Clearwater Aquarium has lots of rare and hard-to-find freshwater community fish you will never find on any other stores. Very insightful staff who are very helpful to teach you about how to be successful in making your tank healthy. read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Entrance - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

I was hit with a very fishy odor once I walked in, which is usually not the best sign. While browsing through the tanks, I saw SEVERAL dead fish in SEVERAL tanks. Some of them looked like they were struggling to swim and there was even a skeleton which indicates to me that the fish had been dead for a while. I've honestly never seen so many dead fish in tank in my life, even Petco and PetSmart seems better compared to this. Prices were also high, especially for shrimp. They were charging $15/caridina shrimp. Some of the tanks seemed to have mislabeled fish or seemed incredibly overstocked. I understand that they may view the tanks as temporary holding tanks but it was still quite a lot of fish in some small tanks. I would recommend checking out other fish stores in the area before heading over here. read more

Hot damn this place has had a facelift and the sheer amount of beautiful tanks, specimen, Wood, rock and plants is pretty amazing for such a small store When I used to live in a Santa Cruz mountains, I shopped here and they helped me not only with my Koi pond, regular tank and planted tank, but they were also willing to give any advice I needed over the phone. I happen to be in the area and I try to stop whenever I am, I live over an hour and a half away now, but it's that kind of store that you can't miss it if you have the opportunity. The tanks are all clean and well-maintained and the specimens all look very healthy. I was told today they're getting even more tanks in the back left corner. I can't wait. What an amazing gem in the Bay Area. read more

See all

Good local shop. Knowledgeable owner. Gets a little cramped when there's more than a few customers. Small space, but some good specimens in the coral tanks and decent pricing. Definitely worth a stop. read more

I found out bout this store when started the hobby from a PetSmart employee. The PetSmart employee straight up told me not to buy their fish and to go to Clear Water. I thought it was weird for a big box store employee to steer me away from buying fish at their store but they probably knew something I didn't. With that said, I've been coming to this store at least twice a month now for a while now. Small mom and pop shop but they have pretty much everything you need. Freshwater, saltwater, corals, plants, and rocks and wood for decor. Good prices. I've been to every fish store in the area and this is by far my favorite. The employees are very knowledgeable and will help you with what ever you need. The owner Ed has been in the game for a long time. He has the answers to all the questions I have. He helped me do the switch to saltwater. He taught me bout corals and different saltwater fishes. Eric helped me with the beautiful scape for my large cichlids tank. I damn near cried when I had to take that tank down. Alan is very helpful. The guy is always running around, cleaning tanks and setting things up but he always check to see if you need help. They are a small shop and they do get busy with helping people. Just be patient, walk around and look at some fishes and they will get to you. I've been to stores in the area with plenty of employees walking around, and talking amongst themselves and ignoring you. Not these guys. Come check out their shop. Support your local fish store. read more

Been frequenting this store with my partner for just over a month now. Eric was very helpful every time we were in. He made sure to let us know he would be with us as soon as he was done with the current customer. His knowledge and friendless was what kept us coming back. Each visit Eric was happy to help us test our water to try to figure out why our fish kept dying. During this month's span we've had 10 fish die, even though both water and care parameters were confirmed to be correct by Eric. We're aware that in this hobby fish can die unexpectedly. Even so, this streak of issues has made us question the quality of the livestock. These issues alone would not normally warrant a 3 star rating, since the quality of service from Eric was excellent. Eric offered to replace our first two fish that died, after confirming that our water parameters were within specifications. The fish were ordered, and took about 2 weeks to arrive, which wasn't a problem at all. During those 2 weeks we purchased more fish, some lived, we kept bringing in water and everything checked out. When my partner went to pick up the 2 fish we ordered Eric was busy as usual, some other employees were also present. We waited a while and shopped, we ended up purchasing quite a lot more than we set out to get. During check out when Eric was totaling up our order one of the other Employees present seemed to have overheard the two "Free" fish in the count as he said something along the lines of "You know fish die, don't always expect a refund..." as if we didn't just drop an additional $300. By the way the two fish we had replaced totaled $14. Needless to say we'll be trying another location for now to see if we have any better luck. TLDR; * Eric is awesome, understands customer service, and works very hard. * Livestock is questionable. * That one guy was rude. read more

Wow these guys made my day! Came in talking about how I'm a new fish tank owner and they gave me such helpful advice and even a discount on an item! I picked up some amazing plants too! Thanks again guys! read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Plants in a fish tank - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

Friendly staff, great selection of fish, reasonable prices. Tough to find a good aquarium store these days so I'm happy I stumbled upon this shop. read more

My son and I absolutely love this place. We've known this store for a long time and dropped in occasionally but when my son finally was approved (by me) to buy his own salt water aquarium, which was his dream for 10+ years, we drove around all the salt water shops in the bay to see who has what. Ultimately, even before the store's amazing customer service, my son enjoyed clearwater the best. You might stop by when they are fully stocked or less but that's normal and every time I visit, I always learn something new. You can always ask what's coming in soon and this will get us excited too. Today, I got to hear about Eric's amazing water set up at home lol AND Jerome who I learned is a marine biologist!! Also my son's dream so we learned a lot from him too! I love this place because they REALLY love the fish they are surrounded by and will help you as much as they possibly can. They are a small business so don't expect a squeaky clean corporate style feel. I prefer this down to earth style a lot more :) All my live stock from them is alive and looove the doggos peanut and ceviche. Store mascot for sure! read more

I couldn't believe a fish store was still in business at this location. My husband and I used to go see the old owner a lot, before everything happened. We had no idea that Ed stepped up and said it still had to be a fish store. I'm so glad he did. He's super knowledgeable, kind and he carries a lot of FW fish that I've only seen online. The last two times I have visited, I have gone home with at least one of his recommendations. Although it is now a bit of a drive for us, as we moved out of the area, it is well worth it. I'm hoping to work with him to get my 150g FW tank stocked when it's finally ready. Highly recommend this place. read more

Don't go here just because you see 4+ stars. Read all the reviews first (we didn't). Do not buy fish from here period. They don't take care of their fish, and everyone I know, including myself, who has bought fish from here had them die within a month -- and this includes folk who have had dozens of fish for decades successfully. Their fish are not healthy. Even the water plant died. And the shop is dirty with boxes piled high and dogs running around with no restraint. To top it off, the customer service, especially from the owner, is beyond aggressive, rude and lacks any sense of accountability or respect. I have never had such a shockingly unprofessional interaction with a business owner. Take your money elsewhere. PetCo is better. PS I have no doubt that there aren't as many negative reviews here because the owner likely wrote an aggressive public reply and the reviewer then deleted the post. read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Dirty fish tanks and store - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

Old school fish store in an old school shopping center. The greater assortment seems to be with the plant life. Equipment for sale as well of course. So few stores like this still around let's keep it selling to stay afloat! read more

While they might come off a bit short, they get to the point and offer quality service all the time. Ed is always happy to conversate and give advice regarding many fish-related things. We had a rainbow fish with gravel stuck in its mouth and he gave amazing advice. Other advice he gave would be regarding tank stocking options. Prices are fair and have both used and new equipment for sale. Would recommend and come back to this LFS. read more

Best aquarium store, besides excellent collection of fish . Customer service is second to none. I strongly recommend this establishment. Elinor read more

The "volunteers" at this store blocked the already tiny pathways inside the store. I found it dangerous as well seeing as it is so cramped and there is plenty to trip on the floor. The employees got distracted easily and this led to me waiting several minutes to simply buy a couple of guppies. I do not recommend this experience to anyone unless you are very patient and forgiving. If you treat your business like a man cave for the bros, don't expect the crowds to show up in droves. It's very off putting walking into a business and finding the employees smoking, drinking, being rude to customers, etc. There are several reviews detailing all of these claims, unfortunately. read more

This is one of the best places to purchase duckweed and water lettuce. Great service, fantastic pricing. I will definitely be returning to buy more aquatic plants for my turtle. read more

We love this place! Emailed to request information for a custom project for a business, and got a quick response. We have no prior fish experience and Ed was easy to communicate with, helped us plan and build our project, and did it all within a very reasonable budget. Can't say enough good things! read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Custom aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

