A++++ service and selection. This is a small aquarium store with a surprisingly huge selection of freshwater fish, plants and aquarium supplies. They had very rare finds like a zebra plecco and other fish you will never see in large retail store. If you get a chance to speak to the staff and the owner Rick... you'll see the passion they have for the fish hobby and be impressed by their vast knowledge. There's no question that went unanswered. Very charismatic and warm people. Overall had a positive experience and can't wait to return. read more

All the supplies and knowledge to help run a successful reef tank in one place! Rick and his team of experts really go the extra mile to help with whatever you need. Livestock always looks healthy and they really do have some great deals! Great selection of Apex gear and 2 Little fishies products!! read more

Rick's Fish & Pet Supply - Mummy eye! - Pet Stores Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

This place is amazing. The staff is friendly and very helpful, they have so many exotic animals and tons of supplies for all of them. I came into the store looking for some guidance on a planted aquarium set up for a Bettafish I'm adopting, and I had just come off a bad experience at another specialty store I'd visited earlier in the day. The staff member who helped me was very kind and reassuring. He helped me simplify my plan, guided me through the basics, and helped me get all the supplies I would need for my new fish. He even helped me carry the supplies out to my car. I can't recommend this place highly enough. The store is alive with animals, the staff members are friendly, knowledgeable, and compassionate to shy new people who have no idea what they're doing. Honestly, amazing store that I'll probably never stray from. If you're in the Urbana, MD area and have an exotic pet, please stop by and give this local shop some business. They're wonderful! read more

Ricks is always a great place for my family and I to explore new fish! The staff is always knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. With an extensive collection of both fresh and salt water fish, you won't be disappointed with their selection. read more

A+++ The staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help. Very clean store. Wide variety of fish. A REAL enjoyable experience. I've bought all my fish here and been very satisfied with the price. Would definitely recommend coming here. I've check out alot of places and they don't measure up. read more

Worst pet store ever. Signage is placed in obscure locations so to avoid talking about their no refund policy. Rick is never available to speak, and thus all other associates are unable to help. After years of being a loyal customer, I was told "we can't play favorites" ?!? Really...I didn't know being a decent human being was asking too much. Buyer beware. read more

Rick's is a treasure! The marine aquarium section looked great. Huge selection of coral and fish. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful, answering all of my questions and making great suggestions. The corals were reasonably priced as well! read more

Havent been to ricks in over a month just because the manager andrew is a complete jerk. He does his best at making you feel as stupid as possible for asking a simple question and his attitude towards the staff with his screaming and cussing is completely not good for business. However, after 20 minutes of getting no answers and getting really frustrated at this guy i started to walk away. Then this really nice lady with red hair and cool tattoos (Dory?) came up and asked me if i needed any help and she got everything i needed plus was very informative. If not for her i probably would never go back. And as a tip for the owner- That so called manager of yours should be fired. read more

I find this shop to be overcrowded with a lot of crap. Stuff that doesn't have price-tags or is covered with dust. The staff is far from friendly or helpful, but rather condescending. My opinion is not based on one visit but rather years of going. When given the option of going to a mega-chain or hitting up a local, I will always go for the local. But this store makes it harder and harder with each visit. I would suggest that only people who know what they want or need visit this place. No newbies or you will be turned off or shut down. On the plus side, the fish have always been healthy and the prices fair. UPDATE (4/2/07) - I went to buy crickets for my son's frogs and fell in love with the salamanders. After asking question after question I was assured these red bellied salamanders would be fine in the same tank as the bullfrogs. Day 2 I noticed one missing and hoped that it was hiding . . . Day 3 both were missing. So basically I fed the frogs 2 salamanders at $9 each. HATE this store. Hate it Hate it. On a sidenote: The frogs give it a 5 star rating and hope I continue shopping there. They said the salamanders were much more haute cuisine than the crickets I keep feeding them. read more

