ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS FISH. My boyfriend and I were driving down El Camino and he pointed over to this business and said "that place is awesome", and I replied saying, "what's so awesome about that aquarium?" So he stopped, pulled over, and had us walk inside. There. are. so. many. fish. Like hella fish. And coral. And shrimp. And hermits. EVERYTHING. There was this big fish (i think it was called an XL Red something) and I was standing in front of it with my face really close to the glass and the fish was swimming up to me and hitting the glass. Super cute! Even if you're not going to go and buy a fish, it's definitely worth stopping by and checking it out :D 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

Not the best help, manager seemed like he didn't want to be too involved with doing the right thing. They tried selling an striped orange hermit (Calcinus cf elegans) as a Halloween Hermit (Ciliopagurus strigatus), which it is obviously not! When I asked the price they said $9, which is right for a Halloween but not at all for the other one. I tried telling them it was mislabled, and the girl helping me went back and told the manager who said it was a halloween hermit crab and that's what got charged for so that's what they're selling. I was like WTF? "don't you care about selling the right thing" and then this other guy came out and was like "common names on the east coast are different from here." I'm sorry but you can't make up your own names for stuff so you can sell it for more than double!!! BAD ETHICS! and they didn't care either! Also not the best selection, Definitely DO NOT COME FROM THE CITY FOR THIS PLACE, it's rather mediocre, also slightly over priced. read more

Pretty cool little shop. I came in the other day looking for some SAE's to go with my solo one. The very nice woman who helped me actually stopped me from making the purchase after hearing that I had goldfish, then explained why they weren't compatible with tropicals. She gave a lot of good advice, and offered to take the goldfish in for pond fish as well. All the fish looked very healthy, and they had quite a large selection. Didn't have any of that live fish store stink that in my opinion should make people think twice about keeping fish. Had to get going, but would definitely visit again in the future. read more

Recently I just came to buy a few gallons of salt water since my reef tank needed some cleaning to do. I've come here in the past and have been happy with their service and water but this time it was very devastating. My tank literally is wiped out after changing the water. All my corals have died and I can't seem to figure out anything else wrong with the tank other than me changing the water. Its pretty heartbreaking and now I am just warning everyone if they have a reef tank to be careful of buying salt water from this store. Edit... So I was in desperate need of a water change and this time the saltwater was fine :P So back to 4 stars! read more

Being ignored never works for me. My tiny purchase (in cash) of an air stone should not have been an ordeal, but in this busy shop it doesn't seem to rate acknowledgment or even the opportunity to pay for what I needed. It would have been totally cool if the staff could have made eye contact and said anything. Refusing to look at me results in me walking out to find someone who wants to make a little money and a local customer. Learn to multi-task, you could have rung my purchase while you babbled on the phone about how busy you are. read more

After having two beautiful 55-gallon saltwater tanks in LA several years ago, we have finally set up a 150-gallon saltwater reef tank here in the Bay Area and, of course, have spent an arduous amount of hours scoping out the fish stores from South Bay to Daly City and over to the East Bay. Rather than write up a ton of mediocre to downright terrible reviews, I'll just post this one to make all of our lives easier. Ultimate Aquarium has the healthiest fish, a nice selection, almost every accessory and food item you will need, and nice, knowledgeable folks working there. I have not found this 4-star combination anywhere else in my search to date (except down in SoCal where the hobby seems to be more prevalent). We anticipate many more visits to this store over the next few months! read more

Staff was super helpful with my questions on maintaining an Opae' ula ecosystem. They were kind enough to concoct brackish water to match the salinity of my aquarium. The store is kempt and filled with all sorts of fish/plants. I only needed a bit of marimo moss and they were willing to give me half of what they had in stock for half the price. read more

Having recently started a freshwater aquarium, I was in search of some plants as well as other decorative pieces. My wife and I stopped by Ultimate aquarium, and were immediately helped by one of the guys up front (sorry, I forget your name.) He was able to guide me towards the plants I needed as well as make a few suggestions for lighting options and products. I did not feel like anything was being forced upon me. I plan on returning for all of my fish related needs in the future. read more

