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6th Avenue Aquarium
Categories: Pets Pet Stores Active Life Aquariums Pet Stores, Aquariums [Edit]
425 Clement St(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 668-7190
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
229 reviews for 6th Avenue Aquarium
229 reviews in English
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Review from Whitney D.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't sure how I felt about this place the first time I walked in. Is this an aquarium-like attraction type of thing or a store or what? What is this place behind this flower shop?
Ahoy! It is indeed a (pet) fish store that sells everything you could need and more! Tanks, FISH, food (both live and not), heaters, cleaning supplies, sharks...whatever.
The staff is helpful but you may need to ask for help rather than wait to be approached. The prices are decent and the location REALLY came into handy the other day when my Betta fish decided to die, then come back to life! I immediately ran over and purchased a heater for the poor guy. He's slowly coming back to life.
Convenient and reasonable, nicely stocked and informative staff.
If you're on Clement take a sec to check this place out, lots of beautiful aquatic life! -
Review from Victoria C.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/29/2012
To all the people that bought fish here and then complained....did you look around at the store before you bought it?!
I would never support a store like this. It is an embarrassment to know any hobbyist that would buy from here. Describing it as fish death camp was no exaggeration. All of the negatives listed below by other reviewers are completely right. There is no need to check this place out and give the store a chance.
Depressing to see overcrowded tanks. Large quantities of aggressive fish in tiny spaces. And the self-serve area where anyone can grab a net and go at it....wow. They might as well have put the open tanks outside on the curb so that people walking buy can get a quick morning fish deal. The owners clearly don't give a **** about animals.
What a disgrace to the fish tank community. -
Review from Mel H.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2011
I really love the Academy of Sciences. However, when I need my tropical fish fix, I just can't afford to pay that hefty price. So I just stroll over to the 6th Ave Aquarium where you can look at all the fish you want - for free! Plus, I can get updated on all the newest pop music blasting on the radio (this is how I first discovered Katy Perry btw). The guy working there isn't the warmest of individuals, but he is always very informative. Though my questions regarding my betta fish and snail purchases have never been too complex.
Insider tip: Go upstairs. That is where they keep the big creepy fish. -
Review from Steven G.
San Jose, CA
2/7/2012
this place was pretty awesome when I first walked in, I didn't think they would have so much variety. The prices are really good (for fish salt and fresh) but all the other decor for tanks I would still go to PETCO/petsmart much cheaper.Only reason I didn't give it 5stars was some of the tanks are dirty and fish are in cramped little cubicles. If you know how to sort the healthy fish from the bad you'll be just fine. another thing I forgot to point out, you catch your own fish so like I said if you know what to look for in a healthy fish you'll like prices here.
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Review from Angela L.
1/30/2012
LOVE SEEING THE EXOTIC VARIETY! Blue jellyfish! And other seawater aquariums.. (yes I'm reviewing this place more of a place of entertaining perusing hehe..)1031
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Review from Will P.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
One of the best bargain pet/fish store in Town, the place runs by Chinese people. Although they have a thick accent, hard to hear sometimes but you can find any type of fishes here. I literally spent of $100 dollar for just 1 visit. :-)
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Review from Mike G.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
Given this place alot of chances. Didn't want to believe the reviewers about sick diseased fish. Bought fishes from this place multiply times and all of them ended up dead. My other fish that I have for years are all fine except this fish from this place. Went multiply times and saw dead fish everywhere floating around and being eatten or bit by the other fish. As always, I see kids and adults smashing fishes against the tanks window hurting the fish and leaving them there because there hurt. Wanted to ask a few questions and never gotten a good answer just nods and bad attitude. One star for the good price and one star for decent prices on equipment. I always believe in supporting local businesses but this one is just not worth supporting even for the good prices. Even though there fish, fish still get abused.
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Review from James T.
Alameda, CA
1/9/2012
This is the only "Self Service" fishstore I know and my FAVORITE. You grab a net and container and go catch whatever you want. This place it the BEST aquarium I've been too. If you know what you are doing and know what to look for (or avoid) then you'll be a happy camper. They'll have the very best fish prices (and store hours) bar none. Don't come here looking for great service or advice.
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Review from Peter L.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2011
Having kept aquariums for most of my life I can emphatically say 6th Avenue Aquarium is an absolute shithole. This dump is the very antithesis of your reputable local fish store. It's more like an aquatic extermination camp.
