The owner clearly loves his craft. Staff is super helpful, loads of healthy fish to choose from, store has a cool wood inspired aesthetic.

They definitely made it right--unbeknownst to them. I had bought dry goods and ended up changing my mind about them. They informed me of their exchange/store credit policy: 5 days. This unfortunately isn't a very generous window. To my dismay I was on day 6 so they said they couldn't. I explained that I live about 30min away and am off work around 630/7 so it's VERY difficult to make it down within the 5d period. After explaining this they said they could make an exception. The one downside is their driftwood pricing. They do have sims decent selection; however there's no set pricing guidelines. Other LFS stores use color-coded zip ties to denote price; here they don't. Online it says they sell based on weight; however the times I've bought pieces they've never weighed it: it seems like they just come up with a number and that's what you pay up. I guess another downside is they have a smaller selection (of goods in general) than other local LFS stores and they're a bit pricier. read more

I bought 2 puffer fish, one was sick with (Ich or Ichthyophthirius multifiliis). When calling the store, the employee only said that the manager said it was not his fault and they could not do anything, they only offered 10% on the purchase of another fish. So disappointed. Now I have to get the madication and clean all the fish tank, won't come back to that store read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I want to hear yesterday looking for assistance in my fish tank transfer. A gentleman named Jeff help me through my journey of the store. This is my first time here but recommended for my husband who has been here many times for his fish tank needs. Jeff help me pick out some plants recommended some substrate for my tank and also some driftwood. He was very informative and helpful. The store I can feel overwhelming so I really appreciated his guidance. Great spot for fish tank related items especially plants! read more

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Paid by card. Pet Zone is located in a plaza and offers a lot of plaza parking. I went here on a Saturday afternoon and was able to find parking right away. They have so many tanks here! The staff was so helpful and patient. I had to wait about 5 min. to be helped since several people were ahead of me to be helped. There were so many fish here but I really went to get plants. The staff helped me pick out 5 plants for my tank. I would recommend this place and will definitely go back soon. read more

It's amateur hour at this business. I've made a few purchases there in person in the past and saw they had an uncommon plant variety for sale on their website. I called to confirm availability and was told they didn't actually have it in store and that it would be dropped shipped from the supplier. That's fine, no problem there. I place my online order and wait several days but there's no movement or update on delivery, so I send a message through their website to check on the status and waited another few days with no reply. I just called in to check and was told immediately 'we're just a physical store front, we don't handle anything to do with online orders.' Excuse me? You're one and the same business, if no one there can assist me, then who can? After some mumbling, the employee said he would talk to his manager. I was then told that I would get a reply soon, as their online messaging was just fixed and a then a repeated 'sorry we're just a physical storefront, we can't help with online orders.' Ok- can you be more specific, how soon is "soon"? You have my money and have an empty bag. The people that work there are for the most part nice and fairly knowledgeable about the hobby, but its clear when I've visited, they are abundantly disorganized and the store and aquariums are a bit of a mess. Unfortunately simply being nice doesn't cut it when you're a business. On the opposite side of the spectrum is their warehouse competitor down the street, which when you enter and interact with them, it's instantly clear they have all their systems and processes all dialed in. They also have a larger selection with lower prices as well. Unfortunately I have a feeling Pet Zone's longevity is on borrowed time. read more

Found in a shared parking lot so it is kind of busy. I liked how their tanks were all really clean so fish looked healthy. Prices were expensive. I didn't like how there were signs saying we couldn't pick our own fish. Customers are buying and should be allowed their choice. As for me I chose not to get anything here. read more

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Came in to look for a nice LIVE plant for my "Benihana" new halfmoon betta FISH... SET UP: There was so many nice set ups that look so peaceful and calm. The rili shrimps were so fun to watch! I'm inspired to have a rili SHRIMP SET UP now. SERVICE: EXCELLENT! They were so informative and helpful. I got a really nice plant for BENIHANA and he's super happy now. I need to upload a photo of the plant I got soon... ROCK ON PET ZONE TROPICAL FISH!!!!! read more

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This place is the best! The gentleman who helped us was so nice and attentive and knowledgeable!!! read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Great spot - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I recently just got a Betta at Pet Zone and I think this store is amazing They have really cool aqua scapes, and their tanks are stocked with diverse fish. Not only fish, but lots of plants to choose from, for customers that want to add more livelihood in their tanks. This is absolutely a great place to buy or, just look at fish! (Here's the picture of the betta in a 5 gallon) read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - My betta fish from Pet Zone! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is awesome! Amazing planted tanks and a cool variety of fish , many of which you can't find at other pet stores. The people aren't overly helpful but are really knowledgeable and from my experience if you ask them questions they will answer them. Very straightforward. They do a great job. This place is a gem. read more

Always love the selection and the staff is so great! Wide variety of plants, fish, snails and everything you need to care for them. read more

We had bought our flowerhorn from here a few years ago and had him shipped to AZ. When we were in SD last time we decided to check the store out in person. The spot is clean and the fish were super healthy. They have some really neat aquascaping setups as well! Overall, a nice little shop! read more

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Everyone is knowledgeable and friendly. Nice variety of fish etc. My go to place for my freshwater fish and plants.