Store is small but don't doesn't mean you should judge the book by its cover right? ED Can I say YOUR team =SUPERB, FRIENDLY, ATTENTIVE, & AWESOME :) I strictly came in to replace my son's blue Betta (lived a long full life RIP). WOW within less than a minute of browsing around, Eric came up and asked if I needed assistance haha from there what became "let's just get one blue betta fish" turned out to be a NEW fluval tank fully aquascaped by Eric, helpful tips with what tank mates are compatible with Bettas, super charismatic and knowledgeable. I left Clear Water Aquarium with a better understanding and more knowledge of how to take care Bettas, (came to a realization I made a beginner mistake hahah, you live and learn right). Really appreciate your time especially staying an hour after closing to make sure I got everything for my son's new tank! Fast forward a week later I wanted to build my own tank for myself, to be honest I browsed around other TWO nearby aquarium stores in DTSJ and Willow Glen area, did not have a pleasant experience as much as I did with Clear Water Aquarium. I was so upset I came back rushing to Clear Water Aquarium to further support their business. Another nice gentleman Michael, helped me and reassured me specific tanks can be ordered. Can't wait to come back and build my bookshelf tank with the help from Clear Water. You guys rock! read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Aquascaped by Eric (minor adjustments made at home) - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

I can't thank Eric enough...my previous fountain pump stopped working and I always felt the old pump wasn't powerful enough. I brought in my old tubing and broken pump and he recommended a higher power pump and retrofitted my tube and pipe to fit the new pump. He showed me how to install and maintain the new pump too. My fountain works perfectly now with even more umph than before, yay! I'm extremely satisfied. Eric or Ed helped me replace my previous pump in 2018 so I really like their service. The fish in the store are pretty cool too, especially the very friendly lion-head type fish (don't know the breed). read more

My Go-to mom-and-pop store for all my fish needs. A small shop that carries a variety of everything. Ed and his team are knowledgeable and will go above and beyond to help and... prices are very reasonable. read more

Good guys, reasonable prices love it , this people knows what they do Very friendly staff, a looooot of nice fishes read more

Ed and his team are spectacular. Bao does my service for my new tank and he's thoughtful and helpful. Eric is knowledgeable and so talented at tank scapes and choosing fish read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Tank - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

Me and my wife for the pass months found clear water aquarium and ed is the best with his team! Best customer service and best price on fishies! Love his dog peanut read more

I came in to buy a battery operated aerator and left with something much better: good advice. You know a place is trustworthy when they tell you not to buy anything. Not the thing you came in to buy and not a substitute. Instead, Ed (the owner) and Joel (one of the staff) gave me several ideas how to solve the problem myself. BTW don't be confused by the sign outside. It still says Tropical Fish International but this is Clear Water Aquarium. The store is small but they have a ton of interesting fish and equipment. Definitely consider supporting this small business. read more

See all

Hands down an amazing place to go for all your aquarium needs. The staff is beyond knowledgeable and extremely friendly. My sons birthday tank crashed and I was in desperate need of help and they went above and beyond to get us sorted out. I will definitely be a repeat customer. I left with more knowledge than I ever expected. This is the definition of a local shop. read more

I stopped in just to see what kind of tanks they had to offer for a specific project I'm working on for my classroom. I ended up spending almost an hour in there without even realizing it. Everyone I met had extensive knowledge on all different set ups and were also very friendly and just plain fun to chat with. Eric gave me advice and chatted with me about my amateur goldfish pond just as enthusiastically as he did about the fancy and unique fish they also stock, and he helped me settle on a good natural solution to my string algae problem. Ed and Bao gave me some great ideas about my aquatic turtle tank project---sorry, Viquarium, as I learned it should be called--- and offered to help with it once I figure out my specifics, and I do plan on taking them up on that offer! Like another reviewer stated, this is a bunch of jovial dudes who are passionate about fish, hanging out and looking for ways to connect with and help customers in their store. The store may seem small but it is actually a pretty extensive operation, they also do installation and maintenance services for many clients. I am in no way an aquarium expert but I do try to improve my fish-keeping habits whenever I have the time and resources. If you are someone who cares about doing right by your fish and learning how to care for them properly, you definitely want to check this spot out! read more

Ed is so informative, so helpful, and so caring! I came in with worries and concerns about a fungal infection on my wonderful betta fish. He answered every one of my million questions with honesty, clarity, and care in mind. I am happy that I was able to find this aquarium store after going to Petco and Petsmart and not finding what I needed. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery of my betta!!! And thanks again for your help. Will return for all my future fish needs! read more

Three months later and I still love this store especially Michael Z. He has been so patient with all of my questions, so knowledgeable and helpful. If they don't have what you are looking for, most of the time they can order it for you. Great store! read more

The filter for the tank in my kid's classroom stopped working, and the teacher asked me if I could purchase a new one. I called Petco, Petsmart, and other pet stores in the area and they didn't have the same model, and didn't know how to help me. I found Clear Water Aquarium on Apple Maps and called, and Ed was super kind and helpful. He helped me pick a better filter for the classroom that was better for the fish and required less maintenance, and guided me on how to install it and keep everything working. I am very grateful for Ed's help and would highly recommend this place. They are very knowledgeable and kind. read more

Been here a couple times now. Ed had been very helpful. Taking his time to educate myself. His shop will be my go to shop. always has something new and interesting and I've been in the freshwater aquarium hobby for about 15 years. Prices are better than the competition in the area. Do yourself a favor and stop in. read more

Honestly one of the best aquarium shops in the area! They don't force things on you to buy or information! Very helpful and you'll have great conversations with the owner. If you want a place that doesn't feel overwhelming and has the products you need. Head here. You won't regret it. read more

Support small, local businesses. I can't say enough good things about this place. The staff is super knowledgeable, very helpful, and so nice. Other than avoid weekends if your needs take time, come here often and buy often. read more

Absolutely AH-MAZING!! All around. Every person working there goes above and beyond any expectations. Just getting started in the fish tank hobby we went to a good handful of aquarium stores. (Fresh and Salt water) Coming from Santa Cruz, they made it more than worth it. Answered all our silly questions (without making us feel silly for asking) and made great recommendations. When I think customer service, this is the standard I will be keeping in mind. read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Helpful recommendations. Added plants and fish to the Betta. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

Staff is very knowledgable and helpful. Great selection of fish and amazing coral. If you are thinking of getting into the hobby this is the shop for you read more

These guys do a great job. Started with them when we knew nothing about aquariums. Have gotten cichlids, bristle nose plecos, clown loaches, and red tailed botias from them. Amazing hours. They are almost always open. Good inventory and can get you anything they don't have read more

Purchased two fish yesterday. Helpful staff that answered my questions fully. Had solid reasons why I should get certain fish for an outdoor pond that made sense. Enjoyed the experience and felt like I got healthy fish as well. read more

I appreciate this establishment's goal to be "our neighborhood aquarium store". Nice try, but if so, it needs a lot of work. It's hard for me to criticize an independent tropical fish store, but this one needs to be revealed. Give them credit for having variety, But there are major problems here: * First, the store is a mess. There is junk everywhere, to the point you can't walk around without hazard. * Different species are mixed together * Tanks are dirty--difficult to see what's going on * It's generally a shit-show, water on the floor, dead fish everywhere. * No interest in responding to email via their web site. I tried to special order a specific tetra, but they sold me something else. I returned them and went back to reclaim a credit, but it seems that's unlikely now. I really don't want to deal with them anyway. I might trip over their multitude of crap in this dirty store. Still, if you can tolerate all of the above, they do have variety and it's probably better to support them than your average corporate pet store. read more

My son and I started a 20 gallon tan in January... beyond excited to go down this path and I have to thank Ed, Michael and Eric for all of their help and support along the way. A truly personal experience in fish keeping. We had a struggle after a couple of months and they helped us through it 100%. We have an awesome tank with awesome fish and could not have done it without their help! They truly care and want to help and their knowledge is amazing to say the least. Thanks guys for everything... absolutely appreciate it all. read more

Clear Water Aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

I tried to give this shop another try and after this experience I'm not planning to return. I have had a bad experience the past two visits. I called before hand to check if they had cardinal tetras in stock which they confirmed it was. I arrived about 30 minutes later to find out they did not. The two employees did not remember my call until I told them I had just called 30 minutes prior. They claimed they tried to call me back but I had no missed calls - I would not have made the trip otherwise. In the end they tried to sell me neon tetras advising it was basically the same. read more

Clear Water Aquarium - The fat one on the left is the survivor from the first purchase, waiting for the new ones to catch up! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - San Jose, California

The owner, Ed, is very knowledgeable on both fresh and saltwater fish. He maintains a great stock of fish, and gets some real rare and beautiful specimens. With all the local fish stores closing up, its good to see this one thriving. There is a reason for this. Great selection, great prices, and expert support from Ed. Worth the drive from anywhere in the bay area..Ive been to all of them. Need to go to Santa Rosa, or Sacramento to top it, and even then, the prices at those other stores are much higher. Keep up the good work Ed! read more