Aqua World

I visited this place yesterday for the first time. Please see my uploaded photos of this store. You get to Tyler Street by walking from Boston's "South Station" Red Line subway stop to the great gateway to Chinatown, enter the archway (also called a Paifang or Pailou), and Tyler street (and the store) is a few streets forward and on the left.

The store was easy to find. It looked nice and clean and has the *best* assortment of fish tank decorations (both plastic grouped plants which looked amazing and figurines/objects, a few of which were must-haves) that I have seen at any pet store. Some of the prices for fish and aquarium items were lower than Petco and PetSmart, and some were higher.

The selection of fish was very nice - more than just goldfish and chiclids (such as small koi for about $15) - and even the DVD videos looked really cool, especially for someone who wants to learn an Asian language like Mandarin or Cantonese.

They also had a size T8 24" 18,000k florescent bulb, which I have had a very hard time finding and I really want to get (plants will only grow if the bulb actually says 10,000K, 18,000K, or similar on it, even if it claims to grow plants, like the Zoo Med Flora Sun bulb, it will NOT work and you should get Zoo Med Ocean Sun 10,000K instead to get plants to grow.)

This is almost the perfect ideal store for those who harken back to the old days of non chain store pet fish/aquarium shops. I bought a small tank filter and felt good about supporting the establishment. The fact that the cashier didn't speak English was not an issue (the store owner did.) Returns would be nice but they say all sales are final, and I suppose they could have a bunch more fish, but they are probably harder to maintain. I will go there more often.

This used to be my favorite LFS in the area, not anymore.

Recently bought two butterfly plecos, both died overnight. This was quite a surprise, I've had plecos before, my water readings were perfect, and all other fish was fine.

Upon closer examination turned out they sold Hillstream Loaches as Butterfly Plecos! Those require very different tank configuration, no way they could survive in my setup. Yes both species are very similar visually and I'm being told it's not uncommon for fish stores to confuse the two but it kind of tells about their competency. So I guess I'll have to find another LFS now :(

I just adopted a Betta fish and needed some additional supplies. They had the leaf "hammock" I was looking for, and I also got a net and a thermometer. The young man behind the counter was very helpful, and guided me to everything I was looking for and we chatted a little bit about how my Betta was doing. The Betta fish they had there were beautiful and are kept in larger containers that those little bowls you traditionally see them in. Great for getting the basics, I am by no means a fish enthusiast. The store is not as ascetically pleasing as a PetCo or PetSmart, but its it very convenient is you live in downtown Boston, as opposed to getting supplies shipped to you.

There are no magazines or DVDs being sold there currently, as some other reviewers mentioned in the past, and the tanks looked as clean, if not cleaner, than the ones I see at Petco / PetSmart.

So, on my birthday I found myself with a goldfish named Fin in a Ziploc bag sitting on my desk. Knowing that after work I had things to do (mainly punishing my liver for making it this far) I needed to figure something out so the poor thing didn't have to sit in a bag all night. What's a guy to do? Well, Yelp of course.

After some digging for pet stores I found Aqua Way. Chinatown? Pet store? For serious? For sure. I was a bit nervous that there have been no new reviews since 2007. Was it closed? Only one way to find out:
RING RING *click*
AW: DGFUHLDHGEB, may I help you?
Me: Ummm. Is this Aqua World?
AW: Yes sir, how can I help you?
Me: Oh uh, errr...just seeing if you were still in business.
AW: Yes...open until six.

Handy. So to Tyler Street I go. How many times have I walked past this place and not noticed? It's in the basement of a building and you can easily walk right past without a second thought. Once inside I was struck first by how effing humid it is. To be expected for sure but wow. Next thing I noticed was the DVD selection. Huh? Well, this is Chinatown so hey...

So to the fish and their supplies. First, the tanks are clean. I think this is beyond important and shows that they care about what they are doing. Second, they have a small-ish but good selection of desk-sized tanks, gravel, "plants", stones, and decorative items. For such a small space they really maximize variety.

It's been ages since I bought fish supplies but I though their prices were very fair. I paid a little over $20 for a tank, gravel, plant, and water conditioner. Worked for me. They have air pumps for $10 and up and a variety of live fish to suit your pet fish needs. God forbid little Fin drift off to the great ocean in the sky, but should he do so I know where to get another goldfish on the cheap or a betta for $5. They were even nice while cashing me out.

This was a pleasant surprise and a great resource should you find yourself with a fishy trapped in a bag full of water some day.

Hands down the best fish/dvd store on the east coast. I've seen better fish stores and I've seen better dvd stores but when it comes to fish/dvd stores this one can't be beat. The only thing which would have made this place more epic is if I could have located the porn other reviews speak of. No such luck.
When you come here you don't speak you just point. No warranties, returns or anything. Once money exchanges hands your on your own.

