I had an absolutely fantastic experience at the Aquarium Co-Op store in Edmonds on my first visit! As a brand-new fish mom, I came in with a lot of questions, and Jeff went above and beyond to help me. He was incredibly patient, took the time to explain everything in a way that was easy to understand, and gave thoughtful recommendations that were perfect for a newbie like me. What really stood out was that he didn't just tell me what to do -- he actually demonstrated how to properly clean the bottom of the tank, which gave me so much more confidence going home. I never felt rushed or talked down to, just genuinely supported. The selection of fish, live plants and accessories are incredible! The fish look happy and active, and I now have a few favorites to come back for once I get a bigger tank. If you're new to fishkeeping or even if you're experienced and want great advice, this is the place to go. Huge thanks to Jeff and the Aquarium Co-Op team for such outstanding service. I'll definitely be back! read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

My fish all died of Ick. It is a contagious illness, I got all my fish from you. I will not be buying my replacement fish from you. I am sad about this as your place is huge and inviting, and your pumps are great, I can't risk another die off like this. I didn't come in and tell you in person as I dislike confrontation. Please be more careful in the future. I had tetras minnows and two plecos in a 38 gallon tank. read more

So excited to have the Aquarium Co-Op so close to our house. I always enjoy coming by to check out the fish and talk with the friendly, knowledgeable staff. The selection of fish and fauna has always been good, but now that they've expanded, the selection is even better! read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

THIS STORE HAS TOP-QUALITY FISH AND DRIFTWOOD, BUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WE RECEIVED FROM SIMON WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL. This was one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. We arrived at 6:52 PM, so yes, we knew it was close to closing and were only planning to buy one or two guppies quickly. As soon as we entered, a female employee told us we only had 8 minutes left and needed to hurry, so we went straight to the guppy section. Buying two guppies and leaving should not have been an issue with 5 minutes left. When we asked for help, Simon immediately acted rude and dismissive. He mocked us by asking if we wanted a "specific guppy," then threw the tank lid on top of the tank and tossed the net down in an aggressive way. When we pointed to a fish and said "this one," he literally yelled, "I don't know what this one is." At that point we felt so uncomfortable and intimidated that we said we would just come back another time. Instead of ending the interaction professionally, he got angry and asked us if we go to restaurants 5 minutes before closing. That comparison makes no sense. A professional response would have been to politely say they were closing soon, not to scream at customers, throw equipment around, and create an environment that feels threatening. What makes this even more frustrating is that we have bought fish and driftwood from this store before, and the quality has always been top-notch. The fish here are healthy, and the store clearly carries high-quality livestock and products. The other employees have also been nice in the past, which makes this experience even more disappointing. I almost never leave negative reviews, and if you look at my review history, that will be obvious. But this experience was shocking. After reading other reviews mentioning rude staff, I honestly would not be surprised if they were talking about the same employee. It's a shame that one employee can make customers not want to return to an otherwise great aquarium store. As long as Simon is working here, we will not be coming back. read more

Other staff members have always been kind and helpful, so this review is specifically about Simon. We came in around 6:52 PM already knowing exactly which guppies we wanted and planned to buy them immediately before the 7 PM closing time. We were not browsing or asking him questions. Simon followed us over, and we immediately told him which guppies we wanted to take home. When we asked for the black guppies and pointed directly at the ones we wanted at the same time, he responded with "I don't know what that is" in an extremely rude and dismissive way. Then he literally threw the net onto the tank lid. Because of how rude and disrespectful he was, we decided not to buy anything and said sorry, we would come back another time. His response was, "I have family at home too." We were fully ready to buy fish and leave immediately, but because of how disrespectful he was, we decided not to spend our money there. The rest of the staff has been great, but this interaction with Simon was completely unacceptable and ruined the experience. We won't be coming back. read more

Excellent selection, and clean healthy tanks. Staffing can be thin at times. I've had to just leave because I couldn't get any help. read more

I visited this place because of the YouTube content. The fish is mainly for small aquariums so not really your monster fish. They had a small section for hard scapes and plants. Check them out if you are in the area. read more

