CT's has the best staff!! I'm a newbie to building a reef tank. They're very knowledgeable and helpful. I appreciate the crew!

Today I visited Carson Tropical Fish and noticed they were having a great sale -- 25% off all fish. I found two beautiful angelfish that were clearly marked on the glass at $15.99 each. However, when I was ready to purchase them, the employee informed me the price was "incorrect" and attempted to charge me a higher price without honoring the advertised 25% discount. I waited for a manager or owner to return my call, but unfortunately I never received one. Needless to say, I left without the two angelfish I was excited to bring home. I really liked this place and wanted to continue supporting them, but this experience was disappointing and left a bad impression. read more

Coral prices are really good here!! I usually get corals from hobbyists via fb reef groups or fb marketplace but the prices here are pretty much the same. Usually fish stores sell for 3x more, but I was surprised they didn't tax everything so much. (Rightfully so bc they obv need to charge more for overhead of a storefront) but yeah it's worth the drive. They had a lot of torches, hammers, and mushrooms. I drove 1 hr to come here and so worth it! They have fresh water and salt. The staff was also very chill and not intimidating. Overall this may be my new fave LFS! Even though I live in south county, this was worth it. read more

Carson Tropical - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Hawaiian Gardens, California

I came to this place for the first time last week trying to learn how to setup my first reef saltwater tank and with a budget. The staff is amazing truly, they always have answers to the questions I have and recommend what's best, I don't know what I would do without their help. The owner allen is such a great guy, always looking out for their customers and always being so postivie as well as the whole staff. I would recommend this spot to anyone who is looking forward to start they're fish tank. this place is perfect to start they have such a variety of choices and such of amazing corals, fishes, tanks and many other stuff and i'm always coming back here for newer stuff. read more

Carson Tropical - Saltwater fish tank I bought from them - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Hawaiian Gardens, California

Me and my friend came here to make a bait tank and these guys helped us like we were family definitely going to come back and recommend all friends and family read more

I've been going to Carson Tropical Fish since they opened and have always tried to support them over bigger, more established fish stores because they're local. Unfortunately, after my recent experience, they've lost me as a customer. I first had an issue with coral glue. I asked Dan if they had a bigger size and he gave me a silicone product. I specifically asked him if it was the same thing and he assured me it was. It didn't work, so I had to make another trip back to exchange it. The next day, I purchased a $100 banded bamboo shark for my husband. Dan told me the shark had eaten that same day and pressured me to purchase the large $18 squid food packet, assuring me everything was fine. When I got home, we noticed red spots on the shark. I checked the picture I took at the store and the spots were already there. The shark wouldn't eat the next day and unfortunately died. When I returned to the store, Dan initially told me Allen would work something out with me. When I came back to speak with Allen, I felt completely dismissed. I was told the shark had been there for a month without issues and the problem was basically implied to be my water. My saltwater tank has been established for over 4 years and has healthy fish, so I know my tank and water are not the issue. I understand they have a saltwater warranty, but that's not what bothered me most. What bothers me is being pressured into purchasing additional food after being assured the shark was healthy and had eaten, only to have my concerns dismissed when the fish died shortly after.After supporting this business, being offered "a few bucks off a fish or coral" was extremely disappointing and felt like they didn't value me as a customer. I wanted to continue supporting a local business, but the way this situation was handled was unacceptable. They've lost my business. read more

Carson tropical is under new management. The new store owner updated the store from old to new. All I can say is "Wow" what a big difference! They now have large selection of saltwater fish and fresh water fish as well. Also they have new a point system for every dollar you spend you get 1 point! 100point is 5 dollar store credit!!! They also have a mascot named Blue. Blue is a talking macaw parrot and is so cool. Carson tropical is a LFS that you'd want to go and take your family to. I highly recommend Carson tropical to anyone looking to start or just enjoy the hobby. This store is easily my favorite LFS!!! read more

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Great Service , Great Prices ! Alan Is always a ton of help and explains everything to you. He's also always booking customers up with prices & quality fish ! Definitely recommend !! read more

