I live in the Caribbean now so it was interesting to go through and see how many fish are there. Due to the size and variety I understand tank maintenance is extremely extensive however when I went though I did notice quite a few fish struggling. This may be due to their temporary environment and the stress. Only place I know of in the area with what is offered here.

They have a large variety of fish and related stuff but place is kind of beaten up and the prices are not clear. You will see hand written prices every where and stuff is not organized well. Employees are knowledgeable but they are usually not that helpful, had to ask three different employees before getting the desired stuff.

The prices are very inflated I bought a protein skimmer coralife 65 to be exact for $200 plus tax. later that week out of curiosity I wanted to see the prices online to my surprise it was only $126.54 every where online. I understand that local fish stores have to make money I support that. I knew I was going to pay a little extra But for them to markup the price by 58% percent is outrageous. For that price I couldve bought a coralife 125 lol. I feel juke it was my fault I shouldve known better lesson learn. Im not buying nothing else other then fish here for sure because of price inflation. Now that I got that out the way the store is actually pretty cool they have so many several species of fishes is probably one of the biggest one I been. Overall the store is great but overprice.

5 Stars for the newer guy though! Go to support your Local store they have almost everything and its amazing but definitely see the newer guy there if you go. His name is Matt or Pat, Ive seen him in there for a little while now, but He will be the only person we go to from now on. I decided to write this based on others I have seen and my experience the other day with him( Big/Tall guy with a beard, lots of tattoos on his arms and legs. Couldnt hear clearly because of the mask but I think he said his name is Matt or Pat). This place is awesome, have been coming here for years but stopped as much because of most of the employees, Usually have everything we need. Some are down to earth and nice but Some of the staff is terrible and unfriendly so we would try to avoid going. The other day we went in and went to the back to get help with fish, After awhile of standing there, this guy cleaning tanks in the marine section walked by and asked if we had been helped, we said no and he said give him a second and he would be right with us. He sat his stuff down and came right back. Every time weve come in lately, he seems to be always doing something or helping people, this was the first time hes helped us and it was great. There was at least 3-4 other employees that walked by or we saw standing around talking to each other and not one asked if we needed help which is normal unless they are really busy. You have to hunt them down or ask and its like a burden for them. This guy was fantastic, he was very friendly apologized right away for the wait and asked how he could help us, walked us over and showed us everything we needed, which you normally get an over there and a point which leads you to asking someone else. Was able to answer majority of the questions we asked and the couple he couldnt, he said right away Im sorry but if Im not 100% sure I look it up or ask, I wont give wrong information, which he did for only a couple questions like full grown size of a certain fish which i doubt anyone knows every size with everything they have. Everything he said otherwise we checked after we got home and he was spot on. Just a habit to be safe from other wrong info received by other staff there. He gave us numerous suggestions on help with problems, things to avoid, and products they had when they didnt have exactly what we wanted or it was a better option, also even asked us about how we introduce our fish to the tank and advised us on a couple things to acclimate better. He made sure we knew everything we needed to for us and the fish to be happy before we left. This store would be 100x better if everyone was like that. most of the time theyre really laid back and treat you like family when youve been going there and they can be extremely busy and under staffed some days. Ive seen some of the stuff they have to deal with by customers over the years but their customer service sucks and not everyone deserves to be treated like that. I will be going back to support my local store and will only be going to see this guy from now on. Overall other than some of the employees the store is amazing. It could use a makeover and be cleaner but whatever thats not too important.

