Great customer service and all the staffs are knowledgeable. Lots of selections of anemone and fish for both salt and fresh tanks. Upkeep of the tanks is amazing! read more

Attentive, knowledgeable staff. Great selection and support captive bred fish and inverts. This is the go to place for small and large purchases on the Peninsula. Skip the big shops with no knowledge or service, trust me. read more

I enjoyed my short amount of time walking through this pet shop/aquarium. Decent amount of fishes. We were looking for a beta fish to get. If the tops are unmarked with a price, it is $4.99. Asked the employee who worked there for some advice about the betas and he was able to answer all questions clearly. read more

Ultimate Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

Sweet little local spot for your pet fish/aquarium needs. The place is clean and fish look very well taken care of. The customer service was attentive and very helpful. I picked up a new betta fish for my son. Price was a little higher than PetCo but I'd prefer to support small businesses anyways. read more

Ultimate Aquarium - New Dragon Scale Betta Fish - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

Location, location, location. It's everything! One of the only two LFS south of San Francisco and north of San Jose on this side of the bay, and I've already reviewed the other one. This store is well-maintained and will pretty much have everything you need. Tanks are clean, fish seem to be generally healthy and they finally updated their live plant section which was long overdue, considering how many hobbyists are into planted tanks and aquascaping. Good customer service. Rockstar status parking generally available. Prices lean towards the higher end of the spectrum, but what can you say? Location, location, location...it's everything! read more

Ultimate aquarium is one of the best fish stores in the bay area. Employees are extremely friendly and all know their stuff. Honest and lovely people that will help you in any way possible. Prices are average but the quality is there. There is the occasional sick fish but that is expected with most fish stores. I have never had a problem with a fish/coral from this store besides aggression (which is expected because I keep cichlids). Overall, if you want to go to store that ticks every box, ultimate aquarium is it. read more

I highly recommend you stop by this aquarium. I started a couple tanks since quarantine started & this is my go to place. Joe is very kind & knowledgeable. They test my aquariums' water for free and gladly answer my many questions. AND the fish are quite happy here, unlike other places where they look sad :( Thank you guys for being awesome! read more

I try to always shop local and help out the businesses by my home. This place is very expensive and all their fish is 30 to 40% higher in price then any other shop I go to in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. They claim the water the ship the fish in is more expensive. I am not bee to this hobby and can smell BS when it's spewing. We were willing to spend $300 on fish for our tanks but they would not budge on a deal price for African cichlids they claim are ULTRA LARGE,HAHA. They were simply large cichlids just got a new name to uo the price. Guess we won't be shopping local. If your looking for beautiful fish at a cost effective price shop San Francisco. read more

An amazing selection of fish and optimal customer service! I got to talk with Ian who is a representative of ULTIMATE AQUARIUM. His customer service was exceptional! That was what stood out to me the most. The type of person that would go above and beyond to answer your questions. To get an insight of this beautiful fish store, come check out the tour on my YOUTUBE channel as well as a inspirational voicover by Ian himself! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RlraMrFjWFg read more

Ultimate Aquarium - Watch the ULTIMATE AQUARIUM- fish store tour before you come in to get a glimpse of what they have to offer! YOUTUBE- CATCH THIS FISHKEEPER - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

Their tanks were pretty dirty and customer service was bad. Some of the staffs were not knowledgeable on the basic care of aquarium (fresh water tanks). When I have questions that I don't know, they question me back, like if I knew why would I go to professionals for help. That specific employee that I spoke with had a pretty bad attitude during purchase and selections. As a new tank owner, I ask questions because I want my fish and tank to survive but to this employee, he was just so done with me which I did not appreciate. I took a look at their Neon Tetras and noticed that all of them in the tank have Neon Tetra Disease (their spine was curved af, definitely NOT healthy tetras) I'm surprised that they are still selling them as if they are healthy. Some of other fishes also have some sort of cloudy eyes as well. Not sure how healthy their fishes can be after seeing all these issues. Definitely will not come back to this store. read more

