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    Big Al's

    2.5 (35 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Services - Big Al's

    Aquarium services

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    48 by 28 inch glass lid, $75, great price!
    Antonia Marie C.

    I am, literally, NEVER BUYING FISH FROM BIG AL'S AGAIN. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY. 9 times out of 10, they die. Generally, a day after the so-called warranty is gone. It's happened to me at least 3 times. And let me tell you why. Big Al's tanks SHARE THE SAME WATER. ALL of the tanks have water that circulated through ALL of the tanks. So if there's one sick tank, it VERY easily spreads to other tanks. Today, I lost 1 of the new fish bought Monday night. UNFORTUNATELY, I ALSO lost FOUR OF THE fish that have been in the tank for 4 to 6 MONTHS. Including a betta. $40 plus dollars... Gone NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN. I'll buy aquarium starter kits from them, filters, heaters from Amazon, and fish? FINATICS. Which is where I've been buying my fish since most of the big Al's fish die.

    My tank.
    Adam B.

    Never had a sick fish. Good fish room staff! Ryan has always been a great guy to deal with! The mask BS kills me! Pray every day you reopen like normal.

    Store Front
    John C.

    Want a fish and think your going there and they will have all your answers wrong . NO ONE CARES AND DON'T NO NOTHING. Best thing to do is Google all your questions. All young teens working there with to much on on there mind and no time for you . Cool place to go visit they have a big tank with a shark and a eel . 15 years ago it was a much better store more fish with a bit more better serive.

    Piranhas
    Bryan G.

    TLDR: excellent store if you know what you're going for. Can't comment on experience if you are new to fishkeeping. Disclaimer: I think the most important factor in your experience is what your expertise level is. If you are a newbie and haven't done much reading / research into how to set up a tank (things like cycling, what types of filters, lighting if you want plants, etc.), you might have a tough time. I saw a lot of customer service people at least talking to customers, but I wasn't really paying attention to how helpful or accurate the advice was. I have 6 years of experience with reptiles, 11 years of experience in aquatics, and nearly 18 with invertebrates, so I didn't ask for any help and didn't look like I needed any help. The fairly lengthy review below focuses mostly on the aquatics, because that's what I was there for. I would note that of the reptiles and their supplies that I did glance at, things checked out A-ok. Prices may a little steep, but I don't have a good feel for the reptile market in Ontario as someone coming from the US. Selection: This is the main thing that gets them the 5-stars. I've been a lot of places, including major conventions, in California, which other than Nevada (i.e. Las Vegas) and Miami, is probably one of the major capitals of exotic pets in the US. I've seen lots of weird things, endangered things, possibly not-100% legal things. I saw a lot of rare oddballs I'd seen other places before, but in greater quantities at this place (e.g., piranhas, freshwater molluscs), and it goes without saying that there was a ton of starter stock, often with three or four tanks for each (e.g., tetras, mollies, guppies, etc.). I also saw a number of catfish, inverts, and oddballs (e.g., Florida gar) that I knew of but have never seen for sale before. I would say that your odds are quite good of finding something rare if that's what you're in the market for. Quality: Mind you, I'm writing this review hours after having procured my selection, so if they kick the bucket in 2 days, this review will be updated. But in general, didn't see any floaters or half-chewed on carcasses in the tanks; this may just be attentive employees, but all in all, the fish looked remarkably healthy in all of the tanks that I looked at - no diseases, injuries, etc. Price: I think the prices are reasonable for the selection. You can probably find really common stuff cheaper at other places, but you may obviously be sacrificing some quality if those are bloat-and-float fish mills. I think supplies are a little expensive; I'm always surprised how much plastic plants are, but their rock prices aren't bad. If you were a big penny pincher, you should go to Wal-Mart, and I would bet that a lot of the name-brand stuff that they carry is cheaper on Amazon, but that's a personal decision. I conveniently happened to stop by when they had a sale (didn't know about it) with slash sales on a random assortment comprising most things in aquatics (got a 3-gal API 360-degree kit tank for less than $30 when the regular price is $65, so not too bad), and all the fish and inverts were 25% off. The normal price for my Mexican Dwarf Crayfish (usually called CPO's on the web) was $12.99, and the two Nerite snails were $2.99 each; this is pretty normal as far as I'm aware. I was looking at dwarf shrimp too, and those prices were good ($3-5 per one). By the way, they have this funky way of getting your fish, which is to take a clipboard from the left side when you enter the aquatics section with a table to fill out on it. You basically write down the tank #, what it's called, and the price and quantity. Then you stand in line until someone is ready to help you. I noticed a few comments in other reviews about getting crappy animals when they bag the fish; it's the (future) owner's responsibility to see the purchase through from start to end - it's not intrusive to go with them when they bag the animal and to be very explicit about which individual(s) you want.

    These were a few of the fishes I bought.
    Blair S.

    I went there today to pick up a few fish for my backyard pond & found the selection at Big Al's to be quiet varied. The staff was polite and helpful, but I though that Jacob was particularly helpful. He was very kind and patience when I ask him to avoid putting black fish into my bag, as they would not show up clearly in the water. He also was so polite and offered to carry my bags to the counter for me, and showed me which food to purchase. Lastly, he was thoughtful enough to give me the tip to not just dump my fish into the pond but to put the bags in the pond first to let the temperatures match and then release them. Overall wonderful store, wonderful service, just don't wear any fancy shoes as the floor is wet, which, in a fish store, is to be expected.

