I went to Paul's store a second time and am again impressed at his selection. The sorority Bettas and guppies are lovely and healthy. I ended up buying a few. The hornwort is high quality as well! I highly recommend stopping by for unique fish. read more

See all

The owner, Paul, is the star of this place. I was a forever customer from the first visit, and every visit after I leave happier learning knowledge to take care of my pets properly! My first visit I bought a gourami and some plants which were half the price of what I would spend at a chain store. He took the time to talk to me about where his fish come from and his history, which is fascinating! I told him my tank dimensions and he gave me lots of options to stock my tank. My gourami is still swimming happily with his new plants today. My second visit I bought a few tetras and an African dwarf frog (which was a dream pet for me!) and I also got some more plants... Unfortunately I had an issue with my tanks nitrate levels and my tetras weren't doing too hot. I called him immediately to ask for advice and he gave me great advice that ended up saving my tetras. He really cares about what he does and his customers. He carries all ranges of fish, saltwater, freshwater, giant and tiny. Even stingrays and eels. All of his fish are quarantined prior to arriving in his store, so his fish are healthy and taken care of. He has many plants and will accommodate special requests for you. Not to mention, but his prices are unbeatable for the quality. If you are a seasoned aquarist or just looking for a new hobby, please check out this place and speak to Paul! read more

Westside Aquarium & Pets - My moss ball and dwarf frog purchased from this store with my Betta. - Pet Stores Near Me - Tampa, Florida

See all

I travel well out of my way to shop with Paul at west side. They have a great selection and Paul is a wealth of knowledge in the hobby.

I've been traveling 30 minutes each way for over 2 years now to visit this local fish store. I've always had good experiences and left a happy customer. Prices are great, there is a wide variety of fish (mostly fresh water) but Paul is also starting to expand his saltwater collection as well. Overall just a great small locally owned shop. The owner is honest and doesn't try to upswell you on stuff you don't need. My favorite part about him is if you are trying to buy a fish that grows very big he ensures you have a tank suitable for it and won't sell it to you if you don't. I will NOT go to any other fish store. read more

Paul runs a small "mom and pop" local fish store and is very knowledgeable about most all things fish. Yes his store may be older but I've made many happy livestock purchases and no one beats his prices. read more

This places should be shut down the conditions these animals live in is so sad the water super dirty you can't even see in side the tank all the fish look horrible the other animals no food or water!!! Don't support them !! read more

Paul is awesome. We have an African Cichlid tank. One of our fish got sick and Paul actually put it in a quarantine tank trying to nurse it back to health for us. It didn't make it, but we just really appreciated that. He's really knowledgable. You can also call ahead and ask what they're getting in soon which is cool. We live in Riverview so that's nice before making the trip out there. Paul's shop is the real deal. It's not fancy or for people that just want something pretty in their tanks. He doesn't have novelty fish (think beta and glow fish). It's for people that actually enjoy it. Even if you're just starting your tank and new to fish care, we think Paul is right guy to help you out. Most of all: YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. read more

Paul is an absolute pro in the fish industry and just overall a wonderful guy overall. He is always very happy to help and super passionate about what he talks about and knows his stuff. On top of that he has an incredible selection of beautiful and healthy fish. 12/10 recommend! read more

I went to this shop based on prior reviews, and am so happy I did. I had bought a Beta and tank from Petsmart, and after a couple months poor Finn died. Feeling guilty, I wanted to do it right the second time. The owner has been so helpful helping me get my tank water right. He steered me towards Endlers, since they can help a new tank. They are the cutest little guys!! So active and friendly. Also a live plant to go with my artificial. The owner said a Beta will do ok with them once the tank water is right, and he actually has Betas and Endlers living together in a couple tanks. I'll have to make sure Goldie, Flipper, Twitchy, Spot and Fancy say it's ok first though. ;-) read more

