Dismal! Visited today, March 10, 2026. I used to love this shop, but haven't been here in years. As soon as I opened the door I smelled urine odors coming from the small animals area. There were 5 large rabbits each in tiny cages, and one of the Holland lop rabbits for sale had an eye infection. The tanks were dirty, and the entire shop looked shabby and depressing. Almost all of the aquarium lights were off, and there were signs of illness in the fish. A tortoise was in a plastic stock tank with a bowl of filthy water, and no enrichment. Heartbreaking, I hope the care improves. read more

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great selection of tropical fish for our new tank set up!

Great selection- impeccable customer service. Very informative staff. We will be going back read more

The owner and staff are very helpful, and knowledgeable with regard to fish care for my 50 and 75 gal water gardens. Calls on the phone are answered quickly and courteously. It is great to have a local independent source. read more

Awful service. Unreasonable boarding policy. Be aware that they charge by calendar days for boarding a pet, not actual days. Example: drop off animal at 11:30 am on Friday, pick up at 10:30 am on Monday, they will charge you for 4 days, not the 3 days they were actually watching the pet. read more

Had a really pleasant experience at my first visit here! Trying to explore some more fish stores in the area. Owner was very kind and incredibly knowledgeable- I loved that he knew where every single animal and plant came from, and he worked with local breeders. A great place to support your community! And some pretty neat little finds you don't get at box stores. read more

The Fish Nook - My freshwater tank Im excited to add my new plants to! - Pet Stores Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

Everything I need for my fish and reptiles. If they don't have it they will get it. Expert advice.

Will never go there again! Travelled 30+ miles only to find a limited supply/variety of fish. Their over priced in a big way. Ended up purchasing a couple of Tetra's. (That's all I could afford) This was about 3 weeks ago and my entire 55ga. Corner fresh water aquarium is almost wiped out!!! Don't be foolish like me and not quarantine ANY FISH from this place! I'm sooo sorry I went there, it's been heartbreaking everyday to find more gone:( read more

Awful store. Employees are no help, terrible selection of healthy fish and plants. Small animals are kept in tiny cages. More area in the store for chemicals and tiny bowls than for fish and plants. Massive up charge too. read more

We finally decided to get our son a fish tank and some fish. We live near this place but didn't know it was here till a friend told us about it. I like to buy local, so we went over to buy the tank and supplies. We were impressed with the advice we got. We picked up everything we needed to get started. We came back later to buy the fish. The guy who helped us explained in detail how to acclimate the fish to the tank. It has been over a week and the fish are happy. Tetras, if you're wondering. I recommend this place for good fish and good advice. read more

I'm done with the fish nook. Tanks look dirty and at least one fish looked ill. Expensive prices, too.

still hoping to find a good petco/petsmart alternative, but this isn't it. the fish seemed fine and they have a great selection of plants and hard scapes. I would say if you're going for bettas or small animals though, don't bother... or maybe rescue them! the bettas are in dirty cups and they sell tiny bowls and vases for them. always hope that local fish stores will be more knowledgeable when it comes to bettas, but this doesn't seem like it. the small animals were pretty packed in cages with next to no enrichment either- I at least expect petco standards for cage size and toys! read more

