TLDR: You may take home more than you bargained for, including sick shrimp and even FRESHWATER LEECHES due to the store's carelessness and poor hygiene. I've been keeping shrimp as a hobby since 2014. I came in about two months ago after setting up a new shrimp tank to pick up some King Kong shrimp which usually have to be ordered from a breeder online. I wasn't familiar with Splash, but I'd heard other people in the hobby talk about the store and so I figured I'd pick up the shrimp in person rather than order from out of state. The staff was helpful and courteous, but I made the mistake of purchasing the shrimp without taking too much time to examine the tanks. Shortly after re-homing the shrimp to my tank (whose water parameters were specifically configured for the shrimp with 100 TDS, 6.2 Ph, 4GH, 1KH) they began to show symptoms of some kind of disease. I called the store and asked about the shrimp, and an employee told me that they were treating the tank with an anti-fungal remedy. The $100 worth of shrimp died within two weeks of purchase. I've been keeping shrimp as a hobby for years, and I have never before had this experience. I've seen issues with molting due to inaccurate water parameters, but you would think a LFS would not be selling diseased shrimp. To make matters worse, a few weeks after re-homing the shrimp freshwater leeches began to appear. These likely came from either eggs in the water or eggs attached to the stem of the plant which was in the bag the shrimp came in. I had to spend more money and hours upon hours to get rid of them. I almost nuked the tank. I revisited the store today to inform them that their poor tank hygiene had resulted in the death of the shrimp, as well as the introduction of leeches into my new tank. I also pointed out to them that their King Kong/Crystal tank had leeches not only in the substrate, but also swimming through the water. Don't believe me? Watch a video of a leech swimming then go and check out the King Kong tank in the back row of tanks at the store. The employee I talked to listened and initially tried to insinuate that I had confused a "leech" with planaria, and offered nothing beyond "Sorry about that". The King Kong tank from which I purchased the shrimp had leeches swimming in plain view in the water, as well as under the substrate. Seems like that might be hard for the store's employees to miss. It seems like they just don't really care so long as you buy their shrimp. Do yourself a favor and don't buy their shrimp. Save yourself hundreds of dollars, a failed effort, and LEECHES! Update: After looking into this further these are Barbronia weberi, an asian leech whose eggs commonly come in on imported plants. Just another reason to always do a potassium permanganate dip on any plants entering your tank. I've been using a bit of cow liver in a glass trap from amazon to slowly get these things out of my tank. While I shouldn't have let the little stem plant the store included into my tank, it's completely unacceptable that they are selling shrimp out of a leech infested tank. A great alternative to this shop that I've bought from for years and never had problems with is the Aquarium and Reptile Depot out in the Roseville area. I will definitely never be back here again. read more

Since picking up a 10 gallon tank, this place has definitely been one of my favorites and I stop here very often, maybe even too often. But for good reason. They have extremely hearty fish at reasonable prices. Over the past few months, I've bought a pair of dwarf gouramis, my boyfriend bought a beautiful discus, and I currently have a sorority betta tank set up with 3 of their female bettas. They usually hold a special price (like a dollar or so cheaper) if you buy more than 1 of the same fish. The staff are highly knowledgeable, they're attentive to any questions you may have, they respect browsing, and their plants, wood, and rocks (dragonstone being my favorite) are decently priced. Will most definitely be back! read more

This is a fantastic aquarium store. It has a fantastic helpful staff, and a healthy stock of fish and supplies. It's our go to aquarium store. read more

Absolutely LOVE this place. Very informative, clean and so friendly. Mike is amazing. He isn't out to just sell you things but to help you make the right choices for your tank. If you have questions after hours, you can message them and they are always quick to respond. I recommend this place to everyone! read more

Every one of the employees are so nice && are really knowledgeable. They make great recommendations and their fish are so reasonably priced.