My first exposure to this small (expansion coming soon) local fish store was their YouTube channel. I was a bit wary, but my experiences at Co-op have been positive. Selection is good, and staff overall is knowledgeable, striking a balance between being helpful but not pushy or hovering. Only had one or two instances where I felt the employee didn't know quite as much as they should, but I also feel like folk newer to the fish world should be given a chance to work there, learn, and grow. Fish visually looked healthy, but anyone who has kept fish knows that they can get sick for seeming no reason or randomly decide to figure out how many ways there are to die. So if there's a couple "off" fish I'm not too judgemental. Looks leagues better than a Petco or PetSmart. Speaking of which, the store replaced an amano that passed a couple weeks from purchase (the others were thriving) at no charge. They only asked for a water sample in the future. And they refunded via email with no fuss when there was a purchase miscount. So A+ for customer service. read more

This is a truly spectacular place. Everyone there is exceptionally kind, they've all been keeping fish for years and years (so they're knowledgeable and passionate), the selection of fish has grown, and the prices are very reasonable. I love this place read more

Great service. Drove several hours round trip from Bremerton to buy a boat load of fish. They were attentive to all customers, including myself and even let me see the new expansion before the grand opening on may 3rd. Had one issue with receiving a runt, that was suffering from severe swim bladder issues, or something resembling. They responded swiftly & kindly with a refund as requested. I feel the long trips in future will be worth it, as they have acted with integrity and assured I can trust them for great customer service. Thanks for the fish! read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

WOW, what a selection of amazing, healthy stuff, and with pleasant customer service, too. Can't wait to go back!

Absolutely love this spot! High quality fish, plants, and supplies with extra friendly and helpful staff. Their hardscape options of various rocks and wood pieces are WAY more budget friendly than some of the online options. read more

I love this store! They clearly care about the fish more than their entitled customers AS THEY SHOULD. At least two of the one star reviews are clearly by the same person claiming "censorship" when they probably got their bad advice removed from the forums to protect the fish from wayward beginners taking their bad advice. If they cared about their customers over the fish they would leave that nonsense on there. If you don't like it, buy your fish from big box where they regularly have dead livestock in their tanks. read more

Very knowledgeable staff and amazing customer service. Also very clean store and well taken care of livestock. I periodically make a 5 1/2 hour trip over that direction and will be visiting every time I go. Would recommend to anybody who keeps aquariums or ponds.A++++ read more

I used to shop here regularly before going over to the salty side. Stopped but the other day to pick up some frozen food and show my kids the puffer. Not a good experience. Tanks were dirty, saw several sick fish (on par with a PETCO experience, I've not seen this shop in this shape before). Couldn't find anyone to sell me frozen food, so left empty handed. OH and the puffer? Not where he used to be, gone? I would have asked if I had anyone to ask. I'm sure the big guy has a YouTube about it, but I'm not interested or reviewing his virtual experience. In person seems to be suffering. Nice to see they're expanding the store, maybe this is all temporary. Will be getting my mysis from PETCO for a while longer. read more

Always an incredible experience coming here, the livestock and plants are so well taken care of, and the staff are incredibly kind and knowledgeable. We may have also gotten an early sneak peak into the store expansion space...SO excited for the grand opening! read more

I was able to visit the store a couple weeks ago. I came on a weekday night but was glad to see that it was still quite busy. I would hate for Aquarium Co-op to go under due to the pandemic. They do so much more than sell merchandise and I feel so fortunate to be able to support them online and in-person. My partner walked our dog in the parking lot while we waited (there's a dog poop waste in!). It was only around 15 minutes (we were third in "line"). You knock at the front door and they'll give you a buzzer when it's your turn (like a restaurant). They have a line divider at the front door to prevent guests who don't read the signage from entering (keeping patrons and staff safe). The store seems smaller in-person but there's a TON of stuff! I didn't even realize you could walk in the area in back of the registers until after I checked out (didn't wanna take up space for other customers) but even before that, I was amazed at how much livestock, supplies, and merch they have! Staff were warm and welcoming, even though it was busy. I'm not sure if they wear name tags but the person that helped me (short hair, energetic) gave me great customer service. It was my first time visiting so I felt a bit intimidated but they were helpful without making me feel overwhelmed. Definitely recommend coming in on a weekday if possible to support this great local small business (: It helps to have a list of what you're looking to get beforehand so that more people can visit the store! If you have any questions about fish care, plant care, and what livestock are in the store, the forum (linked on their website) is super useful for planning ahead! read more

