Ocean Aquarium

11/17/2007 Posted by sfjoyboy

I've been going to Ocean Aquarium for over ten years and would never buy fish anywhere else. Justin, Ady and their daughter Josephine are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the hobby and are always happy to talk to you or help with any problems you might be having. A lot of other stores are just businesses trying to make a buck but Justin truly loves the hobby and is always busy maintaining his tanks, which are all planted, or reading about something new in the hobby. He takes pride in stocking rare fish and plants you won't find in most other shops and goes out of his way to provide you with information on how to keep and even breed these exotic gems.

06/10/2006 Posted by miktrebor

I have been to a lot of fish stores - this is the best for fish health and abundance of useful information. The fish are so happy there - you can immediately tell the water, plants anf fish are in perfect condition. Justin has told me how to care for fish, tend to them when they get sick, and even how to manage the breeding season for my difficult African cichlids. He also helped me spot problems with my live plants in my Amazon tank. He makes me feel so at ease about my hobby that I sometimes find an excuse to go there just to get some free "counseling"! So the beef is: go here to buy freshwater fish. For supplies, sometimes you can find some more variety elsewhere, but regardless, always ask Justin first on medications. Do not buy any fish in another commercial store, where the fish are not cared for properly. The only exception might be for certain varieties that Justin does not stock in abundance (e.g. cichlids). Check in with him every few months because he will get amazing new stocks of fish and will make sure they are in tip-top health before selling them.

Pros: beautiful fish, plants, surprising amt of supplies for the space

Cons: no marine fish

04/24/2006 Posted by jayman8117

This is like an underground place for real fish geeks that know about this place. Justin and Ada have been amazing to me, they always know what kind of fish I have and what I'm looking for. Their quality is 2nd to none (#1) good variety, healthy fish and plants, never had a problem, and I've been shopping ther for years. Thanks Justin!

Pros: knowledge, great fish, super friendly

Cons: hard to find, wish it were 5xbigger

01/28/2006 Posted by audreyt26

Went to this store on a recommendation from this site. It is exactly a hole in the wall, but open every day from 11 Am to 7PM and the couple who own it are very sweet, passionate and excited about what they do with fish. When you walk in, it is dark, a little dog may greet you as you step over him, but there are fish everywhere! We went with my 4 year old son, and walked out full of knowledge for our 10 gallon tank, live plants, and a fully set up Betta for my son's room. We know that we will never go anywhere else because they took care of us so well without ripping us off. We were witness to people come in and ask about expensive filters, and directed to a better quality for less money without being condescending.

Pros: Knowledgeable, Patient with Novices, Inexpensive

Cons: Location

10/30/2005 Posted by pandapartyxx

store is small cramped hole in the wall, but the staff was exceedingly helpful/ knowledgealbe. Unlike most larger fish stores I saw NO sick or dead fish in any of the tanks. They even gave us a free bag of water from the aquarium our fish came out of to help set up our new tank's bacterial balance. Overall awesome, everything you need to set-up a new aquarium was there, and all my questions were answered.

Pros: inexpensive, friendly, knowledgeable

Cons: cramped, bad neighborhood

10/25/2005 Posted by arodsf

Justin and Ady pay the same amount of careful, friendtly attention to novice and experienced aquarists alike. They believe in the simple cheap solution whenever possible. Their fish are always healthy, and they will not sell fish until they have had them for a few weeks and know that they are healthy.

Pros: friendly, reasonable prices, expert

09/17/2005 Posted by corinroyal

Ocean Aquarium is a hole-in-the-wall freshwater aquarium store run by husband and wife Justin and Ady. They specialize in planted tanks, rare, exquisite and small fishes. Justin is in business out of love for the hobby, and goes out of his way to help clients learn the joys of fishkeeping. He is a wealth of practical knowledge, and is free with his advice on request. You get very knowledgeable and patient attention on fish keeping and aquatic gardening. They never try to sell you equipment you don't need, and prices are very reasonable, almost insane sometimes.

Pros: Rare species, knowledgeable, healthy fish

Cons: Ambiance, Too many guppies, Equipment selection

07/31/2005 Posted by thermo333

This family owned business takes great pride in the fish they sell and in the environment that they will be placed in. Even so, the owners can be incredibly rude -- and seem to delight in revealing customer ignorance. Rather than helping or providing education, they are dismissive and condescending. I hope places where they shop don't treat them the same way. Life is too short!

Pros: Selection

Cons: Arrogant, Unhelpful, Rude

10/14/2002 Posted by bill_r_williams

The fish at this store are always top quality. Always something new and interesting and they don't die when you get them home. Justin and his wife are always willing to give you advice.

Pros: good selection, high quality, helpful

Cons: Hard to find