Not a chain and a little funky with respect to appearances but theyre well-stocked. The people working there seem to be very knowledgeable

The customer service I received from the staff (Graceyn specifically), is the main reason why I am giving this store 5 stars as this was one of the best customer service experiences I have ever had. This place has a great variety of fish. I felt I wanted half the store. It was hard to make up my mind on which fish I wanted. The store was nice, clean, some what organized (even though you cant tell at first) between the fresh water fish, pond fish, and salt water fish. It was here that I realized that there are so many people into fish and aquariums as I have been here many times shopping and every single time I come it is ALWAYS crowded and I feel you have to wait in line for staff to help you. I was ok with that because this was my first time having an aquarium and I didnt know anything about what fish to get and because of the overwhelming amount of options, I knew I would need help with everything, which brings me back to the customer service I experienced. The young lady Graceyn that assisted us, not only was extremely knowledgeable, but brought great energy and welcomed our multiple questions and concerns and even offered advice when we were having indecisive moments which I truly appreciated. She wrote down everything we needed to know and wrote down the fish we wanted in the future. Since then, I have been back a few more times and between Graceyn and other staff members, I have continued to experience the same great customer service. Im not sure if its a result of COVID or if its always been this way, but again, this store seems to always be very busy even on the week days. They seem to be doing the best they can to keep everything clean and within covid standards. They do go around making sure everyone has a mask on and face fully covered or they will direct you to cover immediately. Overall, I love this store but most of all the customer service I received.

We went in for a nice starter aquarium. We saw some not-so-great reviews on some of the starter kits, so Patrick helped us find a better setup that wasnt a kit (a bit more $$ but better quality). We ended up with the 45-gal Aqueon, a wood stand, and the basic startup items. Thanks for your help Patrick! The cashier noticed Id forgotten a thermometer! The store was a bit disheveled and could use a good cleaning (hence 4 stars, not 5, and it really is about 4.5 stars), but the customer service is excellent.

A great place to buy fish, especially cichlids and discus. Try to avoid the busy times though, it can be hard to get an employee to get you fish. But they do seem to put more people back there when it gets crowded.

Big selection of fish. Usually helpful people if your patient. I think the tanks are pretty clean and prices reasonable.

I was searching for a new fish store since I moved back to Maryland I used to go to that fish place in pa. But after visting here and receiving amazing golden nugget plecos. And a very friendly vampier shrimp. All have been very active and healthy have had 0 problems with my blood parrot he blows the shrimp some food has found a new friend. As for the prices the two gold nugget L018 that I got go for 79.99 per one anywhere else. They had two for 64.00 per one that is 1inch to 2inch pricing. So amazing prices and amazing fish selection and happy healthy fish. Will be coming back

Was super excited to visit this store after so many people have mentioned it. Drove up from Fredericksburg with 3 friends. I was impressed with amount of fish and the variety. The gentleman dipping out my fish was awesome and handled my Hillstream Loaches with ease. I did come away wondering why the tanks were so dirty with all the employees walking around. The lady behind the counter was extremely rude and making comments under her breath about other customers. Overall I was there about 45 minutes and got some beautiful healthy fish. Just leaves me wondering what this store with this reputation would be under proper management and care?

Nice place to visit even if youre not making a purchase....Rows of aquariums! Kids love bit!

Amazing store, tanks were clean and plants/fish/inverts were all lively and healthy. Drove about an hour to get there cause theres no good stores up north where Im at that sell shrimp. They went into my tank without issue and seem to be healthy and hardy lil buggers. Worth the drive!