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After being a member of their online community, I took the trip here to look at the actual store. I had a list of questions prepared and another list of all my tanks with what was stocked in them, along with pictures. Having read the reviews I was planning for them to be incredibly busy--so I wanted to get there early and get my questions answered and stuff bought before it was a mob scene of social anxiety. We were the first people there. All my questions got answered, and they were all very friendly...if a little condescending...which, I don't like--but get will happen when someone is in front of you with a clipboard and a barrage of info and a pouting teenager who just wants to leave and get bubble tea. I was really disappointed that there wasn't a selection of "bunch plants" like many other LFSs sell. Having kept houseplants for many years, I 100% prefer cuttings and feel very comfortable propagating--i asked them why they don't sell bunch plants--and I get that they want people to have plants with a strong root system...but this is the thing that keeps me from making THIS my default store...I really wish they did too, because a daytrip to Ebmonds is more of an investment than a quick jaunt to Federal Way, so I might be less prone to experiment with impulse purchases. I will return to Aquarium Co-op for shrimp--this I have decided. Their prices were lower than other places, and the people working could actually talk to me about proper shrimp care as opposed to literally everywhere else that has kinda shrugged and said "I dunno, try it". read more

Awesome business to support. They truly care about the aquarium hobby and help many people become successful with keeping freshwater aquariums. read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

I visited this spot as I'm building a tank for a betta. I heard about them through their YouTube while I was researching and was told by many in reviews that they had the best selection of betta fish in Seattle. But when I visited it wasn't what I expected. The store is currently split into two where one side they're preparing an exhibition that are not an available to the public. So on the side that were available to us, there were limited betta fish probably less than 10. They were not doing well. I saw one that was nearly dead flipping over and all the other ones also looked unwell and just sitting at the bottom of the tank. However, all the other freshwater tanks were great. I left after looking around and went outside where the other side was viewable from the window. There were tons of colorful betta fish that were very active in their tanks. I was very confused on what was going on. I asked the employee when the other exhibit will open and she just said no date, we don't know. I was hoping to find all the necessities here including tank, plants, fish, etc. but probably will not return due to the care of the betta I saw. read more

Awesome section of Fish here! Really friendly and helpful staff and best of all... MURPHY THE PUFFER Fish! The first time I met Murphy he kept smearing his face all over the tank and following us. We were given some frozen clams and we got to feed him! Really cool experience. We came here from Renton to pick up some sponge filters for our new 30 Gallon tank and check out the algae eaters since our tank seems to have a big algae problem and our bristlenose pleco needs some help. We ended up getting Otocinclus Catfish (3 of them for starters) at $3.99 each. In our last visit we bought a female Honey gourami to keep our male gourami company. We also bought 4 Diamond head neon tetras... unfortunately we had 2 of them died about 2 months after everyone else is doing well though! We always love coming here for there great selection of unique fish and supplies. They got a new(ish) display of beta fish located right at the front. Really pretty but a bit pricey at $18.99 each all males. The store itself it a little narrow so when it's busy it can get a little hot / claustrophobic. But overall if you know what you want, you can be in and out in a flash. Pro Tip - check in via yelp and sometimes you can get free stuff! read more

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I am not a big yelp reviewer, but wanted to give a big shout out to Brandon! Came in tonight with lots of questions and he was so patient and helpful. I trust this place very much, would absolutely recommend to everyone. Thank you! read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Murphy! - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

Knowledgeable staff, Quality fish, and great supplies! I have been coming to Aquarium Co-op for about 2 years now and I have to say that they are one of the best fish stores in Washington. They have such helpful employees who are all willing to help answer any questions you may have. Which has been a god send since I am fairly new to the hobby. They have a whole assortment of fishes with very rare ones coming in on a weekly basis. They update a forum so that you know what fish will be available the next week after they get out of a 2 week quarantine so you can take a sneak peak before you make the drive to Edmonds. Besides that the quality of the fish I get is great, never had a problem with fish or shrimp after bringing them home. Lastly the brine shrimp eggs they sell are second to none, I tried cheaper ones off amazon but they cant compete with the hatch rate of the brine shrimp sold here. read more