Every single time we come here, we always receive great customer service. Daniel, is there anything you don't know?? He's able to answer all of our questions and make helpful recommendations. Ian is very helpful as well, not to mention very cheery and always smiling. We came in today 15 minutes before closing (we hate to be those people, SO SORRY) because my bf desperately needed 2 jugs of RO water, and the employee was still really kind with us. He was patient and answered our questions with a positive attitude, thank you! They have a pretty decent fish selection and can also special order fish for you. Their coral selection is okay, although they do get some really nice coral every now and then. The pricing is a little more than what you might see at other shops but this is the bf's favorite and most trusted store in the area. A bit of a smaller shop, but great because it's so close to us and has everything we need. The five stars ultimately comes from the customer service. You can tell that they're knowledgeable and genuinely care about what they do/aquariums and everything in between. read more

I love coming over here, the staff is very nice an informative anytime I have a question about anything. I'm somewhat of a new reefer and that's a big help to me. I like coming in to browse all of their new fish and corals to see what's next in my list for my tank. They also sell pre made salt water/Rodi that makes my water changes so much easier than mixing it for myself. But overall great store to come in and just browse as well. read more

Ultimate Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

We LOVE ultimate aquarium! We are very new to this wonderful world of fish keeping and could not be more grateful for the extremely knowledgeable staff of ultimate aquarium. We never realized how much chemistry is involved in this hobby but we are learning fast. The choices of water creatures at Ultimate aquarium is phenomenal! We love our vampire shrimp we got here. They are the most hilarious creatures ever. We also love the glow tetras, the Cory catfish, but most of all- we love watching natures amazing creatures- the mystery snail. I can just sit back and watch them all day long! Thank you ultimate aquarium for your generosity of time as you answered my kids endless questions and for your wealth of knowledge. We love you! read more

Went in to purchase our daughter her first fish. We were welcomed by knowledgeable staff with great customer service. We were educated on how best to prep our tank, for how long, how to introduce our fish to the tank and what type of fish would be best for us and the tank size we have. Overall very happy with our purchases :) Highly recommend! read more

Great people, service and selection. They helped us get our tank up and running, testing the water and making recommendations. They even gave us a few starter fish to prep the tank for the betta who calls it home now. read more

Place is awesome got some cool looking Endlers and Guppys! They have a wide verity of fish and colors to choose from. They are very informative about maintenance, fish and plants! Great prices!! read more

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Very, very helpful. I set up my first saltwater aquarium and this team provided excellent guidance during my journey.

Ian, thanks so much for helping us get set up! The little guys are doing great and my young daughter is thrilled! We will be back for more soon! Thanks again! read more

Ultimate Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

I have always loved browsing and checking out the beautiful fish at this store but, until recently, I didn't have a tank so I had not purchased anything. I now have a tank and yesterday I purchased 3 fish and some supplies. One of the fish seemed sluggish and died during its first evening in the tank. I took it back not knowing Ultimate Aquarium's return policy. They were absolutely great. Very understanding and without hesitation, offered to replace the lost fish. Great customer serviceman too of a great offering of fish. I will be returning many times to buy my fish and aquariums supplies here. read more

Ultimate Aquarium is a cool place to go to especially if you are a "Saltwater Hobbyist" like me. Staff here is very knowledgeable, and have made great recommendations. I've purchased their frag corals here, and I found their prices to be up to par with the rest of the Bay Area aquarium stores. They also have a fantastic selections of "Tang" fishes!! You can also purchase both your saltwater and "RO" reverse osmosis water here. I suggest you bring your own container, but they do sell them here too!! In terms of accessories, they have pretty good selections and I especially like their LED overhead lighting system and some of them were pretty modern looking!! If you are a beginner at Saltwater or Nano reef aquarium, I suggest coming here and ask them for advice. It is not a huge place, but they are very nice and will help you find the right setup for your needs. Keep in mind that don't skim on cheap pumps or overhead lighting, buy the good brand especially a powerhead like "Hydor," they last longer and will keep your tank's ph balance healthy. They are located next door to "Ah Sam" and you can park on their side parking lot at back. It is easier if you head North Bound on El Camino as they will be on your right. Until then, Cheers! ~ :p read more