I have been a dedicated customer of HOT for years. Overall the tropical fish selection is above average (meaning just not bread and butter commercial pet store fish), salt and coral are at average. I support them religiously like clockwork every 2 weeks for the last 12 years! Over the years customer services admittedly as been horrific. Please don’t get me wrong there are a small few that are super knowledgeable and cheerful even entertain my kids with jokes or just cool tips and facts when they are along for the trip. However on a busy weekend it’s rare you get these employees who are happy to be at work but I still I supported this LFS over the years and enjoyed my biweekly store walk throughout.Today I had and an issue with some fish I had purchased that were labeled one thing but turned out to be another. All I wanted was to exchange them for the correct species I originally paid for. I asked to speak with the manager and I tried to explain the situation and SOB manager cut me off mid sentence, and told me what I got is what I paid for he labels the tanks he doesn’t make mistakes.... That really caught me off guard because I couldn’t understand where his hostility was coming from. I stopped and asked “excuses me are you the manager? This behavior is uncalled I said nothing to trigger this kind of response.I told the man I was a dedicated customer for years even been on a few store spends with my local cichlid club (CCA). I would like to see what could be done about this this mix up. I was told they don’t make mistakes he is the only person who makes the tank tags and I will be treated like any other trade in, they will give me store credit for 1/3 of the cost of the fish.I didn’t want to pay any extra for the fish when it wasn’t my mistake but I understand policy is policy and could have done just that. However it’s the way this man said it so rudely yelling at me with an uncalled for aggression, constantly interrupting me, and the conviction of judgment without even entertaining any visual evidence to back up my claims! That’s not good customer service at all.... I just spent $400 the yesterday and have spent more then that over all the years. He told me if I want him to take back my fish I got to stop saying I bought something that wasn’t labeled correctly! I was done after that point.I would bet my life savings if this store a manger just looked at the pictures I took or let me bring the fish up for comparison because there is night and day difference in what I paid for to what I got. He would have been 100% undoubtedly apologetic and had fixed the problem HIMSELF for a dedicated customer.But oh no... they have perfect staff lead by a mistake free manager “they don’t make mistakes”!! Attached is a pic of my $400 receipt for purchase of live fish as proof that I am or was a dedicated customer to back up my accusations on this poorly dealt with situation.I will not go for this type of treatment from any business let alone from one I help support! I will never return to this store again for this behavior and it’s a shame this man could care less about losing my business or even hearing me out to see if there was a possibility a mistake happened. Because everyone knows MISTAKES DO HAPPEN!

Lots of options to choose from . Very helpfull if u hvd any questions regarding the care of your aquariums .

Lots of verieaty. Good info. Kinda far for me but fun to go.

Always have what I want and need. Friendly staff behind the front desk. I love travelling there

Best place to find anything fish or reptile related you could ask for! Huge selection on both & huge selection on housings & aquariums! If I ever wanted to start a salt water aquarium this is the place to go! They have everything you need! I love how they are following the social distancing & only letting a couple people in the store at a time! It makes your wait a little longer but totally worth it for that peace of mind in shopping!

Very knowledgeable staff. A variety of fish and decor. On the pricy side when it comes to fish

Everything you need for tanks or ponds. Vast supply of fish at reasonable prices. Their greatest asset is their knowledgeable, pleasant and patient staff. What a great asset!

We were helped in a timely fashion. The young lady at the register was helpful and cheery.

We love this store... But we will not purchase crickets here anymore. They die within hours of bringing them home, when fed and kept properly. Other sources we get them from last for weeks. Its disappointing. When brought to their attention; they just tell us its not happening to anyone else.

This is the best fish store around. Great plant selection, healthy livestock, and lots of selection.

This is actually kind of a hard place to review because they were so busy so the customer service is ok. The employees were all friendly to me. The tanks were actually very impressive, out of the whole place I saw one dead fish and they have a lot of tanks. I bought some orange sukura shrimp and they are doing awesome. The cashiers were all very friendly also. I think with COVID they should have a one way system but it seemed ok.

Staff was really knowledgeable and nice despite the store being extremely busy. Huge selection of fish!!!

So big if you love aquariums.

A great place in Edgewater, MD for many variety of fish and aquatic accessories for tanks. My son enjoyed going up and down the aisles to see the many fish and pick out his new friends. The employee was very helpful and got our desired fish easily and quickly. Although they didnt have the particular light we wanted for the tank they do also have tank accessories such as lights, filters, heaters etc.

Always has great selection of plants and that’s what I’m so into at this point... great selection of fish and shrimp

These guys have a great selection and we often come here for supplies for our freshwater tank. The service is hit or miss - some employees are really friendly and helpful. Other employees are less than helpful and rude. I also feel so bad for the axolotols they have up front by the registers. They are so small and their gills look damaged - it’s clear they are living in stressful conditions. I would never buy fish from this store.

