Great store with an owner that's been in business over 50 years! Great selection of fish, food and plants

This is the personification of an old school LFS. All the staff are knowledgeable. Sure it's not super polished but this isn't a museum you are looking for a wide selection of fish and oh boy they've got em. They've got a 16 year old arrowana in a tank above while you browse their extensive inventory of freshwater beauties. Did I mention the plants? All the plants they've got in their tanks are alive and healthy and most importantly at a FRACTION of the cost of Psmart and Pco. The staff knows their stuff and since I was starting a new 29 gallon I figured what the hell I'll ask for a seeded piece of old filter media and without question it was done. THIS is what fish stores strive to be. Knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices, INSANE selection and the personal touch of fulfilling small requests like providing seeded filter media. I've been in the hobby for 20+ years and I know for a fact that the number one fish killer is a non-cycled tank. The fact that this vendor was willing to break off a piece of their seeded media was reason enough to understand that these guys are the actual real authentic deal. Your search is over come to Midway don't question yourself. read more

Midway Tropical Fish & Pets - Water sprites and Rasboras all from Midway. - Pet Stores Near Me - Kent, Washington

Been going there for 30+ years. I really love supporting a locally-owned business! Very friendly, large selection. read more

My grandmother used to get her koi fish here when I was in my preteens. They were wonderful then,and are wonderful now. The staff are friendly and helpful. They also have so many fish, of all variety, stuff that you won't see anywhere else. They also have a good selection of used tanks for a good price. My wife ended up, upgrading her tank again with one of these. We are very happy and will be back soon, to stock our new, bigger tank. read more

They have the best prices in town there Aquarium plants are super cheap , like 2.99 if you were to go to peco they would want 19 for the same plants large stock off fish and much more Highly recommend read more

Visited this store yesterday. I was SO impressed! WOW HUGE selection of tropical fish, AMAZING customer service, reasonable prices! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! I will be back! Huge Fan of this place! read more

Good selection on fish and plants. However the way they house their rabbits and birds is unacceptable. The rabbits had no hay or water when I went and seem to be under a year old so staying on top of their nutrition is vital. There was 10 in I'm guessing a 40 gallon tank, no room to move. The bird cages were disgusting and overstocked. There were poop dead/sick bettas in the small cups. The guinea pigs were in small cages on the floor in a corner and had little to no water/food/enrichment. The staff were nice but they need to do better for the animals, they obviously care more about a sale rather than the well being of the pets. read more

I purchased two clown loaches and three glow danios, the loaches had terrible ich, the glow danios had a parasite and they all died. Great selection of more unique fish but they do not seem to take the best care of them. I have gone here a few more times over the past couple years, this past time I got 5 cardinal tetras from them, 3 immediately died when putting them into my tank, then the remaining dies over the next couple days, and it started killing the ones I already had. I have successfully been keeping tanks for years and know the issue is not with my tanks because the rest of my fish are thriving. Definitely quarantine or just plan on your fish being sick/dieing once you get them home. I wanted to like this place because the people are friendly and they have a large selection. But with disease and issues with the fish I have purchased it's not worth the risk. I would not recommend this store for fish. read more

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Maybe it was because the young woman working was too busy or didn't like the way i looked when told her that I needed springtail culture. Maybe she thought my smile was rude or that i was pressuring her by asking for assistance while she shuffled around the store without a single positive emotion detectable in either her expression, demeanor or body language. Maybe she hates springtails. I don't know. All i do know is that this was an individual who definitely did not want to be at work, talking to customers and it showed. All i know is that I had to stand around for 10 minutes at the front desk for her to get what i asked for because she couldn't be bothered to pause what she was doing and spend 2 minutes helping me so i could leave. I have been going to Midway Pets since i was a teenager - believe that first visit was in 1989, this was the first time i left annoyed, and now i am just angry. Your employee defrauded and stole from me by giving me an empty container with nothing but pressed charcoal pellets and filled 3/4 with water. Is it distilled? I have no idea. Was there actually immature springtails in the package that she "carefully" prepared for me in the back in order just as I asked? What as these pellets? Why aren't you offering springtails in either charcoal lump, clay or substrate options that are easier for consumers? Why don't you ask the customer what type of culture they want? I have no idea. Because that was May 21st. As i mentioned, I am pretty patient so i didn't want to jump to conclusions. Took the container home and despite my efforts, it is pretty clear that this Midway employee happily charged me for an EMPTY container of pellets and water. Still i knew that i would have to wait to be sure, which to be honest, is probably why she defrauded me. So now the terrariums I desperately need springtails were even worse than they were beforehand because I was sitting here daily checking the "culture" and trying to have faith that Midway didn't just steal from me. Grains of rice gone untouched over weekends verify that after 10 days there was exactly NO springtails in the culture that i purchased YOUR EMPLOYEE 100% purposefully sold me an EMPTY container. I could have just ordered these online from Amazon but i wanted to support a local business that I have been coming to since I was a teenager in the 80s. Not anymore though. You only get to fool this customer once. I went online and had them overnighted because a local business couldn't be bothered. Shame on you Midway. After being a staple of the community for decades, this is the direction you went. Seriously? How disappointing. read more

