I purchased premixed saltwater for my reef tank from Artistic Aquariums in Chandler yesterday at approximately 3:45 p.m. This morning, while preparing to perform maintenance before leaving town tomorrow, I tested the premixed water with my calibrated digital refractometer. The salinity measured only 1.021, which is below safe level for a reef tank. Because I needed to use the water before my trip, I called the store around noon to ask what salinity they mix their water to and whether I could receive a refund or replacement if I was accidentally sold the wrong solution. I went to the store so I could demonstrate that I had not used the water and to work toward a reasonable solution before discarding it. The employee working that day was new, working alone, and genuinely did everything she could to help me. She was kind, patient, and professional throughout the entire interaction. Unfortunately, she had very limited authority and had to repeatedly contact the owner for direction. My disappointment is not with her, it is with the ownership and leadership. While there, we tested the water together. Their refractometer read approximately 1.024, while my calibrated tester consistently read 1.021-1.022. I recalibrated my tester in front of her and received the same results. I wasn't demanding confrontational or disrespectful. I tried to compromise. I requested either a refund or, at the very least, a store credit since the product was less than 24 hours old and unusable for my aquarium. The owner declined both requests. Instead, I was offered only two options as a "one-time courtesy": * Dump the water and refill the container with more of the same water that day. * Return within one week for a replacement. Neither option was workable because I was leaving town the following day. I even asked if the one-week timeframe could be extended since I would be away, but the answer was no. I also asked to speak directly with the owner. I was told he was too busy and would call me later. What makes this even more frustrating is that the store has a posted 14-day return policy, to which should apply to this product per the small print, and this purchase wasn't even 24 hours old. The one-week limitation I was given did not appear to align with the store's posted policy or with what I believe is reasonable customer service. To verify my equipment wasn't the issue, I stopped by Kona Reef and tested their premixed saltwater with my calibrated tester. Their water measured 1.025, confirming that my tester was reading accurately. This isn't really about an $8 purchase. It's about accountability, consistency, and standing behind the products you sell. I made every reasonable effort to find a fair compromise, but I left without a workable solution. If you value customer service and ownership that stands behind their products, I would encourage you to consider this experience before choosing to do business here. read more

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I had a very disappointing experience with this business. The customer service was not what I expected, and communication throughout the process felt unprofessional. In my experience, the owner did not handle concerns in a respectful or constructive way. I also had issues with the stated 14-day return policy -- it was not honored in my case, which added to the frustration and made the situation feel unfair. Overall, the experience was stressful rather than positive. Based on what I went through, I would not recommend this business and would advise others to be very clear about expectations before committing to anything. read more

Based on prior reviews, we weren't sure what to expect, but this shop was exceptional in every regard. First of all, it was open (hours are til 7 pm), open to the public (prior "appointment only" claims were for when they did individual aquarium services only), and had a great selection of freshwater fish and plants. Ashley went above and beyond - she was super patient with us beginners in the field (and our two very excited and vocal children), gave us great advice (advising us to buy a couple of things down the road vs now), offered to order our preferred fish types, and even told us about another store that had some specific hard scape we'd been looking for. Well done, Artistic Aquariums and Ashley. We'll be coming back. read more

Artistic Aquariums - Two kids lookin' at fish - Aquarium Services Near Me - Chandler, Arizona

Super cool little fish store. Had everything I was looking for and received quality customer service. Make sure you have the right address, my maps originally took me to an old location! read more

Pulled up to their storefront and the cashier was locking the door (1pm). I asked him if they were closed for the day and he rudely responded "We're not open to the public, go to OnlyFins down the street". Seemed weird that they have a store front with a sign and a van in the lot with writing on it that says "Visit our store" and an address and then tell potential customers they werent open to the public. Plenty of other fish stores around to not deal with these people. read more

I'm being generous with two stars. As of Friday Arizona has the worst infection rate in the country. With this in mind you would think this business would have a policy requiring masks be worn at their business by both employees and customers. Nope. No employees were wearing any masks at all. I almost made a purchase, but in good conscience I can not, and will not, support a business who has complete disregard for the health of their employees and customers. This was today, Saturday 23. I visited two other aquarium shops in Mesa and Scottsdale. Both required masks be worn. Shame! read more

The Fish Experts! If you need help with anything regarding "the fish world" this is your place! They always have the most unique fish and amazing variety, quality products, passion for the underwater world and they are very helpful in answering questions, making recommendations, solving issues and genuinely care about the health and life of fish. If you have this hobby than this place is a must on your list of places to check out! read more

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Drove over 30 minutes to stop by based on the good reviews I saw. Pulled up and saw "By appointment only" on the window. So be wary if you just wanted to stop by to check out their shop read more