Went here for the 1st Time a few weeks ago and their $$ are maybe a little high on some varieties of fresh water tropicals and golds . But it as I often tell people and use the phrase ' it's the cost of doing business and a small independent retailer is not in it to compete with the larger chains . J / S .. I would definitely recommend Ultimate Aquarium to anyone who wants quality livestock and a variety of choices in fresh and salt. Golds needs some work . Personally- Yes I will return.. read more

I recently visited Ultimate Aquarium as a result of not getting very good customer service from a box store. The tanks are crystal clear, the fish are happy and healthy and the staff member who helped me patiently answered all of my questions and was well versed in all things "fish". The store is a visual delight of colors and movement. Although Ultimate Aquarium is not in my neighborhood, I will definitely return for any of my aquarium needs. I highly recommend them. read more

Everything was cool. Good selection and prices. Everybody was friendly and helpful. Came in for the water, corals, and fish

After reading some good Yelp reviews, we decided to visit Ultimate Aquarium in San Mateo. The store is easy enough to find. It is on El Camino Real just a few blocks south of the Highway 92 intersection. There is parking on both sides of the building; however, I wasn't sure if either was for Ultimate Aquarium customers. Thankfully, there were a few empty spots on the street. This aquarium store is amazing! Although it isn't as big as a big box pet store (like Petsmart, Petco or Pet Club), it specializes in aquariums. The actual fish section is in the back. It is absolutely amazing! There is a fantastic assortment of sea life for any aquarium enthusiast. They offer both freshwater and saltwater fish (along with other underwater creatures). This assortment is much better than you will find at any big box store. In addition, the fish here are well-cared-for. I doubt that integrating these fish will be as risky as fish from big box stores. As long-time enthusiasts, we have several aquariums at home. We already know quite a bit about fish too. However, the staff was very helpful. They offered tips and suggestions about certain fish too. This visit was undoubtedly worth the drive. We'll be back soon! read more

I have been very strick during Covid and have remained in quarantine. I decided today to take a baby step and leave the house to look for some new fish to add to my aquarium. I was glad to see they were open during this time. I looked on Yelp before going to see if they were open and sure enough it said open until 5 and to please wear a mask. Honestly, I have to say the atmosphere was the same amazing place I have been going to for years. The only difference was everyone, employees and customers were wearing masks and there are X marks in the floor to show proper social distancing while waiting in line. The staff as always is friendly and knowledgeable. They are always great to check in to see if anything is needed and then don't hover over you while you browse. The other great thing is they don't try to sell you additional items that are not needed. The have both fresh and salt water fish along with a variety of coral. They also have koi fish for a koi pond. Overall I love this place which is why I will drive out of my way to go here rather than a place closer to my house. Whether you are new to the hobby or a seasoned pro check this place out. read more

My favorite fish store in the area. Small with goof variety of fish. I keep freshwater planted tanks and for my water and for my setup their fish and shrimp have always adapted well. For hardware they are the usual fish store prices like tanks and filters and such so if you want to buy cheaper there can be other options. I don't keep saltwater but they have a good selection as well as coral and live rock as well as koi. If you have questions they'll help you out as well as well as a cool policy if you purchase a fish and if it dies within a few days they'll replace it given good water parameters (so people can't get over by keep getting more fish and im at odds at adding this to the review as I feel it can be abuseable by the wrong people but ill keep it up on good faith). I've only had to exercise it once but I was fully intended buy a fish anway and I like this store so I got two fish that day. read more

Friendly staff and although the shop is small they have a good variety of stock in both equipment and fish! The tanks always look pretty clean and the fish mostly seem pretty healthy. read more

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Awesome customer service. A lot of information and assistance setting up a new tank. Plenty of excellent fish options. Nice decor. Knowledgeable staff who are very helpful. We shall return. read more

Stopped as someone new to the hobby and the staff (Brandon, I think) was extremely helpful. Providing the proper product recommendations as well as thorough instructions. Never pushed to sell anything, actually quite the opposite, give recommendations on how to pace out the purchases to save money. The store doesn't seem that big yet actually has practically everything. Definitely highly recommended. read more

This is one of the good stores left in the area.They only have small tanks and the store is not huge, but the fish are healthy and the staff understands the fish. I have memories of the bigger stores that used to be around, but those are gone so I buy most of my fish from these guys now and I am always happy to go in there and see what they have. Highly recommended. read more

Great selection of healthy fish. Staff was knowledgeable and answered all my questions. Thanks Ian for helping me out with water pump!