While I do not doubt their expertise in fish, I was very unfortunately surprised at the care of their reptiles. Their ball pythons are housed improperly on thin substrate or on carpets with clear excrement that has not been cleaned. There were no water bowls in the smaller tanks, and in the largest tank in the back with a pet that is not for sale, it's water bowl was bone dry. I have picture evidence of this. An employee became aggressive and shooed me out of taking more pictures. I bought a younger snake from this shop despite these conditions, hoping to give it a better home. Within a week, the snake had died. The snake was in poor condition to begin with, very thin and lethargic as I brought it home (I also have picture evidence of this). However, when I brought this up to the owner, they pointed out that it had been "moving and warm" when I had received it, and therefore it was healthy. To boot, the owner gave me this snake in a spare cardboard box they had. I called and was spoken to by someone who claimed to be the owner's brother who had helped me that day. They said we could negotiate something and that if the snake had died so early. When I brought the body back in to negotiate even a partial refund, the owner proceeded to get very aggressive. He blamed me for the pet's death, saying that it was a transport issue and the snake got cold during the 10 minute car ride back to my house. He then blamed me for improper care conditions, despite my evidence that I have another very healthy snake. When I pressed the issue, he blamed me for not taking it to a vet. He then said that if I had a vet report (Keep in mind, this would have cost more than the snake), he would have offered me a partial refund. Instead, he gave me a messy note for store credit for half the price of the pet and then shooed me out. In short, the owner got aggressive and was unprofessional, unsympathetic, and inappropriate. Their reptile care is lacking at best and neglectful by not offering water to the pets. I would not recommend visiting here. read more

The Fish Nook - Picture of the care conditions of their "beloved pet" with no water and too low of humidity evidenced by the dry shed. - Pet Stores Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

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TL;DR: It is a fun family/community local fish store. A very fun, approachable fish store with hamsters, parrots, bunnies, and some other furry creatures. Good selection of salt water fish, tropical, and cold water fish. Personally, I've enjoyed the salt water section here, as they have helped me expand from fresh water only into the more exotic arena. They quarantine all their fish and live rock. I've yet to take home a fish and have it infect my tank with ick, as is sometimes the case with chains. I have taken some hermit crabs home for them to die quickly though. But at $2-3 a pop, that hasn't felt like a crime. The staff is very knowledgeable, and the owner will hang out with you and walk around the store giving different advice. Very fun to spend an hour or so in the store and just talk with people, learning, and enjoying the fish. Some of the staff is newer to the craft, but everyone seems to bring their own perspective. read more

Beginning to get back into the aquarium hobby I began searching for speciality fish stores around me. Granted the Fish Nook is 45 minutes away from me. Anyway, I initially went because they had the fish in-stock I was looking for. When I got there I was glad I decided to make the trip. The store is small but packed, great selection of fish (look healthy and happy) and all the accessories (filters, food, heaters, etc) you could need. The staff was nothing but friendly and helpful. Everyone I've dealt with are very knowledgeable and willing to help beginners like myself. I brought in a water sample of my cloudy water, within 15 minutes they tested it for me and told me exactly what was going on and how to fix it. It's only been a few hours and I'm already seeing a noticeable change in my tank water. The prices are reasonable, if you try to find the cheapest store possible you won't be looking at speciality stores anyway. Nothing I saw was outrageously priced. I've been a few times now, I highly recommend you give The Fish Nook a chance. read more

Drove to this store because of the good reviews and was shocked. Filthiest pet store I have ever been in. Fish tanks caked with algae,not normal algae like never been cleaned dirty water algea. Can tell they don't get cleaned .. water quality looks terrible dead fish in many tanks rotting away that have clearly been dead for days. Many fish with sever fin rot and some with clearly visible ick. The Betta's conditions were extremely sad. All in 3cups all looking dead. fins rotting off severely. Looks like water is never changed and they sit in thier filth looking sickly. Never seen such bad looking betta's. Their small animals are also in horrible con ditions. Feces and pee caked on running wheels amd bars. I have small animals and it takes months of not cleaning to get to that condition....theyre piled in small cages ,no water in water dishes or water that looks like toilet water and dosnt get changed. They clearly don't t take care of thier small animals and reptiles and clearly don't clean thier cages often . I've seen some not so great pet stores but this place is just plain bad. Should be charged with animal abuse. Looks nothing like pictures from a year ago. Never seen such filthy conditions it is really sad. They have good knowledge of fish but 100% I will never buy anything from this pet store. Stay away from thier fish and plants unless you want parasites and bacterial infections in your home tanks. They should be ashamed how filthy everything is. Anyone who loves fish and pets knows neglected tanks and cages when you see them. No excuse to have things be that gross.Id be embarrassed to be the owner of this store. Get some staff that maintains the tanks and cages instead of leaning on the front counter. Time to lean you got time to clean. Sorry for rant . I'm all for supporting small business hence why I drove a hour to go here but f this place. It's really sad places like this exist. Neglecting animals needs for a quick buck. Stay away. Petco and petsmart suck and they're angels compared to this shit hole. read more