Someone needs to get this place to stop selling live animals. My heart was broken at the shape the poor birds were in. They deserve so much better. If someone could rescue the white cockatoo and bring it out of that windowless room, I would forever thank you. And the rabbits and guinea pigs were also in terrible, tiny cages. read more

The birds are neglected here. They are in cages that are too small and very disgusting, and tucked away in a room with no windows. It's so sad to think about how they never see the sunlight while in this store. I hope they stop selling birds, it's obvious they don't care about them. read more

This business has so much potential but the ownership is stuck in the last millennium. Service is slow. Selection is limited. However, live food for my ball pythons is hard to find in southern King County. read more

I've gotten into the fishtank hobby pretty extensively this past year, and Midway is probably the place I check first if I want something. But I would compare it to shopping at Grocery Outlet for fancy cheeses (legit, they've got a good selection at a steep discount because most people don't buy them) versus going down to DeLautenti. Yes--the staff is very knowledgeable about fish and aquarium plants--although I have been steered wrong in the past for a fish I REALLY liked. But, I do not think they're "only looking to make a sale", I think I paid $3.49 to learn that sub-species often have more specialized care needs than the overall genus (RIP Squirt). Anyway, my $3.49 fish, or Brenda's $15 betta pintrest fail aren't the stores fault, and it's not what's keeping them in business. GSAS members get a discount. And, they have taken delinquent fish from friends of mine. I am able to have really detailed discussions with the staff, which I have really appreciated as I'm learning. I do NOT like: *dead fish. Yes, in a store, the fish are fresh from transport and stressed, so their immune systems are compromised--so there is a higher likelihood that they will pass. But I have come in here a few times and it was really apparent that the person who was working that day didn't do any "clean up"...which is gross. I haven't had any fish from this place perish immediately upon getting them home (looking at you Sierra), but I have gone in and decided that I should probably just go home because the person working isn't doing their job today. *the Non-fish part of the store. The animals are all pretty cramped and sometimes not in the best shape. It's VERY possible that this store is taking in more than the locals unwanted fish--like the locals unwanted iguanas and rabbits--without the greatest resources to accommodate them longterm. Again, I have NOT seen any dead rodents or reptiles in their areas (AGAIN, looking at you, Sierra)--but, if the store was able to partner with the Federal Way Fish and Reptile Rescue but focus more on fish, where their experience clearly lies, there wouldn't be so many community complaints...which I consider valid. *the MESS. Honest, I have a lot of hobbies and half-started enthusiasms at my house. And every 6 months I need to do a significant clear out of things. But this place is what happens when a passionate person goes unchecked for a little too long. Most of the back half of the store is untraversable because of the crap. I 1000% understand having found something really cool but not having a use for it YET...but throw that shit AWAY because it's taking up valuable sale floor space. read more

Me and my boyfriend constantly goes to this place A LOT because we like to support businesses that aren't petco or pet smart & they're so knowledgeable & they have cheaper + more convenient options... crazy how a simple question like "do you guys accept Apple Pay" can change your perspective on people. Not sure if the blonde haired girl was having a bad day, but didn't like the attitude coming from her. "You asked us that already. You asked us that the last time" okay.... I forgot & wanted to make sure before I waste their time. The brunette girl is so nice & friendly. She should take tips from her on how customer service is. We LOVE nice people. Anyways gave an extra star because of the options and the other workers who are NICE & knowledgeable. read more