Ultimate Aquarium - Some tetra bought from ultimate aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - San Mateo, California

The store is very clean and neatly organized, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful - they greeted us right away when we walked in. Came in to get our child's first fish, and the staff member helped us set up our tank with all the right necessities. She happily wrote down all the directions step by step on how to set up our new aquarium. We have a happy little child :) I recommend coming to this shop versus shopping at the larger chain stores. Prices are very reasonable, even cheaper than its competitors. read more

Staff 3, Fish 0 My husband bought me a fish tank for my birthday since I had been talking about wanting one, but it has turned into the present from hell. He came here, bought a fish tank and had helpful service. We got the tank set up and water treated before getting any fish. But as another reviewer stated, you are going to get different answers from everyone. I asked 3 different people how often I should feed them and I got "one a day," "twice a day, but no more than they can eat in 5 minutes" and "twice a day with no more that what they can eat in 1 minute" So I just went with 2x a day in 3 minutes. So, about those fish... First, I got 3 neon tetras... one died before I even made it home, so they left me get a 'refund' fish after I brought the dead one back to show them. I noticed in the tank that the fish couldn't find each other, and since they are a grouping fish, when I went back, I decided to just make it an even 6 of tetras in the tank. One week later on a Friday, fish number 2 died. On saturday, fish number 3. They just died. Nothing wrong with the water (had it tested) and fish were not sick. A week later, another tetra dead. So I feel bad for them and get 2 more tetra, but this time from Pet Smart. When I put them in the tank, they are exceptionally brighter than the other ones from Ultimate Aquarium. (which is how I tell them apart) Then. about a month later, I notice that two of the UA fish have ich. The Pet Smart ones are perfectly fine. So, I've been treating the water and today, here is another dead fish on the ground, one died while I was looking at it swim funny, and there is another fish swimming the same way. Again, PS fish are swimming normally. Now, I have 3 tetra... 2 from pet smart swimming fine, and one from ultimate aquarium that is most likely going to be dead by the time I finish this review. read more

This place has a nice assortment of fish and corals but it's OVERPRICED!!! All of their dry goods are double what you can find the price for online. You can find the same stuff cheaper at Pet Club. They have crappy LR there that costs $5.99/lb. You can go across the bay to Aquatic Collection and find better rock for half that price. This place probably stays in business because it's the only LFS in the peninsula. Heck they don't even have 50lb bags of dry sand. They have to "order" it. As for their staff they don't help what's so ever. I've been in here 3 times and 2 of the 3 not a single customer in the shop and they didn't even offer to help me. read more

Was looking for a place to get fish, I usually go to a PetSmart to get them but their options are limited and customer service is horrible, came across this store and went in to check it out, I will never again buy fish from PetSmart. This store has so many options of fish and theirs employees are amazing. Wish I would have gotten his name, but the employee who helped me was able to answer my questions and was very friendly. Recommend this place for any aquarium lover. read more

After moving from SF to Millbrae, I had to find new places to find fish. There are not that many choices compared to SF. I found Aqua Traders and then this place, which is not a short drive from Millbrae. I like this place. The people are fairly helpful, but laid back. They were very patient with a mom buying a new aquarium. Even with her kids running around. Selection is decent. Fish look very healthy for the most part, but I think you'll find sick or a token dead fish in even the best of aquariums. Bought rummy nose tetras which I don't see too often in SF and a ultra cool alligator ornament. I don't like cheesy decor in my aquarium, but I made an exception here. They do trades (still amazed at the concept). I wanted to get rid of one of my fish that was getting too big and they gave me what I considered a more than fair exchange (a med. size can of Tetramin). It was a healthy fish. I don't recommend trying to slip sick fish to shops. It might end up making other fish you wanna buy sick. Fish prices out here are a little higher than I am used to in SF. read more

Ultimate Aquarium is clean, with a good selection, and helpful staff. I came in to purchase a small set up and a betta. Having maintained community tanks for several years, I had a few questions about water conditioners I didn't recognize and the staff was very knowledgeable. A member of the staff even checked the back to see if any different betta varieties were available. I feel happy and confident I do not have a sickly, mis-treated, elderly betta from a chain petstore. My betta is healthy, with no signs of sickness or fungus, even blowing happy bubble nests. I'll be sure to return here when I have any additional fish needs. read more

