Sad to say this place is closing down! They have struggled with a believe electrical issues, before and during this issue, I bought some very high quality goldfish, currently all inventory is 75% off! Sad read more

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Great fancy goldfish selection. Also, I bought some healthy angelfish and clown loaches and an albino Cory. Prices are average.

Look no further, the most fancy goldfish you will find in the bay area. Per their namesake, they have a very good selection of both fish and supplies. Lots of harder to find supplies, they have as well. Prepare to pay a reasonable premium however. On top of that, they recently raised all prices across the board by 10% posted prices for Q2 2021. Despite their breadth of aquatic selection that runs across tropical, fresh, and marine; fancy goldfish is clearly this aquarium store's specialty. Orandas, ranchus, ryukins, telescopes, they have most fancy goldfish you can want. Variety is the among the best in the SF Bay Area in that category. They even have the harder to find pearlscales as well. Testament to the prior claim, while some stores only have a handful, they have an entire 50gl. tankload of them from you to choose from. They even have a unique variety of betta too when supply permits, I've personally even seen wild-genus based bettas available. On top of that they have guinea pigs, birds, and turtles. Quality of these fish range from acceptable to semi-show quality. There are some very high quality fish but you will have to look closely and/ or make visits over time as stock rotates. read more

My fish are still alive!!! They have doubled in size in 3 months! Got some nice feeders for my kids. Nothing fancy....tempted next time to get some bubble eyes and pearls. read more

I stopped and visited International Aquarium for the first time this week, after driving by many, many times. I was surprised to see that they sell dogs, as most people avoid buying dogs in pet stores to avoid supporting the puppy mill industry - there was a fancy dog in a small, padlocked exercise pen with a cover, which, while clean, was not a lot of space for the dog to turn around and move. The dog was trying desperately to get out. They had a lot of supplies, fish tanks, and very large bird cages for sale. There was a cage with two Cockatoos in the middle of the store - one of the Cockatoos had badly self-mutilated himself, and chewed off most of his feathers, exposing large bald patches of skin. He looked at me through the bars, chewing his feathers. Whether he was bored, has a hormonal condition, or is ill, I don't know (these are common causes of feather chewing). The Cockatoos could have toys and a couple additional perches which might give them something to do, rather than bite their own feathers. They had a lot of birds for sale, including pigeons, which made me really sad. There's a huge homeless bird population in the SF Bay Area, and MickaBoo (companion birds) and MickaCoo (pigeons and doves) are two great rescue organizations that end up rescuing a lot of birds that end up in the animal shelters. Please don't buy birds or dogs (or hamsters) from this pet store - there are so many fantastic rescue groups all over the Bay Area where you can adopt and you will truly save a life. read more

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I personally like this place a lot. The owners aren't rude, there may be some cultural differences and language barriers but I get a smile every time I come in. They have one of the best fancy goldfish selections I have found and their prices are similar to everyone else. I also find every time I go hear they are cleaning the tanks and doing regular maintenance. Thumbs up! read more

This is a store that deserves a negative rating. I have gone to this store at least 5 or 6 times and have bought fish (including some expensive ones), aquarium supplies and pet products here. Each time there is a female asian manager who just has the worst attitude -- she may be the owner or related to the owner. I am asian myself so this is not a race thing. Each time I have tried to overlook her attitude. Not this time. My 5 year old son's goldfish died so I went to replace them. I only wanted one or two fish (they were 6 for $1). There is no sign that says individual price or minimum purchase so I asked for 3 fish from a different store clerk that was working there. The asian woman piped in that it was still $1 even if it was less than 6 fish. I said it didn't make sense, but that it would be fine. I asked if I could buy 6 and return the 3 fish I didn't want so I could chose them. The clerk that was helping me said that this would be fine. The clerk snatched 6 fish for me from and placed them in a bag. Then the asian manager snootily said "no picking" even though she was not involved in the sale. Mind you that there were 4 people working and only one other customer in the store who had already been served and was just collecting his purchase. This is a store that deserves to go out of business! Do not shop here unless you like being treated very poorly and with an attitude. read more

DO NOT GO HERE! THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE! Read the reviews about the way they treat their fish and then come back to this review if you wanna know about how they treat their hamsters and dogs! Hamsters: They live in a small cubicle tank and they have nothing. Not even a wheel. They also have crappy food and water (I think, I'm not even sure.) Those hamsters looked depressed, but honestly who wouldn't be? I'm not even sure if they're still there, but I hope not because they deserve better. Dogs: They use to be kept in small room towards the entrance and there would be about 4 of them stuck in there and they don't have anything. It's very cramped in there and there really isn't much roaming space at all. They now live downstairs in the "basement" and barking constantly probably because they want someone to save them from this hell hole. read more