This has always been the "old" fish store in appearance. Exterior is old and worn, interior is old even some of the inventory, old but new lol It's a big part of the charm. But I have to say, the last couple years they have really been stepping stuff up. The back store room is getting organized and new products with the big fish mostly back there. A lot of different and beautiful goldfish and koi are kept inside, with bigger stuff and plants in the ponds outside. Kiddo loves seeing the Arowana in a ceiling level tank and the big orb aquarium when you enter the fish room. Stopped in yesterday for a couple female swordtails to my colony and left with a pretty female Betta we named petunia lol Plus the swordtails, kiddo fell in love with some feeder guppies with wild type markings like my Endlers, so I have the start of yet another colony of live-bearers. So, if you're driving past the store because of the outside, just ignore that but. It's what's inside that matters. read more

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Staff is always considerate and knowledgeable Every pet has been in good health that I have purchased from them. I love that they are local, with hours that work for my schedule. I will continue to give them my business, looking at those finches to take home next. Thank You for always being prompt with service and prices are right! Kitty Champagne read more

Midway Tropical Fish & Pets - My Glo tetras - Pet Stores Near Me - Kent, Washington

As someone who is a huge animal advocate and who runs an animal rescue as well as is a board member for multiple other animal rights organizations, this was appalling to see. It was clear the staff is not knowledgeable on proper animal care, or maybe just ignorant to spend money on improving the animals lives. Or maybe they just don't care and are all about the profits. So unfortunately they are continuing to be funded by the public which means they will continue to breed animals in these conditions. To be fair, their selection of products is great. If this was JUST a pet supply store they would be wonderful. But because they are breeders and are inhumanely keeping animals in these conditions, they do not have my support to keep their business running. read more

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Agh, this review is a tough one to write. I wish I could leave 3.5... We've got quite the zoo in our house. 2 cats, a dog, and a chameleon. We frequent either this place or Petsmart for getting our pets things. I came here recently for the first time with my husband, who had gone before without me and thinks this place is awesome. Which, for the record, it is.... They've got EVERYTHING you can think of here and for pretty cheap! They have a huge container of hornworms for our chameleon for $15 where at Petsmart it's normally $4 for one... In these containers you get like 10 or more. So it's definitely the better deal here. They've got all sorts of pets to buy. A few different birds, a TON of fish, turtles, reptiles, rodents, you name it! My husband even saw a couple bunnies for sale for $30 when he stopped in one day. They even have a shop parrot who sits on a perch in one of the aisles. Aside from having just about everything you need and pretty knowledgeable, kind staff... The issue is the environment. The building itself is a little run down, whatever. The inside of the store is filled to the brim and frankly, could use a better cleaning schedule. It's a little chaotic and lots of the cages/tanks look pretty dirty. There's also broken tanks laying around in some of the fish areas which probably isn't safe. That being said, all of the animals and fish LOOK and act fairly healthy. So maybe I'm just used to big box stores like Petco keeping a very clean shop. It's a great spot and we'll continue to frequent for the low prices and the fact that it's a cool spot to kill time with our son (he loves to look at all the fish and rodents). read more

I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for the awesome pink flow tree the lovely young lady showed me to buy for my betta. He literally LOVES HIS PINK TREE. He sits on top of it and stares at me hahaha And thank you to the gentleman in the tan shirt (owner?) he was doing double duty taking phone calls and helping me pick out my medicine for Lapiz Lazoli's fins. (3rd sick fish I've bought from crappy petco/smart)... This was my first visit to your store and I very much enjoyed seeing the cute kittens playing in the bird room floor, and the beautiful big eel like fish in the 6 foot tank. And the lovely young lady employee with the black hair and yellow top gave me a few pieces of duckweed to put in Lazoli's tank. He swam right up to it to check it out. My betta is so much happier with these additions to his tank. It was cool to see all the amazing fish tanks in your store and how good the giant parrot was out on their own. I had fun visiting for the first time it reminded me of being a kid in Tacoma and going to the B&I. Cool downhome shop. Not sure what's with all the prissy rude primadonnas on here saying mean things ummm maybe they should show up and do all the maintenance they're crying about... help out instead of being mean. (Are THEY perfect???) Loved your shop, everyone was working hard double time and extremely nice. I'm telling all my friends about it. Support local down home NW businesses. read more

Midway Tropical Fish & Pets - Lapiz Lazoli sitting on his pink flow tree from Midway Pets - Pet Stores Near Me - Kent, Washington

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This place is horrible . Animals were dead in cages . Birds had no food or water . The reptiles had either no water or dirty water as well as molded food . Someone needs to shut them down and save these animals . Do a service and report them to animals control and the health department. