It was my first visit but won't be the last. They know fish and are well stocked. The pricing was reasonable also.

This place should be renamed "World of Cichlids, Dust, Algae and 20 Year Old Carpet" because that is exactly what you will find here. BF took the fam on a mystery trip tonight and we pulled around back into the questionable parking lot. Questionable to the point that I wondered why in the world would he be taking us to a seedy adult book store almost an hour away from home? But, alas, the sign on the door said "Cichlid World". Relief! Fish porn is always a more acceptable prospect. A former addict, the BF has fallen off the fish wagon over the last couple of months after a long spell and perhaps a 10 step program along the way. The nudge may have been my fault by mentioning that it might be nice to get a 10 gallon tank for The Kid. Today there are EIGHT tanks of varying sizes going with plans for a HUGE 9th (the frame is in progress as we speak). It's something I can live with because I suppose my problems could be worse. I could be contending with endless trips to the bar and/or a bevy of loose women in Man World. Back to the joint at hand...before we walk in the BF goes, "The last time I was here was probably about 20 years ago." Now, I don't know exactly how long CW has been around, but based on immediate appearance, it doesn't look like much has changed. Even though it was quite dark when you walked in, once your eyes adjusted, it was quite obviously dirty and not kept up in many moons. The bunched, taped down carpet was probably vacuumed about 2 months ago minimum. The dust was CRAZY and supply storage and display was completely haphazard up high, down low and behind the counter. I have been to pet stores and fish specialty stops, but none were 'kept up' quite like this. About the 150 or so tanks that I counted (was bored while other customers were being attended to) those comprised about 90% that were lit up, filled and working. The algae in the tanks was prevalent and the sponge filters needed a-changing. The fish didn't look 'unhappy', and there weren't any dead ones floating around, but the people here have to realize that when complacency and happiness meet, the results are not always harmonious. Especially from a customer's point of view. I mean, c'mon, how hard is it to remove the rubber bands and pieces of broken plastic from the tank below the counter with the big fish swimming in it? The tank that EVERYONE can't miss if they tried (see my pics). LAZY! Cichlid World embodies the 'Broken Window Effect' to be sure. The long-haired guy behind the counter (owner?) seems well-versed in the world of cichlids, if not the universe, and exhibited an affable demeanor. CW's website comes off cheeky and informative. The knowledge and selection seems to be there in terms of the actual fish. However, the incongruent execution of it all is quite puzzling to me. They did make an effort to put up some Christmas garland, Elf on a Shelf guy and a full nativity scene in a tank. Why not dust the dust? I don't know, but somehow this place must be doing something right considering it is still in operation. Though one can only wonder if they could be doing a whole lot better with some cleaning tools, products and a little elbow grease. Perhaps Cichlid World has just 'got it like that', but I would bet that they could probably sell a MILLION cichlids a year if they simply upped their cleaning game a bit. (Apologies for the twisted pics. I 'righted' them on my end, still uploaded with weirdness.) read more

See all

Very neat store. I have a cichlid tank and I went here to get my first couple of fish. It's sort of hard to find if you aren't from the area. I passed it twice and had to call to find it, it shares a building with 2 other businesses. One is a car wash, I think. Anyways, once you walk in the entrance in the back you have to give your eyes about 10 minutes to adjust to the dark. They have a HUGE fish tank just inside the door. So cool. I would guess that they have over a hundred tanks. There wasn't a cichlid that I can think of that they didn't have. If you are familiar with this type of fish you know that certain species cannot live in the same tank together. I was given, upon request, a full tour of the store and along the way the guy showed me which fish would work in my tank. They were very reasonably priced if not downright cheap. My convicts only cost 50 cents a piece! I also picked up a rock for my tank. They have a nice selection of driftwood and other accessories. Definitely check this place out! It's not only a great place to get your fish stuff, it's fun to just browse all the tanks! read more

