I was surprised to see the negative reviews of this place because I have been coming here on the reg for months now and I have NEVER had a bad experience. The staff is knowledgable, accommodating, and very friendly and the fish selection is the BEST in the Chicago city limits. Other stores focus more on custom tanks, maintenance, plants, etc. but this store really focuses on having fish - and lots of them! Not knocking the other stores, but this store is about as fun to walk through as it is to actually go home with your new fishy friends! Who else has an almost constant stock of Discus, Stingray, RARE Blue Parrot Cichlids, and a Flowerhorn or two? Come on! I did go in once to get some Rummynose Tetras and they didn't last past the week... but the staff - especially the owner - were really great helping me out the next time I came through to make sure my issues were resolved. The staff has always cautioned me against a purchase if it's not the right fit and helped me find something that goes well with whatever tank I am currently stocking. Honestly, this is one of my favorite places to go AND it's super close to Chinatown so I can zip over for some good eats before or after my visit. When the pandemic has subsided, I plan to bring friends and family here to see how cool my favorite LFS is before grabbing some dim sum. read more

Very very clean shop! Well organized And very professional I bought most of my corrals as well as majority of my saltwater fish that's inside of my community saltwater tank from these guys and the entire ecosystem in my saltwater tank is thriving Just wish they had more of a variety of saltwater fish read more

Bought a first new fish tank. Just a small glass 10 gallon. Guy was super knowledgeable. We actually got a red betta and a handful of other fish breeds that are okay to be with her. He help us set up everything in most efficient and affordable way. 1 small neon tetra died first night. Came back for more a week later and they were out. Met a different guy who was shocked by the fish the first one sold me, actually tried to gaslight me that I was wrong about fish type, like come on you think I didn't research and photograph/video my new fish? He said one should have not been sold to me bc it can be reckless and dangerous to others and would grow 6 inches! He's been fine but we will see ha. Anyways we bought 4 others different breed (purple harlequins) also supposed to be good w betta. Unfortunately all 4 died within a few days. So far original 3 are doing well. Will go back for more neon tetras when they get more. read more

Golden Aquarium - (All large decor (boats and barrel) from Amazon, everything else including fish from here). - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Made an unnecessary trip! This business is definitely not open on Sundays! The info on their website and every other site is misinformation - they need to update it so that more customers will not be as disappointed as myself believing they were open! read more

In this case the customer isn't right. Bought 4 fish today , a snail , a shrimp and more items. Got home and realized the shrimp wasn't in the bag. Called to see if something could be done and he said he was 100% sure he put it in the bag. He said your witness ( my 9 year old sister ) saw me put it in the bag.. been here before and won't be receiving anymore of my money. read more

Great fish store! Would highly recommend coming here to any fish owners or those interested in aquariums. My husband and I went in to build our community tank. Eric was extremely helpful and patient with all of our questions! We will certainly be back. read more

Its ok not big store where u can go anytime to get the fish. I usually call them and ask if the variety of the fish i was looking for is available or not otherwise its pretty decent store read more

one of the best aquarium supply shops in the city always has healthy fish and plants, everything is super clean as well

Was there recently, and I truly love that independent aquarium stores such as this one survived the draconian covid mandates, which is even more reason to bring them business. I found the owner and staff to be very pleasant even though this small joint was hopping. I traveled there by bike just to check out it, because I am setting up a new aquarium (it's almost ready for its first residents) and I wanted to know what is available locally. Their freshwater selection isn't massive, but it's decent. The aisles can be tricky to navigate when there is a crowd of customers there, but for me that kind of lends to the quaintness. It's a trek for me, but the vibe and knowledge are worth the trip. A note to those who have lost fish and have had their entire tank infected. I haven't read any of these folks mentioning quarantining. Quarantining is an ABSOLUTE must before introducing new fish into an established tank. Yes, aquarium store owners and staffs should be knowledgeable, but as a customer you have to do your own research as well. Invest in a small tank, pump, and heater to use for quarantining. Use water from your established tank to fill it, or use a portion of your established tank's water to "inoculate" the quarantine tank's water. read more