Staff was very helpful. If you are looking for salt water fish etc they have a large variety of fish and accessories. They also had fresh water fish, some gorgeous male guppies called my name. I took home a few. read more

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Best fish store in town! Great selection on fish and corals. Awesome tanks and reasonable prices. Under new management with friendly staff. Say hi to the Parrot on the way in! read more

Beautiful place! With beautiful fishes, the attention of all the workers are well knowledgeable! I honestly love going in there, not only to see the beautiful fishes but to say hello to Mr. Blue he's so cool and so smart! read more

GREAT SHOP!!! Allen, the owner, is knowledgeable, kind and helpful. I have purchased several fish, several corals, and a dozen or so inverts. EVERY SINGLE ONE IS ALIVE AND HEALTHY. The pricing is fair and the guys in the shop are always willing to help. If a fish comes in and it isn't eating, they will tell you. Just ask. If a fish looks a bit "off", they wont sell it until its healthy and eating. They earned my business and I love supporting the local fish stores. I just wish there were more like Allen and Carson Tropical around. read more

Knowledgeable and very helpful. Always able to help identify compatibility between species to avoid losses in the reef tank.

Staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. Honest place with a huge selection of salt water and fresh water fish/plants. The area is a little dark if you go at night but plenty of parking. Recommend. read more

This is such a great store!! The staff is so knowledgeable and friendly, and they have everything you need and more. If you need fish or fish supplies, definitely check out Carson Tropical. read more

Discovered this place during the grand reopening to a new business owner back in June. The new owner is very kind and knowledgeable. It's nice seeing how they're gradually renovating the looks inside of the store. Go here almost every weekend and can say that they are one of the best fish and coral store in the area. read more

If you're on a low budget, maybe this store isn't for you. It's a little overpriced, but definitely worth it! The store owners are always so nice, and seem very knowledgeable. You can trade in fish that you have if you have too many for credit towards your purchase. We trade in fish a lot, so don't be surprised to see a lot of platies there. My family is a regular here, so I totally recommend this store! read more

They barely have fish. He asked me what I needed, I asked him, he didn't answer, told him what I needed two more times and with a blank stare still nothing. Finally I asked one last time and he said they didn't have it. Store is dirty and I will not be coming back. read more

Old store. But very unique you could find anything from New to used in this store. Love their price on fish and coral. Also you can trade in your out grown coral. Tom and Shin are very very helpful. I know there are many fancy store out there but if you wanna pay for fancy price go ahead. I know nothing about salt water and reef. They helped me a lot. And now look at my reef tank. Picture tell all. read more

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Best place in cerritos for tropical mom and pop excellent service great prices I'm There for guppies read more

Love these guys. My favorite store for water and they have cheapest of prices. GET YOUR WATER FROM THEM. If you live a bit far it's worth it. read more

After spending my hard earned money in this store they couldn't even let my daughter use the restroom. After we asked if my daughter could use the restroom the worker/owner said what else do you guys need Rushing us out of the store. Service sucks there Do not recommend this place at all!!! read more

We've been going to visit Tom at Carson Tropical Fish for over 15 years and consistently he is the best aquarium store around. Let me tell you why... My husband has owned aquariums from 5 to 240 gallons during this period. His aquariums are mostly saltwater and therefore throughout the years we've gone through a variety of setups. ABOUT THE SHOP: It's not that he has the most exotic specimens of fishes or corals. It's not that he has a wide selection of tanks on hand. It's not because he has top of the line equipment for sale. It's not that his shelves are the most organized.... but it's the personal service that he offers that puts him over the top. He has some of the best prices around and knows his stuff and is willing to special order anything you are looking for. We've been to most of the aquarium shops over a 50 mile radius and no matter how much we end up driving to find new stuff we always end up buying our necessary essentials here. read more

