When I first came here back in November I was a very satisfied, happy customer. The guys who helped me were friendly and patient. Most tanks were maintained and maybe one or two small ones needed attention. I spent lots of money on back to back visits. 7 months later went for more corys and unfortunately some changes have brought on this review. Peering into some of the very first tanks as I walked in, I'm noticing dead fish sprinkled about. I understand they could've had a busy rush, but they didn't look freshly deceased. Not a good look. Algae growth in some areas, yikes!.. and this is the first time seeing significant hair algae in a high tech display tank. Higher prices on basic plants than the competitors. They aren't rare, large or fancy and half are raggedy or already dying. Their anubias (cased) used to be BIG and impressive, but now small and they're charging the same price. Lady behind the counter helped me, but when she made a "portion" of guppy grass I discovered it was HALF the portion those guys have given me in the past. And I still got charged $8.99 for it! Not like they didn't have enough to sell- they definitely did, but even so I feel she should've pro-rated for just plucking out 5-6 sprigs. I also bought some (Venezuelan?) corys, albino corys and amano shrimp. The Venezs are super happy but now I see one has white on his back, hoping that's not fungus! And sadly two of the albinos didn't make it so far. They were tiny and delicate, so it might've just been a sensitive species (even though I acclimated them slowly over hours) but still that's money I'm out. The good part is they have a pretty wide freshwater fish and shrimp variety and most of the tanks are kept clean. Fish I've bought previously are still happy and thriving. They also have a large supply of dry goods, frozen food and supplies which is convenient. Parking is plentiful in the rear and access through the back of store is awesome. I still want to check out the new fish they get in. Don't know if I can trust in it sadly. *EDIT* The owner reached out to resolve the portion issue. I'm hoping they fix the rest so I have confidence with live purchases again. read more

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I bought your guys water to do my water change, and it killed all my I bought all the fishes at your shop no more than two weeks three weeks ago and they're all died on their first water change did 50% water change added new water in it resulted in all the fish died read more

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Awesome store with friendly knowledgeable staff. Great selection of freshwater fish, plants and accessories. They also carry an assortment of saltwater items. Store has a big parking lot in back and has just about something for everyone. I will definitely be back. read more

Convenient Parking behind the building! Exceptional Staff! Shout out To Chris & Sergio These guys know there stuff! If you want quality livestock then look no further head down to Lotus Aquarium for your hobbiest fix!! read more

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5 Stars - Truly the Best in the Business! I can't recommend Lotus Aquarium highly enough! As someone new to aquascaping, I made a few mistakes trying to handle tank maintenance on my own. That's when I found Kris -- and everything changed for the better. Kris was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also patient and professional. I had a major algae bloom due to poor maintenance on my part, and he stepped in and completely turned things around. His expertise was clear from day one. He not only fixed the problem, but educated me along the way -- explaining the science behind what was happening and how to avoid it in the future. Since then, Kris has been maintaining my tank monthly, and it's never looked better. My aquascape is thriving, my water is crystal clear, and my fish are happier than ever. The passion and care that Lotus Aquarium brings to every visit is unmatched. If you're looking for expert help, honest advice, and top-tier aquarium care, look no further than Lotus Aquarium. Kris and his team are true artists and professionals! read more

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Great little fish and aquarium store. Super friendly and helpful! Dont hesitate going here!

Not friendly or responsive. They supposedly do great work at grooming dogs- she refused my dog because I will not allow her to be kenneled. It was odd- but as one door shuts another always opens. As I was telling my friend about this lady being so incredibly dismissive - she suggested going to the groomer she goes to. I did! She is great- will post separate review for her. read more

Love their service, very knowledgeable on the fish and how to keep tank clean. Even recommended plants for my tank, something I never considered. read more

Brought my son in to buy his beta fish today and the staff was extremely helpful n made it a great experience definitely coming back