This place is beyond great. The owner and sales associates are very knowledgeable and accommodating. They took the time to help me, a novice, better understand what I needed and how to care for the pets in my classroom. No matter how many questions I had, they never gave me the impression that they were bothered or rushed me along. The selection of fish and aquatic plants that they have is varied. I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! read more

Please get your fish some where else. Golden Aquarium is ran by the most dishonest owners and staff. They will try to sell you sick fish infected with anchor worm parasite by putting the fish on sale, with out telling you the fish are sick! I bought a goldfish home after the OWNER SPECIFICALLY RECOMMENDED me to get one because the fish is on sale ($150 now $100). Just in 2 days, the fish start to show sign of sickness, and it spreads my other fish in the tank. The fish are bloody, floating, lethargic, growing ulcers, fin rot. I did not know what is the cause so I came back to the store for solutions. The staff immediately knew the problem is parasite, because he knew he has been selling a full tank of contagious sick fish to people for all this time! Here is the funny part. The staff then sold me medicine for another $20. I went home and realize the medicine is passed EXPIRED date. I used it anyway. For the treatment I need to do 75% water change in a 40 gallon every week. And now it has been 5 weeks. Nothing has improved. All of my fancy goldfish are still suffering from anchor worm. I wish Golden Aquarium ran out of business and go bankrupt every single day. read more

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Rate to find a decent Aquarium these days. Good selection and service. Beats big box store any day.

What a pleasant surprise to find a non chain aquarium store with healthy dis and plants...knowledgeable staff Eric waited on me and together we picked out a great assortment of healthy freshwater plants The store is immaculate and cozy Took me back 50 years This is the place for plants and fish Anyone can sell supplies. It takes care and knowledge to maintain healthy fish Rkkjr read more

Koi betta at great prices, friendly staff. Only wished I didn't live so far or I'd come here more often haha.

Called them ahead of time asking if there's live blood work for sale because they said it'll come in today and they said "yes." Drove an hour to get here and they tell me it didn't come in . Yeah you can imagine how pissed off I am. They could've just said no but instead they wasted my time. read more

The only thing that pisses me off about this place is the summer hours. They close an hour earlier in the summer. Other than that, it seems like a good lfs. I mean do your shopping online if you want a deal, but if you decide you want to shop in person or need live fish, this is the place to go. Friendly workers. I bought a amano shrimp from Petco, little guy lived maybe 2 or 3 years. Got another one recently from Petco again and it disappeared...either committed suicide and jumped out of my algae filled tank or disintegrated. Got two from Golden and they still alive as of two months. I feel like live stock from local fish stores might be healthier but the smaller increase in price is the trade off. I've purchased plants from here with no issue either. No surprise algae...I think... read more

I went here hoping to start a new fish tank. I've kept aquariums years ago, but have forgotten more than I knew. I knew I wanted freshwater, but having some experience, I wanted something a little more challenging than a community tank. When I arrived I asked where the freshwater fish were, and he said "they are all on the right side." That was the only words I got from the sales people. Their fish are not organized in any way, so you really have to know what you are wanting before going there. The last time I went to a fish store was Hoffer's in Milwaukee, and they would literally spend 2 hours with you if necessary to make sure you knew everything and walked out with exactly what you were looking for. That's the experience I want as I pick up an old hobby. Also, the variety wasn't that great. read more

So far so good I bought a decent imported Japanese Koi fish for $44.10. Donnie was the sales clerk who addressed this. I had properly acclimated the fish and hopefully the Koi fish will do well. Wish I had more solid proof it is from Japan from what the salesperson (Donnie) mentioned. This is my 1st time purchasing here in the new location on Ashland Ave. I had gone to your past location near Halsted and Archer Ave but saw your new store had better fish live stock. I would consider for anyone to stop here for getting into the aquarium hobby if you are from the Southside or loop finding a decent selection of fish both Freshwater and Saltwater as well as supplies. I work in the area but live in the Northside of Chicago. read more

I really love this place. The staff is knowledgeable and extremely nice. It's nice too see a non chain aquarium store. I come in here frequently, and always enjoy my time. They have everything and do custom orders. Great prices. read more