This is a review based on months since starting my fish tank but the main reason for 3 stars is I bought 2 bundles of Vallisneria plants over the weekend and they are so yellow!! I previously bought some from another store and the quality difference is drastic. I also bought a few pygmy corydoras a few months ago and within 3 weeks they all had ich and I lost 2 after treating. My danios are thriving which is nice and the workers are also super nice. Im just super sad the plants I just bought aren't in the best shape. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - The yellow are the new plants I just bought over the weekend and the green in the middle are my older plants! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I placed my order on February 17th and received a partial shipment, but I am still missing the red pike cichlid, 8 perugias limias, 2 synodontis catfish, 2 pictus catfish, and the rotala plants. I've called multiple times and no one answers the customer service phone line. I've called the stores and been bounced around to different people but no one was able to help me. I've sent multiple emails and have received no response. I've even offered to accept substitutions on most of the fish. It's 4 calendar months later and I still do not have my fish and no one responds. Please refund my money. I don't care how nice your fish are, it doesn't really matter when you never receive them! read more

If you love your aquarium or the idea of having an aquarium but you think you don't have time or travel once in a while and are afraid your fish could die while you're gone then keep reading! These photos were taken after I'd been gone for 5 weeks! My 2 weeks of vacation turned into 5 unexpectedly. Did I panic because I thought it'd be the end of my beautiful aquarium? Not even for a second. All I had to set up before I left was a auto-feeder. Thanks to Jeff at Pet Zone Tropical Fish who patiently helped me with setting up my self sustaining tank, the only other thing I had to do when I learned I'll be gone for longer than two weeks, was to call a friend to go over and top off the water that had evaporated while I was gone. That's it!! No cleaning, no vacuuming, no adding chemicals and testing the water constantly! Just an auto-feeder and more water. Do not doubt them when they tell you it'll be easy! Trust me. It's worth it. And the shrimp tank!? Omg! So many shrimp. I started with 5. 5!! read more

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5 stars on selection. 1 star on assistance. Can't go more than three because of it. We waited over 35 min. However they were busy. After being told I was next, waited another 10 min, and found the person sitting up front on his phone while multiple people were waiting. One hard worker and one needing replaced. read more

It's a bit small, making it difficult to get around, but the staff is really helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly and it's my go-to for aquatic plants. I am not fond of bettas in cups, but theirs are really healthy. I've not seen them like that in a pet store before. If I ever get another betta, I'm getting one from there. I hope they become successful enough to expand a bit. We will be back here for all our aquarium needs. read more

I was first disappointed to find out that the online store and in person store are separate. I had found fish online that I liked and was hoping to pick them up in person since I was passing thru the area. I began looking at all the aquariums to see what they had and continuously was put off by signs like "customer is king, and kings never bargain!" or about how the fish costs more if you want a specific one in the tank. I asked an employee for help and they weren't able to answer any of my questions so I left with nothing read more

I love this store and bought the most beautiful dwarf gourami we named "Franklin." He's super playful and intelligent. Thank you for 5 Star customer service and taking the time to help me. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - "Franklin" looking cute. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

Great selection of fish. But most of all excellent patient customer service. Mason helped us and he was so knowledgeable with all of our questions. Our 3 children wanted their first fish and Mason helped us out so much. He got us 4 fish and recommended food and plants for our tank at home. We will definitely come back for any further needs! read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - My 2 kids and their new fish! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

Jeff is a wonderful I needed help on a product replacement and he was so helpful. This store is really great as they care about their customers and bend over backwards to find them what they need. I can't wait to get some special shrimp from them in the future. read more

Always have such a great experience here. Everyone is so knowledgeable and passionate; eager to answer questions and give recommendations. A big help in setting up my new tank! read more

Excellent selection, especially if you're into Planted Aquariums! Plenty of plant selection, shrimp, and variety of tropical fish! Staff is friendly and super helpful! Will be returning! Thanks Pet Zone Team! read more

My favorite fish store, I get all my shrimp and aquatic plants here. Kind, friendly, and knowledgeable staff; and they are so creative at aquascaping. The planted scapes look like something out of Avatar. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Aquascape - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is so fun to visit! Great staff who are knowledgeable and personable! Such a winning combo in this world where customer service is oftentimes lacking. We think you all are terrific here! Thank you for always answering my questions and helping educate me on all things tank related. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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Amazing service from Roger's team. I want to shout out Elen for their great knowledge and warmth, also has a cool tattoo!