This place is an absolute pit. I've gone in here probably a dozen times over the last few years just to look at cute animals. Because, I mean, who doesn't love cute animals? The stock of stuff they have (cages, aquariums, toys) is old and covered in dust. The store absolutely stinks. And by stinks I mean that it literally smells horrible. I have no idea if there is code enforcement for pet shops, but if there was, there's absolutely no way that this one would pass. It is just disgusting. Being a local business doesn't mean you have to have a trashy business compared to Petsmart or PetValu. In all of the 12+ trips I've taken here, I have never once been asked if I had any questions or needed any assistance. So: dirty store, unhelpful employees, and a horrible selection. I think I'll skip this place and find a shop down the road to do my cute animal viewing. read more

So, I went in asking for hedgehogs. They said they didn't have the permit for them, but that they sometimes get them in and they push them out the door. What they didn't tell me is that it's flat out illegal to sell them in Frederick County. They sent me on a wild goose chase through Frederick to find one. Wouldn't it be nice if they told me they were illegal to sell instead of going cross city? Also, they're selling illegal animals? read more

Probably the best pet store in the world. The employees helped me find things my new fish would like. I've bought a fish before from there and he was acting like has sick, I sent the store's facebook page a message and the person on the other end explained to me the possibilities and offered for me to bring in 8oz of tank water so they could analyze it and recommend medicine. When I purchased my fish he let my cousin (former employee) scoop the fish out of the tank and bag it up. There's also a very friendly bird there that they let out sometimes, the bird gave me little kisses. I recommend you shop here for all your fish needs. read more

Terrible ignorance radiates from this place. Seems like they never clean and animals are clearly unhappy. Three full sized guinea pigs in a 5 gallon glass tank? They are just asking for problems. Bought a spider and asked questions and received false information. Was sold a bunch of very expensive items I later found out I didn't need. three of those items could have outright killed my spider. Instead of being honest and admiting I should do my own research the girl just spit out care tips that sounded good but were very wrong . These people shouldn't be anywhere near these poor creatures. If you are buying you or your child a reptile please please please keep looking. This place is Terrible and there is clearly animal abuse going on here. I have no clue how they are still open . Thanks for stealing my money. read more

I love this place! They actually care about the animals they keep, and won't send you out the door with a sick animal or one you're ill equipped to care for just to make a sale. They aren't afraid to refuse a sale if they feel that you don't have the proper environment for it (i.e. you want a common pleco to stick in a 15 gallon tank) or if the livestock they have available aren't ready to sell. Some people take offense to this or think it makes employees "jerks", but frankly, I think it shows that the folks at Ricks are knowledgeable and care about the animals in their store. Yes, it sucks to have your heart set on those clown loaches only to realize the tank you have is about half the size of what they'll need, but wouldn't you rather find that out now, rather than once you have them and they're sick and stressed from overcrowding? If your tank has detectable nitrites or ammonia and your fish are dying, thats on *you* -- not the store! No fish can be expected to thrive in a tank with discernible levels of either for any extended period of time. I never worry that I'm going to infect my aquariums with some awful parasite or plague or end up with a pricey purchase that dies in a week when I buy fish from Rick's - every single fish I've gotten here (a beautiful halfmoon betta, 3 fat golden oto cats, and a mix of 20 pygmy corydora and corydora hastatus) is absolutely thriving. Their freshwater plants are beautiful as well, and very reasonably priced -- I got a HUGE pot of Echinodorus vesuvius grass full of runners and a well established root system for the same price I had paid an online vendor for 3 measly, sickly looking little trimmings. They have a lot of rarer plants that are tough to find anywhere else, much less in such great condition. My tanks are almost 90% plants from Rick's. On top of all that, I always feel like I can go back into the store and get help if I'm having any sort of issue.. they really stand behind everything they sell and are super generous with advice, samples, you name it really. I purchased a few more corys to add to my shoal a few weeks ago along with another plant (at Rick's suggestion to help curb some aggression problems) and he threw in an extra plant for free, along with a large sample of Aquadine fish food (which caused such a feeding frenzy I ended up buying more). When I bought my golden otos, he remembered me and gave me a sample of live blackworms for my bettas and corys to try as well. You won't get that kind of service or quality at Petco, thats for sure. read more