Don't be fooled by their nano fish selection This store sells fish with fungal and bacteria infections as long as their customers don't notice it. I tried to quietly have a conversation with the owner, but the owner was only quick to defend himself instead of listening to his customer's compliant (I was not the only one, I even overheard a complaint on a phone call during my first visit). He was rather focused on questioning me rather than inspecting his contaminated tanks scattered all across his store, meanwhile claiming no sick fish were ever sold from this business because they have "secured" procedure in place- their 4 tiny quarantine tanks right dead center of all their display tanks. It's just hard to take a liar seriously when the facility is scattered with infested fishes. I've spent over 250$ just to see most of the fish was contaminated, costing me more money for medications. The sheer arrogance and the unwillingness to listen to customers compliant was far worse experience than purchasing contaminated fish from lotus aquarium. The store is unmaintained, cleanliness is non existent, and their attitude quickly turns sour when sick fishes are mentioned. read more

Lotus has a great selection on both salt and freshwater fish. The fish and plants are very lively and healthy. They have a variety of aquatic plants, fish foods, fish tanks/ decor, and so much more. The staff, Chris, Maria and Sergio are very friendly and knowledgeable. They are extremely helpful when it comes to providing the best for your tanks. No matter who I speak to, I always feel as if I am receiving the best advice to offer my fish a wonderful tank life. Unfortunately, I had an ICH infestation in my tanks due to a purchase from a different aquarium store. Lotus was so helpful with saving my fish. Not only did they have the best medication for treatment but they also offered me the best advice. I am very fortunate to have been able to save majority of my fish because of their knowledgeable advice. To make things even better, they offer an awesome point reward system with purchases too! Thank you Lotus Aquarium, my toddler and our fish are so grateful for you all! read more

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Great store, as a complete fish beginner the associates guided me in the direction of the best foods/plants/ fish for a patio pond I built.

Great selection + lots of patience & knowledge. The fish I bought were healthy & have prospered in their new surroundings.

Purchased 12 Chili Rasboras, 1 Nerite, and 5 Amano shrimp from these guys. The staff was friendly and helpful. The shop is small but they have a good selection of supplies and livestock. Most importantly, all the animals I purchased are doing very well. 3 of the Amanos are already berried, and the Chilis are doing great despite having a reputation for not acclimating well. read more

Lotus Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

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Great family owned businesses with great service. I've been coming here for years and they always have what I need for my aquarium.

What a gem of a fish store. I first came across Lotus Aquarium when I was living in the South Bay back in 2015-2019. I got into the fish keeping hobby around that time and Lotus Aquarium quickly became my go to fish store for fish, supplies and plants. Chris was super knowledgeable, friendly and helpful answering all my questions as I was still learning about the hobby. I eventually lost interest in the hobby and sold my aquarium and moved out to the South Bay. Fast forward 6-7 years, I got back into the hobby and came back with a much stronger interest and knowledge base. I started checking out all of the well established fish stores near me and eventually ended up with 4 setup aquariums. In my journey through the various fish stores, and speaking to the owners of those stores, Lotus Aquarium came up in conversation and I decided to take a drip down for old times sake. Within minutes of entering the store, I was flooded with memories of all the great times visiting this store. Within minutes, I ran into Chris and he immediately remembered me and was just as friendly and helpful as I remembered. We had a great conversation catching up. Lotus Aquarium is your one stop shop for anything fish keeping related. They've got a great selection of fish, plants, supplies and food tanks. The fact that they're one of the last fish stores left in the South Bay says it all. read more

It's sad that alot of mom and pop fish stores have closed in the southbay so it was nostalgic to walk into this store. Although small, I'm glad that they're here and the guy working was super helpful, answered my questions without selling me what I needed. He even gave let me know that one product was cheaper and just as good, and didn't see me as a money grab. Definitely coming back and supporting. Visiting his store really made me want to get back into the aquarium hobby. read more

I've been coming to Lotus Aquarium for a few months now and I LOVE THEM!!! Everyone is friendly and helpful and willing to give you as much advice and information as needed! My Beardie Paco and I give it a 2 thumbs up!!! read more