I left this place heartbroken and on the verge of tears from the despicable living conditions that the fish are kept. How can this not be illegal? Sick, dying and dead fish all over. Multiple fish dying slowly from ick, swim bladder and flesh eating diseases. I went looking for new tank mates for my fancy goldfish. A fish that has such a puppy like personality and that can live well over 10 years. I found them, many of them but they were lifeless. As I was in shock looking at the sick fish while passing every tank a man that works there came. Y with a bucket and net. He was going from tank to tank scooping out the dead fish...well most of them cause he still left some in. Unbelievable!! PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT ANYONE THAT TREATS ANIMALS LIKE THIS! read more

International Aquarium - And this is a better tank than most there - Aquarium Services Near Me - Oakland, California

Wow never knew this store was here. They have a large fancy goldfish selection. Some run as much as $500. Fishes looks healthy and well cared. Recommended. read more

Not the best place for getting educated on your pet, customer service, and/or taking back something for a refund or an exchange LOL, but it's one of the only spots I can get aquarium needs for my fish tank close to home. After going there many times, I've gotten to know the people there, a bit more so.. things are a tad bit easier finally. Good luck to you! ;) read more

I seriously wish there was a zero rating for this store. The prices for the fishes are way way way too steep, being that my boyfriend works at a pet store I am pretty knowing of prices. But I want to talk about the puppies and the conditions of which they are housed. This place is treating the puppies so poorly that it disgusts me and I couldn't keep my mouth closed. I even asked the lady if what she was doing was legal and up to that point she had understood English perfectly, so ironic. These poor, TINY little puppies had absolutely no bedding, no water bowl and no food in their bowls oh and did I mention that they were in a FREEZING cold bathroom? No, I didn't mention that, well that's where they were housed. These people deserve to have their license taken away from them. I am totally for animals in cages, in fact my puppies are in cages when I am away, but they have a bed and blankies so that they're comfortable and don't hurt their tiny little paws by slipping. It's also funny that they don't allow an inquirer to touch or get to know the dogs on a more personal level before spending your entire months rent on them when they aren't even vaccinated yet. read more

I LOVE PUPPIES...I JUST LOOOOVE PUPPIES. Every time pass by this place, before I can even utter a word my fiance says "No...we are not going in there". Dammit... It's clean and they have a nice selection of things. However if you want to wash your hands after petting a puppy or use the restroom you'll have to dig deep. I think that's a pretty unfair rule... read more

Looking for a good place in the East Bay area for fish? This probably isn't your best bet. The space is actually much bigger than I expected. There's a saltwater display tank, but all the rest are freshwater. They do have a large selection of aquariums, but nothing I'd call high-end. They have your usual basic supplies (similar to what you'd see at a Petco). The rest makes me sad: What must have been 8-10 puppies all placed in a tiny playpen near the front door, rabbits being kept in cages so small they can barely move, and birds that were looking really terrible. It just didn't seem humane whatsoever. If you're looking for a better local aquarium store, try Aquatic Collection in Hayward. For puppies...please, please just go to the shelter and adopt one. read more

they werent kidding when i read a review that youd have to be a fool to purchase fish here. ive never seen fish so expensive. feeder fish, which should cost no more than 13 cents were a dollar each here! no customer service was provided, and not even sure if any employees were present. the fish were mostly for larger aquariums as in 30 gallons or more. it is true they sell puppies, mostly small breeds that ive seen here. they didnt have a price tag or description and im sure they would lie to you to make a sale. for example, telling you the puppy is 2 months old when its really 2 years old! unless youre balling out of control, then go ahead and make your fish purchase here since they did seem pretty healthy. read more

Overall bad service unless you wanna buy something then the people will be super nice obviously because they want your money badly. Personally I have bought flowerhorns from here and they definitely live up to the price. The size of the head growth is absolutely amazing. I've bought flowerhorns from other people that tranship from Thailand but the flowerhorns that come from here have way bigger heads so overall 3/5 just because of the horrible service. read more

International Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - Oakland, California