This place has some rare fish. It also has occasionally very large fish like gars and catfish breeds. It has its flaws though. I wish I could give it more stars but, I cant. My husband and I just go from pet store to pet store. Mostly fish stores. I can honestly say this place feels like a dungeon. Its a little creepy. The tanks are filthy and the set ups are in need of repair. There are tanks falling and most on the bottom are empty. I would definitely quarantine anything I would get from here. I would be fearful of bacterial and fungal diseases. The owner or worker is very knowledgeable and very nice but, I am just leary of purchasing fish. read more

It was a breath of fresh air to talk to someone that isn't guessing the answer for every question! I believe , even if half your brain is missing and the other half is damaged, that you will not walk out of this place feeling confused about your inquiries. read more

While the curmudgeon above me based her review strictly upon whether or not this place would pass a dust inspection in a military barracks, I'll give you info you care about: If it's cichlids you're looking for, don't bother going anywhere else. I've been going to this store for the past couple of years and there isn't a fish that it doesn't have or that it can't get. The owners - I believe it's a mother/son duo - are extremely knowledgeable about all cichlids, their habits, diet, compatibility, etc. There simply is not a place in the metro Detroit area that can compare; in fact, I gladly make the drive to Garden City from Royal Oak whenever I need fish. It's easier to make the trek than to go to all of my local stores trying to find the variety and quality of fish available at Cichlid World. read more

Nice fish no return or exchange policy, One of the four Angel fish did not survive 24 hours after purchase. It is wise to keep the no exchange or refund policy in mind before you spend you hard earn money. read more

Yes it's a bit hard to find, funky, dark and dusty, but this is the place I will go to get my next fish. We stopped in just to peruse for the future. I bought a nice betta. Lots of knowledge here. read more

Listen if ur into cichlids this is the man.......... he knows his stuff as well as gets a lot of wild caught untamed by the fish stock industries wicg allows u to get more of an authentic experience from them in ur aquarium although it is dark and gloomy as well as tanks aren't spotless clean leads me to believe that the owner of cichlid world believes in natural environments of the because a lot of his selection is wild caught and untamed to the condition of a Comercial suppliers cleanliness n hardier water conditions love this store will go no were else for cichlids absolutely very best spot for cichlids read more

Recently I went to Petsmart to purchase fish for my kids first fish tank, 10 gallon. I knew nothing about fish tanks so I asked questions like how many fish can I put in a 10 gallon tank. I also asked which fish can go together with Glofish. She asked me how long I had my tank and I told her 1 week. She told me I could put 12 to 16 fish in the tank and told me that all the fish they sell can go together because the are "community fish". We asked her about the ph level and what is should be. She sold me a product to lower the ph level. The ph level kept yoyoing so I had to put in 5 times the recommended dose to keep it at 6.5 where she told me it had to be. After losing 12 of the 13 fish we purchased we decided to go to Cichlid World to ask questions and to purchase something to bring the nitrite level back to zero. (we purchased a bottle of test strips and knew nothing of why the levels were what they are. The Manager there explained about the ph level and to just leave it alone. He also said the tank was crowded and about cycling the tank and the proper way to start a new aquarium and what kind and how many fish to put in to cycle the tank. He gave us a bucket of "dirty tank water with lots of good bacteria to help cycle the tank faster and charged us nothing for the water or the bucket. Then my fish got Ich so again I called the Manager and asked what to do. He gave me the good advice I needed and my husband picked up the medication and he threw in a little aquarium salt for free to help since our heater is set at one temp and cant be changed. This place is awsome, knowledgeable and friendly. I will buy all my fish from here from now on. We are now thinking of starting a 80 gallon tank and will definitely go there for all my aquarium needs. The store is dark inside but it allows you to see the fish in the tanks more clearly. I saw nothing but healthy fish (not one dead or sick fish) and they have probably 300 tanks in there! The outside looks kinda seedy and they share an inlet to their parking lot with a car wash so hard to find and it looks closed but so worth it when you get there. Regardless of how the building or the carpeting inside ect it doesn't matter because you're there for fish, aquarium products or advice and that is top quality here! This review is from Kendall Brown from Garden City, MI read more