Whenever I come into the store for things and ask questions the staff is always very responsive an helpful. I called about advice on a product I purchased from this store an I could tell the employee went and located the exact product to help me out. As not all hobbyists use the same products. He still knew what he was talking about an his information made me a lot more comfortable with what I was doing. Highly recommend picking up a TDS meter from here they have a really nice one for $30 I love it. read more

Artistic Aquariums - TDS meter - Aquarium Services Near Me - Chandler, Arizona

We had went to various fist stores last weekend and were not actually purchasing anything at the time. We are getting a fish tank for our son soon and wanted to check out local stores to see where we should give our business. This was conveniently located close to home. The staff was very nice and friendly. Their fish looked to be in good health and the tanks clean as well. I recommend this shop and look forward to coming back soon to make our purchase. read more

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I havent even shopped here yet, i was just looking for a place in the area. I saw they got a bad review about a mask policy (masks barely even did anything to help anyway, its ridiculous). The review wasnt even about the products or overall service, so i figured to make my own review, even though i havent shopped here yet. 5 stars for no reason other than to give positivity to a local business that didnt deserve the negative review in the first place. If you are worried, wear a mask yourself or shop online. Plenty of other options instead of trying to make a business look bad because you dont agree with something. Do better. read more

This place is amazing. Grandpa got my two daughters betta fish I decided to get some plants for the tank and looked at yelp for heights reviews and this place was it. I took my two daughters and they love this place. There is a lot of amazing and beautiful salt water fish and the best selection of fresh water plants and fish. I asked for some help and a staff woman by the name of Danita as sand she was amazing. She was vary knowledgeable, kind, and just answered my questions without trying to sell me on stuff. I got what I needed and I left. Latter that week I went to another aquarium/Fish store close to my home and I realized that this place has an amazing selection, great prices and now why it has such great reviews. Definitely worth the time it takes to drive out to this place. read more

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These people are FANTASTIC. Whether you buy something from them or not, whether you call them asking about how to help your dying fish, they will always help you. I cannot praise these people enough. I've bought fish from them and they undoubtedly have the beat, most healthy fish you could ever get, at least in Chandler/Tempe/Mesa area. I recently went to them with my sick glofish and was told he had to be put down, they were very helpful and sensitive and put my fish away for me so I didn't have to deal with the pain of losing him. They're just simply amazing people! read more

I strongly urge everyone to not shop here. I went into the store to try and purchase a sponge filter and the staff member told me I need to buy a Canister Filter for my 55 gallon Tank. The staff member said it was 10 minutes to setup and maybe 30 minutes if you are brand new. She also told me there were three months of extra filters in the box. They charged almost $200 for it and said it was on sale for 15 percent off. With the discount it was $183.22. When I got home I watched several YouTube videos to see how to install it and everyone said it was at least an hour to install and that the price is $120 to $150. https://youtu.be/_6g1k7_J7x8 I emailed the President Erik Matthaeus and asked about his refund policy and he was quick to say that there are no refunds. I asked him to reconsider as I was mislead by his staff about the setup time and the extra filters and he said that no refunds and only store credit. I returned the item to the store with the receipt with the box intact. No refund was given. I will not be back and I hope you read this and do not go there. I can show you any emails from Erik showing all of this to be true if you want. read more

I was really excited when I found this place, they have a great selection and prices, but it's hard to get waited on sometimes. The last time I was there, I waited over 10 min. while the managers ? chatted with their friends/ customers. I get it that sometimes thing get busy, but I wasn't the only one to notice that people were not being waited on. I wanted to spend some $$ on corals, equipment, etc. but I ended up spend $200+ somewhere else that day. Probably won't ever go back as it's a waste of my time. read more

One of the best experiences I have ever had with a 180 gallon aquarium install, from Erik and his professional staff at Artistic Aquariums. Knowledgeable, attention to detail, excellent pricing, well trained and highly professional staff. The live stock in the store is of the utmost top quality you can tell the fish and corals are well taken care of. I plan to be life long customer and look forward to my next visit, I highly recommend Artistic Aquariums for all your Aquarium needs. read more

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Such a great experience! Seriously I didn't catch. The ladies name but came in this past Tuesday late afternoon and she was so amazing and helpful. We shared fish stories, pointed me in the right direction on different fish and helped my kids get 9 new friends for there tank. Seriously I have been in the hobby for 4 years and it was an absolute delight to come in and have someone so kind to the kids and really knew what there were talking about instead of trying to push things that wouldn't work for our size tank. You made a customer for life. read more