- overcrowded tanks or tanks way too small for the fish inside them
- sick, dying, and dead fish
- shared filters and slotted barriers between tanks so shared water spreads disease from tank to tank
- fish not quarantined before being sold
- dubious harvesting practices and acquisition of their live inventory (e.g. they sell rare and exotics like chambered nautilus and deep sea anglers for bargain basement prices)
- Sunday wholesale fire sale to the public where you can buy sick and stressed out fish for really cheap
Self service means you can scare, touch, and harass the fish all you want. I witnessed a kid carelessly trying to net some rainbowfish by aggressively pinning them against the glass and smashing their bodies killing them. The corpses were then left floating around and the other fish in the tank starting eating them. When I told one of the workers what I saw and what I thought about their self service, he just looked at me and shrugged.
The staff is utterly useless. No knowledge of fish keeping, no compassion, no help, and dicks too. They have a huge array of aquarium supplies and accessories but I won't buy anything from them. I will never give these people my business. I'm sure they've had many many complaints filed against them so why they haven't been shut down by the Dept of Fish and Game or some other regulatory body that polices pet stores is beyond me.
If you're in the inner Richmond, don't waste your time and hard earned money on this dump. Head over to Lucky Ocean Aquarium on Balboa and 2nd instead. -
Review from Lisa T.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2011
So I'm a bit embarrassed to say i was a really mean person the other day and took my younger siblings to this place and said it was the Steinhart Aquarium. They were very impressed by the number of fish, both dead and alive, and told all their friends how great the aquarium was. They even got to see a stingray. Score one for me - that $100 saved can go towards some more restaurants to yelp....
On a more serious side, I've been coming here for years, and yes, there are a number of dead fish in the tanks, and yes you should always quarantine the new fish, BUT the prices are so cheap! Yes, I'm cheap (as shown by the first few sentences of my review.) Would i go back? Yup, and have been for years. -
Review from Amber R.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
If I could give this place a 1.5 star review I would. I bumped it up to two simply because they sell an array of products and accessories.
I will never buy fish from here again, however. One of our tattooed(?) fish died almost instantly and 4 platys died within a week. When we told our friends how the fish from 6th Ave were in poor health right after purchasing them, our friends laughed and said the fish from this place are always on the verge of death...hmmm. Enough said about this place.
We won't be returning :/ -
Review from Irene C.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2011
Anybody out there have a 1000 gallon marine aquarium?? Cuz they have a nurse shark FOR SALE! Oh, boy. This makes my shark-loving heart really sad (;;_;;). At a minimum, they belong in an aquarium like Steinhart or Monterey Bay where there are biologists who know a thing or two about these sharks.
Anyway, this isn't the only sad sight at this store - frog wrapped in a wet paper towel, clueless shoppers tapping containers with Bettas, side-ways floating fish, and aisles so narrow and high you better gtfo during an earthquake. This place sells their crap for cheap because you're getting bottom of the barrel mediocre stock. I would rather pay a couple of dollars more for healthy and well-bred fish than pay pennies and have a fish contaminate (or die) and kill off my entire tank. Another alternative is to buy from knowledgeable fish breeders like at http://www.sfaquarium.org/ (monthly auction for equipment and fish/shrimp/plants). So odd to see a reviewer write "Many of the fish looks so healthy."...
Tanks are reasonably priced, but everything else isn't much cheaper. My thermometer was about $1 more than the same one sold at Aqua Forest.
To all fish hobbyist - good luck. -
Review from Jeremy J.
Walnut Creek, CA
8/11/2011
They sell tattooed fish. This is absolutely fucking deplorable.
Please don't buy tattooed / dyed fish. -
Review from M C.
San Francisco, CA
The Costco of aquarium supplies. This place get's their inventory every week and tends to move them out quickly too. They once sold fishes that were not so legal, but unsure if they still do.
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Review from Manuel R.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2010
This is a hard place to write a review about. I don't think there are any other aquarium stores in the bay area where they sell wholesale to the public. This means that the fish have not been quarantined after arriving from the wholesaler. Usually a certain percentage of fish arriving from a wholesaler will die after arriving at a pet store. Unlike a hobbyist aquarium that waits a certain amount of time before selling the fish to detect shipping losses, this aquarium will sell the fish as soon as they arrive.
