the reinstallation, establishment and acclimation, thats a nonissue. However, I was assured my tank would be transported and quarantined appropriately and healthily...that was not the case! Chris was very friendly, accommodating and helpful with the $3400 project of relocating and storing my tank. It WAS dingy, but it was still a healthy ecosystem! Every time, he showed up ~around~ the agreed time, and seemed frazzled and rushed; I do understand and appreciate fast paced work. Mind you, he was careless with my respawned-dead-coral and my coral-bearing live rock. See the pics below. He broke most of the REAL coral pieces I had and "lost" or killed the rest. What I had respawned was OBVIOUSLY left in the can for months on a patio. Killing everything! I was told it would be taken care of...not the case! After months of waiting (due to the shutdown) we scheduled a setup and he provided the water (brackish at best, 1.016) and "dead rock" and a fraction of, my coral, but not the valuable branch and stag horn coral pieces I had previously. Nor MY fish, or colonies... he did offers a few condolence fish and cheap--cheap corals (lacking color to this day) and a sob story about how he had a "bad order" that killed everything of mine and most of his tank as well. Most of what he brought died within 72 hours... All the while, I was told my tank would be quarantined for the health of both systems...definitely not the case! After a few months of establishment with my "dead rock" and my own cleanings and water changes he calls to bring my livestock back and do a cleaning and a water change. I was appreciative but nervous, to say the least, as I had already put new animals in. However, he WAS gracious enough to use my test kit to check my basic water parameters. Ammonia, PH and nitrites (a 5 minute job I usually do myself) and add a bucket of his water, due to evap...which raised my salinity from 37 to 40. It took another 6 1/2 months to find another 3.5" porcupine puffer, a yellow tang, that died after a few weeks, and a blue tang that actually survived, after the second try... Previously, I had an 8" porcupine pufferfish that was VERY happy, not finicky and non-aggressive. He had a personality and, believe it or not, learned tricks! They're one of the smartest fish in the ocean. Yet, in return, I got an aggressive (wild) baby that wont eat when fed. He likes my inverts more. I've lost stars, coral, hermits, emerald, crabs and even cleaner shrimp... After all this, I talked to him about just having my tank back, nothing more, nothing less. Yet, in a seemingly childish response he brought me a dozen 'low-grade' corals, I didn't have before, didn't want, and didn't need and refused to take them back in a effort to quell my disdain. He reluctantly agreed to a ~one week warranty on everything he delivered but when I told him all but two them were dead within days, forcing me to do a 50% water change, he shrugged it off. Leaving me with a bland polyp colony and a dying hairy mushroom. He WAS, however, helpful with having my acrylic tank buffed to a 'minimum' standard which was appreciated. Im still missing pieces...

After a minor flood in my home, I needed to get my 180-gallon freshwater aquarium moved so new…read moreflooring could be installed. I did some research, requested price quotes, and finally settled on Chris at LotsaFishies because he had good reviews, was extremely responsive, and affordable. Chris was great at providing invoices promptly so I could coordinate with my insurance company for payment. The initial plan was to move the tank to another room in my home, then return it to the original location after the flooring was installed. In the midst of repairs, we purchased a new home. Chris was very flexible with the changing timeline and scope of work. He partnered with me to coordinate a schedule that worked to move the tank after closing escrow on the new home but quick enough to not delay the repairs on our existing home. Both moves were done quickly at the agreed-upon time without any issues. I would recommend Chris and LotsaFishies for any of your aquarium needs.

The owner Doug was great, he took his time was very patient and really knows his stuff.read more

I really love me to Love Aquarium! Besides the seaming endless supply of hill stream loaches, it's…read moreabsolutely delightful to come here and see sparkling clean tanks, healthy fish, and not a single spec of duck weed. I have been learned about planted tanks and they have been helping me with plants and they are always nice with helping me pick plants and fish for my thank. They are also nice to my young kiddo who tags along and asks a ton of questions and is an aspiring fish keeper. I think a casual hobby tank or a serious fish keeper can be happy with the selection here, and it's become my go to location. I definitely need to head over soon to get my most recent algae bloom in check ha ha!! Definitely swing by to take a gander and some fishes.

Great service! He communicates well on scheduling & is always on time & does a great job!read more

Great aquarium. Lots of interesting sea life. Great way to spend 2 hours. I would highly recommend.read more

Such a great experience when we walked into the store! They had a great selection of fish and…read morecorals. Ethan was super helpful and informative. He helped me with all my questions since I just recently started my first saltwater aquarium. This store is a bit further for me but definitely worth the drive for the customer service, care, and quality you will find here!

So nice having an LFS in my neighborhood. Ethan is so helpful and informative whenever I pop in. I…read moreappreciate his knowledge and passion for the hobby! They did sell me a packet of expired Coral Rx once so docking a star for that - other than that it's a great store with lots of variety!

Great service and great prices. My filter in my pond was not working and needed work. I'm very…read morepleased with this company and my pond is on its way to looking clear again. Would recommend this place for sure!