To be honest, we've bought hamsters and fish there. The price is $$ and the attitude of the staff is **. I would give a * honestly. The reason is sometimes when you're just browsing with and without the intention of buying something and you end up not buying anything the owner would give me a look and hold a grudge. I don't like that feeling so I won't visit again and I haven't for like a decade. read more

The staff is kind and helpful. I also really appreciate their honesty. There have been a few times when I was willing to spend money on a product and they advised me to go with a better, less expensive version. Their fish are very healthy. I have a cardinalfish and a watchman goby from them, and recently added a clownfish as well. I was interested in a clownfish in their large display tank and the store owner took the time to catch him for me. read more

The Fish Nook - Cute clownfish I got from the fish nook - Pet Stores Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

The staff are knowledgable, always willing to help and answer questions. The fish and other animals seem well-cared for - there's not the sad, stark feeling often found at big-box pet shops. Shop here first! read more

I cannot say enough about this local fish store! They have very knowledgeable staff when it comes to fish selection. They help me with my pretty advanced tank set-ups, getting conditions optimal, what species do well together, etc. Also they have a nice frequent buyers club, so you get periodic discounts depending on how much you spend. The owner is a very nice guy, he actually gave me a couple great bargains since I frequent the store! They are just all around great, friendly, knowledgeable people. If you are an aquarium enthusiast in and around the Acton area, definitely go here. And not to mention their fish selection is pretty huge! read more

When the girls were young, we used to come in at least once a week to look at the "fishies." Nice neighborhood go-to store to see fish, birds and small mammals (and for associated supplies and food). We owned several goldfish and a cute little tank, and the kids enjoyed checking it out. Ah. Those were the days. Fast forward to last week. The torrential rains caused the water table under my husband's office floor to rise to a scary height: Nothing poured out but you could hear the gurgling and see about 5 inches of water between the flooring and the duct work if you lifted the heat registers. Not a good situation. We were trying to figure out how to remove the water and tried our trusty wet vac, which didn't work. Called all around and I spoke to plumbers, etc. So annoying to hear, "Not my job to deal with the water table." Whatever. So, my husband had the brilliant idea to go to a pet store, which would certainly have pumps small enough to place into the heat register yet strong enough to remove the water...like one would use in fish tanks. He tried Petco and they had no clue. Finally, we spoke to Sean, at Fish Nook. He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and said Mr. K's solution was a good one, as others had come there for the same reason. Got the supplies and the tubing, and he was all set. Mr. K was having trouble setting it up, but Sean took the time to show him exactly what to do. Yay. Nice service, personal treatment. read more

This is my favorite pet store for my two pet rats. The people who work there are very knowledgeable in rats as pets, which is so helpful. They are also very patient with you there and willing to get other products that they don't have in the store. I even got a hand out to the car with my bedding and new cage! read more

Please do not buy animals in this store. They keep them in terrible conditions. The cages are small and dirty. It looks they never were cleaned. Animals even don't have clean water. For example rabbit doesn't have space to stretch. I have no idea how healthy animal can live in such conditions. But after reading other reviews I understood they just feed them antibiotics to hide sickness. The animal should have vet record that says it doesn't have any disease especially Chlamydia. I asked about one pet and salesperson told me it doesn't have any vet records but it healthy. What else he could tell me? It was very painful to look at all of this. I had filling that some animals emotionally gave up on their life. How other people could gave more than one star to this place? read more

