I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. That's in CANADA, if you didn't know that for some reason. And there are plenty of good fish stores in this city. I know, I know, if you're a Vancouverite aquarist, you've probably read all the Yelp reviews already. But I'd like to make my opinions known anyway. Because this is my blog. And I get to "opinionize" all I want, all day long. Yay me!
Rated in order of personal preference:
1. Aquariums West (www.aquariumswest.com)
My favourite store to visit, hands down. It's located downtown, right beside BC Place.
PROS
- Staff are talented, knowledgeable, approachable and very friendly!! I feel like they're all my friends there. They will talk about the hobby because they're passionate about it, not just because they want to make a buck.
- Family run business
- Great selection of fish, aquarium supplies, decorations (wood, rock) and DO AQUA tanks.
- Has high end equipment for serious aquarists, including ADA
- Many aquascaped showcase tanks makes a visit this store feel like a public aquarium trip
- Tanks are clean and well maintained
- Healthy reasonably cheap fish; great selection of popular freshwater species
- Best selection of dwarf freshwater shrimp (but super expensive)
- Amazing selection of plants. 3 bunches for $15 is the best deal but they also have quality TROPICA plants
- Easy to access - close to Stadium Skytrain Station
- Family owned business that's been around for a few decades
- Also has other pets for sale like hamsters, rats, reptiles, amphibians
CONS
- Located down 3 flights of stairs making it not very accessible by wheelchair/stroller or if you're not great with walking
- Very expensive fish tanks, equipment, fish food and supplies, compared to other stores.
2. King Ed Pet Centre (http://www.kingedpet.com/en/)
7377 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, V3N 3B8 604-525-4955
PROS
- Absolutely huge store! It looks drab on the outside, like some sort of giant cargo container but it actually has 2 floors and takes a while to explore! Has supplies for all sorts of pets, not just fish.
- Has the hugest selection of equipment, supplies etc I've ever seen, at very competitive prices- everything you'll ever need to keep fish
- Family run business
- Accessible by bus or 15 min walk from Edmonds Skytrain
- Good selection of freshwater and saltwater fish
CONS
- The owners are friendly but the helping staff are unhelpful and do not know much. They never really smile and I have a hard time understand them all because they are Koreans with thick accents.
- Fish tanks look OK. Fish prices are a bit expensive but there is quite a lot of selection.
- Only 2 freshwater display tanks and they don't look great (fake plants!)
- A bit messy and chaotic downstairs with equipment and stuff piled everywhere
3. Fantasy Aquatic (http://www.fantasyaquatics.ca/)
2495 Kingsway, Vancouver BC
PROS
- Has lots of exotic fish I don't see selling anywhere else such as chili rasboras, fancy plecos and many species of killifish
- Family run business
- Cheap fish prices, amazingly healthy fish
- Staff are knowledgeable and mostly friendly
- Accessible by bus, 12 min walk from 29th Ave Skytrain Station
CONS- Very cramped store, hard to navigate between the narrow aisles
- Fish tanks are dirty and have lots of algae; not visually appealing
- Super small selection of supplies - mainly just a fish retailer
4. North America Pet Store
2255 Kingsway, Vancouver BC
PROS
- Only store I've seen that carries Atman brand aquariums and products (Atman is popular in Asia)
- Family run business
- Reasonable prices for filter media, clip on lights, fish food etc.