The Ultimate Aquarium is the best fish store in the San Mateo / San Carlos / Redwood City area. I came here for a few things including a Hagen Glo T5 lighting system which was priced even better or as good as every place selling it online. I also purchased a dozen Black Neon Tetras that did great in my tank right away and none died. They also buy back fish which I haven't tried yet. I'm not sure they'll take my annoyingly big Chinese Algae Eater since he's so useless... but who knows! :) I've been to fish places all through the bay area (SF and Oakland particularly) and this place is very good and a great selection of fresh and salt water fish/coral. People who complain it's overpriced must be really cheap because the prices are very good and competitive - and if they are a little higher, it's not by much. read more

The Ultimate Aquarium is the best fish store in the San Mateo peninsula. This fish store have a great assortment of fish, corals, supplies and equipments. They have competitive pricing for a retail store. You can't beat the knowledge these guys have here. When you need a pro they are the best especially this guy named Dexter. They pay full attention to their customers and serve one customer at a time. Occasionally they are so busy that there is a little wait for service. The store's fish are healthy and they have great equipment selection. If you want to set up the most gorgeous salt water tank, you'll have no regret with Ultimate Aquarium. They are it when you need correct information and good deals. Also a great place to bring your kids to explore. read more

Its cool prices can be a little Hi but what are you going to do . Customer service can also be hit or miss .

I was having a nightmare of a tank because we kept buying fish from the chain stores. A friend recommended this store and I'm sold. I've only been here three times, and always on a weekend afternoon, so I don't know the full week experience. But while somewhat small and a little cramped, the quality of the fish and especially the quality of the staff is what brings me back. They have all varieties of fresh and saltwater fish, almost everything you'd need for your aquarium, and sales personnel who know fish better than you do. One hour talking with the guy and our tank is thriving as opposed to dying. He talked about 'peaceful' vs 'aggressive' tanks, had all sorts of ideas for keeping it clean (yay suckerfish!) and loaded us up with all the necessary food, chemicals, and supplies. Parking is a bit of a challenge, and the store can get a little busy. However, with continued great service, they'll get the fifth star soon enough. read more

I'm new to the whole fish ownership thing. I had some bettas in high school, but that's fairly simple compared to a tank with a filter. I have a bio-orb, which is neat except that it's hard to see the whole tank. Anyway, I had a lot of questions and the employees were more than helpful every time I went in and asked. I think you'll find that they have a good selection as well. Again, I'm not that experienced, great place for a newbie. read more

Love coming to this place. I've been here a million times because I was setting up my new aquariums and did a little bit of moving around here and there for other fish tanks I had and they're always so helpful. It's a no hassle no questions asked, type place and all the staff is very friendly. They have beautiful fish, saltwater and freshwater. Brennan is very helpful with tips with your aquarium and he was able to help me when I was first establishing my tank (the dreaded cycling of a new fish tank). I plan on upgrading and getting a big tank in the future, so I'll definitely be back here. Support your local fish store! read more

Review only on saltwater related goods and livestocks. People = Friendly, good knowledge, very willing to help (nicest of all fish stores I have been to) Fish = very healthy, but price is on the high side. If you are adding a new fish to your establish tank. Go with them ... Corals = limited selection, healthy, price is competitive Equipment = Pretty good selection; price is on the high side I will recomment this store. read more