Lotus Aquarium - Bearded Dragon "Paco" - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

LFSs have a hard time, I get it. They have to compete with big box petstores but where they can and should excel is on the cleanliness of the tanks. Lotus has a very large natural tank front n' center which is not only wildly over grown to the point that fish are having a hard time in the plants but it contained MANY dead floaters AND skeletons on the bottom. Fish die for all manner of reasons that come on out of the blue with no signs or warnings but to allow so many dead to rot is not good marketing. I may return for food or small equipment but won't go out of my way. read more

Chris was so helpful and knowledgeable. Great customer service! Highly recommend coming here over a huge chain store.

Came here a long time ago when they first originally opened , but I'm back & glad that it's still up and running. While a small shop the do have a great and interesting selection. Good price and some great deals. read more

I was passing by this place and bought some feeder guppies. I bought worth $4. The guy said it's 8pcs for $1. When I got home I was wondering why the bag seems less. I counted the feeders and the guy only gave me 20pcs. I bought $4 worth which is supposed to be 32 pcs. I live far from this place and was just passing by. I will not come back and recommend this place when buying feeders either he intentionally gave me less or he doesn't know how to multiply. read more

Maria is sent from the heavens. She patiently stood by to catch the exact fish (a white sailfin molly) that was hiding in the plants for what felt like 20 mins, all while assisting other customers simultaneously. She is amazing, and after a few attempts she finally caught the one my daughter had her eyes on! It was amazing to see her patience and willingness to make us happy. Which we are! We love Lotus, we love that it's a small business that doesn't gouge it's costumers. We love that every employee is so knowledgeable and Passionate about all things aquatic. We love the beautiful aquascapes in their planted tanks. Everything is so clean. It's doesn't feel corporate and that's the cozy intimate feeling we love about visiting their shop. We go to Lotus about 4 times a month since we moved into the neighborhood. This place is a GEM! Don't shop corporate! Support this local aquatic shop!!! read more

Lotus Aquarium - Angelfish (Ángel Jr.) Shubunkin (Roy Ayers, aka Roy boy) Sailfin Molly (Lodi Dottie) - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

Thank you so much LOTUS for coming all the way to my house to come and set up my turtle tank! Their customer service is amazing and they are always so so helpful! Every time I need something for my turtle they are always prepared and willing to go above and beyond for their customers! Again thank you for the amazing service read more

Lotus Aquarium - Timmy the turtle in his new tank - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

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Very helpful. I came in looking for companions for my male beta and I was directed to compatible fish right away. The tetra are very nice and healthy and they've settled in perfectly. read more

Lotus Aquarium - Tetra - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

A really neat shop that has a little bit of everything. CO2, nano tanks, fishes, shrimps, plants, and everything in between. Their selections here are quite amazing for a tiny shop. They also have very knowledgeable owners and is a one stop shop for all your aquarium needs. Highly recommend going here vs. a larger pet shop if you can! read more

I was really bummed about my overall experience. I went on 10/20 and spent almost $100 @ the store. I bought some albino pandas that had just arrived that day and 3 female Bettas for my budding sorority. I acclimate the fish and after 1 hr of dropping them in,one of the pandas die. It literally chilled on the sand and just croaked right then and there. The other panda seemed fine. The next morning i find it passed away. I messaged them on Insta and made them aware and asked If i could get store credit bc the fish were $6.99 a pop. So $14. They said ok. So i finally had the chance to go back as I'm not really near Lawndale and I get some fish. I used the credit, and it was A HASSLE just to end up using it, even with my receipt they tried to rip me off and say that the price of the fish would've been $5.99 instead of $6.99. it clear as day said $6.99 on my receipt per a fish. They said in their system, the price is different for the fish and they do not understand why I paid that price. I just could not fathom how dumb that was. YOU MADE THE PRICE AND ITS ON THE RECEIPT. They really tried to skimp over $1 difference. And to add a cherry on my shit Sunday, I get home. I bought 2 Corys - 1 Panda and a Sterbai, and 5 neons. Tell me why, after acclimating them, the Sterbai does the same thing as the albino Panda and croaks in less than an hr being in the damn tank. Furthermore, for each day after, I would lose a neon. I finally paid $10 for 2 neons and $5 for a dead sterbai. Yeah, needless to say, I'm not going back. read more