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They are spacious and clean. But the fish selection is very limited. They have discuss fishes and an assortment of criters such as chameleons, mice, and parakeets. Everything is overpriced, seriously. I've been an aquarist for a long time and have visited many stores in the Bay Area. This store's price is definitely on the higher end. They have a small cage of puppies for sale. But these are the saddest puppies you will ever see. Puppies are energetic by nature and needs lots of space to run around. These pups are stuck in a cage, and they look so darn sad. Plus they are super expensive, from $900 and up. You can get much better deals on puppies at the Flea Market. Random people would bring their pups to the parking lot and sell them for around $300. A lot of people don't like this store because of their high prices and how they treat their animals. But economic conditions are tough nowadays. They gotta do what they can to survive. The aquarium business has high overhead costs and small profit margins. A lot of stores in the East Bay has gone out of business. It's amazing that these guys are still surviving with such a large warehouse that they have to rent. read more

I would give this place a higher rating if I like Discus or Angel fishes. They don't really have freshwater fishes that interest me, so it's me, not them. The store is pretty clean and organized. Almost all the freshwater tanks are mislabled haha. But that's ok. They do have two pretty big figure 8 puffers and look pretty cute. And thumbs up for not closing on Labor day. The bf and I had Pho nearby and decided to see if this fish store is open. And it was! Other than that, they have pretty cool looking tanks setup, and "interesting" name branded biocube systems.... Possibly from China? Iono.. read more

So I have a love/hate relationship with International Aquarium. The S.O. and I visited International Aquarium on a random weekend just to browse around after driving by numerous times and seeing the giants words "WE SELL PUPPIES" painted on the wall outside. My first impression of the store was one of disdain - overpriced fish and equipment, poor customer service, and the employees did not seem very knowledgable. The cute puppies were the only reason I kept coming back. On our 8th visit to International Aquarium, the S.O. surprised me by purchasing the CUTEST shih tzu puppy for me. After building rapport with Luis, the store owner, we walked away with my new baby , 20% off! Luis provided a free bag of dog food with our puppy and also paid for the first vet visit @ his vet provider (St. Louis Vet on Fruitvale Ave). During the purchase of our puppy, the store was pretty busy and many people were coming in to see the adorable puppies he had for sale. Overall, I had a great experience purchasing my puppy but beware: this place is extremely overpriced and not the place to go if you are looking for cheap deals There is also a sign in the bathroom that says you have to pay $2 if you want to wash your hands and $5 if you want to use the toilet. (wtf?!) Kind of sketchy but if you want a puppy and are willing to pay a generous price, then give this place a shot. read more

They are nice, they are clean, and they have the coolest tanks for fishies, but dang are they expensive! I went in there to buy some food for my turtles, and they had stuff that was three times as much as I paid for at Pet Club! I tried to buy some feeder fish, but they were out at the time I was there, which I found really really odd... Then the lady tries to sell me some other larger fish that my turtles could not eat. Although, while looking at the empty feeder fish tank, they had puppies in a cage. I felt so bad for them, no where to roam, just stuck, in a cage... and they wanted like $900 a piece for them! DANG!!! They were cute, but not $900 cute! I think they were Pomeranian pups... *shrug. I wouldn't go back to buy anything... unless I wanted a unique tank. read more

This rating is purely based on their aquarium, not their puppies or birds. I didn't see and dogs being sold here and the sparrows seemed fine in their cases. So, onto the fish. They actually have a decent selection and the tanks are very clean. I just got some bee shrimp from them ($4.99 so cheap!) and hopefully see how they do. I wanted their cherry shrimp as well but the kid who helped me didn't seem to know how to work a net and was trying to catch it with his hands... he gave up and said sorry he couldn't get it (WTF?). Overall, the customer service wasn't okay but they're Asian so I'm kinda used to it. Lots of yelling in Cantonese haha. I would most likely come here again depending on how the shrimp do. read more

International Aquarium is a lovely space. I saw some of the most gorgeous fish in their tanks. I purchased two Angelfish and a few GloFish about a month ago. They are happy and healthy. I'd highly recommend this store to anyone looking to purchase beautiful fish. read more

Wow, an aquarium that sells puppies.. I saw this store as I was driving down International and my BF promised that we would be back.. and we were.. the very next weekend. As I walked in, I noticed how clean the place was, and immediately walked towards the puppies. People always have something to say about puppies being in cages, and how inhumane pet stores are, and don't get me wrong, I'm one of the biggest animal lovers out there. But in reality how else can you house a puppy in a pet shop?? Animal lovers already know that walking into a pet store, the puppies will be in cages... Well an hour and a half later.. I walked out with my little bundle of joy Munchie.. I paid $1000 for him which yes is pricey.. but he is a purebred Maltese and he came with AKC certification and a birth certificate... 4 months later... still the best purchase of my life... read more