For those a-fish-ianados out there, The Fish Nook is a great place to stock the aquarium. The staff is very helpful and the owner, Bill, has a half century of experience to guide you. As a beginner aquarium owner, I appreciate the helpful recommendations of the staff. There is a wide variety of fish including low cost starter fish up to expensive professional grade types. This is a great place to take care of all your fish needs. read more

I'm very angry at the fact that some of the fish conditions were just outrageous, for example, the water conditions for the betta fish were horrific and there was dust around the bags they were in!! In addition to the fish abuse, the store reeks with the smell of animals.. The items at the store are pricey and I had a very bad experience. This is a real and honest review about this store. read more

Don't support this shop. I went there looking to increase my school of kuhli loaches because they were the only place within 15 miles that was currently carrying them, but their variety of available fish is not worth the risk. The fish I purchased died somewhere between 24 and 30 hours after I introduced it to my tank. And before you write me off for a bad tank environment, know that I monitor my tank closely and already had a healthy kuhli that had been living happily in my tank for months. After the fish died I was sad but didn't bother to contact the store. I just figured I wouldn't go back and I'd learned my lesson not to trust their tanks. I wanted to avoid the uncomfortable hassle and potential conflict of trying to get a new fish or refund out of them. Two days later my beloved black kuhli started acting funny. I contacted the store with my concern that the fish had died quickly and seemed to have now infected another loach. Their response was to tell me about how sensitive fish are to changes in environment and inform me that their fish guarantee was 7 days if provided with the fish carcass and a water sample. Who in their right mind would keep a fish carcass around. I told them I'd give them the water sample but apparently they really think people are lying about their fish dying and need to see the carcass. The next morning when I woke up, my kuhli was dead. I complained to the shop again and informed them of my kuhli's death. Again, they took no responsibility and stated "I can only offer you help and advice". Just stay away. They may have a large variety of fish but it is not worth the risk to your tank. read more

Really good place but your experience depends on the day. Their fish stocking is a little bit on the sketchy side, I went to buy a few african cichlids and the person who was netting them said, "Yeah you might not want to buy the white one." noting that this fish was missing an eye and had a wound. That was a little bit of a red flag for me but small quality issues with fish is inherent in retail aquatics, no matter how good the store is. I also admire the honesty. However, the prices are really good for fish here. $19 for Synodontis Petricola is an awesome deal and the staff is helpful, at one point offering to buy the tank and have it shipped to the location for me when they heard I was looking to upgrade my tank. They also have a good stock of African fish, as I've noted in prior reviews a lot of local suppliers only really focus on North and South American freshwater fish. read more

Small shop with big selection. If you're looking for dry driftwood, they have three huge bins of it. Also has a wide variety of plants. Knowledgable and friendly staff, clean tanks, healthy fish. Great experience, looking forward to visiting again in the future. read more

I have never in my life witnessed animals in worse conditions in a pet store. I visit this store to pick up fish food. Two weeks ago I noticed two baby rabbits in cages maybe a foot long by 8" wide. They were beautiful and clearly in distress for being held in such small conditions in their own filth. Today they were ragged, with their teeth misshapen from chewing on the bars constantly. The hamsters were piled into a small bin, trying to chew themselves out. There were four large rats in what looked like a 10 gallon fish tank running in circles and biting each other. All the betta fish were dead. Sitting in their own filth for what looks like days. I have never written a Yelp review before, but am making sure to spread the word of the animal cruelty of this place. I will never give them another dime. On top of that, I have witnessed them giving incorrect advice on reptiles on more than one occasion. read more

I went there today and was frankly saddened by the place. The animal cages, like the chinchillas, and birds were incredibly dirty! The chinchilla cage had a layer of droppings everywhere. The bird cages had not been changed in a while and the fish tanks had dead fish in them that had been dead for a while (floating white goo on them). I understand fish will die, but take them out of the tanks in a semi-timely manner! The employees were pricing items while these cages were filthy. I would not buy anything from them based on the condition I found their cages in. I would rather go shop in a Petco or petsmart who at least houses their pets for sale in clean appropriate conditions. Far beyond disappointed! read more