One of my favorite fish stores! The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They make you feel welcomed and relaxed the second you walk in. They strive to provide quality customer service. Their tanks are well-kept and they offer good deals frequently. They will give you 10% discount when you check in on Yelp. I will be returning to this store for fish, tanks, and plants. I highly recommend Splash Aquarium! read more

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

Don't buy fish at this place! I bought 2 corys and 9 neons. Within days of my purchase, 2 of the neons were dead and 1 of the corys was dead. A week and a half later, I went back and bought 8 harlequin rasboras. When I got home and added them to my tank (after 30 minutes of floating), I noticed several of the rasboras were very thin. It's now several days later and 5 of the rasboras have died. It isn't my tank conditions - I test my water daily, and I'm not a beginning fishkeeper. So stay far away from this place. read more

"Take your time." This was said to me by several employees, like it's the store's mantra and what a great mantra for an aquarium shop. Their tanks were all well kept and the living things within them looked healthy. I bought some dragon stone and chatted about plants and fish with the gentleman who rung me up. He was knowledgeable, friendly and did not rush me. This is one of those delightful shops staffed by people who are still passionate about the hobby. And, in case they read this, sorry for leaving pieces of dragon stone on the floor in front if the bin. I forgot. I'll be back for some endler guppies soon. read more

Love this aquarium shop. Quality place and quite a selection of interesting fish. I've only explored the freshwater side as I didn't get a chance to check out the saltwater. This is definitely one of my new favorite aquarium places to go to! read more

This is the best fish store I have been to in the Sacramento area. The tanks are all super clean with beautiful healthy fish! They always have a huge variety of fish/inverts and I have gotten some really cool specimens from here. My otos are all super healthy and not a single one died, which can sometimes be a hard feat to accomplish. I also got three pea puffers and while one of them unfortunately had an internal parasite, the other two are doing really well. Their prices are pretty affordable. read more

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

See all

Friendly staff. Great place to enjoy the world of fish and where they live. I totally enjoyed my visit.

I like the fish options and all the plants they have. I bought 5 plants and one betta, after setting up the tank I found that my new setup has multiple snails. Neat. I wanted snails. I like the employees too, since they don't follow me around as if I'm stealing. I come here whenever I need anything fish related. read more

Mike and staff are very friendly, honest and helpful, I was very happy with my visit today. Tanks are very clean and stocked with healthy fish at very good prices, wide variety of fish, plants, inverts both fresh and salt water, live foods, dry goods and hardware. Discus tanks have many colors to choose from and different sizes in stock, very nice selection. read more

Small and very clean place, fish really healthy and active, the flowerhorn and betta are Amazing, very nice people. First time i was there didn't know what I wanted (pacifically betta) so I was look around they had so many great betta I wanted them all, then this guy came up to me ask if I need any help so he start talking about all the betta and found out his name was yenghua he really knows his stuff so we talk and I end up with a black dragon, now that's the only place I go to for betta planning to go back for flowerhorn. read more

Saw saltwater fish with ick:( and dead fish in tanks but accessories for fish tanks are good deals. I would only buy freshwater here. They have great deals on sand though $1.50 a lb. read more

Awesome Aquarium store. They carry healthy and many variety of saltwater and freshwater livestock. Very reasonable pricing! Best of all, very passionate owner and friendly staff in the hobby! Learn so much from them on my first visit. We will definitely come visit more often. Thank you guys for the great experience. read more

Excellent customer service- exceptionally clean. Very knowledgeable staff. Fish and plants we've purchased are healthy and their recommendations for what fish to put in our tank work well. They are always willing to answer questions and help. read more

Best fish store in town!! I went in to get another fish for my dad's tank and there's so many variety of fishes! I wasn't sure if all fishes are compatible with each other (besides fresh and salt water fish) so I asked for help. Before I went to go ask for help, this guy named Mike approached me and I found out he was the owner of the store, and damn he knows his stuff!! very friendly. I got the information I needed and got my fish. After the checkout we had a little chat about getting my own salt water fish/tank and he told me the whole process. Easy steps and detailed. I'll come back for more! I highly recommend this fish store! Ask for Mike! read more