I just happened to be driving by and saw parking right in front so I decided to check it out. They have a really good selection of high quality fish from peaceful community fish to big head Flowerhorns and Japanese Koi. This shop is huge and the tanks were kept very clean. They have two aquarium sections so make sure you don't miss the area in the back that has mostly community fish. I have 4 aquariums now and have had as many as 7 running at one time, so I am somewhat of a savant. I would have spent a lot of money here if I had room for another tank. It was also pretty cool to see some other animals and other pet food and supplies. I love animals. read more

International Aquarium - Flowerhorns - Aquarium Services Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is my family go to for pet supplies for years. The owner is sweet and always ready to answer questions. Aside from a large variety of fish, they also have guinea pigs, birds and sometimes puppies. read more

My great uncle lives around the corner from this place. He's a frequent visitor and buyer. The owner is very nice and gives a senior discount to my great uncle, and considers him a valuable customer, probably since g.uncle also buys the goldfishes and dog food. I went sometime last year and never wrote a review until now. At the time there were a few different breeds of puppies that were so cute! I liked the birds, there were kids there trying to get the bird to talk it was fun. The owner doesn't seem to mind people going in just too play with the animals. But the fish section is WOW so many different kinds of fish and the tanks really draw the eyes and keep them there. I'm thinking of going back when I have time since I recently acquired some fish. read more

Int. Aquarium is located in E. Oakland, about 1/4 mile from 14th Ave. I happened to stop by since it was close to my favorite salon. I got to tell you this space is absolutely spacious, clean, and full of aquarium inventory for the enthusiast. Aquarium coffee tables? Now that's wow factor. Years ago, I gave up on the hobby especially being inexperienced in keeping the prized Discus. They're found in the Amazon and through breeding by Schmidt-Focke, Deg-en, and Gan Tong, they're popular world-wide and have the status as a competition show fish. The proprietor. aka, "the Man", Luis has won 3 awards for his blue diamond Discus. There's only photo evidence of the blue diamond. He claims to have it somewhere in a private area and out of sight. With plenty of other Discus specimens in the tanks lined wall to wall. No one else in all of Northern California that I've encountered knows, does, and specializes in Discus better than Int. Aquarium. Worth my trip and if thirsty, the Mexican restaurant next door has great horchata. read more

This place is great. Every tank was spotless. Family run,friendly service. Great for fancy goldfish and Koi.

I have purchased many fish and supplies here. The fish are a little more money than petco or petsmart, but these fish are a lot healthier. Great variety and rare fish on display. BEST PLACE TO BUY FEEDER FISH! Turtles are cool as well, and the Birds are fun to look at. If recomend this place. The people that work here are also very friendly and knowledgeable. Must be a family business, grandpa sometimes helps get fish for you. read more

I wish I could give this place a ZERO but I'm forced to give it a 1 star! Ugh! I was washing clothes around the corner and my boyfriend and I walked by this place. ONLY to see that they sell puppies.. not just that BUT that they sell puppies in horrible conditions! These BIG puppies, which looked like labs, were in a tiny crate. Full of shavings AND had a small bucket of nasty water. The water looked yellowish/greenish... I mean, come on! If your going to breed and sell, please do it responsibly! I mean SHOOT, don't breed at all! After almost barfing, I walked by and noticed the guinea pigs they had... umm...NO FOOD! I asked one of the workers "why are the guinea pigs without food", his response "they eat too much" SERIOUSLY? One of the guinea pigs looked a tad skinny to me! Okay, as I was about to vomit again, I noticed birds...birds... and more birds.... ugh! Okay, after that I couldn't walk much more. I had to turn around and walk out. I did see a man purchase two guinea pigs and with those guinea pigs was a glass fish tank that he purchased to keep them in! :( REALLY SAD! Please, stop selling animals! Please go to your local shelter and see ALL the animals that get dumped because places like this sell these poor little furry guys........ read more

Dont buy the puppies here! My friend had previous purchase two super cute puppies (at different time). The first time he bought a puppy here and took it to the vet that the owner recommended, he found out the puppy was sick with some type of illness so she went back and got a refund. Just last week or two, i came in and there were some cute puppies again but i felt so bad for them. They looked so sad and depressed! i mean i would be too if i was stuck in a small cage all day long with nothing to do! I dont understand why cant they put toys in the cage or put the puppies in a bigger cage so they can have room to run and play! my friend she bought another pup that was freaking cute and took it to the vet that they referred her to and the vet said that the puppy is in poor health and dont keep her cause she is sick! The doc couldn't diagnose the pup fully yet since it was like a complimentary visit but that's still a bad sign already that this place sells cute puppies but in bad health! buy/shop at your own risk read more