The staff here is incredibly knowledgeable and polite. I have not really run into anyone (and I believe I've been helped by every employee here) that warrants some of the accusations of rudeness in the other reviews. You may need to ask them for help as opposed to them offering, but that's the kind of experience I prefer: no pressure. I am writing from the perspective of a saltwater hobbyist. Their selection of fish and corals is great. They have a constant turnover of supply. When I went there to buy my first clown, they all looked like their tails were nipped, and when I pointed that out the lady helping me told me to wait for the next shipment. Very nice. The dry goods, as with most LFS, are severely overpriced with sometimes a 400-500% markup. But, that's the way it has to be for small independent stores these days. So, why only 3 stars? First, their corals are way overpriced especially now that there are other options in the central Peninsula and considering the hobby is growing and there are a lot of corals to be found for cheap on Craigslist or even for free from other reefers. Also, for a while I was buying their premixed saltwater, and whenever I changed my water I would get all kinds of algae blooms and dinoflagellates. I'm pretty sure they are not using RO water that is needed for a healthy reef. I also bought my live rock there which has ended up with a constant battle against bubble algae and aiptasia. My tank did cycle very quickly but at the sacrifice of having these pest issues that will probably never go away completely. read more

Had driven by this place countless times, they're located on El Camino and it's not too hard to spot them. They've got a neat selection of saltwater fish in back, and a lot of variety for aquarium decorations in the front. If I had the resources for more tanks, I'd totally stop by here more often just for tank decorating purposes. They've got a betta falls tank set up, too, in case anyone's been curious about seeing one in person just to get an idea of how much space it'd take up & wanted to see how the fish like it (they looked happy to me). Also a neat little desktop saltwater tank (I'm guessing saltwater since there was a small clownfish in it) which was neat. They do free water testing, and were helpful in finding someone to answer the questions I had about my own setup and made helpful recommendations. Bottom line: A neat little aquarium shop that has knowledgeable and friendly staff. read more

My boyfriend and I are personally huge fans of Ultimate Aquarium! We always buy our fish and get our water tested here. Our two Green Spotted Puffers began to have black bellies. I immediately took my water in to get tested and they helped me start the process to get them back to health! I am towards the end of the process and the Puffers have no more black on their bellies! All thanks to Ultimate Aquarium and a bunch of patience. All the employees are really friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful! All of the fish that they sell are healthy and well taken care of! They have Fresh Water, Brackish Water and Salt Water fish available. All are incredibly gorgeous! read more

My view on aquarium shops such as this is that you have to somewhat know the pricing on livestock and dry goods for it to be worthwhile... With that being said, you have to know which ones of their items (both dry goods and livestock) are cheap or expensive as compared to their competitors.... 9 times out of 10, they have exactly what I'm looking for so I'm a regular here. read more

Complete newbies to home aquariums. We had very bad experiences at two major pet store chains. We stopped by here hoping for a better experience and to cheer up our daughter who was really sad from going to the other stores and seeing all of the dead fish at those other stores. We loved the Ultimate Aquarium! Beautiful tanks full of healthy fish. We had an excellent customer service experience too. It's like night and day compared with chainstore pet stores. The gentleman that helped us told us our options for a bottom feeder companion for a Betta and then had my daughter help hold the water while he scooped out the fish. Really can't ask for more :) We will be back with my other daughter to spend lots more money. Thank you! read more

A few tanks had dead fish and one tank especially was completely filled with Ick. We shared our discouragement because we drive over the bridge from the East Bay. One man (owner?) decided to explain the normalcy and how they are workin on it, how they wouldn't sell fish that were sick. How about put up a sign on the tank, then, if you're so honest? Too many stores have been neglectful and it's made us impatient. Take care of your tanks and don't excuse yourself when avid customers complain about the health of your fish, simply take it as a headsup and do better. read more

Ultimate Aquarium, a San Mateo local fish store, has something for everyone. Livestock includes both salt water and fresh water fish and invertebrates from beginner animals suitable for a child's pet to demanding specimens appropriate for only the most advanced aquarist. Friendly and competent staff are available to help customers of all experience levels. Staff will also ask thoughtful questions to help ensure that an animal is a good fit for the customer's experience level and/or an existing aquarium. I have seen and experienced the remarkably honest staff actually discouraging a customer from a poor choice. The store policy is to accept back problem fish that have disease or perished for reasons other than poor husbandry. In the one incident in which I purchased a (difficult, advanced level) fish that was stressed, after problems arose this store actually provided free treatment products and lots of good advice. Of critical interest for salt water hobbyists, the store has some of the finest Fiji live rock in the back "employee" area of the store. It is the finest live rock I have seen or purchased in the Bay Area, containing many odd shapes, swim-throughs, and nice pre-existing coralline algae growth. Within 1 month, the rock completely bloomed with coralline algae and valuable hitchhiker organisms. The staff can help set up an aquarium successfully, and I would highly recommend seeking out this store and getting knowledgeable advice from the staff necessary to make a good start if you are a beginner. Prices are generally comparable to what one finds at any local fish store, and at times one can find a great deal. Although some specimens and equipment may have a slightly lower price when ordered online, the valuable advice and the opportunity to carefully examine specimens before purchase make the few extra bucks it takes to buy locally well worth it. read more

