So, I've been going to Aquatica for about three years now as a fresh water enthusitist. I've always wanted to set up a salt water tank but,had always heard it was really hard to maintain one. When asking Mario he told me me it wasn't that hard. So I decided to go for it. Mario not only advised me, he designed the tank & stand and put the entire filtration unit underneath the stand for me. It's quite impressive but, wait it gets better! He himself and his guy Brandon came out after closing his store and set up my tank for me, bringing the live rock, corals & fish. Mario and Brandon were here until almost midnight. They went above and beyond. You don't find many store owners that will do what he did! I want to say to Mario, Thank you! It's very rare to find a business owner these days who takes the time to make each customer feel, like you truly care and appreciate their business! You have an old world ethic that you can't find in most businesses in this day and age! Aquatica, Mario and his staff are amazing! Sherri S. read more

These guys know their fish and are extremely helpful if you don't know what you're doing (like me.) They're casual, try hard to fit the tank and it's inhabitants to what you want. Service is outstanding-- they come to you to set up tanks, clean and maintain if that is what you want. They are happy to educate you on operating equipment and dealing with fishy problems. (Anyone want a bully pearl gourami?) Definitely a good spot to go "fishing". read more

Friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous staff. Corey and Theo worked well with us to clean out, re-grade, and add filtering pump to our water garden cleanup and redo project. read more

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Walked in there for the first time to look at some fresh water plants and possibly some other aquarium livestock. Walked in and none of the workers there even acknowledged you. They're all walking around having conversations with each other. Tried asking them a question only for them to ignore you. Selections weren't that great. Fresh water tanks with plants infested with algae and none of them looked healthy. Can't say much about the salt water stock since I left after being disgusted by the fresh water supply. read more

Customer service was great. Going to get an axolotl and the staff were great! They helped with everything! Good place to go for tropical fish. Definitely coming here again! read more

Exotic saltwater fishes for sale here! Generally sells salt water fishes and corals. Real sharks are available for sale if you have the space and $ for it. read more

Aquatica - Pet Stores Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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Great Experience! Mario helped me start my first tank. Stopped me from over buying and over spending many times. This places is worth the drive and extra money. read more

Best aquatic store around! Always answering all my crazy questions I find everything that I need here. Great customer service! Got my fish here 5 years ago and they're all still going strong read more

aweful customer service. Went in around noon to purchase some fish, asked the employee helping at the time if there was an issue with them fighting or anything what the policy was and she reassured us that they can be returned, came back around 3pm to initiate a return due to the fish being to big for the aquarium and were greeted with the worst customer service. The lady at the register stated she couldn't do a return and she would grab someone, she proceeded to take 3 customers before disappearing and never returning. A man finally came up and gave us attitude the whole time making comments like "we'll you were misinformed" & "well you got your money back so here you go" "i guess i could print a receipt". Will not be back. I recommend you take your money elsewhere. read more

For someone purchasing fish for the very first time Aquatica is a one stop shop. Ron was very helpful educating me on the behaviors of the fresh water tropical fish! 100% going to be a returning customer!! read more

I moved to Orland Park about 6 years ago. I came from the city where I was a regular at Old Town Aquarium. It's a great store with nice people. I was worried I wouldn't find the same here in the suburbs. A friend on my FB Red Sea page suggested Aquatica. I stopped in and was blown away with the level of merchandise and staff experience. Tanks are super clean, healthy with proper quarantine procedures in place. I have bought many coral frags and livestock that have been thriving in my tank. Mario is as friendly as a shop manager can get and knowledgeable about all things salt or fresh water. Keep up the great work guys!!! read more

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This company installed an aquarium in my home recently. They arrived on time, explained how to operate all the equipment and the finished product was better than advertised. To show you how dedicated the owner is to customer satisfaction one of the pumps was making a high pitched sound, and he drove out to my house later that night just to replace it. You don't find service like that just anywhere! Even if you don't need an install, the fish selection is great and most importantly healthy and well cared for. read more