If i could leave this as no stars i would. DON'T SHOP HERE! Customer service, what's that? I don't think this store cares about customers or service. You wait forever for not anything great. Petsmart is friendlier and easy to work with. EVERY SINGLE FISH I HAVE BOUGHT FROM THEM HAS DIED. Their return policy is crap. Fish die one day past 7 days, don't waste your breath. If your fish die within a week don't take them tank water, they will test it like its government issued. Get some bottled water and just take it in a bowl. They won't even know. Put a little tank water in it so the nitrite shows slightly. They don't do refunds so expect to get a store credit for more dead fish. But use the credit for something else you need. But know your going to pay more for it than if you went to petsmart or Walmart. How much dusty overstocked crap can you put in one bedroom... Come to this store and see. I don't they know cleaning or organization or how to not horde crap. They price things they have from the 80's as though it was bought today. read more

If you want a pet this is where you want to go. They have all the information of an expert. They're always willing to answer questions over the phone even if they take a while. So anything fish related lizards snakes animals and just they're amazing. I greatly suggest that if you have any questions or want any type of animal that you call them first and go visit them, unlike PetSmart and Petco they have the people there that truly know what a pet needs. so if you're looking for a pet for family, friend or yourself go to Rick's fish and pet supply. We absolutely love them, we use them for everything. Rick the owner is amazing by the way and hilarious. We love him, love Rick. read more

this place sucks everything is super overpriced, they sell you things that you don't need because they think you're an idiot, the water quality is extremely poor and the fish die quickly, they sell fish in singles that are supposed to be sold in pairs, the only good thing about this place is the smoking hot brunette that works there. Do not go here. read more

I have planted aquariums with a few fish and Rick's has a good selection of hard-to-find items. Their fish and plants (to a lesser extent) are healthy and well-cared for. The place is a mess, except inside the fish tanks. As far as the staff goes, they are fine some more knowledgeable than others, generally busy, but approachable - if you want a fake five minute friendship go to a big box pet store. This is authentic pet retail an it has a certain employee subculture. Any store that has Eheim parts, Kent Iron supplements for my plants, and CO2 systems is ok in my book. I'll dust the box off a bit to find an obscure impeller mechanism to keep my 10 year old filter running. They also have good looking salt water stuff, some snakes, reptiles, and a few birds; but that's not my cup of tea. read more

I noticed the complete lack of cleaning this place does. As you can see in the photos there is bird seed and excrement on top of the aquarium from the bird cages that used to be (across from the registers). Look lower between the dust and old feathers; there is an expired bottle of something and an unsafe extension cord. Filthy, pungent, and unsafe place to be. Not to mention the stained disgusting carpets throughout the place, gross. If it weren't for the fact that they sell live rodents I would never shop here. read more

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This store is one of the only specialty stores in the area. I remember when I was a kid this was the only place you could get crickets or any feeder insects/animals. The fish selection is awesome, I have never had an issue with fish I bought from here dying right away. If you were to do a water sample of their water when you bring a new fish home, you will see that everything is in order. I currently have a fish I bought as a baby that is now almost 2 feet long, there is nothing wrong with their fish. Yes sometimes their customer service isnt the best, but a small business cant exactly afford nothing but experts, most of them are 16 year olds working their first job. Rick is super helpful and will answer your questions if he can. I swear, most of the complaints about Rick are so stupid, if you put yourself in his shoes you would have the exact same reaction. Wait for him to finish what hes doing before asking a million questions, have a little courtesy. Lastly I just want to remind people that this store has been there for well over 30 years, in the exact same spot. This town does not look kindly on small businesses anymore, all they want are large retail chains so moving to a bigger location is probably not an option. He does what he can with what he has. And he has served this community well, for as long as I can remember. read more

I do not understand how this place has been allowed to stay in business. My family was in the area we decided to go in to get fish food for our black moor. As soon as we walked in this smell horrible smells hits you, then as were walking around we see how awful the tanks these animals are in look. Upon walking around we notice a big macaw in just this tiny cage it was sad. My 7 year old was with us she was upset so then we go down to the fish and the tanks are way overcrowded some of the fish were exotic and not well taken care. The staff was not polite everyone involved with this store should be ashamed I have nothing good to say about this place. I am not one that ever does reviews but this place should not he allowed to continue to be in business. read more

Update- Biscus killed Finley. Apparently they did not get along as well as I had originally observed.