I'm from Hayward but was in the neighborhood and found this place through Yelp. I have a 46 gallon tank that was cloudy for weeks and in need of some much needed attention. I asked the associate at Ultimate Aquarium for some advice for my current situation and he offered some great tips to get my salt water fish only tank back on track. He offered a free water test and at no time did I feel he was trying to push any products on me. It was obvious this guy cared about the well being of my fish. After purchasing a bottle of bacteria and following his instructions, my tank is crystal clear! read more

I've been to this store before, bought some fish here. However when I brought in fish one guy said yes they'd pay for them another employee said no. Think they were just playing me for my fish. read more

This peeps helps a lot...Before you make a decision and if it's bad they stop you and offer a better choice for the better of your pets

Have always had great customer service and healthy fish from here. I'm not really a review kind of guy.but I must say they have down to earth people working there. Thankyou. Much appreciated Ultimate aquarium read more

Excellent shop that takes great care of the fish they are selling. They also have very knowledgeable staff who are very helpful.

HUGE selection of fish. owner and workers are all very kind and help while you select your fish. i recently asked if they had any exodon paradoxus, they didnt. they quickly put in a special order on monday and the fish were at the store by tuesday. love this place so much i have probably spent upwards of 300$ setting up a 45 gallon and a few nano tanks. there are a few reviews that say their tanks are dirty and have diseased fish, thats never been the case. just pay them a visit and see for yourself. read more

I LOVE coming here! The staff is so nice and really knowledgeable. I come here at least once a week to see what new fishies and corals they got in. I had to minus a star because their selection of corals isn't that great, unless you're new to the hobby and are looking for beginner corals. The fish and invert selection is awesome. You can also special order some livestock from them... like.... ORA PICASSO CLOWNS!!! I had looked all over the place for a pair of picassos and who would have known that my favorite little fish store could order them for me. =) read more

A friend introduced me to this place. Bought a 10 gallon tank last year--still works great! Recently purchased a aqua clear filter too-- and I'm happy with their customer service! I'm planning on getting a fancy gold fish soon... just waiting on that next shipment... haha read more

Guy named Brent helped us out when we bought a 65 Gallon aquarium with the stand/sump storage and sump included. He spent a whole hour demonstrating us how to set up the aquarium and the tubing for sump. I actually took video of the whole process since it was our first time setting up an aquarium with sump. Brent was really patient answering our questions. He even drew how the tubings should look like in a piece of paper and wrote down the names of pieces we need to buy from hardware store. He offered to go through the whole process again to make sure we understood everything but we didn't need him to spend more time explaining because we already have video. Until carrying everything to our van, he was there to help us. He even got extra boxes for cushion so nothing would break while we drove. It was a 5-star service and Brent is a 5-star associate. He deserves to be recognized! read more

The tanks were dirty, the worker there ignored me, and was rude when I asked questions. I still ended up buying an angel fish from this place and put it in my established tank. The fish wouldn't eat and died just a few days later. Never coming back here again! read more

These guys know their stuff. Very nice and helpful.They have been invaluable in getting our saltwater tank up and running. They have saved us from several big mistakes by giving clear advice and not letting us go too fast in stocking the tank before the cycle was ready. They are patient and explain everything. They may be a bit more pricey than the box pet stores but I trust their advice and want to support a local and vital (for fish lovers) business. The selection of fish and supplies is great quality and healthy and we never feel like they are trying to sell us something we don't want or need. We will keep coming back here. Plus they offer free water testing and advice. A great outfit. read more