Tanks are dirty with lots of pests. Corals are waaay overpriced and the owner is an A-HOLE. I will skip this place and drive to Aquatic collection in Hayward. read more

I enjoy going in here and looking at the fish. Owner is very knowledgeable. This may be the last of its kind in an area that used to have many such fish stores. However, I have a pond and they aren't set up to sell me what I need. Hence I have to buy directly from suppliers. I give it 5 stars because its real purpose is obviously to supply customers with indoor fish tanks, which I gave up because of the problems with mess, smell, live food acquisition and because so many of these stores have gone out of business for some reason. read more

I highly recommend Ultimate Aquarium! The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm a beginning aquarium enthusiast, and discovered Ultimate Aquarium last February. Richard was extremely helpful in getting me started, and very pleasant. I left feeling confident that this would be my aquarium store going forward. The store has a broad selection of fish which are monitored and well maintained. Anyone with any aquarium experience knows you can only learn by "trial and error", and each time I've returned to the store, I've always received excellent and knowledgeable customer service. I've worked with Richard, Joe and Kai, and all are great! read more

friendly staff and a helpful hand, They have all the supplies you need to make a fresh water tank or salt water tank, in regards to their choice of fish it is slightly limited choices, I can say all there stock of fish do look healthy though, majority of the freshwater fish are guppies or in the family of guppies, there were few oscars small and some large, neon tetras, black mollies, I think it was a tank of ghost shrimp, and choices of live underwater plants. For there salt water collection they do have several choices, alot of coral to choose from as well. Lighting for the salt water tanks catch your eye when you walk back to inspect the livestock. If your looking for more of the aggressive fish like arowana's, bichir's, clown knifefish you will not find them here, most agressive that I saw was the oscars for the freshwater tanks. on the Salt side I did not peer over since I have a fresh water tank, other then that all of there stock looks lively and not sickly with spots like some other fish stores, if you are in the area I do recommend this place for building your tank up, and for advice on fish and which pairs better with certain types. Definitely place for folks looking for salt water fish and coral, if you are looking for freshwater stock, their stock again is healthy not like the run of the mill petco brand where you can tell they will last less then a week. price $-$$$ depends on what your buying service **** very helpful and informative ambiance **** clean, open not humid inside even in the tank areas, well lit for the salt water tanks. read more

The guys here know everything about fish. So helpful! We were new to the fish world and each time we went in for water check, tank supplies, adopting fish, etc, they were always helpful, polite, very detailed and the owner even helped replace an item that, for whatever reason, didn't last long. He replaced it for free with a better, more pricey version of the item because he felt bad we had to go through fish troubles because of it. They have such a selection too! We go here just to check out the awesome exotic creatures. Love this place. read more

Only place on the Peninsula where I could find White Cloud Mountain Minnows in-stock, which are a great alternative to goldfish because they poop a lot less (and don't require a water heater like goldfish). No pressure shopping, free water testing, and they have a good stock of dry goods. read more

Went there this past weekend to buy a saltwater fish for my sons saltwater tank and walked out disgusted with there service. I was in there for 25 minutes and not once was acknowledged or asked if i needed help . It sucks because they had this really nice snowflake eel I wanted to buy but will not give my money to a business that does not acknowledge you. I stood there near register waiting for help and for someone to ask me what I needed. Whether they profiled me or not as a window shopper or a joke I felt discriminated as I noticed the whole time i was there they did see me and watch me walk around but could"nt ask me if i needed help. Don't shop here. Take your business elsewhere. Nice Fish , small selection, Bad service. Especially since I drove from San leandro to get a fish from them. read more

Love this place! Friendly and helpful staff and a great selection of fish. Noticed that they are starting to stock more tanks, plants, and hardscape for aquascaping. read more

They always sell healthy, happy fish! And their employees are much more knowledgeable than your average Petco/PetSmart employee. Absolutely recommend them for any new additions to your aquarium! read more