Aquatica - Aquarium home install - Pet Stores Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

I dont know a whole lot about aquatic life. I just like to look at the tanks and go to aquariums but this was a cool store. They had every salt water fish i could think of and even large sharks when you first walk in. I saw starfish, live sea plants, live rocks, sting rays, what looked like coral to me, shrimp and the list goes on and on. They had a large selection of tanks and supplies as well. The employees seemed knowledgeable as I asked some questions about salt water tanks and salamanders. This is a really cool store and I think I may stop in again with the kids. read more

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Don't go anywhere else but here for any fishing needs! At other stores our fishes die, or we received diseased RO water; you name it, it's happened to me & my husband. We recently bought a 125 gallon tank from here along with multiple fish. The whole experience was so easy due to Mario and his hard working staff. Our tank is the BEST we ever had. Very knowledgeable and Mario realizes that if there's an expensive purchase going on the spouse should be there to agree. I appreciate this place so much. Especially after dealing with other crappy fish stores. This is the only place I'll ever go for anything to do with fish. I'll be a lifetime shopper here. Very happy read more

Aquatica - My tank - Pet Stores Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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I wish I could give this place a 10 start review. I was completely amazed at how wonderful, all around, that the store was. There was no smell, no humidity, no water aside from inside the tanks, and no dust. Every tank was spotless. The staff was super pleasant and the owner truly had a passion for his business, understanding of his customers and overall excellence. I cannot put into words how amazed at how perfect this place was. Even their bathroom was spotless. We drove nearly an hour from Northbrook to this store and any further needs for our aquatic family, I will gladly hop in the car and take the trip again. read more

One thing I promise you is excellent customer service. The boss (has to be the owner) has a passion for what he knows best. The store has a bit of everything. I don't mind paying a buck or two more to support a local joint instead of waiting for a van to pull up in front of the house with a delivery. read more

I Love the customer service Mario always takes his time to explain in details all you questions, and the selection of saltwater fish and supplies is unbelievable!! You can find almost anything even sharks ..5 stars read more

Mario,Mark and rest of staff are fantastic!! Well , they know all about saltwater and freshwater. Very helpful and always find time to listen and answer your questions. Believe me i had a lot when i got into saltwater thing. Prices are matched to internet so it's pretty convenient to shop. read more

This is my go-to fish store. They have an amazing selection of salt water fish and corals. Unfortunately, I am a freshwater/brackish only person right now. Their freshwater selection consists of only one and a half sides of an aisle towards the back of the store, and it's mostly cichlids and koi. However, if you can't find what you want, the staff is willing to their best to special order it for you. They are great for advice if you're having problems with your tank as well. My only complaint is the conditions in which their bettas are kept. They're kept in those tiny little cups and more than once I've seen them with very little water in their cups. read more

It's interesting to read some of these reviews because I'm not sure they are even talking about the same store or staff. A month ago I walked into the store with questions about starting my first reef tank. Mario was extremely helpful and willing to answer all my questions. I thought I knew the tank I wanted but Mario quickly steered me towards the tank he felt would better suit my needs and experience level. For the last few weeks every time my wife and I have gone in there we are treated with the most respect. Let me say one thing here, going into the Store on Saturday or Sunday could be a rough experience. Lots of customers stop in there in the weekends to pick up water for their water changes so yes it's busy. If you're looking for some one on one help or advice go during the week. Now I've read reviews about being over priced. Maybe hard to say as there are no many saltwater aquarium stores around. But I'm willing to pay the extra as the staff definitely knows what they're talking about. This is a great store, helpful staff and good quality live stock. read more

Rating based on customer service. Selling interesting and rare fish does not make you cool. Having knowledge of fish means you have a particular area of intelligence but does not make you intelligent. Being a pompous arrogant tank cleaner means you are just a jerk. Get over yourself boys. Your best advertising is free advertising via recommendations by satisfied customers. Every customer you lose is multiplied by how many people that person tells NOT to use your business. read more