Note that the big-box pet stores do the same thing but they have several attendants netting the dead fish and quickly disposing of them to appear like they take care of the fish. I once was in a pet shop, let's call it "pet intelligent" and looked at a plastic trash bin that was next to the aquariums and had been left uncovered, it was full of dead fish that had just been netted out of their tanks.
Here they don't have a large staff netting the losses so you will see a lot of dead fish - but the prices are cheap and getting a weak or sick fish is fine for advanced aquarists that can bring it back to health and who pre-treat their aquariums for ich or quarantine before introducing new fish.
As an aquarist I am happy that they exist. They have some very hard to find freshwater fish in their upstairs section including unusual plecos plus good plant selection at reasonable prices. My reason for subtracting two stars is the fact that they do stock some marine fish that cannot be kept alive in any type of aquarium. Take for example remoras. Even the Monterey bay aquarium has a hard time keeping them alive. They should refuse shipments that include impossible to raise fish and focus on those that can actually live in a aquarium. -
Review from Selina T.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Before freshwater aquariums became my hobby, I used to visit this place from time to time and admire the variety of aquatic animals that they sell. I decided to come to this place to see if they have a moonlight but when I walked in and looked at the tanks closely, it was quite appalling. I saw house raised cardinal tetras and at least a quarter of the population was dead. And what kind of person would stick at least a one to two foot long eel in a small five to ten gallon tank? The tanks are too overcrowded and the fishes do not look healthy nor happy!
If you want to purchase fishes that will last you for a long time, don't come to this place. These people do a horrific job caring for their aquariums and only care about making a profit. I would recommend going to Aqua Forest Aquarium as they have sold me fish that are healthy and happy. -
Review from Olivia W.
1/28/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Looking for an underwater adventure?
Walking into 6th Avenue Aquarium is like walking into another world. The underwater world.
First you start out by walking into a flower shop that morphs into an aquarium filled with fishes, plants, and other goodies. Compared to the fish stores I've been to in Oakland this one is by far the best. Each different species of fish has their own tank, there's a wide variety of salt and fresh water fish, reasonable prices, and knowledgeable workers.
It can get a little stuffy inside. Also, it's two stories so if you don't see a fish you like downstairs try the upstairs. The workers allow you to get your own fish so you're guaranteed to get the one you want. They sell fish tanks for salt water and fresh water at an affordable price. The fishes look happy and healthy, I didn't see any dead fishes in the tanks.
I wouldn't say this is the cleanest place but I'm sure it's very hard to maintain all those fish tanks. -
Review from Addrianna R.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2010
THEY KILLED MY JELLIES!!!! (jellyfish is a misnomer).
Careless. Incompetent. Remorseless. Unprofessional.
AVOID.
Very simple. I asked for 10 gallons of salt water for a marine tank, they gave me 10 gallons of fresh water. Unknowingly, I did a 25% water change in my tank and a few hours later my jellies weren't swimming.
It was late at night, I made some make-shift salt water hoping they would survive until the aquarium opened the next day, however they shrunk and disintegrated.
When I went to the aquarium to explain what happened and point out the cost ($200 worth of jellies and the mental/emotional attachment to the animals) he shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, what do you want me to do?" Then brushed me off. I was stunned. -
Review from Preston D.
Daly City, CA
5/14/2011
I have heard shitty things about this store. I do believe it now. I passed by this aquarium shop last week and decided to walk in and check it out. I saw 2 little black saddleback clownfish, they were adorable, and the price was unbeatable. So i decided to give them a try. I put them into the quarantine tank. They obviously had ICH. I immediately put them under medication. Sadly, 3 days later one clownfish died, another clown died too.
I will not buy any fish from this store anymore. -
Review from mike s.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2011
This place makes me puke, it is horrible how they treat the fish here. I've gotten 3 fish from here months apart and all got deathly sick and died within the first few weeks. I am surprised this place is still even in business, there are so many better fish stores in the city, if you care about fish then give your money to people who do as well, and the idiots who run this place.
Also of note, I've never once been there and not seen at least a dozen dead fishes in their tanks as well as fish with horrible fin rot, ick, and other nasty disease. STAY AWAY -
Review from Clarissa S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/11/2010
I went in here a few months back and discovered a massive remora sitting in a shallow tank that was hardly 2 feet larger than its entire body length. Now, considering that this once happy remora was likely attached to a shark/whale that was at least 30x larger than it when it was in the wild, and generally unable to survive without its larger friend, I was fairly certain that the poor little fellow had a death sentence.