Golden Aquarium is my favorite LFS (Local Fish Store) to buy from. Their prices are amazing, the service is even better and the variety of fish is great. They get some exotic stuff and my entire livestock is from here. I do shop around between a few different places but I always get things at Golden because of the staff and pricing. If you find what you are looking for, it is the perfect store to buy from. Chi, is my go to guy but everyone there is great. The only thing I ill say is I wish their coral selection were better. read more

I have came to this store multiple times before. I called and asked if they had a certain fish that I was looking for and they did! I asked what time they closed and they said 6pm and I told the guy that was working that I'm on my way. I was coming from Indiana which is a nice drive to get to this store. My gps originally told me I was gonna be at Golden Aquarium at 5:25pm which would give me plenty of time but unfortunately there was a hold up at the tollway which made it where I wouldn't get to the store till 5:55. I called at 5:45 and 4 times after that to let the guy working that I'm gonna get there 5 minutes before you close and was gonna ask if he can just bag the fish so I could just walk in, pay, and walk out... never answered the phone at all... I get there at 5:55 and the store was already locked up with the lights off and everything.... Closed up the store apparently at least 15 minutes early when they knew I was on my way... the biggest waste of my time, money to get there, and I'm HIGHLY disappointed... will never come to this store again. read more

So I went back. This time there were a different set of folks running the store. I went in with a specific request that the chains and other LFSs couldn't solve. I needed Siamese Algae Eaters for an aquarium in dire straits. I had just added CO2 and hadn't got the lighting dialed in. Hair algae was everywhere. Golden Aquarium were the only ones with SAE in stock and saved the day. Reasonable prices and the fish are still healthy and kicking. Got a great deal on pre treated driftwood as well. Will be back again the future. Hopefully they keep the positive streak running. read more

Golden Aquarium is the best Aquarium Shop to go to, very knowledgeable, caring staff. They always help me when I go in, give me solid advice, great live stock, saltwater selection and Prices. Great Customer Service, Very Clean Aquarium, Healthy Fish both Fresh & Salt Water. Ron & His Crew are Magnificent. Great Convenient Location in a plaze where there is plenty of parking, way better than the Old Location right off Archer & Halsted. read more

Ron and his folks are great. Sometimes I come in to the store for inspiration in the latest nano tank they set up. It's almost like art! These guys know fish and tanks, and are very helpful. They've made my foray into Saltwater tanks a breeze with all the questions I asked them! Prices are very competitive, and their service can't be beat. read more

Besides the short hours this place is awesome. The staff is friendly and ready to help. I just went to check it out since I never heard of it and my new friend Jason said if we like fish we must go and boy was he right!!! They have all the exotic freshwater u can think of!!! Even a baby stingray. Their saltwater selection not so big but still good. They had baby fish such as red tail catfish, arowana, Florida gars just to mention few all babies but best to get them to have them grow with u. Must go to take your kids and yourself. read more

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Great local fish store. Have only bought fish from here before, but prices on everything else seems on par with ones you'd find at chains like Petsmart. Fish tanks always clean and fish appear healthy. I am a fan of certain freshwater fish not typically found in the large chain stores, and these kind folks never have issues with special ordering whatever you need. Highly recommend! read more

This place is definitely my favorite fish store ever. Over a hour to travel is worth it. The selection is like no other place, the prices are more than fair, and the service, knowledge and friendly staff is top notch. I'm probably going to ask Santa for a gift card for them on Christmas. read more

Golden Aquarium - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Helpful, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Good selection of freshwater fish at a good price. Saltwater selection is sparse and the tanks look a little sick. They seem very quick to quarantine and not sell anything suspect. I go here periodically and would recommend it to anyone. A couple of suggestions though. Pricing; nobody wants to ask the price of things including fish. Prices should be prominently displayed at a size that wouldn't require me to run to the car for my reading glasses. If you want to sell it, there should be a price on it. De-clutter; with magazines and stuff piled around, it seems like I'm shopping in a messy person's living room. (The above things are free, they just take discipline.) Put a curtain up going to the back room. It's easy for small business to become "someone's store" where friends want to hang out instead of a "business" where people want to spend money. I want you to be at this convenient-to-me location for many years to come please. read more