We went here yesterday and were so pleased with what we saw. Mind you, we no longer own fish and visited just for fun. It was wonderful to see such a well kept place with great looking fish. We know seahorses are difficult to keep alive in captivity and they looked beautiful. They have smaller sharks in a tank, very fun to watch. They had two large 5-6' sharks in the giant tank. Beautiful live rock and saltwater displays. I loved the eels in PVC pipe and the puffer fish. Sweet! If I was in the market, I'd definitely buy from here. What a place to visit! read more

My daughter got a small fish tank for Christmas and we decided to go here, rather than a pet store chain to get her fish. We couldn't be happier with the store, service, and selection. The staff helped guide us to the right fish and ensured that we had any supplies we needed. Walking around they also had tons of really cool fish to look at. Great experience for buying our first fish! read more

Let me start by saying Mario and his expert staff will make you feel right at home even if your not a regular, him and his staff have great knowledge of all things aquatic and all aspects of the fish trade. Upon walking into the store your met with an overwhelming sight, a huge pool full of sharks! It really shows how expansive this little shops catalog is. If you are looking for odd fish, coral or even a new filter cartridge Aquatica has it and then some and if they don't have it they will definitely go out of their way to find it for you. read more

I cracked my tank on Tuesday night & needed a new one on Wednesday. I called the store to see what was available & came in to look. There was a great selection of tanks. Ended up getting a 65 rimless reef ready tank with a stand and sump. I had them do the plumbing for me as well. When the tank was delivered the guys got it upstairs & hooked up quickly. Mario sent one of them back later that evening to make sure everything was done correctly & it was. I also received follow up messages to make sure the tank was fine. I was very impressed with the customer service at Aquatica & would highly recommend purchasing a set up from there. read more

Mario and the staff are awesome! I have obtain numerous corals from Aquatica and all have thrived in my tank. I recently asked Mario to design and put together an artificial reef display using the Living Color corals he has in stock for a 150 gallon fish only tank. Mario's design exceeded my expectations and came in under budget. This is my favorite saltwater aquarium store and I highly recommend them for all your needs. read more

Aquatica - Pet Stores Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

aquatica is the premier fish store in the midwest. the staff is always friendly and super knowledgeable on all equipment and livestock they carry. always fresh livestock on tuesdays and coral shipments weekly. the store and tanks are always super clean. they do free water testing and sell premix and RO for cheap. if you're looking for a particular item and they don't stock it...........they will get it for you. their prices are very comparable to online stores. i've shopped all of the saltwater stores in the midwest and they don't have anything on aquatica, plus they have a MAD shark pond (lemon/nurse/blacktips). i love coming to this store!!! aquatica is a quick 20 minute drive from NWI and has lots of parking. read more

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I dont have a fish tank. never did. But i feel like I should pay a little fee to get in and see all of the cool things. Seriously, I go there, and take my grand kids there, from time to time for entertainment. One time, the guy let me feed a shark with a little shrimp on a long plastic stick. It was one of my coolest nature experiences. Mostly, I try to stay out of the way and not take up staff time asking questions. But one of these days I will have a great tank in my office and these guys will be the ones to sell it to me. read more

Great Place for Fish Owners! The staff is always helpful and knowledgeable. They also have a great selection of different salt water fish and corals. It can be a little pricey but every aquarium store is. If you are in the area I would highly suggest you stop by even if you do not own fish. read more

This place has the most knowledgeable staff and the most courteous... They are very customer friendly and have always helped me out when i am there... They have the best selection of Saltwater fish in there area and there prices are deff. better then the others. read more

Staff could not have been more rude. Completely agree with Eric H. I am by no means an expert on taking care of fish, and the staff at Aquatica did not let me forget it! If you're new to taking care of marine animals, avoid this shop. They'll make you feel like an imbecile. read more