4th time visiting and second review. I stand by my previous review. The service here is great, not too pushy but they check in for questions etc. Had Joey and Jaden help me out this time and both are great. Nice chat with Jaden while he spotted a pair of golden rams for me and went out of his way to help. I wish it was closer but my wallet is glad it isn't. Definitely worth the trip up! Wonderful experience every time. read more

This may or may not be my second review, but it felt right to leave another. The co-op has always been one of my favorite online aquarium stores. Being a fan of the YouTube channel, I wanted to support the shop. After being a returning customer for some time now, I've always come back for the service. Anytime there has been an issue with shipping (which is rare) they are quick to respond and resolve. The quality is top notch, and it is served by great people. I'll continue to support the co-op and watch them grow. Awesome to see how Cory and the co-op continue to set the standard. Hopefully soon I'll be luckily enough to visit the store in person. Keep up the good work! read more

Everyone at Aquarium Co-op is VERY knowledgeable. There is very little turnover on employees and that is always a good sign of a well managed business. Tanks, plants, and fish are always healthy looking and the water clarity is amazing. I've always had problems with black beard algae that was consuming my tank. I tried everything that you're supposed to do water changes, live plants, lighting adjustments, Siamese algae eaters etc, etc, with little to no success, but one day I casually mentioned it to Brandon and he asked if I was using carbon in my filters which I was and recommended that I remove it. After 3 to 4 weeks I noticed a big difference and as the weeks passed by almost all the BBA is gone. I've been in the aquarium hobby for over 35 years and I am still humbly learning. read more

Ordered Plants, Rocks and Fertilizer, and everything was perfect. From the quality of the product to the shipping times. I would highly recommend them and I will be using them when ever I can read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Happy fish with happy plants - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

As a small business owner myself I am always interested in how others run their business. Aquarium Co-Op has impressed me every step of the way. I first learned of them off YouTube when, about 18 months ago, one of their videos was suggested. I watched because I love animals, but was not particularly interested in fishkeeping (again). I was hooked and began dreaming of another tank. And - BONUS! - I learned the Co-Op is about a 90 minute drive from me. Wow! Long story short I kept watching videos, ordered a 29 gallon kit. The kit sat for a year before I could use it. I visited the store about 4 months ago. Everything in the store, from staff, to animals, plants, and supplied were excellent. Great variety of everything. Now I've ordered from them twice. I'm 100% happy with not only my items and plants, but the online customer service is exemplary (not that this is a surprise!). read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

Everyone who works here is so helpful and knowledgeable! I'm so thankful to have them close to home.

We have watched Cory for a while now on YT and wanted to support his business especially during the pandemic. We have bought sponges, food, testing strips, plants and I'm sure a couple other things. They have top notch quality products and great customer service. We were a little nervous with buying plants as we live in Arizona and even with 100+ temperatures our plants arrive perfect and quick!! We will continue to support this business and I'm sure will be making another purchase soon. read more

I have purchased fish food, aquatic fertilizers, and other aquarium related supplies several times from this shop online. And they immediately ship it out the same day that I submit my online order so that it gets to me as soon as possible. They are really on top of their online customer sales. I also follow their YouTube channel for tips and advice on various aquarium related topics and their team is very knowledgeable and I've had great success in the hobby over the past few years from just watching their YouTube channel. They really have a passion for the hobby and it shows. They do not come across as just wanting to make money for their business. I will continue to support a local business like this (even though I live in Los Angeles) and continue ordering from their online store as opposed to turning to Amazon for similar and/or inferior products. read more

I came in today, and once on a Monday last week to look at fish. The first time I came in there was a woman working who was nice and helpful. I didn't buy any fish because my tank wasn't ready. Today when I came in there was a man working who was also very nice and helped my boyfriend and I pick out fish. I knew nothing about small fish and didn't even know where to start. He helped me pick out fish based on what would go with my new betta and also what would fit in my tank. He also helped us pick out food. The staff here really seem to care about fish and everything to do with them. There was a large selection of smaller fish and some medium sized ones. Overall it was a great experience! We definitely will be back! read more