Amazing place for beginners and experienced hobbyists. Great selection and knowable staff. You can also have them order specialty items which is a huge plus. read more

I went to the Fish Nook earlier today to get another fish since they're expertise is great. I ended up purchasing a degu instead (he was too cute I couldn't resist) but that's beside the point. I was checking out when I suddenly almost fainted. The girl helping me and what I'd assume was her manager or the owner gave me a comfortable chair to sit in, offered to call someone for me, checked in on me regularly and even grabbed me something to eat from Donelan's. They seemed to really care about how I was doing and I am so thankful for that. read more

Yes, they have a good selection of fish at good prices, but you pay the price with a newly acquired parasitic infection! I have had my tank for 10 years with little to no problem. During our snow storm, the tank's water got cold and killed 3 fish. I went to the Fish Nook and got 3 new platys. 6 days later the entire tank has an infection with all of the fish having white spots on them. This is called Ick and now I have had to put the entire tank under medication. What a waste of time! I don't know how many of my fish will survive, but I am not going back to get more infected fish! read more

Terrible service. I spent 30 dollars for some tetras which I was told wouldn't harm my betta fish. They did and when I called to ask what I could get instead they told me I would be charged to bring them back!!! Ridiculous! I asked if I could exchange them if it did not work BEFORE buying the fish and the employee told me I could. Now I'm stuck with fish that are too aggressive and while on the phone the owner laughed at me for getting upset that I was not informed before buying fish. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere where the owner cares about the customers. Could not be more disappointed by the owners complete lack of respect. To add on to this, their Bettas look worse than they do at petsmart or petco! Filthy cups. That says something considering the store specializes in fish! read more

I've been going to the Fish Nook since I was young for all of my aquarium needs. I've tried other stores and found them to fall short in comparison. All the employees here are knowledgable, helpful and patient in explaining how to best maintain your aquatic ecosystems. I would definitely recommend them! read more

Probably the worst customer service in Acton. Misleading return/exchange policies. Certainly over priced and owner has arrogant attitude. Do not buy it here. Don't tell I didn't warn you. read more

Have to agree with the "depends on the day" comment. We purchased a gerbil with the habitat, food, shavings - everything my 10-year-old needed for his first pet. In the first days, we noticed the animal had scratches on his back and mites. Took care of those by repeatedly changing the habitat filler. Last week, the poor thing developed an irritation all over his nose, so we changed the bedding and switched to a different habitat. No improvement. Today, we brought the gerbil back to the store for advice (as we were told to do). We stood at the front desk no less than 10 minutes before my husband went to get a staff member from the back room (where she was sitting in full view of us). Though kind, she then took the gerbil out of his cage, dropped him on the counter and agreed there was an irritation, but had no suggestions how to help it - other than to go to a vet or to "give it antibiotics." I deduced that she meant an antibacterial when she said "normal human stuff like Neosporin." Our first visit getting our pet, we dealt with an older woman who was helpful and informative. These past Sunday return visits have been wastes of time and detrimental to our pet. We will not be returning. read more

This place may not look fancy but they actually have really knowledgable and friendly staff and good quality animals and fish. I have bought several pets from there over the years and they've been very healthy and happy. Any questions I had were answered right away. Really helpful with fish and aquarium concerns also. Would pick this place over a petco or petsmart any day. Bonus: they offer small animals for adoption that have been given up and find new owners for them, keeping them out of shelters read more

I've been shopping here for my fish supplies for a few years now. The staff are really knowledgeable about their products and have great advice for any issues that I have had with the care of my fish. Reasonable prices too. Great local business! read more

I have been to most pet stores in eastern mass and this one is the best one I went to. This store may be small but they have a great staff and awsome fish. Owner is a good guy, wants to help and knows what he is saying unlike most pet stores employees. Great selection of fish specially cichlids and if he doesn't have what u want he will order it! I recommend this store to everyone, u wont regret going there! read more