I had expressed my qualms in an earlier review of this place, but I really feel that trying to sell a creature that has zero chance of survival in captivity (let alone in a domestic setting) is not only irresponsible, but incredibly cruel to the animal as well.
Sorry 6th Avenue, but any self respecting business owners would know better.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/21/2008
Do you know what a chambered nautilus looks like in real life? I do, thanks to 6th Avenue Aquarium,… Read more »
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Review from Tina C.
1/11/2011
It is difficult for me to rate this place because I grew up going to this aquarium store.
I love the variety of fishes here and the prices are affordable and less than many aquarium shops. They have a good variety of aquarium set ups, food, cleaning supplies, and wholesales for fishes on select weekends to the public.
However, I knocked down two stars because the fishes are rather cramped here and the fish I have bought from this store do not live very long. Many are weak to begin with and die rather quickly.
Owners are helpful and it's a family business. I have many memories here and always enjoyed staring at the fishes as a kid. The neighborhood definitely needs a mom and pop business, but I just wish the fishes had more breathing space and lived longer as a result.
I would come here for supplies and setting up your tank because their pricing and quality is great. The folks that work here are knowledgeable about aquariums and most if not all have fishes as pets. However, the stock isn't the best (well it's better than fish I've bought at Walmart, but Petco has better quality fishes). Also, not a bad place to buy plants. Again, just stay away from buying fishes.
Decent metered parking, but can be tough during peak hours. -
Review from Joy A.
Ok. So I'm in love. I'm in love w/ a King Kong Parrot fish. If I could, I would hug it. Or maybe it's just infatuation. Whatever it is, I'm in love. Thank you 6th Avenue Aquarium for having it, along w/ the gazilion number of fishy selections.
So King Kong Parrot fish, I am coming back for you. SO CUTE! -
Review from Jason Y.
Alamo, CA
8/27/2011
Great selection and great prices. As for quality....I'm not so sure. This place gets a bad rep for the lack of cleanliness, and it's obvious why. Many of the fish don't look so healthy. However, there are some fish here that are just as good as any other place. Just make sure you look before you buy. My kuhlis died fast after i brought them home, but their glasscats look more active than what ive seen at other aquariums, they have a good selection of healthy angels, and if you're looking for ghost shrimp who are already preggers, well I got four of them from this place. xD Also, their customer service is lacking. You have to get the net and container and fish your fish out by yourself, then bring them to the register.
So if you don't mind getting a little down and dirty, LOOK HERE FIRST. If you can find the fish you want (which you probably can with their selection) and they look healthy, then this place will be the cheapest. Oh, but if you're a new aquariust and you're expecting advice, dont expect to get any here. The cashiers (there's usually one two, which is nothing for a store this size) don't care. -
Review from lily l.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2010
What is the deal? (I ask after having read some of the reviews). This place is a pet store not an actual aquarium for spectators. I find their price, selection of fish and supplies very good. The health of the fish aren't any better or worse then the big chain pet stores and the self service has a charm and benefit of it's own.
You get to wander around for as long as you want without anyone hassling you and you get to scoop out the exact fish that you're looking at without some teenage kid trying to catch the wrong fish for you for too long of a time. If you want help, you just need to ask for it.
This isn't some chain store where a minimum wage person mops up every drop of water that falls to the ground and not everything is state of the art (but their selection of tanks upstairs is impressive). This is a local pet store and an aquarium store is a hard business to stay afloat (I knew a person that opened a shutdown a business within months back in Brooklyn). There isn't a lot of profit to be had on a two dollar guppy and stocking the higher end items leaves them even more vulnerable.
I wasn't going to right a review on my local aquarium but I read the reviews and had to put my two cents in. This place is fine. -
Review from Sophia K.
4/12/2010
This place was depressing:
1. The fish looked sick and malnourished.
2. There were waaaaay too many fish in a tank.
3. Self-service. Touch, poke, scare the fish all you want. -
Review from Alex L.
Bellevue, WA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
As many people have previously complained, this place is crammed with tanks and accessories, which obviously turns people off, including me.