The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable, I couldn't be more happy of a customer. They helped me all the way along and didn't make me feel like I was asking too many questions or a burden. The wonderful staff even helped me dry scape my tank since this will be my first tank. They informed about all the care, plants, which things work the best, and even gave me some good bacteria from a tank to help kick start my tank. I couldn't say thank you enough to all of them! It's a far drive kinda of from where I live but is 100% worth the trek. read more

my favorite place ever! all the plants i've ever bought (at least $400 worth) are thriving without co2 (employees can set you up with what's best for your tank!) my shrimp colonies and other livestock i've got there are thriving and have never came with ick or anything bad. it's a small store so be patient when they are busy and the employees are so helpful! read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - one of my shrimp colonies (all plants and shrimp from petzone) - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have bought all my plants, shrimp, used filters for beneficial bacteria, and a few oto catfish from here and everything is thriving after a month of having everything. Before buying plants from here and talking to one of the employees, I would experience my plants melting and decaying significantly. I cannot express enough how important good lighting is when keeping plants. I started out with two water lettuce and after 2 weeks of good lighting they started growing too much and I had to get rid of many of them. Before getting good lighting my plants never reproduced more plants! Employees are very helpful in giving great advice which is especially helpful to new fish keepers like myself. If you want good quality customer service and tank equipment this place is awesome! read more

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Stopped in when we were in the plaza. What a great little shop. Their filtration system is on point. The water & tanks were so clean which was nice to see. They have a good selection of fish, tanks and live plants. My moms loved and had guppies ever since I was a kid cuz she grew up in Singapore where there were wild guppies in the waterways. So it was cool to see the variety and colors of guppies here. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. Can't wait to come back when our house Reno's are done for a tank setup. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I am a beginning fishkeeper who started my aquarium up almost two months ago. I started collecting materials a couple of months before that. When I got my aquarium and stand for Xmas, I started exploring many of the local shops. And while there are a couple of other good ones, PetZone on Convoy is my go to #1 store. Great selection of hardscape, even better selection of plants. And the aquariums are full of healthy looking fish. It has a cool mellow vibe, even when it is busy. And the staff is very knowleagable, helpful and friendly. They genuinly express an enthusiasm for this hobby. Another local store has friendly staff, but the staff there has given my some incorrect information. While their information always checks out when I further research the information they give me. So I trust this staff the most. A couple of other stores just don't have a very friendly vibe and the staff just do not reach out with the same excellent customer service. Shopping here is a fun enjoyable experience! They have helped me figure out what plants are best for my aquarium at my beginning level of knowledge. And given me advice on the order in which to stock my tank with fish, snails and shrimp. They have also steered me towards good books and online resources. And they sold me 5 beautiful wonderful Kuhli loaches last week that are doing great! I highly recommend them! read more

This is the premier freshwater aquascaping store in San Diego. As other reviews have said you will get top tier customer service and each employee has their areas of expertise. The owner is humble, friendly, and always willing to help. The employees being happy to work there is also a very positive sign. I've never had a sick fish or invertebrate from this store. And I'm confident they'd work with me to make it right if I ever did. Their tanks they have on display speak for themselves Go and check them out. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - One example of a tank an employee setup. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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Petco & Petsmart are cool for basics, but if you're looking for expertise then make a visit here. From salt to brackish (where ocean meets fresh water) to just freshwater there is tons of options. All the employees from what I've observed are very knowledgeable. Although we live in Chula Vista, this is my preferred destination. read more

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Highly recommended place very friendly & very informative for those who are looking to start their own aquarium. I drive all the way from Chula Vista. Just to come to this place. 5 stars read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Highly recommended place very friendly & very informative for those who are looking to start their own aquarium. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been coming here for years now to buy black worms specifically. This time around I decided to buy some bettas and it was a horrible mistake. 3 females n one male. I'm not sure which tank had the ich but when I looked at them the next day there was ich all over them and the rest of my community tank. I've been breeding bettas for yrs and have never ever came across ich before. There must be an infestation somewhere at this store. read more

Stopped by visiting from Oceanside in search of Koi angel fish, I couldn't find them anywhere, and they didn't have any in stock. But one of the associates showed me some nice platinum angelfish and shared that they would have some Koi angelfish in stock in the future. Great fish and customer service, glad I stopped by. read more

Pet Zone Tropical Fish - Platinum Angel fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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Lightning speed shipping! Arrived alive and healthy. Helped save some very hungry babies that had their worms died! Thank you so much!

The people working were so helpful in setting up the tank,. we knew absolutely nothing about what we wanted or how to achieve a healthy tank and the man helping us was so patient. Amazing selection and options. read more