This is the best store for your fresh or saltwater needs! The owner, Mario is very friendly and is the only one I trust in the area for anything I need to take care of my saltwater fish. The entire staff is very friendly and knowledgeable to the point where they can answer every question you bring to them. They have a huge, great selection of fish and corals as well as sharks and inverts. I had a problem with my lights on my biocube and was in a hurry to get them fixed once. Mario began to work on it immediately and really saved the day for me by getting them fixed. I can honestly say after giving Aquatica my exclusive business for years and seeing other shops that no one compares to the selection, service and quality! I could not recommend it more! read more

Great store for a couple of reasons. Great selection, great prices, and fantastic staff. You walk out the store knowing your patronage is appreciated and that is something that you can't put a price on. Will return for all future aquarium needs. read more

Aquatica is an excellent place to buy saltwater fish and coral. This joint has very knowledgeable staff and everyone is super kind. Their freshwater selection is little bare. I don't think this place carries aquatic plants. read more

This place is better than going to the Shedd Aquarium. Well, not really, but... I am new to the saltwater fish scene so I really had no clue where to start. My first visit to the store I was introduced to Mario. Mario took his time and told me what challenges I was up against versus the benefits of getting my first set up. I bought a 92 gallon tank. Not only did Mario and his team help me through it, he also came to my home to set it up for me! Who does that these days? Since then, every time I go back there I get professional help from all their employees. They test my water for free and give EXPERT advice. They don't just sell their products and send you on your way. You get a step by step explanation of how to use what you bought so that you can enjoy your new pets once you get them home. There are a very few places I have EVER been to who provide such comprehensive customer service. A big thumbs up to Mario and his team for providing the south suburbs with a true gem. read more

My go to place for all things fish and coral related. The staff is knowledgeable and courteous. Their prices are extremely competitive and if there is something you don't see they will get it for you. Take advantage of the free water sample tests and enjoy the wide array of fish/corals/inverts/etc. Mario exemplifies how a local business owner should operate. He knows everyone by name, and there's no project too big or small. read more

Been going to this shop for last 4 months and had nothing but great service and good advice. I'm new to the hobby and had issues created by my lack of knowledge and the crew here helped me out and seemed to care about there products, advice, and live stock. I'll keep on good here until they kick me out. read more

Every time we are in town we stop in this local fish store. We call it the shark tank. It's like walking through a fish zoo. There are so many different types of salt and fresh water fish. We were fascinated while watching 2 sea horses breeding. The supplies at this store are endless. The staff guinely care for all of the creatures- I witnessed feedings and cleaning in just the 15 minutes I was in the store. I will buy my supplies and fish from here when I am ready to start a new tank. My 4 year old wants a jelly fish. I explained that we will have to start simple and work our way up to the more complicated creatures. He is so interested. read more

I'm not one to write reviews. The owner of this establishment is and was VERY helpful and knowledgeable, he also took time to explain everything to me I feel very confident that if I ever have any questions Mario will be there for me to answer them. It has been about 5 years since I owned a saltwater tank. I bought the 28g Nano-Cube led model the one right when you walk into the door to the left on the counter. The owner Mario was even kind enough to set up all the live rock for me in the store, if you have been here you know it gets very busy really quick. I am very thankful for the experience that I have had here. This will be the only fish store I will goto it is out of my way but it is well worth it. Thank you Mario and to the employees of Aquatica for the kind fulness and patients of explaining everything to me. read more

I came in looking for a high end aquarium and these guys have everything to choose from! They took care to assess what I was looking for and made sure that they were able to meet my delivery requirements. They did an excellent job of guiding my decisions knowing what I was trying to accomplish in the end. Excellent selection of dry goods and live stock and virtually everything is in stock for high-end aquarium and reef needs. Something for every price point too. Great advice and service! Beginner to advanced. read more