Lotus Aquarium is a tiny little fish store with some great planted tanks and great selection of freshwater fish. How do they fit so much is such a little space? Unlike many of the fish stores in the area, especially the chain pet shops, they are staffed with people who know and understands aquariums. They have a very large selection of aquatic plants with a couple of tanks that obviously have been aquascaped by someone who knew what they were doing. Lotus Aquarium's selection of fish is just the right mix and with plenty of each variety. They carry not only fish for beginners and experienced hobbyist, they also carry the right mix of fish of needed for various aquarium setup and the right mix of fish for a balanced mico freshwater environment. Next time? Yeah I'm still in the process of repopulating my 80gal aquarium and will need more fish. Looking to buy a shoal of fish that are friendly, cute and have good personality. read more

DONT COME HERE!!!! Unless you want a fish place that would rather just sell you some fish to make a sale. I ask the woman there if we need to bring in some water (since it's a new tank) to test the PH and she said NO. Our angel fish died because the ph is 8.5. They obviously don't care about the care that's taken for these fish after a sale. Who knows if their fish are sick or not because they are dishonest. She sold me two goldfish, two angelfish, and 2guppies without know if the water is ok for it to be purchased. read more

7/31/22: I had to say goodbye to my little pandemic buddy. He was with me for exactly 2 years and he finally went to fishy heaven. Poor Sanka Rastafarian. He was such a good companion. Tomorrow, I will pick up my new pandemic buddy for the 2nd half of this crazy life. read more

I've been here twice so far. They seem to have everything I want. I had been looking for kuhli loaches and gave up. But they had them here which was great! The 2nd time I wanted some shrimp and they had 4 or 5 varieties available. I wanted a loach that ate snails and they didnt have what I was looking for so I ended up getting 2 assasin snails and they seem to be working great. My next trip will incluse a plant purchase. They have tons of healthy looking plants. They have good customer service also. Depending on who you get they may be more or less talkative but they always answer my 1000 plus questions. And even when I don't know to ask, I get good information. For example, the person who sold me the shrimp took the time to explain how to acclimate them to my tank. I would've floated them if he hadn't done that so that was super helpful. Prices are good and sometime they have specials like 3 for $10 or along those lines which is a nice surprise for me. It also feels good to support an independent shop. I highly recommend this place! read more

I went to a lot of places before finding this store. In my opinion, they are the best in the Southbay. Super friendly, knowledgable, and willing to answer any question you might have. And most importantly, all of the tanks are clean, and their fish are extremely active and healthy. If you have an aquarium or looking to start your first....give this place a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

Lotus Aquarium - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

Asked for one type of snail, and they sold me another with damaged shells. Didn't notice until I left. They did not have a good selection. Not too happy about the lack of communication. They just wanted the quick sale as lost a potential future customer. read more

Good variety. Fair prices. Comfortable neighborhood vibe. Easy parking. Regular hours. read more

Best fish store in Redondo/Manhattan/Lawndale/Hawthorne/El Segundo. They always have a good selection of fish, plants, snails and fish food. Chris, the owner is INCREDIBLY helpful and knows everything about all fish. Chris is not pushy and he will help you set-up the perfect community tank if you give him your parameters. Chris also can offer up great advice on caring for sick fish and how to clean out algae using various fish/snails. Definitely go to this store for all of your fish needs. read more