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Lawrence and shim (which is what I understood his name to be) were very helpful. I came in on a Sunday 20 mins before closing and asked many questions on stock I was looking to buy and not once did they make me feel rushed or pushed to either buy or leave. They were very informational and helpful. Bought a lawnmower blenny , pulsating xenia frag and 2 blue damsels Lighting in the rear tanks is non existant like others say but how much light does do eels and a lionfish really need lol. Will visit again! read more

Been shopping at Carson for over 20 years. That in itself should indicate my continued experience here. Tom and Shin are both very nice and helpful people. Livestock selection is decent, I think we can all say the more the better right? You can always be sure that whatever you buy here will be fairly priced and safe to say cheaper then any local competitor. You'll never over pay. read more

Pretty unorganized and dirty even for a fish store.... fish dont look so hot either and the young dude that works there kinda rude... older guy super nice and helpful read more

Recently bought a 65 gallon Aqua Japan Rimless Tank with sump and white stand. Tom and Shin plumbed the tank for me. I have stocked the reef with fish and corals from the store. Everything is healthy. Some of the equipment I bought used. Tom has the best prices on equipment, fish and corals. Staff are so knowledgeable and they have given me great advice. read more

Carson Tropical - My new reef tank from Carson Tropical Fish. Tom and Shin plumbed the tank for me. They have the best prices on equipment and livestock. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Hawaiian Gardens, California

Look, place is a gem. Really better looking stores with better interior, yes. But this small business has so many corals and fish if you come at the right time. Really rare corals come in here and you get steals. Also, all the workers know what their talking about. If you want the atmosphere you'll pay for the that. This place you get what you need for a price close to wholesale. Love this place forever getting my saltwater needs read more

WoW! This place in like an old book store, it doesn't have fancy displays or shelves but the owner is very friendly and offers an excellent selection of hard to find corals, anemones and products for a fraction of the price I've seen at other stores. If a few bad reviews are keeping you from visiting this place than it is your lost. I was able to get a Rainbow BTA for $70!! compared to over $100. 5 stars for quality and selections. read more

tom is a quiet fish owner. not much in stock now since covid but always lowest price in town. excellent price on used tank. tom need to clean up some tank and add lights to them. some i cant barely see the fishes. very helpful staff. old traditional store but good corals read more

Four years ago there was an amazing Fish Store that closed down in Cerritos. Thee best customer service you could imagine. I would call the owner at 3 in the morning and he would have no problem helping me out with my troubles. For four years I have been searching all so-cal with not only great live stock, but great customer service. Went to Strickly Fish - they don't care about you just to sell something. They will say everything is okay to put in your tank, not caring if it will kill your other stuff. Hong Kong Fish - Just over priced no customer support and they don't have anything! The list really could keep going. This place was amazing! Not only did they have a great stock of things. Their FRAG Prices were amazing (most places don't even care about frags) Another thing is they have lots of product, even the hard to find stuff to add in your tank. Pumps of all sizes and just anything you can think of, just amazing store. Shean (sorry if I spelled your name wrong) was crazy helpful. These were my first frags, and he helped me take care of everything and took the time to explain why other frags would be bad for my set up. I will be at this store at least once a week now to pick something up. PLUS THEY CARY JBJ! read more

I will address several issues I have with this store and why I will never be stepping foot in it again. A little about me, I have been in the reefing hobby for over 7 years, my tank has some of the hardest to keep Zoas SPS and fish all of which are doing perfectly fine, with amazing growth and health. This store had no lights on, really but I can get past that. I understand its expensive. So I went in under 24 hours ago and bought 200$ worth of fish snails and a few powerheads. And one of these fish included a Niger Trigger. Not a hard fish to keep and something that would add a little flash to my prized collection. In under 24 hours the fish dies. No big deal its the hobby I understand this. so I called the store and after explaining that I am no amateur to this hobby and It was a bad fish and measly wanted a replacement or credit, For god sake it was only a 25$ fish come on really?? And was told how nothing could survive in my tank. Nothing could survive in my tank really? Let me clue you in on my tank. I have over 30 polyps of black hornets, red hornets, purple hornets, Red Devil People Eaters, Hawaiian PE Prime Clementines Metallic Pink Sweet Orange Crazy Eye Hawaiian Leather Coral Hawaiian Purple Hearted Zoas Hawaiian People Eaters and the list goes on and on. The point is I do not have a run of the mill cheap tank nor do I not know how to take care of a fish, and for you to tell me I dont know how to run a tank or that my tank cant handle any fish is absolutely absurd! You were extremely rude disrespectful and unprofessional. For anyone wanting to buy from here be aware that there is no warranty on any of their fish! read more