Aqua World is the only true "local fish store" in downtown Boston. Aqua World sells both small fish for beginning hobbyists and more expensive larger fish (flowerhorns, arowanas, and one time, even a stingray). Live plants and shrimp are also available. The owner knows his stuff, and the tanks look reasonably well maintained.

While Aqua World is in a somewhat small space and only carries freshwater fish, it is a great place for fish keepers. Now that Unique has relocated to the suburbs, it is the only option for people that prefer a fish store to a pet store.

This place is great for avid Fishkeepers! A true LFS in the heart of Chinatown.

Pros

- Good selection of fish, ranging from typical tropical fish to more exotic varieties. GREAT selection of Betta fish at very fair prices. Fish are healthy and the tanks are clean! Tiger shrimp, cherry shrimp, and ghost shrimp available also when I went. May not find as much as you would at a chain store, but this is mainly due to the smaller size of the shop.

- Amazing selection of driftwood (Malaysian, mopani, cypress), rocks, and other aquascaping items.
- Knowledgeable, friendly staff who are more than happy to help answer your questions however they can, and go out of their way to adhere to your schedule (reserved a fish and picked it up the next day with no problems).
- Great selection of aquariums, all the basic rectangular sizes + some, and some smaller aquariums specialized for salt water tanks.

Cons (sort of)

- Since its in the heart of Chinatown, finding parking can be chaotic to say the least. Definitely pick a time to go when there is less traffic, otherwise you'll find yourself circling the neighborhood 5-6 times. The pro? There's amazing food and bakeries surrounding the store, so if you DO find parking, there's much to be done!


I think this will be the only place I'll shop for Betta's. Not only are the fish healthy, but the colors seem to be more unique than what you would find at a chain shop. One pure lilac/iridescent I purchased from here a few years back has proven to be one of a kind (literally, no one has seen the color since) and the second I purchased recently is similar and beautiful in its own way.

Thanks for a pleasant experience!

Pretty decent.

Before coming here for the first time a few days ago, I would get all my fish at Skipton. (Forget about Petco, with their ich-infested tanks... *shiver*). However, when my German Blue Ram from Skipton died after a week, and the others they had were looking equally morose, I decided to stop by AquaWorld.

Yes, half the store is shelved with DVDs. Their fish selection is mediocre, basically consisting of goldfish, various cichlids, and just a few randomly assorted tetras and barbs. However, in general the fish seemed in good health, and prices were equal to or cheaper than what I was seeing at Skipton. To my delight, they had German Blue Rams, and I picked up a pair for $14 total--about the price I paid at Skipton for just one. The GBRs from AquaWorld were smaller than Skipton's, but more colorful, livelier, and healthier. Of course, they still went into the quarantine tank--no exceptions--but I was quite happy with my purchase.

The woman who got my fish for me definitely did not speak English. (Fortunately, my years of speaking broken Chinese with the 'rents sufficiently prepared me for this fish-buying venture.) However, I think other people in the store (namely, the man who was behind the cash register) do speak English.

After killing multiple plants, I decided to get a pet that I couldn't overwater. Instead of heading to a monster-chain pet store I decided to do the local thing, and yelp led me to Aqua World.

Yeah, it's small and underground. Yeah, half of the store sells DVDs. Sure, maybe you won't immediately recognize it as a fish store from the outside. But the people there are friendly and nice (and speak English.. whoever said they didn't is wrong) and the fish there are clean and relatively inexpensive. There is a nice big selection of freshwater tank fish, mostly small guys, though no turtles when I was there. The tanks are crystal clean, and not overcrowded in the least, and there was no fish smell. They have a good selection of filters/heaters/food/gravel/maintainence supplies. I was less impressed with the bowl and aquarium decor selection, and saw no plants to choose from.

I came away with a happy little betta and some food and water conditioner. The man tending to the fish helped me find the right things without "wasting money" in his words. My boyfriend thought this meant the fish would die soon anyway so we shouldnt bother getting stocked up. I thought he was looking out for us. Either way, our fish is alive and healthy.

Pros:
-easily accessible by T. This matters a lot for a student without a car like me.
-decent variety of fish & necessities, especially given the size
-patient worker who doesn't mind if you spend 30+ minutes just watching the fish to decide if you want one.

Cons:
-many of the fish and accessories are WAY overpriced. A "medium" goldfish (no, it's more like a small by Petco standards) for $15? i must be missing something. Also, he sold me a small bowl for nearly what I paid for a tank at PetSmart. Yea ... I was more clueless back then.
-some of the fish are not doing so well. Just look at the bettas, they will break your heart. I bought two (one male, one female) during my first trip. He told me I could put them in the same bowl (WRONG). I found out I shouldn't (online), and got another bowl. Two days later my male fish was obviously very sick - why hadn't I noticed before? He died within a few weeks.
-The worker's English is not great, so communication is kinda tough.