    Please don't buy turtles from Big Als. The poor babies are diseased and ill and won't last long. It's heartbreaking and a waste.

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    1 month ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great store and products. Customer service needs improvement but doubt that will happen.

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    12 years ago

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    5 years ago

    different kinds of aquatic fishes both freshwater and saltwater, many equipments as well

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    10 years ago

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    Big Al's Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Big Al's

    I love visiting Big Al's when we're in Canada - the fish selection is really unmatched.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Aquarium Depot

    Aquarium Depot

    (6 reviews)

    Etobicoke

    I rarely leave reviews, but this experience was bad enough that I feel obligated to warn others…read more I received a tank that was flawed and not in a small way. I reached out to the Seller right away and was ignored (for over 10 days). After starting a PayPal claim due to the lack of response from her, they told me they'd send me a return shipping label. That never happened, despite multiple messages and follow-ups. And now there is just silence. To ​top it off, PayPal denied my claim because I haven't returned the item​ but​ I can't return it without the label the Seller promised to send​. The quote for me to ship was anywhere from $200-$1000. It feels like a deliberate runaround designed to make me give up. What really bothers me is how little accountability the Seller has taken. No ownership, no apology, no resolution​, just avoidance. And now I'm out both the money and a functioning product. After this whole mess, I went back and read the other one​ star reviews. I wish I had done that sooner. There's a clear pattern here​, other buyers have had nearly identical experiences. This isn't a one​ off​, it's a repeat problem.​ Save yourself the time, money​ and frustration. I wouldn't buy from this Seller again under ​ANY circumstances.

    The service I have received, having been a customer for years, has been nothing short of excellent…read moreand the prices are very fair. I highly recommend Aquatic Depot and have nothing but good things to say about their operation.

    EverClear Aquatics - Nemo - Ocellaris Clownfish

    EverClear Aquatics

    (2 reviews)

    For four years (Aug 2014 to Sep 2018), I cared for a family member's turtle, a red-eared slider. I…read morenever had a reptile before and learning how to care for the turtle took time and research. I realized that I needed help from an aquatics expert, so in September 2015, I searched online and found EverClear Aquatics. For two years, EverClear Aquatics came to my home and cleaned the turtle's aquarium and water filter on a regular schedule. It was the best decision I made and the turtle loved it! They were so helpful, allowing me to enjoy the turtle and not have to worry about cleaning his home. I went through two different canister filters that did not work properly, but EverClear Aquatics came to my rescue when the filter was not working properly. They later recommended a good canister filter to purchase, which I did. It was the best choice I made in a water filter, making my life a lot easier. When I told EverClear Aquatics that I wanted to get a specific piece of equipment, they also recommended one for me and ordered and installed it. EverClear Aquatics is great in so many ways. They are professional, hardworking, reliable, trustworthy, patient, and very good with both people and aquarium life. They are also good in communicating with clients. For example, when scheduling appointments, they often provided me with various possible dates. They also confirmed appointments and always let me know in advance if they had any schedule changes. Eventually, after a couple of years, I asked EverClear Aquatics to teach me how to clean the aquarium and water filter and do water changes myself. They educated me on what to do and spent time answering my questions. They also provided me with various supplies for the water filter, so I didn't have to order them myself. When it came time for me to return the turtle to my family member, EverClear Aquatics did something amazing. They came to my home, dismantled the turtle's aquarium and water filter, took the equipment in their car to the new home, and installed them. I was expecting to receive an invoice, but they did all of this for me free of charge. They also sent me a photo of the turtle in his new home because they knew how much I loved him and wanted him to be happy. It was an incredible gift I did not expect at all. I would highly recommend EverClear Aquatics. They are simply the best.

    We found EverClear Aquatics when our fishtank (at work) was in bad shape from a previous caretaker…read more They came in and completely fixed all the problems we were having and explained why the tank was in the terrible state it was. Since EverClear Aquatics has been maintaining our tank, it's crystal clear water with maintenance only once a month. They even put our small tank on their route even though they normally deal with larger tanks. Can't thank Chris and his team enough. The most professional and absolutely know their fish and tanks!

    Pet Valu - Best Pet Valu

    Pet Valu

    (10 reviews)

    East Credit

    I've been coming to Pet Valu for a while now since it's so close to home. I love the atmosphere and…read morelook of the store. It has a more "home" feel than if you would go to Petsmart which feels like a huge corporate just trying to get your money. The staff have always been super helpful and friendly. You can tell they really love their jobs and working with pets! I booked my first grooming appointment with my dog (Chow Chow) yesterday and it couldn't have gone better. I was scared that my dog would give them a hard time because PetSmart will no longer groom him because of his "behaviour". So right before my appointment at PetValu, I gave the groomer a heads up that my dog might growl/bark because that's what I was told from PetSmart. I bought a bag of treats for her to give him throughout the grooming appointment to calm him down just in case. When I came to pick him up 3 hours later, she had nothing but good things to say! He didn't bark or growl at all, and didn't need to be muzzled. She only gave him treats at the end because he was well behaved throughout the whole appointment. I guess all his previous bad behaviour just came because he didn't have a gentle groomer? Either way, I have found my new groomer at PetValu!! (The price is much more affordable too!). Definitely recommend coming to this store. They also host a lot of events throughout the year, and have kittens/cats up for adoption.

    Great pet store they have everything you need for your pet…read more Great staff super friendly . They are very knowledgeable. Store is super clean . We have a dog and he loves going there.

    Big Al's - petstore - Updated May 2026

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