Our purchase consisted of 20 fancy guppies and 2 catfish. Over the course of 3 weeks, 17 guppies died. We checked our PH, ammonia levels, nitrates and nitrites along with the water temperature and also tested the water for any bacteria. All tests were negative/within appropriate levels. The problem appears to be that something was wrong with the guppies.We called the pet store to no avail. They asked if we had tested the water and indicated that most likely, our chemical levels were not good. They seemed to care less. We asked if any of the guppies that they have had died and she said no. Lost money and lots of disappointment. We will never shop here again.

Its staff is wonderful. They are on it when you ask for something! The fish are exotic and gorgeous

They have the best SUPER WORMS for my hedgie.

As big as the store is, they dont stock alot of items that are popular for reefers

What can I say. I love this place. Great selection to choose from.I had a fish on hold and they still accidentally sold it. However they, the owners rectified the situation. Cool staff who enjoys the hobby as well.

Awesome selection, reasonable prices. Definitely worth a trip.

Huge selection of fish, probably the largest in the DC/MD/VA area. Quality is not super great and many tanks were completely empty. Prices for supplies and fish were a bit outrageous. Well see if they survive. Customer service was okay. Not a bad experience, but just okay.

An absolutely excellent shop! Theyve always had what Im looking for and have been happy to help me with any questions that I have. They will always be my number 1 go to for freshwater aquarium supplies!

Hey, you wanna fish? They goota fish, lots of tropical fish, turtles, baby sharks, a few snakes, chameleons, saltwater and freshwater fish, crabs (was that Mr Krabs hiding under the coral?), reptiles, etc. With hundreds of fish tanks you may become sea-sick.We drove from Landsdowne iso puppies instead. There we discovered tropical puppies are only in animated shows.

They have a large selection of fresh, saltwater, and pond fish. As well as everything you need for reptile care. Very good place with reasonable prices.

It is the most complete and well established fish store on the eastern sea board. They are someyhi g like 25-35 years old. They even employee marine biologist as staff. its kind of bizarre to have a PhD marine biologist hand you your goldfish in a bag. But Im telling you these people know everything.

This store has everything you need and more. Great prices, and great customer service. I bought 2 fish tank stands for a 125 gallon and 55 gallon, 1 metal the other with a wood finish. The fish at House of Tropics were amazing, tanks were immaculate as well.

They have the best aquarium supplies,fish and customer service.

I loved the aquatics, corals, fish, lizards,turtles etc and the Gentleman that helped me with my turtle which I have had for 4 yrs.

Great pet shop beautiful fish and great group of people that works there

If you are looking for a ton of fish of different varieties this is the place, just be prepared for rude and unfriendly staff, Ive been there about 10 times in the last 8 months and they are always annoying to deal with. It almost feels as if you are inconveniencing them by being there. Their stock prices are also pretty high. Ill stick with fintastic and Ricks in Frederick from now on.

Idk why people have picked this place to be so great and the staff to be so friendly but they couldnt be more wrong. My bf and I went here the other day and the tanks were dirty and it just looked like such a rundown place. Some of the fish had bad sores on their faces and fins. And my bf and I wanted a cobra guppy (Ive been working in a pet store for 6 years now and had fish all my life) and he says guppies need to be in groups of 5 when that isnt even true and there was literally 1 adult guppy and 4 babies he literally contradicted himself and was lying to us. The staff were not friendly at all everyone looked so miserable and the place doesnt look like its taken care of that well. The staff was most certainly not nice. Probably wont go here again.

Went with my children and we were wowed. Couldnt leave without buying something. Thanks Gene.

Very knowledgable about anything fish related.

Great customer service everytime I come in they are very busy but spend the extra time answering my questions.

Great store, staff is very friendly and helpful. Its a bit if a long wait to go in but is understandable and worth it in the current conditions.

Their selection of corals and saltwater fish are great but few staff are knowledgeable about the saltwater inventory. The coral also turnover often which provides nice variety. The prices are reasonable most of the time but its best to do research prior to going in. Some items will give you a great deal and other run on the higher side of the spectrum. All in all its a decent saltwater store that is our primary place to shop

Great selection, employees seem to have better things to do besides help the customer

All the employees are always so kind, informative and helpful!!

By far the most well taken care of animals and largest variety of fish I have ever seen! Incredible.