So I'm going to do a quick synopsis. Prices are pretty good on everything. Tanks, fish, plants, gravel, you name it, and they've got what you need to start/maintain your aquarium. Their service is alright, given the folks who work there are a bit docile and like to doddle, but if you've got a question, they give good insight. The quality of their non-fish items are pretty good. As I've previously said, they've got you covered there. Now the quality of the fish. I will say they have a wonderful array of fish, but I did also see quite a few dead fish, unfortunately. There was a puffer fish just laying dead in its tank, just rotting away. It looked like it has been there for days. I do like to buy generic goldfish from them, but they do need to be quarantined and all. I've bought fish from this place without quarantining and things didn't end too well. So I would say the quality is pretty okay.
Bottom line:this place is pretty good if you are looking for equipment at a great price, or fish if you want to take a risk. -
Review from Erin R.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2007
Reasons Why The 6th Ave. Aquarium is 10x Better Than The Monterey Aquarium:
-- It's free
-- They play hiphop music really loud
-- The stingrays almost jump out of the tank when you get near them
-- One of the employees always attempts to feed a live goldfish to the sharks when you're there by shoving it in its face
-- 1000s of googley-eyed goldfish whose eyes look like they're going to explode
-- Great way to pass the time while you're waiting for Burma Super*star to tell you that your table's ready
-- If I wanted to buy fish, I could buy them here but not at Monterey
-- They definitely have some illegal shit going on in the backroom
-- Great sushi -
Review from Andrea S.
Portland, OR
12/11/2009
To all those people who believe in humane animal treatment:
DO NOT GO HERE!
They keep sharks in tanks with barely any water, and no coverage, they have many exotic species, which seem like they were just stolen from their homes and put in crappy tanks for your buying pleasure...
Much of the water looks dirty and the tanks are hugely overcrowded.
I CALL ON OTHER YELP REVIEWERS TO REPORT THEM TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY!
This place should be shut down.
There is a nice aquarium store on Balboa between 2nd and 3rd, go there instead. Nice tanks, happy looking fish, educated employees.
I think everyone should go to 6th ave aquarium to learn how NOT to treat animals.
Grrrr. -
Review from Zha L.
3/28/2011
It's ridiculous how much they have in this store, and it's disturbing at the same time.
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Review from Patty W.
Walnut Creek, CA
6/20/2009
The full name of this store is 6th Ave. Aquarium & Flowers. Yep, a florist and fish shop in one location -- though it seems like they run their operations separately.
First of all, the florist in the front... lovely selection of orchids here. I found a very nice, very tiny orchid (probably about 5 inches, INCLUDING the stem) that I bought for my favorite crotchety 90+ year old man. These orchids are not cheaper than those from Trader Joe's, but TJs is hit-or-miss and this place seems to always have some decent orchids in stock with more than one stem of blooms and many closed buds, ensuring a longer enjoyment period before the plant goes back to its dormant stage.
Then, the aquarium. This side of the store, I've got very mixed feelings about. There were some obviously dead fish in the tanks; it would stand to reason that the staff should clear the dead fish out BEFORE the store opened. On the flip side, man-o-man, the selection!!! There was a wobbegong SHARK inside the store (which could be yours for the bargain basement price of $299 -- in fact the running joke in our family now is... "well, it's cheaper than a wobbegong." or "heck, it's even more expensive than a wobbegong!"). There were also tiny shrimp, even a few lobsters, snails, this fish that had legs (forget the name), and more. The salt water varieties seem more varied here.
Instead of paying $200+ for family membership to the CA Academy of Sciences, my family should just keep coming here to oogle the variety of fish! However, based on the other reviews, I think I'd hesitate before actually spending serious money here.Listed in: The Kid Zone
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Review from Joe C.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2008
Whether you have fish, you want to have fish, or you just think fish are cool, this store has to be the most amazing hidden fish zoo ever. Tucked behind a flower stand on Clement just a couple of doors up from Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, walk into an amazing aquatic wonderland of colorful saltwater and fresh water fish, spread out over god knows how many square feet, with an upstairs and a downstairs.
Holy shit is that a shark? Yup. Whoa - is that a real puffer fish. Yeah. OOOOOO - moray eels!
I have yet to buy anything there, but I've walked through it dozens of times just ogling all the nifty sea creatures. -
Review from avalon e.