From a first-visit standpoint, I was really happy with my experience at Golden Aquarium. I had been lamenting the loss of the independent pet store when my husband told me I must be going senile - I had been passing one for a couple years every time I drove home down Halsted. I have to admit that the little corner nearly under the viaduct almost never caught my attention. When I went in there, I was greeted by a very friendly and knowledgeable young woman. I was initially looking for a tank; when I told her the size and style I was interested in, she admitted they didn't carry anything of that nature. What won me over was that she didn't try to push any other product on me, so I started talking over the types of fishes that I wished to buy for our aquarium. We have one lonely goldfish right now - a fighter that somehow managed to outlast the short-lived carnie goldfish we had won at a state fair in August - so we wanted to make him a nice home with some of his kin. The saleswoman (I wish I had asked her name so I could big her up) spent a great deal of time talking over what fishes would be appropriate for what we were looking to do, how many, and what kind of tank setup would work well, even though it was fairly obvious that I wouldn't be spending any money there that day. Well, her good work will pay out - we're heading back tonight to pick out our new finned roommates. I would highly recommend heading to Golden Aquarium if you want a good customer service experience, and really personalized fish-care advice. read more

Very helpful and friendly staff with a variety of fish to choose from! They always have what I need for my freshwater and saltwater tank.

If I can give zero star I will do it. I'm a returning customer, went back and planning to buy a fish to add in my community tank, looking around asking question and came across this pike fish , I was told if I get a pair that they will give me a good deal. Got it , came home set everything up, when the fish was in the aquarium, notice something different about them , they start chasing my fish , ate all my clown loach, injured my elephant nose fish , and after that starting to pick on my silver dollar. On my research it turns out that the fish I got is a predator fish and eats on live foods, aggressive and only very selective tankmates which I wasn't been told. I have to gave it away for free, because I don't want to wake up tomorrow to see all my fish eaten or injured by this pike cichlids fish. I just wish that that told me the real truth about this fish and just got a different ones. There goes my $180 down the drain. I will not come back to this store ever again, all they want is to sell not even educate you about the fish your getting, I even have to ask about there diet and everything . read more

I was in dire need of elodea/anacharis/waterweed plant for a lab experiment and they carried it! I found the guy that helped me very friendly, helpful, and humorous. I also found out that they have frozen feeder RATS, which the petsmart on roosevelt does not, which is super good to know since I have lived on the north-side my whole life and am ignorant of south-side affairs. I will be definitely be going back for my feeder rat and aquarium needs. read more

There are so few independent aquarium shops in Chicago that when I find one I must check it out. This is an interesting little shop. It's located near Chinatown which isn't surprising since fish keeping is a very old Chinese tradition. They have the old standby aquarium fish like guppies and platies but also very exotic and hard to find little guys like pea puffers (so cute!) and assassin snails. Of course they also have beautiful, big bouncy goldies. The staff seems friendly and knowledgeable. Supply-wise they have a decent selection but very little in the ways of tanks. My only real disappointment is cleanliness. I wish they were a little cleaner in the shop but most of the fish look healthy and well cared for. read more

Friendly, helpful, and cheap. It might seem off the beaten path, but it is short walk from the Orange Line. Also, I have to thank them for letting me linger in the store during the massive thunderstorm today. read more

Staffs are very friendly and helpful. Lots of exotic variety of fishes and i highly recommend this store to those fish fanatics! Prices are reasonable and my fishes are very healthy until now. read more

Great fish supplies & helpful staff. They have very beautiful healthy looking fish. Lots of cool decor, food, and equipment for both salt and freshwater aquariums. read more

I absolutely love this place, always shop pleasant and helpful, I will definitely keep going there for my aquarium needs.

I'm about to give them a call today because I heard they are the best stay to. Okay yesterday I gave them a call and they were so helpful with so much information I would recommend anybody to use this Company thanx guys read more

This has been my go-to place for excellent quality koi for over a year now. I had wanted certain types of fish, and Alberto was really helpful about calling or texting to let me know when they received fish I might interested in. I purchased four beautiful fish this year, thanks to him! They also have supplies such as premium koi food, nets, and occasionally, floating pond plants. My only disappointment is to have found out that their store is under new management, and that some of their wonderful employees, like Alberto, are no longer there. read more

These people are great! I go there for crickets and they are always friendly and courteous . Nice dudes