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff great selection of fish

The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. There is plenty to buy but they dont try to sell you anything unnecessary. We come here often just to see everything they have to offer.

One of my favorite fish stores ever to visit. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, and help you figure out what fish might be the right fit. I also love seeing their Giant Gourami at the entrance!

Great place to go for fish and everyone i spoke with was very knowledgeable.

Incredibly knowledgeable staff. Better than visiting an aquarium. Fresh and salt water.

The store was great when i first went, but it looks like its been degrading over time. A lot of the fish dont look so good(health), even the gourami in the front isnt too great.

Must visit for fish lovers .. best collection ever.

Great place to go for my needs . Love the atmosphere and employee are so nice

One of our favorite stores. Great Beta, Koi and many other tropical fish selections. Lively hermit crabs, snakes, lizards and a wide selection of tanks, food and pet supplies for sale. Its even just fun to walk through and see all the fish!

I LOVE This Fish Store!!!! They have Everything Anyone could ever Want or Need for the trade/hobby. Amazing helpful staff & selections. Even the cashier who seemed to have a cold, was Super Helpful and friendly!!!I am SO Glad I went to this location and WILL be back!!!!! They made me feel VERY Welcomed!!!!Best time I had a LFS ever!!! Hands down, Winner!!!!They put a fish on hold for me while I was shopping and everyone was helpful as said before. Be prepared to spend 1.5+ hour minimum if you plan to take the entirety of the full store in. It was quite an experience and was simply amazing. I cannot praise this store enough. They did have some corals that didnt look the best, but the amount of hands going in and out of the tank, hard not to!!! Lol.Very impressed and will be back as said above. Thanks for the great experience. Totally worth the 1.5 hour drive!!!

We come here fairly frequently for multiple creatures & aquariums and have never been disappointed. Selection is always great for living critter and supplies and the staff are always friendly and super knowledgeable - seriously, if you have any questions just ask, if one employee doesnt have an answer chances are extremely high another will. We highly recommend to all out aquarium and small critter friends and make the trek rather than go to the chain pet stores

Been buying fish for years from here. Fish quality had gone down drastically. I would stay clear of this place. Ive bought 4 fish now in the past few months, all came with infections. Best bet go to Petco

This is easily the best local fish store I have ever been to! Their selection of fish is unlike anything Ive ever seen and you will no doubt find anything you are looking for. On top of that, all their staff are very knowledgeable and can help you with whatever you need! I believe they have over 700 tanks and every single one of them is kept in perfect condition, and all fish look healthy.

Unassuming place on the outside. Then you walk in and its full of everything you need and plenty of knowledgeable staff throughout the store to answer any kind of question. Its been our go to for years. Highly recommend them!

Always have a great selection of everything

This is the real deal...the Holy Grail for aquarium hobbyists in DMV area. They have the equipment, the fish, the plants, the reptiles and amphibians amd the staff that can actually answer whatever questions youbhave for them. Their tanks are always impeccable, their selection varied, and their customer base increasing. Extra kudos to the girl who rings up your purchases. Her friendly demeanor is worth the trip alone.

I used to love this place they have a great selection.Twice now Ive got an ick from this pet store.Its a real shame because I lost everything in my tank the first time.And I am currently fighting the second outbreak.I did not shop anywhere else so theres no doubt it came from there.So I will no longer be doing business with them.Its not about the problem its about how you handle the problem if you continue to sell your animals if theyre infected thats no good.I called them to tell them about it on both occasions and no one cared. Totally dismissed.With a were sorry.That doesnt cover it when I have 500 to $600 worth of fish in my tank.I cannot recommend

Had a better selection of marine life than Pennsylvania.

This is an amazing place ! No other way to describe it ! There is so much to see here that it reminds me of going to the zoo ! You have to see it in person !, Its ginormous ! and they have a variety of just about every species you can think of, whether it be reptiles, amphibians, Coral, fish, starfish, crabs, shrimp and even a sea cucumber !! (All pictured) And dont forget to say hello to Tiny ! A giant 18 year old gourami ! (shes pictured here as well)

Love this place! They have everything you need!