Asked a young lady from the store to bag a discus but she first pointed to the price as if I don't have enough money to afford it, questioned me about my tanks and their inmates, finally ran to her manager (perhaps her mother) to take care of me. Very rude, childish and amateur manner; I traveled 42 miles for this? No, thanks. Not again. read more

I got my pet bunnies here. I don't know if the place is poorly laid out, or just has more merchandise than it knows what to do with. Probably both. I would go here because it's local, so there is more of a chance that the employees care about the animals there. Also, from time to time they have hand-fed parakeets. These are rare, because it is hard to find a breeder who is going to invest that much time and effort into a $14 bird. read more

Giving 2 stars due to the wide selection and variation of fish. The older man with white hair (assumed owner/ boss man) was beyond rude. He barely answered my questions, blatantly giving me an "I don't have time for this" feel--, mind you there was only 1 other customer in the entire store and at least 2 other store associates present. I asked for a specific type of fish and he told me the "tank number" and walked away. I found the tank I needed and stood by it for a few minutes waiting to be helped. He returned 5 minutes later with this sarcastic look and his arms out to either side (said nothing) - just a sarcastic gesture like "uhh can I help you?" Hmmm ya sure can, or am I supposed to bag the fish for myself?? I'll support a commercial business like Petsmart before I ever return to this fish store that looks like a hoarders dream. read more

Take your money else where, there are far better fish stores within a few minutes. Not helpful at all and very overpriced on certain things.

First of all Rick is extremely rude. I stop by to look around and Rick came up to me asking if I needed any help. I asked him a question about air stones and mention I heard something online about them specifically. And since what I heard online is different from Ricks opinions he told me smack myself....how unprofessional. Store also seems to be a mess. Stuff laying everywhere, not much room to walk around. Prices are pretty high too. Hate to say this but I would rather go to petco up the street than support this business. read more

I wanted to give it a 5 after multiple visits but the last one ruined it. Had multiple encounters with the regular staff who were very enthusiastic and helpful. They love to talk about it all with you and make you feel Welcome.....just make sure you dont end up having the owner as your associate. Grumpy old man who doesnt seem like he even enjoys his job. Gets impatient when you ask him any questions read more

Usually a pretty good selection of fish for good prices. The staff is friendly and helpful, albeit not all of them are well versed in what they're doing. They do try to help though. Some are actually knowledgeable. I've gotten some strange water test results here that were completely inaccurate and have purchased some unnecessary things as a result. The owner is a weirdo, but he's a pet store owner...one would expect that I guess. Anyway, I do like going here for the most part...if nothing else, for the saltwater election. I'd give it 3.5 stars. read more

I have to say, the tanks always look crystal clear and they always have healthy fish. I have never had a problem with the fish.

He has the best selection for bettas around. The fact that he carries mustards and the coveted black orchids makes his selection way above that of petco. I've always found fish from him to be healthy and happy. Never had an issue over the years with disease or unhealthy fish. I'll give credit to some people talking about staff sometimes being a problem. As well as the front half of the store could really used cleaned up. But if you want to purchase good quality fish this is the place. read more

i would rather patron this store than the commercial places who really don't care. I have never received an ill animal or anything off. I have gotten feeder mice and other supplies from them without fail. I love Rick's. read more

I am sorry but "locally owned" does not make a store better. "Local" does not excuse a merchant from providing friendly service in an uncluttered, clean environment. Also, unless the merchant agreements have changed, a store either accepts credit cards or they don't. It is a violation of merchant agreements to put minimums on credit purchases just because you dont want to pay the agreed upon service fees outined in your contact. If you want to promote cash transactions, offer a cash discount. I hope that customers start using their money (spend where you get great service) to enact change in retail shopping. UPDATE: It would appear that new laws do allow credit card minimums not to exceed 10.00 but I believe debit cards are still exempt. But I have never understood why a business would take credit cards if they just want to pass on the extra fees to their customers? read more