You may miss this business as it's a rather small storefront -- in fact, I almost did! But I'm glad I found Lotus Aquarium. The store is also small, but is packed with all sorts of goods. I was especially impressed with the selection of plants. It may not have all of the exotic offerings of Nature Aquarium (the Amano Design Aquarium outlet in Santa Monica), but there is still a wide and wonderful selection. They also have the hard-to-find Tropica plants (potted plants grown in aseptic conditions), which I gladly immediately purchased. There's a good selection of fish, all looking healthy. I noted some interesting varieties of goldfish including the celestial eye and other breeds. I had the chance to chat briefly with Chris (reading the other reviews I think he's one of the owners) and found him friendly and knowledgeable. Small businesses such as Lotus Aquarium are challenged to compete with online retailers and the bigger pet outlets. Yet as I've said in other reviews, these smaller businesses have what a hobbyist needs and make it convenient. I'm not going to buy a new filter every week (nor should I), but I know I'll want to update my plants or add some new fish to my tank. I'm glad Lotus Aquarium is there whenever I'm out in the South Bay, it's a business worth supporting. read more

I read the reviews expecting a large diverse selection, but to me, the selection was rather small as far as having more common freshwater aquarium fishes, from community tank to aggressive. They did have a few nice chichlids and flower horn varieties and clearly they take care of their fishes with clean water, good filtration and what looks to be a very healthy environment. I'm hoping they'll expand their selection. The store size is rather small compared to most aquarium stores, so I'm not sure what they can do based on that limitation alone. The prices looked decent and average, and the fishes looked healthy, so if they have what you're looking for it's a safe bet to buy here. It's a nice welcomed addition to the neighborhood, and has fairly easy street parking. read more

Lotus Aquarium - Lotus Aquarium in Lawndale is located nearby both Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach and El Segundo in the South Bay of LA - Aquarium Services Near Me - Lawndale, California

As they, themselves, describe, this is a family owned business. It is a small, well stocked, aquarium store with a large variety of fish. In the back, they also have a couple of ponds where you can shop for some outdoor fish, as well. As a long-standing aquarium enthusiast, I am always happy to shop at these family owned businesses. Shop local! Personally, I had driven past this store many times but I never went in. Today, I was in the market for a new, medium sized aquarium for very specific location, and as I was driving by I thought maybe I should check them out. It was the right place to go. I found exactly what I was looking for for a very - very reasonable price. Though this shop certainly does not have the pomp and circumstance of some of the large chain pet stores, what this store does have is a unique environment where you can find the fish, aquatic plants, aquariums, and the aquarium supplies that you need. read more

Staff is extremely knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I will definitely shop there again. They carry a variety of fish and aquatic plants.

(Bare with me, this will be long.) So yesterday I bought a Betta not knowing how to take care of a fish. I saw him at a random store in Hawthorne late at night and couldn't leave him there. Next thing I know today I'm at Lotus because of all the great reviews. Parked in the back walked around and waited in line to enter the store. Walking into the store I was greeted by the staff. Immediately ready to help and happy to as well. I met with Chris and I let him know that I've never taken care of a fish as an adult. I don't know the first thing to make sure he survives. Now this store is small, or I suppose intimate. Let me tell you though they have options for everything! He patiently answered all my questions and oh boy did I have questions. Chris asked me questions as well. Such as if I have a budget and what I would want in my aquarium. I felt like I was there for hours but in a good way. I felt reassured in what I can do for my betta and how I can give him a good life. I ended up buying a 5 Gallon tank specifically the Marina 5G LED Aquarium Kit. Now this kit is great for beginners. It comes with a filter and what I would need to clean the water to get the perfect pH. I also got Aquarium soil, 4 real plants and a moss ball. Floating Betta log which stays right at the top of my tank and has a little gap for feeding. Also, bought a water heater because Bettas need a warm tropical environment. Overall I spent a good amount of money but it's quality. Once I get my betta comfortable in its new home I'll get him a few friends. I didn't feel rushed or pushed to buy the most expensive product. Chris worked with me to get what I need to start off with. I can't wait to go back and learn more about bettas. Lotus Aquarium rocks! read more

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