I started coming here on a recommendation from a friend. He has had good luck with them, but my experience has been regretful! Customer service here is awful!! I was ignored during my visits. After 20minutes I asked for assistance, which I begrudgingly got, to purchase three fancy goldfish. After one week the fish were showing signs of a fungus and after two weeks they were dead. I called the store to inquire about replacing my fish or refunding my $125. The women informed me they offer no promises and hung up on me. The fish here are beautiful, but I will not be returning. read more

Today my son and I visit International Aquarium to see what he want to buy for our fish tank. He pick a white crayfish and the price was mark $12.99. He was so excited to purchase the crayfish. Once we got to the counter the owner said oh no we can't sell it at that price it should be $30 or $20... Then he go I'll let you have it for $20 with no tax.... Take it or leave it. I did not want to blast him in front of my kid and also my son mind already so happy so I bought it anyway.... read more

Does PETA visit clueless pet stores? Late on day after work, I needed to buy something for my aquarium. International Aquarium is close to my home, so I went. I have never in my life hear such an awful din from miserable crying puppies in tiny spaces. And, very large (big, parrot-sized) caged white cockatiels- several to a cage shrieking so loud the people had to yell to communicate. This is a dark large warehouse full of aquariums but the mammals are literally screaming for help. Maybe be a fine place for fish, because fish can not vocally express themselves about their living conditions, but I'm sure they are stressed by the sounds. The proprietors, who were just standing around doing nothing to change the circumstance, seem to care nothing about the conditions needed to provide an adequate temporary space for the mental and physical needs of mammals. I realize pet stores keep animals in cages, however something at International Aquarium is drastically wrong. read more

Conditions here are utterly poor and heart breaking. Being a bird owner I know that the avian species they keep here are living sub-optimally: non-varied diet, small cages with little to no wing space (pigeon), isolated birds, no natural light of, and likely little to no socialization with humans. Birds should not be kept this way and if they truly cared about the welfare of the animals they sell, they wouldn't be selling shoebox sized bird cages for when people take them home (the best bird stores only sell larger cages - even for small finches - because they realize there is a strong chance these birds will be living the majority of their life in them and should have wing space). My sentiments seem to be reflected by other visitors. I know little about fish but even the aquatic animals were in murky, crammed aquariums. There was one puppy and even she didn't seem in good health. We should all report them to the City of Oakland animal control center or file a complaint with USDA https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/complaint-form The more voices they hear, the more likely they will take action. read more

So I got a sick goldfish ($25) and I came to return it and I told them that those fish were all sick ( fungus ) And the owner looked at me like I'm stupid .. Wtf then he started to yell at me saying that he is the owner and that I can't have live plants with goldfish ???? Who told him that ?!?! . So guys go somewhere else do not waste your money here trying to buy sick fish and very poor customer service ( they not even know what that means ) . Fuck this place and the owner too . I'm never coming back . read more

Zero stars ! This place is so unprofessional . The owner is very rude and ignorant . I think they are also doing some illegal activity as well , not just selling fish ! If u catch my drift . I'll be reporting this place ASAP . This place needs to be shut down . The poor betta fish are kept in terrible condition . All the care about is making a sale quick , they are not nice to their customers at all . They also sell puppies for a very high price ! And they don't even let u hold or pet them . This place really is terrible . ZERO STARS read more

Dogs displayed in the bathroom and a cockatoo who is so stressed that he is goong nuts and biting his feathers out. I went in once, had to leave and im not like a crazy peta person. Wanted to run in a free them. Would have been the dog undergroind railroad read more

I love this store! There kois selection is good price for the size. I tested out 6 first see how they would do in my pond and they've grown fast so I came back and got 6 more. Don't get me wrong there cheaper koi fish in SF but not as healthy as the ones here! If you need to stock your pond I would go here. read more

There's a lot of comments here saying this place is dirty. Well I came in today it was actually very clean. But that's besides the point. I came in here to look at their puppies. An elderly couple came in asking for a price on one of the puppies and as soon as they heard it they ran out. Money isn't an issue for me. So I asked the woman how much one of the dogs were. She said "500" and I said "Ok can I see it first before buying" this dumb twit said "No" so uh what am I supposed to do? Give her 500 for a dog I can't even pet let alone look up close?. These people need to learn more about business and manners. read more