- Cheap plants and competitively priced fish
- Accessible by bus and 12 min walk from Nanaimo Skytrain Station
CONS
- Owner is a middle aged Chinese woman who is not very social or talkative. Nice but not engaging and doesn't seem to know a lot about advanced fish keeping
- Fish tanks are barren (no decorations) and sometimes fish are sick/dead. Fish often appear stressed out and/or dying
- Plants I've bought there never do well within 1-2 weeks they all die
- Only 1 person, the owner, runs the whole store so sometimes you have to wait a while for service
5. Mr. Pet's (Grandview Location)
1710 Commercial Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 4A3
(604) 872-0115
PROS
- Knowledgeable and friendly staff
- Decent selection of beginner fish and supplies upstairs
- Also sells other pet supplies
- Large, well organized store. Easy to navigate
- Accessible by bus
CONS
- Prices are reasonable but medium ranged, not cheap but not expensive
- No exotic species; fish selection is limited to popular species and not that many tanks
- Nothing fancy in terms of equipment either. Good store for beginner aquarists only
- Very similar to Petsmart and other big box stores
6. J&L Aquatics (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/mainpage.php)
205A- 3430 Brighton Ave, Burnaby BC/ 604-441-1161
PROS
- Really, really cheap fish keeping supplies, especially water treatment chemicals, test kits, food and medicine
- Accessible by bus, 1 minute walk from Production Way University Skytrain Station
- Really extensive and easy to navigate online store
CONS
- Exclusively saltwater species, no freshwater species :(
- Staff don't seem to know too much and aren't very friendly
- (Really far from my house)
7. Island Pets Aquarium & Services
5335 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC V6X 2C7, Phone: (604) 244-0700
PROS
- They have a gigantic aquarium with a reef white tip shark and a moray eel. Badass!
- Very large selection of fish supplies, aquariums, freshwater and saltwater fish
- Staff seem nice but don't go above and beyond basic service
- Accessible by bus and 2 minute walk from Lansdowne Skytrain Station
CONS
- Fish and plants are moderately priced but don't seem very healthy
- The back room where the fish and plants are kept is pitch dark
- Equipment is very expensive/ some cheap USED aquariums
8. Noah's Pet Ark (http://www.noahspetark.ca)
2886 W. Broadway, Vancouver
PROS
- Good selection of popular fish and brand name equipment
- Accessible by bus
- Staff are friendly and very knowledgeable/family run business
- Sells other pet supplies too; not limited to fish
CONS
- Very cramped store, hard to navigate between aisles
- Cluttered storefront piled with products from wall to wall; disorganized
- Very expensive equipment
- Fish tanks are not very visually appealing and sometimes very dirty and full of algae
9. Petsmart (www.petsmart.ca)(Renfrew Location)
2860 Bentall Street Vancouver, BC V5M 4H4,
PROS
- Excellent return policy. No hassle at all. Bring the receipt, original packaging and get your money back or exchange for store credit. Also applies to fish within 2 weeks.
- Good selection of brand name aquarium products priced the normal amount
- Depending on the location, sometimes the fish tanks are well maintained and carry competitively priced fish
- Friendly staff who try their best to help you
- Stores are organized well and neatly
- Accessible via public and private transit. Easy parking access
CONS
- Fish tanks are more often than not overcrowded, disease filled and overgrown with algae
- Staff never seem to know too much about fish keeping and might give you wrong information
- Sometimes there's no staff in the fish section if the store is busy
10. Pet Habitat (Metrotown Location)
PROS
- Good selection of beginner's fish and supplies
- Other pet supplies available
- Some of the tanks look quite nice
- Convenient location right inside Metrotown mall
CONS
- Fish always seem to be gasping at the surface (overcrowding)
- Staff don't seem to know anything about fish (can't even identify them) and are not particularly friendly or helpful
- Equipment is expensive
11. Fraser Aquarium
4364 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC V5V 4G3 (604) 879-1112
Vancouver, BC V5V 4G3 (604) 879-1112
PROS
- Good selection of cheap, used aquariums
- Reasonable selection of supplies, not cheap or expensive
- Accessible by bus
CONS
- Staff are not knowledgeable or friendly. Seem rude.
- Extremely dirty fish tanks with dead & sick fish in every tank and cloudy water
- Messy storefront, cluttered (to be fair, I visited when they were about to move locations)
12. April's Aquarium
4097 Hastings Street Burnaby, BC V5C 2J1
(604) 336-3474
PROS
- Accessible by bus
- Stocks some beginner's fish that appear healthy
CONS
- Not even a real fish store. It's a tiny little flower shop with about 15 small aquariums filled with guppies, angelfish and other beginner fish.
- Not cheap or expensive
- Not really worth visiting in itself as it is more of a florist shop than a fish store
- A bit cluttered and no real equipment for sale
So these are my quite extensive reviews on all my local fish stores. Nobody paid me to spend 3 hours writing these (Ha, I wish). I hope someone in Vancouver reads this and finds it helpful. At least then I'll know all my work wasn't in vain. If you find this useful, please leave a comment!
Thanks
Chesmok
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