Came here expecting a lot based on some of the reviews and the outside of the building is huge. Walk in and was highly let down. Store has a lot of empty wasted space and it is extremely dark and murky. Saltwater fish seemed moderately ok, freshwater fish area was just sad. No lighting, small tanks and generally doesn't look cared for. This place could be a gem with all of the space, they just need to undergo a serious overhaul to get it there. Not sure if the couple of people working were the owners, but they didn't seem to care to find out why we were there. Won't be coming back. read more

I love coming to this store. At one point, I maintained a coral reef tank for five years, then I had to move and start over. I bought my coral and fish from tons of different stores but most came from Carson fish because the prices were cheap and they carry rare pieces. They also gave me the best advice on how to maintain the tank. I followed instructions and my tank thrived! I noticed an idiot posting a bad review ( Jeremiah z). The guy claims to never leave bad reviews but I noticed he had a total of 4 reviews and two of them were 1 star. Go figure. I just bought a new nano tank online but I will be buying the livestock from Carson fish. I hope this review helps others. read more

First time I visited, I wasn't too impressed. I have been probably spoiled by having such big fish stores near me that this felt like a step back. BUT, their service is remarkable. Shin is a really friendly guy and will help you if you're looking for anything in particular. The place is small and dark but I get it, they're not in the best location and they have to make do with what they've got. Fish are extremely healthy and every fish and coral I've gotten from them are thriving in my tank. It's even better that they're within walking distance from me too. I'll be a regular from here on and you should check out this place. They have some REALLY good prices. Got a leopard Wrasse for $15 and a Long Nose Hawk for only $24. They have Fire shrimps for only $20 too. You really can't beat their prices and their service. Very knowledgeable people and will tell you if you get two fish that won't get along or aren't recommended for your tank so you have success. They won't just sell you something just to set you up for failure. Thanks! -Jordan read more

Let me start off by saying the only reason for not having 5 stars is their freshwater selection is non existent. Aside from this the service is excellent. The owner and workers know my face/name and are always ready to help me out. They always ask me how my tanks are doing and are eager to see new pics. I mainly come here for R/O and random supplies that I may need for the week and the occasional tank purchase. The prices are good, The service is good, had it not been for a slight lack of selection this would be a full 5 star store. read more

Great customer service with the best prices for salt water fish all around! He has a wide range of used tanks as well.

The go to spot for me. The staff here are always helpful. Prices are good and corals galore

My dad personally knows the owner of this store, Tom. He's a really nice person! First off, the store itself is rather unorganized and dirty. BUT it takes excellent care of the animals. That's definitely better than a clean store with sick animals. If you can't find something, just ask someone working there. They sell tropical/freshwater fish, corals, plants, the usual stuff... Sometimes they have several red ear turtles for sale. They also sell 'used' aquariums, and I THINK that you can even trade in an old tank for something else. I rememeber my dad doing that. Tom is really knowledgable, and willing to help the fishes that weren't purchased from his store. They also have a big bird cage. Cockatiels, doves, finches, parakeets are available. It's a nice store and when I visit, I see lots of other fish hobbyists just chatting there. read more

Went here for the first time and ended up picking up a nano HQI aquarium. His price beat other local fish shops by a couple hundred bucks. I really couldn't believe his price. Tom is a very nice guy, too. I'm definitely coming back. I agree, the shop is a little run down, but the Fish are VERY well cared for. read more