Stopped by today to check out Rick's as we'd never been in before and were curious what they stocked. We've got s few different reef tanks and it's always nice to check out the stuff different places carry. While checking out the tanks we were greeted by a few employees, all were nice and very helpful. Chatted with one of the young ladies about reef keeping for a bit, nice to meet younger folks interested in the hobby. I'm only 30, but these places are usually chocked full of basement dwelling old guys who think they know all and don't want to deal with you unless you're spending big bucks. Anyway we grabbed four frags, she bagged them up nicely and almost talked me into buying a fire urchin (I will probably come back and get him). Got a killer price on the frags by the way, very reasonably priced. All in all, great place with plenty of variety in marine and reef stock. No it's not Petco, but that's sort of the point isn't it? So there may be a damp spot on the floor on the fish room or some dust or whatever else other reviewers are whining about. I'd rather get good livestock from knowledgable staff than to pick up sick, overpriced fish and bleached out frags from a chain store. Thanks Rick's, we'll be repeat customers. read more

This place totally has a dust problem. After every visit I'm anxious to get home and wash my hands. And it is very cluttered. But aside from that minor detail... They have an abundance of stuff for my turtle's tank and they also have lots delicious fishies and plants for his belly. My only complaint is that whenever I need someone I can never find any staff to help me with anything! Or I feel awkward interrupting their conversations that they're always having amongst themselves bc they seem so deep and into it. One of the cashiers always feels the need to tell me her life story too. She's like Little Miss Chatterbox. Loved that book when I was little... anyway, I do like the prices better than Pet Smart. read more

I went to Ricks Pet store to get a 3 dollar pack of live meal worms for my sons Lizard. The people at the front desk were talking,and unattentive to my request. I finally ask do you have any Meal worms. The lady went to the back, and came back 3 minutes later. Now I am next in line, and a rude lady was behind me in line, talking loudly to her kids. My son distracted me only 3 feet from the desk, and this rude lady darted in front of me and smiled. Ok, so I lost my place,The lady behind the counter saw this and just fed in, as they both made sport of my situation, and began a meaningless, long, conversation. After 5 more minutes I said I need to be checked out, and the rude, role model lady, cursed at me in front of my son, and her two girls??? I finally got to check out paid for my worms. I ask to speak to a manager, and the man there said" he is out and will be back after 6pm." I found out that they close at 6pm! In other words dont call !!!I have been going there for 3 years, and the people there,and this experiance has turned me off to those smart, non caring people. Congradulations, Ricks Pet store, your lack of outstanding customer service has lost my business!! Well Done! read more

I bought four items. 236.00. Went home looked up on Amazon who is always higher and every item with the exact same item number was LESS than half $111.00. Ricks is a thief. Stay away from them read more

Really enjoyed going here until I learned from my vet that Rick's were trimming the wrong feathers on my parrot and they recommended the wrong size cage. Really makes me question if they know what they're doing? read more

I'm split on this store. Rick does carry obscure items like plastic dividers for all size critter keepers and old filter parts and decor but that's what I'm looking for. The dust is a bit much. I can't really tell who works there until I go to pay for my stuff and I see a cashier. I can see why people dislike it and I'm hoping I never have a question or need any real help,the employees seem like they don't want to be there either. At least they keep the fish tanks clean...that's something. read more

Worst customer service ever! I was looking for some fish food and have had experiences in the past with overpriced food. So I scanned the food with an app to check the price. Some large employee said "I can't believe you are scanning the price right in front of me! Buy it online and see if they help you when your fish die." I have had my fish for about 6 years and am in the military so they have been all around the country. I don't think they are going to die. I don't know why I even thought about buying the food there. Conscience I guess but I walked around in the back. Came out and sat the food on the counter. I guess they were talking about me because as I walked out the door they said, I guess he did. Very offended! Anyhow I got the food at Giant Eagle for $3 cheaper. read more

Rick's Fish & Pet Supply - Food was $3 cheaper at Giant Eagle. Here is the proof. - Pet Stores Near Me - Frederick, Maryland