Nice service...a busy place...nice fish...

Lines are long waiting to get in due to COVID. Best if you know what you want to call your order in. We waited 2 1/2 hrs just to get in.

This place have everything I need and they are so helpful

Ive been shopping in this store for 15 years. Fish side is great! Other things not so much. The last two times Ive asked help in reptile with questions, I have been told to go online even though the employees knew the answers to the questions. Not good help at all. I have also bought two furry animals from here and both had respiratory infections which requires vet care and liquid medications. So if you have fish this is your place. But anything else be careful.

Great selection of both salt water and fresh water fish!

Needs a deep cleaning nasty

I love this place because they porvide fish tht live very very very long

Always helpful and a great selection of all things aquarium

Been buying fish and equipment for 30+ yearsThey have quality fish and wonderful service.Very friendly and helpful staff. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Knowledgeable staff, heath animals, great variety

The wait was extremely long but understandable due the the covid19 but once inside the staff was very knowledgeable and help me out with understanding how to care for the fish and if I was to take the advice from petsmart and petco my fish wouldve been dead in the near future. Thanks again for helping me getting my aquarium where it needs to be so my fish stay healthy!!

Extremely knowledgeable and have a ton of fish

Probably the best fish selection I’ve seen at a store thus far. They have such a huge selection you can definitely find something here.

Great service due to the on going pandemic we are having the staff is doing a good job at keeping everybody safe.

I am so glad we found this place, the selection of fish is the biggest Ive ever seen. Honest, just google it there are YouTube videos of it. They have amazing prices on the fish and tanks.

Great place for all your fish tank needs. I whould have given it five stars but needs more help. Always a line at the cash register and in the back.

Horrible customer service. Midday, weekday, less than 10 ppl in store. About four ppl on the floor huddled around and one lady talking very loudly and specifically about me and my child “browsing” (no we weren’t loud or unruly, her problem was specifically us looking up and down each isle). Had to stop myself from asking her if there was something she wanted to say to me directly. We weren’t browsing - when I enter a store I EXPECT someone who works there (when available) to ask how they may help. God forbid I interrupt their social pow wow. Staff cleaning tanks, feeding fish - busy. But instead of standing around wishing a customer would hurry up and get out of “your” store - a better approach is just being of service. Finally asked a staff member passing by to get the fish I came for. But the more I stood in line waiting to pay for a basic fish twice the price of the larger retail store, the more I realized - forget it. I love supporting the smaller businesses in my community, but I can just the same wait until the big chain restocks. Plus the plant I got the first visit was full of snails and the fish’s poop was white. Had to treat both the plant and fish before adding to main tank. Won’t be returning.

Competent knowledgable staff...

Anything you need to start up with advice from people that love the job as much as they love animals (except maybe mice) best feeders great stock and a excitement when it comes to answering your questions

Busy as usual. No millet which is why I hadnt been in a while. No filters either for the power filter I bought there.

Probably the most unprofessional, disdainful employees I’ve encountered. While they have an excellent selection of tropical creatures, their aquariums are overpriced, the service is terrible, and the employees all seem as if they were forced to come to work today.The lady at the cashier made multiple remarks to me and other employees about how she didn’t have the time to help me process return. I’m pretty sure her job is to assist customers. I needed assistance, but it was like pulling teeth

I have to go back down there and then the other day I have off but thats typically not sure what the next step is

Always popular and favorite place to shop for my reptiles and/or fish

Very poor customer service. I recently placed an order over the phone, visited the store and went to pick up a small school of fish. I arrived and was greeted with a half bag of fin rotted fish along with 1 DEAD fish. The rude and disgruntled employee Mike takes the bag dumps the fish back in the tank and says the fish is not for sale, were too busy for this. I will not be returning to that business.

This place always has all of my aquarium needs at affordable prices. I have been coming here for over 10 years. I always find what Im looking for, and if I cant, the friendly staff are always sure to order it for me. Love this place!

Great variety and knowledgeable staff.