True customer service is non existent here! Not one person greeted me today in this store. The girl in the freshwater are, nor the guy in the saltwater area, and definitely not the guy behind the check out counter could care less that I was there. No hello or nothing. Spent a good 15-20 minutes looking around and nobody had the time. read more

Best LFS in town. A little pricier than the competition and has a somewhat limited stock, but quality over quantity here. Tanks are in great condition and I've gotten a few nice frags. Get on the email list for discounts (they discount before new shipments). Decent amount of equipment/supplies considering how small the location is. Sounds like they're moving to a much bigger location later in 2017. read more

I recently started up a new salt water tank. The tank was finally ready for inhabitants and I decided to take a tour of local fish stores to find my first fish. After being disappointed at two other stores (dead fish are never a good thing to see). I made my last stop at Artistic. I had been having a pretty rough day and was out of hope that I'd find fish for my tank. I was immediately blown away by how clean the store is and how healthy all the fish and corals appear to be. The staff was top notch, everyone I spoke to were super knowledgeable and beyond helpful. I ended up leaving with two Clarkii Clowns after the staff helped guide me to making that choice. I am beyond excited to see them thrive in their new home. Best fish store in town hands down. read more

As a first time vist this is also my first review for an aquarium store, excellent customer service absolutely A hiden gem in chandler great salection that not many stores carry. Fair pricing not one sick fish no ugly tanks not one, immaculate water conditions. For any enthusiasts this is the spot for you! Some of you might need to bring a truck, To pick up everything for your new reef tank! read more

This place is awesome!!!!! Cleanest aquarium store I've ever been in. The people that work here are very knowledgeable on all the freshwater and salt water fish. Top quality tanks and equipment. Fantastic prices. Everyone that work here are very friendly and have great customer service. They have everything you could possibly need. read more

Okay let me tell you super friendly! The owner talked to my husband and I and was very knowledgable and honest! The other 2 guys in there also showing us the fish and explains about them. We loved it! We went to another aquarium store and quoted a set up for almost doubled the price then what we were told here. Highly recommend stopping by. Also this weekend 25% off fish. On already super cheap prices. :) read more

This aquarium store is so nice, and I have visited all them from buckeye to Mesa. This store has a lot of really unique fish that are displayed beautifully and appear very healthy. The store is spotless and even smells nice LOL. You can tell the owners/employees put a lot of thought and work to make shopping in the store a great experience. I will be driving all the way from the far west side of Phoenix to this aquarium shop! read more

I am a huge fan and a dedicated customer. I was turned off by one situation and wondered down the street. Eric contacted me and apologized and made it right. Paul and I don't just talk fish but a good conversation about college football is always needed. I go here for 99.9% of my aquarium needs. I always get honest feedback and no pressure service. Let's be real we are all on a budget! Great shop all especially Paul, Eric and Chris thank you for being so family friendly. read more

Artistic Aquariums - Aquarium Services Near Me - Chandler, Arizona

So I went to get my water levels tested for my new aquarium and to purchase fish after researching fish stores in my area , this one stood out because of the good reviews . But when I got there I was completely ignored . They did everything in their power to ignore and help other customers . Just the vibes from this place I hate to say this but let's just face it discrimination exists and yes I'm ethnic . I'm a manager at a restaurant so I know how to divide my attention to other guests to ensure they feel welcomed and noticed and my store store stays packed . The store wasn't even busy and the guy in the freshwater department just kept ignoring me . I timed it about 45 mins . I will never go back and I will find somewhere better to serve my aquatic needs . Just very disappointing and sad in 2020 racism exists . If you're Caucasian and you buy here I'm sure you'll have the most pleasant of times . read more

I could not be happier with my experience. I searched long and hard for the aquarium of my dreams, the aquarium I have been envisioning for at least a decade. I found the Red Sea Reefer 650 Peninsula, it is exactly that! Artistic has been there with me for every step of the process. Advice, customization and assurance is at the top of the list when dealing with this local outfit. Today they came to install, and due to a very unfortunate small accident, the stand was damaged. Paul took it upon himself to go above and beyond to get the situation rectified. Not only are they going to completely fix the stand, they are also upgrading my gear at no cost, well beyond . I will be a customer for life. read more

This place is nice and expanding. Maddie is the associate I spoke with. I could of listened to her for hours, she is a wealth of information. I have had aquariums for years mostly hardy fish african cichlids and community fish. I want to add Discus to my 55 gal community tank, she told me how to prepare my tank before I put them in. She knew everything will definitely be back! Thanks Maddie read more