Very friendly staff! I enjoy coming here everthing is so clean and organized. Very fair value with the trade in fish offer, youll get 30% of what they would sell it for read more

This place is great! It's very clean and they have a great variety. The staff is very helpful and nice. I would try them first before I went anywhere else. read more

We are now regular customers of Splash Aquarium and love it! Mike and his staff are very polite and will bend over backwards to make sure they are treating you well overtime you go in. Their selection of fresh water fish is nice and Mike is constantly increasing his selection of saltwater livestock. Mike is extremely helpful and knowledgable about the hobby and we even call him for advice and his recommendations. This is a great resource in the area and we love the shop! read more

Best LFS in town, hands down. I do enjoy some of the others, but since this one opened up, this is the only place in town I go to! All the fish and plants (fresh water) I've gotten here are happy and healthy, and they carry some rare stuff too. Great prices as well. They also do special orders. read more

Great helpful service! Even didn't allow me to buy something I was going to buy but apparently didn't need, even though it would have been an up-sell to them. Love the honesty and knowledge!! read more

Great place to shop around if you need any fish. Fair prices and healthy fish. The store is brand new and super clean. Mike, Trang, and Yang know what they are doing. Very knowledgeable. read more

See all

I had a great experience with my first visit at Splash Aquarium. I decided to look elsewhere other than Petco this visit, I couldn't be happier with my decision. The shop is really nice to my surprise considering it's not in a great area with so many different types of fish, both freshwater and saltwater. I was quickly helped by David who was really knowledgeable about various fish I had questions about. David really made me feel like I couldn't ask a dumb question, and his charismatic attitude will keep me coming back. Thanks David and everyone at the Splash Aquarium! read more

We visited a couple of aquariums in the area and this one was the cleanest and friendliest shop. The staff is super helpful and they seem to have very healthy livestock. This place is a no-brainer if you are looking for a great place for fish and corals. read more

Splash Aquarium - LifeGard Crystal 24g Reef Tank with cured rock purchased at Splash going through the cycling process. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

Small clean store with a varity of healthy fishes, plants, discus, and shrimps. Employees are helpful,nice, knowledgeable, and passionate about the hobby. Also the AC was on, which makes shopping a pleasant experience for hot days like today. read more

Splash Aquarium - plants...plants....and more plants - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

The employees are really friendly and know what they're talking about! They could answer all of my questions and help suggest products.

They have a nice selection, and we've shopped here at least a once a month since it's been in business. However last week was a bad experience. We went in to stock a new fresh water tank. Employees were super helpful, we bought 20 small school fish, 4 different types. The lady told us if any died within 7 days, bring the dead fish and our receipt in and they would exchange. Well, one breed of fish died. All 6, starting within an hour of us getting home. None of the other died. When we returned the next day, the same lady said there was nothing they could do without us bringing in water samples, and it was probably our water. We were never told to bring a sample, and since we live 30 minutes away, it didn't make since to drive another hour for $10 worth of fish. If different types of fish had died, I could understand maybe our tank had an issue. But since it was only one type, and one tank with these fish was already marked as not for sale due to disease, I'd say it's a good guess that the fish were diseased. Between fresh and salt water, we spend over $100 a month in supplies, but now we will take our business elsewhere. Too bad as they really do have an awesome selection at great prices. But they can't stick to their word. read more

Best place to go for Saltwater fish and corals in the Sacramento area. Highly recommend

Recently got some freshwater fish and plants from here and they all are healthy and happy The staff was very friendly and so patient with us since we took our time to look around and decide what we want. The guy who helped us seemed so dedicated to share tips about various plants and fish, even gave me a free sample of Moss that was not on sale. Will be returning soon for more . read more

Very disappointed. This was my go to fish store. Great prices, selection, and the fish were healthy. Their display tank was the inspiration for my tank at home. I went in there 3/13/21and there were dead fish in almost every tank. Even the nano tank next to the register had a dead beta in it. Signs of sickness in most tanks. The discus appeared to have gill flukes... sad to see such a drastic downhill turn in the business. I hope they pull it together. read more