Aquarium Co-Op - Murphy the freshwater puffer. What a cutie! - Aquarium Services Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

Great businessTo get all your reef and fish needs. Also great knowledge of fish and corals read more

The fish all look very healthy and happy! I was happy to see how clean the tanks are kept and how you don't keep your betas in plastic tubs instead going as far to give them each their own little betta tank. The only problem is i couldn't use any of my cash! You can only buy stuff through google pay or use of your credit/debit, things that not everyone's able to use or have access to all the time. Finances aside it was a pleasure to meet Murphy. read more

I am so grateful I discovered this place! I really wanted to start my very first aquarium and when I arrived at the co-op I was immediately greeted by a super friendly employee named Brandon. He helped me pick out all the essentials and he was so knowledgeable about all the different fish and plants! I felt like I had a million questions and he answered all of them. I feel like he really helped set me up for success! All the plants and fish I got are all thriving. I will for sure be back! read more

My first time at the shop. Got some Lampeye Killifishes, Malaysian Trumpet Snails and Fancy Guppies. Superb experience, cannot be better honestly. Everyone is extremely nice and helpful. I really appreciate all the knowledge sharing. I wish I live closer but will definitely continue to take part in the Aquarium Co-Op community. read more

Anyone who is even moderately geeked out about fish and aquariums knows Cory McElroy, owner of the Aquarium Co-Op, through his Youtube channel, livestream fish talk and podcasts. Whether America has been made great again in these last four years remains to be seen through our bloodshot, pandemic-laden eyes, but Cory and the Aquarium Co-Op have fishkeeping fun, interesting and hip again. In an attempt to save me from social media self-destruction during the lockdown my husband gifted me with two fish tanks. These grew to four, and pretty soon I was thrown into the underwater world of fish poop analysis and nitrogen cycles. Cory's Youtube videos are not only helpful in various aspects of fishkeeping, but his honesty about what equipment/accessories are needed to successfully raise, maintain or breed fish is a refreshing change from other Youtube influencers who are constantly hawking products on their channels. For example, on a recent podcast, Cory was extolling the virtues of a particular brine shrimp hatchery ($44.99 on the Aquarium Co-Op website), but then admitted that most fishkeepers who are not breeding for profit would do just fine with a $15.49 model. This philosphy extends into the products Cory carries at the Aquarium Co-Op, a relatively small store that is located in Edmonds, somewhat north of Seattle. There are probably several dozen fish tanks at the most - and most tanks sell the more popular fish species - bettas, rasboras, guppies, and so on. There are several tanks of healthy looking plants and several nano-sized display tanks, as well as invertebrates. Once in a while, the Co-Op may get in some unique species, which tend to sell out quickly. The staff in the store - and there are quite a few despite the small square footage of the place - wear funky team tshirts emblazoned with a logo of the store's mascot- Murphy - a heavyset Mbu puffer that barely acknowledges your presence unless you're covered in clams and mussels. Murphy even has his own dedicated 24/7 webcam, where you can watch him lounging in the corner, waiting for his next meal. Prices are not the least expensive, but reasonable for the quality and peace of mind that comes with buying livestock here. The store quarantines all fish that are sold. For some of the dry goods, such as the Wondershells and some medications, the Co-Op prices are comparable or less expensive than Amazon. The sales staff are relentlessly helpful and upbeat despite loads of people who probably ask the same questions day after day. The only downside is the small size of the store and the capacity restrictions of the store due to Covid laws. Every time I've visited I had to wait several minutes before I could enter. read more

Received my light yesterday & it arrived on time & in perfect condition. Your staff does a terrific job. Keep up the excellent work you guys do. About a week or so ago I purchased & received the root tabs & test strips & they arrived perfectly. read more

Knowledgeable staff. Great products. They give so much to the hobby not only in the PNW but nationally if not internationally. Go and be happy enjoy our hobby! read more

I love aquarium co-op they have the best fish for my freshwater aquariums. The employees are so helpful, kind, and polite. My money is always well spent whenever I go to aquarium co-op. The ambience of the room is so beautiful and calming seeing all the healthy plants and fish. They also have a YouTube channel called Aquarium Co-Op. I love it overall and go whenever I get the chance 110% recommendation. read more

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