Albany Aquarium

818 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706, USA

Address:	818 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706, USA
Phone:	+1 510-525-1166
Site:	albanyaquarium.com
Rating:	4.1
Working:	12–7PM 12–7PM Closed Closed 12–7PM 11AM–6PM 11AM–6PM

Location

Photos 80

Reviews 13

A Private User

Ive been to many of the Bay Areas fish stores. I have been an aquarium hobbyist for many years now and my hobby is saltwater. I have to say Albany Aquarium is the best Freshwater Aquarium store that I have seen. Each tank is well taken care of, clean, and all are decorated with live plants. This is definitely the best shop to go to for selection of freshwater fish and plants. Prices are reasonable, the staff friendly, and they have a good selection of product too. I wouldnt recommend this place for saltwater, I was disppointed that their saltwater tanks were not as clean or as much loved as their freshwater tanks. One of their saltwater tanks had about 100 heads of aiptasia in it. I would have given this store a 5 out of 5 if their saltwater tanks were clean and their selection better but if youre into freshwater, you cant go wrong with this place.

Greg Hill

About my 4th time in from out of town and there stock is good. I wanted to buy some plants, though, and began to feel like I was being ignored. There was a young woman there working with some fish so I approached her and said, "I see that youre busy. When youre finished with what youre doing there, would you be able to help me with some plants?" She replied, "Actually, Im pretty busy right now and Im not usually available to help customers. You can put your name on that list over there and theyll help you when theyre available." I went to the clipboard and put my name third on the list. I waited another 15 minutes and then walked out without saying, "Goodbye and good luck, Albany Aquarium. I get far better service mail order, so thats what Ill do from now on."

Suzanne Klent

We went in yesterday to get my old tank set up again. They carried replacement lids and lights, were able to recommend the best filter option and power jet, and answered all the questions my son and I had about the fish we wanted to get as well as the plants. When it came time to buy everything, they set us up with the various chemicals we would need to keep the water at the right ph balance and keep the fish healthy. The staff were super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and I highly recommend this store whether you are a novice with aquariums or have kept fish a long time. They have a good selection of both fresh and salt water fish, and the fish all looked to be in good health. Their display tanks were not over crowded at all, nor were they bare.

A Private User

Customer service here is terrible. I tried calling ahead several times to see if they had the type of fish I was looking for and no one bothered answering the phone. I tried calling multiple times over the course of an hour before just heading over there. Upon arrival I saw that the staff was mostly just hanging out behind the counter chatting with each other. I stood at the counter for a good five minutes while they chatted with each before anyone would even acknowledge my presence. After one girl finally got around to helping me I was so annoyed that I decided against buying anything. The girl was less than helpful too, and didnt seem like she wanted to sell any fish at all anyway. I would not go here again.

c z

I have a freshwater tank and I wouldnt go anywhere else. In the sparkling clean tanks are happy fish that have been successfully quarantined. Ive never seen a sick or dead fish. Because of the extra time and care given to acclimate and quarantine the fish in store, theyll be more likely to survive the transition to your home aquarium. In respect of the price of things, isnt paying a little bit more for fish that are 10x likely to live longer and happier in your tank worth it? (I find their prices to be perfectly reasonable, but I see other users have complained) For qualified advice from true fish professionals, Id happily pay more. AMAZING selection of plants. The best fish store, maybe ever! Love it!

Vincenzo Vitto

Very busy at times, get your name on the list almost as soon as you walk in. Owners are very knowledgeable, never heard them trying to upsell customers useless equipment or chemicals. Prices for fish are a bit higher than other stores however I havent seen fish as healthy or even close to how healthy and plump their fish are. They quarantine all fish before they sell to the public, this assures your fish are disease free and will most likely survive the trip home. Decent selection of aquatic plants too. Only downside is they are closed on Wed and Thursdays which are usually my days off.

Molly Gleason-Kodama

We wanted a tank and knew almost nothing about it. These guys helped us through the entire process with so much patience, knowledge and experience. Whether it was the plants or the fish or the rocks or the wood, whatever it was, they were awesome to deal with! Now, we have a gorgeous tank full of wonderful, colorful creatures and its everything we dreamed of and more!! We highly recommend Albany Aquarium because of the range of fish and accessories but mostly because of the extremely knowledgeable, caring and professional staff.

seth mcnaught

I would have to say that this is the best-quality aquarium store I have ever been in. the employees are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. when I asked one for advice about my tank, I got all the information I needed. while I am not experienced with saltwater tanks, I can say for sure that their freshwater tanks are clean, planted, and filled with healthy fish. Ive never seen dead fish in their tanks. the prices are noticeably higher than in other stores, but you can be sure of getting high-quality livestock.

Kent Davis

Utoh, one of my obsessions, I have kept 60 gallon freshwater tanks at my home and office for the last 25 years. Evan is so helpful on so many topics, from CO2 for my plants, and what plants to put where, to what fish will work in my aquarium and what wont? I have way too many varieties of fish and too many fish, but Even helps me keep it going. He was the one to suggest that I try a discus in my community tank. Everyone loves them in there with the frogs, snails, shrimp, and cardinals. It works!

A Private User

They just want to sell you stuff. They dont have a any good quiality equipment, and their sales staff just cares about their commision. After spending more then $1500, in their store, now I need to replace everything that I bought, skimmer, filter, sump, fish, and the lights. To top off everything off, THEIR SALES PEOPLE ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU COULD PUT FISH and CORALS ON THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR AQUARIUM!

Daniel Bui

Great Store! I love the staff all of them were very helpful including Evan. I recently purchased a Betta there and some Stability to cycle my tank. The prices are actually pretty decent and I always know that the fish I purchase are healthy! Again great fish store will definitely come again.

Sverre Slotfeldt

Great selection of plants at reasonable prices. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Been coming here for a couple of years now, and its my "go to" store in the East Bay. Its popular, so it can get a bit crowded at times, but thats to be expected. There arent many stores like this left.

Miguel Duran

When ever I there with a problem they always give me details on everything a have to, unlike petco, they actually care about the fish. they really can take care of fish. If you need anything, concerning fish they would definitely be a better choice than petco.