Live Water Aquariums Transformed My San Diego Koi Pond - Absolutely Awesome Service!…read moreI can't say enough good things about Live Water Aquariums! They recently came out to my home in sunny San Diego for a full pond tune-up on my backyard koi setup, and wow--what a difference. The owner Mark himself showed up right on time, rolled up his sleeves, and dove right in (pun intended). He inspected everything from the filtration system to the water chemistry, cleared out some stubborn algae buildup, and even balanced the pH levels on the spot--our San Diego hard water can be tricky, but he nailed it without a hitch. My koi are swimming happier than ever, and the water is crystal clear, just like the Pacific on a good day. What's even better is that we signed up for their monthly maintenance plan on the spot. For a reasonable fee, they handle all the routine stuff--skimming debris, checking the pump and UV sterilizer, adding those beneficial bacteria to keep things eco-balanced, and monitoring ammonia/nitrite levels so I don't have to stress. No more weekend warrior sessions for me; I can just kick back in my backyard and enjoy the show. The guy is genuinely awesome--super knowledgeable, friendly, and treats your pond like it's his own. He shared tips on winterizing for our mild SoCal climate (like insulating the heater lines come December) and even recommended some hardy water lilies that thrive here. If you're in the San Diego area and need pro help for your pond or aquarium, Live Water Aquariums is the real deal. They've got my lifelong business. 10/10, would recommend to every fish-loving neighbor!

5 Star Aquariums really does earn their 5 STARS!! My…read moreaquarium was in such bad shape, the water where I live is extremely hard and fish just kept dying! I had given up on my tank ever sustaining fish and looking beautiful. Shane at 5 Star Aquariums came to my home and cleaned out the tank, filled it with proper water and brought everything else with him too! Gravel and lots of decorations to choose from. My tank looks so beautiful now and I am looking forward to getting some fish again. Thank you Shane!!

Always helpful!!! I was in a pinch for ro water after trying to go to our local store said open so…read morewe went in and they were actually closed. With no notice on the door.

Jonathan was extremely unprofessional and unreliable. He serviced my aquarium and 2 days later, all…read moreof my fish died. He denied that he was responsible and refused to replace the fish. I caution all of his existing clients as well as potentially new clients to go elsewhere.

Jonathan is really sweet. We have a single BETA fish. We don't want to hurt the little guy so…read moreJonathan comes in cleans his tank for us. It always looks amazing! We need more fish! Thank you, Jonathan!

I've been a little hesitant with services on my 187G mixed reef, but decided to reach out to a few…read morecompanies and came across Jason of Js. Aquatics. I'm so glad I did. He cleaned my tank with efficiency, was very thorough. Prices are extremely reasonable.

From the owner: We are a full service aquarium maintenance company. Offering goods and livestock…read more Extensive knowledge with a willingness to learn , attention to detail, and exceptional service are what we aim to provide.

He was very amazing the day very fast response he fit me in super quick in his schedule definitely…read morewill be having him come out to clean my tank often .. I definitely recommend everyone to call him if you need cleaning services

Chris took care of my 100 gallon mixed reef tank for over a month while I was out of town. He was…read moreflexible about the visits for my house sitters schedule, but also very reliable. I appreciated his attention to detail and the care he took in making sure that no minor issues became major ones. I'll recommend this service to my friends and also use this service again when needed.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is absolutely massive. This place is extremely huge, and honestly you…read morecould spend an entire day here and still not see everything. We showed up pretty late, so we were only able to do the Safari tour, which is one of the main attractions, but it was completely worth it. The way the Safari is laid out is unbelievable. Traveling through the park and seeing all the animals spread out across these huge open areas really makes you feel like you're on an actual safari. There's so much room and space for the animals to graze and move around naturally, and it was amazing seeing how different animals interacted with each other or how the sections were designed to feel natural and immersive. They also have a zip line that runs across the safari area and a hot air balloon that goes up and down over the park, plus plenty of other attractions and exhibits that we didn't even get a chance to see. Definitely worth checking out, especially the guided Safari tour portion. One important thing to note -- if you're searching for it online or using GPS, make sure you search for the "Safari Park" and not just the San Diego Zoo. The Safari Park is located up in the hills and is a completely different location from the actual zoo in downtown San Diego.

I'm not one for zoos but I decided to make an exception for this zoo with a twist: San Diego Zoo…read moreSafari Park. The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the U.S. Perhaps the best. The Safari Park is in a different location entirely, to the north of San Diego in Escondido. I stopped by on a Wednesday afternoon. Parking is easy in the large parking lot they have. Here's what's awesome about the Safari Park. If you pay for general admission, you'll have your typical zoo experience pretty much. If you shell out some extra cash for the safari, this is where it's a much cooler experience. I've been on a real safari many years ago in South Africa in Kruger National Park. Obviously this isn't as great but it's still memorable. Our safari consisted of a group of 12 people or so. Our tour guide was awesome. One of the best I've ever had. He was knowledgable, funny, and a lot of fun. For an hour, you'll cruise in the safari jeep checking out various animals like antelope, giraffes, and more up close. Unlike a safari in Africa, you're not going to pull up on any predators, but it's still enjoyable. It's a huge park. If you explore every nook and cranny there, you can spend the whole day there. We were there for about 3.5 hours (including the hour for the safari). Out of all of the areas we checked out, our favorites were the elephant area, platypus area, okapi area, the tiger area, and the kangaroo area. The platypus and okapi were awesome for the novelty. These are unique animals that you don't see every day. And the kangaroo area is especially epic because you're actually walking around in their habitat. Next thing you know, a kangaroo is hopping around a few feet away from you. Other popular areas include the lion area, the cheetah area, and the gorillas area. Part of the experience is going to be luck of the draw. A lot of animals are nocturnal so they sleep or rest (hidden away from the sun) during the day. Which means you might not even see them out there. For example, we didn't see any lions. If you show up right when they open, your chances are higher. Another issue I have with the park is it's quite expensive. California prices are a real thing but this was a little obscene. General admission is expensive. The add-ons are expensive. And the food and drinks there are expensive. Case in point: a soda for $15. A random guy even commented to me about how ridiculous the food and beverage prices are. Part of the proceeds go toward animal conservation, which is great and all, but the prices are just too high. All that being said, I did enjoy visiting.