Went here for the first time and agree with the other 5 star ratings. Incredible selection of fish, aquatic plants and aquarium supplies. Additionally, staff are friendly and knowledgeable. One staff member patiently answered my questions and worked with me on setting up plants for my aquarium including reviewing substrate and lighting options. Even though it was a busy Saturday, he didn't make me feel rushed. I will definitely be returning here for future aquatic needs. read more

Bought a fish from here that had weird white spots on him and he's an African rope fish so I ask "does he shed? What are these spots" he said they were burns from the heater... he died 2 days later I looked it up online and rope fish get a disease where they get white spots that look exactly like the kind he had and die.. hopefully he just didn't know and didn't just lie to me, I was pretty upset read more

Super clean. I have never seen a floating fish which has been something I notice in a lot of other stores. They are helpful and well priced on supplies. I have always had great service. Dispite one comment about their return policy and not bringing in water (not sure why you wouldn't bring that). I have had the opposite experience. It was over a week since I had bought the fish when it died and I had ammonia. They gave me half off my plant I was buying. Not that they could do that every time for everyone but point being they aren't stingy. They also offered to test my broken heater before selling me a new one to be sure that was my heating issue. read more

I walked into this store a little scared and overwhelmed because I wanted to start a saltwater hobby. I was hesitant in asking an employee for help because I didn't know what question to start with first. However an employee named Ernesto approached me and spent the time to explain to me everything that I'd need. When I thought I had all my questions answered, and he went to assist another customer, another two questions popped up and another employee was able to assist me. This employee also took the time to throughly and patiently answer all the questions I have and more. I walked out of the store feeling more confident in starting this hobby and less anxious. This aquarium has amazing customer service, and I'm planning on coming back to make my future saltwater aquarium purchases here once I get my tank set up. (I wish I asked them for their names so I can credit them here. I'll ask when I go back!^^ .) read more

One of the best aquarium store I love in Sacramento area. I believe it's under new ownership now and the new owner was very friendly and nice. I bought goldfish from the store couple weeks ago and they are all healthy (carry no diseases) compared to the other store I visited near by all carry diseases. Loved this place. Recommend to aquarium fans! read more

I don't write a lot of reviews, but I felt it important to let everybody know that Mike and Splash Aquarium are awesome. Super knowledgeable, honest, and very helpful. Prices are good as well. Make sure to support your local LFS and come to Splash Aquarium! read more

I had been looking for angelfish for a couple of weeks and Splash had the best selection of angelfish out of all the chain and independent aquarium/pet stores I had been to all over the greater Sacramento area. My coworker buys her discus at Splash and recommended I go there. They had multiple tanks of quarter/50 cent size angelfish and maybe 5 or 6 adult angels in other tanks. They had a lot of variety and I ended up buying a couple of koi angels, a gold marble pearlscale, a blue marble, a blue/black smoky stripe pearlscale, and a blue lacy/marble/smoky patterned one. A couple of the blue angelfish are widefins too. They didn't have any of the classic silver and black striped angelfish when I was there and said they don't have that type too often so call and check if that's the type you're looking for. The koi angelfish they had at the time were about 75% white with more golden yellow markings than dark orange. The coloring on the koi angels I bought has darkened and taken on more orange tint as they have grown. The angelfish all looked really healthy and I have had them for about 3 months with no issues and they're growing well. The other fish in the store all looked healthy too. Two of the 6 angelfish I bought had minor fin damage like a split/tear or pinhole, but just minor cosmetic issues that I didn't notice until they had been in my tank for a few days and haven't caused any issues for the fish. Pricewise they were the same or cheaper than most other stores and had better quality angelfish. I think I paid between 5 to 7 dollars per fish depending on size/variety. read more

Great service and selection. Very helpful. Best place to get Discus. Good prices. I've been to this store twice and have been impressed and satisfied with services each time. read more