My mom was excited to purchase an aquarium for my father. She talked to a salesman about buying a tank in cash and the man said the boss usually gives a 10% discount for paying in cash. My mom later went to the bank and took out over 2k in cash and returned. The salesman forgot to clear it with the boss before my mom got back with the cash. We found out that the boss refused the 10% discount but would offer 15% off on a water pump for a 500 gal tank when the initial tank was 180 gal. It was very tacky to try to upsell on a pump that wasn't even needed for the tank. We used to love this shop and will spend our thousands of dollars elsewhere. read more

Very cool store in the desert! I was on vacation and just popped in, but from what i could see their selection was impressive. They had some really nice floor model tanks to choose from, and they had some beautiful corals. Seems a little on the pricey side, but i am from out if state, so it may just be a little more expensive in the desert, i don't know! Definitely worth stopping in, and would be a great local reef shop if i lived near. read more

Great service!! Large selection and very helpful staff! The store is very clean and the fish and coral are healthy and well cared for! I Highly recommend Artistic Aquariums!! Candice helped me find an additive for my tank and took the time to really look and make sure I left with what I needed. After some back and forth the owner ended up calling the store, speaking to Candice and telling her exactly where to find the item I needed. Where else can you find that level of customer service!! read more

Oh my God YES! This place has the MOST BEAUTIFUL FISH IVE EVER SEEN! The employees are personable and incredibly knowledgeable. Excellent fish and conditions and is in a very nice area. NICK is the coolest, I love him and he helped me so much . He is a one of a kind employee and person. Would highly recommend read more

The staff here are extremely helpful! Went in this morning to purchase some new items for my fish aquarium and the 2 staff members were very attentive and insightful. Gave us some great info to help cycle our tank before we introduced more fish. Will definitely be back in a few weeks when the time comes! Thank you again! read more

My fiancé and I called the store just to ask questions about our tank (because we were severely mislead by another store) and they were very helpful! Eric and his staff go above and beyond to help with anything they can! The store itself is very clean and well kept everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful we were amazed. After our first visit in the store, our tank cleared up beautifully and we received a text asking how it was doing! Talk about customer service!!!! So impressed and we will recommend Artistic Aquariums to everyone!!! Thank you guys for making this an enjoyable hobby!!! read more

All the tanks were clean, fish looked happy and healthy and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Also, their prices are very reasonably priced and competitive. Right now they mostly have salt water, but they are adding more fresh water soon and I'm pretty excited! read more

i am getting my son into the wonder hobby of fish! hes 3 so ITS TIME! We had just left one other aquarium that was, WOOF, and im so glad i stopped in here. First, the staff are young and super personable! quirky and friendly. one staff was particularly sweet, Courtney. She let my 3 year old bother her. he gets so excited "LOOK LOOK" and she played along, i really appreciated that. The fish looked so great and healthy They only had 2 bettas BUT they were in small tanks, not cups, and well cared for! one was in a planted tank, i am sure it was a red hellboy, it was a beautiful set up and great display. please sell me the whole display. the other was a remarkable black betta! i GREATLY appreciated their respect of all living fishes and they are really raising the bar for betta care in retail environment. When we are ready to buy, ill be back to courtney, she and i planned out a great 10 gallon community tank! im stoked. The also have meds on hand which, we all know, can be hard to find good products and great prices! read more

I recently purchased an aquarium and it was missing parts I went to another local aquarium store and I did not receive much help....I then found artistic aquariums great service and they were very helpful in assisting me with my several questions their store is clean and organized and had everything i needed to get my tank up and running i will be going here from now on for my aquatic needs Thank you read more

My favorite marine supply shop in town. By far best customer service around. Always friendly and good useful information when needed. Why go anywhere else. read more

Very nice place to shop for my aquarium needs. Staff is so nice and knowledgeable. The prices in the store are amazing. I hate waiting for something I ordered in the mail so I go to the store and they have it at the same price or better with no shipping cost or the waiting. If they don't have what you need most likely they will order it you. One day I will own my own shop and follow their example. read more

Went their and saw the fish I wanted and all 3 employees where standing there talking for 3min before someone came to help me (without a mask) and was grabbing my fish and dropped one and was about to give me the one that fell but had to ask him to switch it. Then I looked up to see him trying to catch the same fish... then we made eye contact and he switched.... after he bagged my fish I told him I was gonna look around a bit more, and when I went to checkout he saw me standing and kept talking to a customer for 5 minutes and didn't stop to ask me if I needed to checkout or to move my stuff to the front anything at all, just kept looking at me so I walked to the front and the same 2employees kept walking back and forth looking at me and finally someone came after another 3-5min of waiting (of course he didn't have a mask as well) was very stern and stiff until he found out it was my first time.. awkward.... I also went to petsmart and a few other family owned businesses and found the same fish at 1/3 of the price everything is overpriced and the employees avoid working. Never coming here again was a waste of my time and money. read more