Sunnyvale, CA
Updated - 7/17/2009
For those who complain about the quality of the livestock here and on craigslist:
The owner @ 6th commits to a huge number of new fish from the transhippers. He and his employees dont have the time to quarantine, dip, and treat new arrivals. Your more "ethical" and "conscientious" local fish store has much less selection and for those with better selection like aquarium concepts I dare you go in the am as they open and I assure you will find as many dead fish as "sick avenue aquarium" as u bashers like to call 6th ave.
Be prepared to rescue livestock and properly acclimate and dip.
(YES! acclimate THEN dip) Buy only on Friday and saturday once the new fish arrive.
Speaking of awful treatment of fish... you havent seen how the transhippers deal with fish before they get to your dearly respected LFS.
The bag lot stuff on Sunday is SURPLUS from the transhipper that your dear respectable LFS would not pick from that place in San Bruno so be doubly prepared for a rescue and de-parasite operation.
For those who have copious amounts of $ and dont want to go through to motions of acclimating and dipping I would discourage you from buying livestock @ 6th avenue. FOr the budget conscious, your efforts in maintaining a quarantine environment will be rewarded.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/1/2006
For those who deplore the apparent cruelty to marine fauna...
6th Ave Aquarium is no different from… Read more »
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Review from Eclipse T.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 3/15/2009
We bought two aquarium lights here and put them on a pair of 55 gal. tanks. Our setup was extremely common; nothing unusual about it. We then had two major house fires, six months apart - both started by the aquarium lights, according to our insurance company's fire analysis labs.
I'm just saying.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/17/2006
I wish I could give zero stars to some places, like this one. This place is Fish Hell. It's like… Read more »
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Review from Laura R.
San Rafael, CA
5/4/2009
Disgusting! They need a ZERO Star rating.
It's pretty much all been said in the reviews, but I want to lower the rating of this revolting shop.
I really want to give myself a low rating for giving them my money. When I saw that they were selling a remora (!!!) I should have marched right out. When I had to stick my hand in a tank and get my own plants then net my own cherry shrimp I must have been out of my mind. I've learned my lesson for sure.
The shysters working here (shame on the racist comments on this review board, btw) failed to tell me that they were selling me poisonous, copper-laden tank gravel. The two cherries I bought here and the two I already had (who were hearty little dudes) promptly died.
The people reviewing this place to say "they have pretty flowers" and "fish are entertaining to look at" are promoting the cruel and despicable treatment of fish, inverts and whatever other (probably illegal) aquatic life they can get their hands on. I don't begrudge a business for wanting to make a profit, and I don't think chain pet stores are superior to locally-owned businesses. But this ramshackle crap hole is horrendous. Take some pride of ownership and stop treating LIVING CREATURES with such disdain!
If you want to have an aquarium then put in the extra effort. Don't be so cheap and thoughtless about the care and maintenance of innocent animals. DO NOT patronize this vile place. -
Review from Kate K.
Chicago, IL
3/20/2007
I have this fish... named Mr. Fish:
http://images.yelp.com...
(I know, artsy photo - oh well...)
Anyhow, I don't know jack-shiznit about fish or fish care - as I haven't had a fish PRIOR to Mr. Fish since I was in the third grade... that fish was named Molly and she died quickly. I was sad. Because, I am the girl who loves the stupid goldfish too much... always have been that girl, always will be that girl.
Howevs - I am now the girl who loves the stupid goldfish too much who has a JOB. So, I figured I could step it up from the basic bowl sitch for Mr. Fish and get him a swank ass fish pad to extend his life expectancy - to prolong the moment of flushing and crying, crying and flushing... :(
Because, I am the stupid girl who loves the stupid goldfish too much -- and, I will cry... a lot.
I vaguely recalled the Sixth Avenue Aquarium store from a time when I lived with a roommate who had these massive aquariums... so I figured I'd just truck over there and check out what I could do to make Mr. Fish comfy in his new home.
Here's the thing: I am not only the stupid girl who loves the stupid goldfish too much -- I am also sort of a mark when it comes to this kind of stuff, because I know NOTHING about fish or fish care -- NOTHING. So, being the sweet, gullible mark I am I just walked into the Sixth Avenue Aquarium store and said to the guy behind the counter:
"I won a goldfish at a carnival. I want him to be comfortable and I don't know what to buy. Help me?"