Westside Aquarium & Pets - Endler's Livebearer - Pet Stores Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Went back there to get some RCS and they since then renovated the place. Very high quality shrimp (for those who may or may not be asking) with what I think was a high price as well. Can't remember exact pricing, but they were about 2-3 dollars a pop. Just call ahead and see what they have. There's an occasional dead fish here and there in the tanks, but that's a given. One thing I did think was strange was he had a male betta in with an angelfish (same tank as the RCS) which was a no no. Ended up buying the betta and he had ich, later dying. I wouldn't let this hinder the establishment as I was told from a more experienced hobbist that it's more common than one thinks. read more

Westside Aquarium & Pets - Here's one of the shrimp, very nice coloring. Gold Snail wasn't from this place. - Pet Stores Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The initial smell walking into this place should have been enough to wall back out. It stinks of dead fish and all the tanks are filthy! Felt very bad for the fish and sea life forced to live here //: read more

My favorite local fish store in the Tampa area! Paul is amazing and is always ready to help customers pick the right fish or advise them on issues they are experiencing in their aquariums. He has an amazing selection of both salt and freshwater fish and some great scaping material as well! read more

I go to Paul's Westside Aquarium for honest, informed and experienced guidance in all things fish whether salt or fresh water. This owner is an amazing resource for the hobbyist as opposed to the Big Box pet store. Paul knows his products and stands behind them. He is also an expert at problem solving and approaches based on experience. The live inventory is exceptional and healthy whether you are a beginner or an experienced aquarist. If you don't start here you may wish you had! Support this long standing local gem. We are lucky to have him. read more

The address on Yelp is incorrect. It's actually on the opposite side of the street - I think 3402. Be warned the petstore is a bit dingy. It's little hole in the wall type shop your parents took you to when you were a kid buying your first goldfish. Once you get passed the fact that you're not shopping at Petsmart, you will realize that you're dealing with the most knowledgable and sincere aquarium store owner you could find. I had been seeking Lookdowns for months. I had visited and or called every aquarium in Pinellas and Hillsborough county. I was told over and over "they could get them" and "they would call." Literally no calls for months. I felt stupid calling back asking again every couple of weeks. I finally remembered that I had found Westside last year and the owner seemed like a nice guy. I called. Paul told me he would get the list from his distributor in the next couple of days and he'd call. He did. Paul then, I'm pretty sure, called me from his distributor when he was looking at the fish. He gave me specific details, including sizes and quantities. Even though he wasn't comfortable carrying the baby Lookdowns (very delicate fish) in his store, when I asked if he could get a quantity for me, he happily agreed - provided they still looked healthy. The whole process took about a week. He called every time he said he would and tonight I am watching my 6 baby Lookdowns on their side (segregated) of the tank. They are active and honestly healthier looking than Lookdowns I've had 3 times their size. If you want to deal with someone who is fair and genuinely cares, go see Paul. He is the best! read more

As newer saltwater hobbyists, my fiance and I only go here for our fish, corals, and other supplies. Paul, the owner, is very intelligent, and he is always gives A+ customer service. We go to his shop once or twice a week, depending where we are at with our tanks (sometimes we have gone three to four times a week lol), and he always helps us, answers our questions, and gives us advice on how to proceed. We started with a 10 gal tank, and currently have four fish in there, snails, shrimps, a couple corals, and sponges, all of which are from his shop. We have had the tank for about 3 months now, and everything is going great. We did experience a few issues, none of which were directly related to the quality of the products we bought from him, and he went out of his way to help us get everything back on track. Then, we decided to buy a 5 gal tank from him just to have something small in a different part of our apartment, and we are currently in the works of building this one. Needless to say, if you go there, which you should, he will do his best to get the fish or corals you want, or the supplies you need, and the prices are the best around. He does not do the things that the mainstream fish stores do, so if you are looking for frags, or tank raised fish, dont go here, you wont find it. Overall, this is the ONLY place that we will go for our tanks, and he is the only person which trust with our fish babies! One last thing, dont let the shop fool you. QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICE is what is important, and Paul delivers this. read more