TO THE CREDIT OF THE DUDE WORKING THERE - he did not rip me off... he could have sold me all sorts of whatza-whozits that I didn't need or want and I wouldn't have known the difference.
At all.
Would have bought whatever he put in front of me... because, I love my Mr. Fish and would only get the best for him.
However, he only sold me a very basic Beta fish tank (which also works for goldfish, I guess) that came complete with filter and light, enough sand to cover up the filter plate, a little net thingie to scoop Mr. Fish in and out of things, Koi (aka, goldfish) food and the droppy things which make tap water safe for little fishies.
Total damage? $35.00
Not only this: but, he explained to me how to set up the tank, clean the water, when to clean the tank and how much to feed Mr. Fish every day... plus, he gave me his card so that if I had "emergency fish care" questions I could give them a call.
Overall - superior service.
They lose one star because it is cramped and crowded and the fishies look uncomfortable in this store... and, it's kind of hard to find the right stuff if you don't know what you're looking for.
Other than that?
Top shelf... not to mention the flowers outside are pretty.
(Epilogue: Mr. Fish is alive and swimmy in his new tank... I think he's happy - he always blows me little fish kissies whenever I walk up to the tank. He LURVES me!) -
Review from Nick B.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2010
WHAT THE FUCK!? Seahorses, sting rays and sharks! Oh my!
My friend just had to show us this place while we were in the neighborhood.
This place is kind of like a museum. There is a wide array of fish that will excite even the blandest person of the bunch. And they don't even stop at fish! They got turtles, frogs, eels, crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, everything! I was looking around for an octopus (which they didn't have)!
But while looking around the aquarium I went from amazed to disgusted. The place is filthy, tanks included; I was able to find a dead fish in three out of four of the tanks. I feel bad for the little guys! Some of the fish are even tattooed! How horrible is that!? All of those beautiful fish are crammed into small sickening tanks that smell like shit.
I knew something was up right when I walked in! Something about the smell of incense and stinky aquarium water did not seem right. The atmosphere was creepy as a dark alley. I was scared to take pictures with my phone and tweet about it, fearing that the worker would get mad that I was photographing his illegal merchandise and throw my phone into a tank to drown. My friend even noted that the shop would be a good location for a television show shoot-out! Once I saw the upstairs I was forreal scared! I crept carefully through it without making a sound and after that I was done! I got my ass out of that mess! Audios! Hasta La Bye Bye!
Nicky B is done with cutty aquariums & out! -
Review from Aimee F.
San Francisco, CA
7/1/2009
How do these people get away with such awful treatment of fish? It is so sad. They basically cram tons of beautiful fish into these tiny tanks. Its like fish jail. Not ok. Look carefully and you'll see a dead fish in almost every other tank. And who knows how long they've been there! Imagine hanging out in a house all day with a dead rotting human laying around.
What really set me over the edge was when I saw the shady upstairs larger tanks. Imagine huge fish the size of fish you'd see at the Monterrey Bay aquarium packed into a tank so small they hit each other when they swim. Someone please tell me how they get away with this. Its disgusting. -
Review from Monkey C.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2008
It maybe unfair to give this place a 1/5 rating. They have good deals on supplies and on aquariums.
1/5 because the fish are kept in very unprofessional conditions. Its unsaniary, dirty, overcrowded. The dead fish float in some containers (they dont keep fish in aquariums exactly)
Half the containers I looked at are contaminated with parasitic Snails that are hard to get rid of in an aquarium. Everything is overgrown with all sorts of algae.
This means that if you buy a fish here its most likely going to have parasites or diseases like Ick, fungus, or what not.
This is not about cruelty to the fish because , I mean we eat animals every day. But its simply not safe to buy fish here for your aquarium. They may or may not die, but they will give your aquarium infections and parasites.
Once, again they do have great deals on glass aquariums, though. -
Review from Katherine N.
Santa Monica, CA
1/19/2008
I've walked by this place a few times but today I stopped to look at the flowers and discovered they're a aquarium shop as well !
I had a 10 gallon fish tank as a kid and loved it so I always check out aquarium shops.
It's an amazing place. Especially for kids. Lots of tanks with fish and coral. It's not fancy in fact it's a bit cramped but who cares it's still fun.
Definitely a fun destination spot on Clement Street.
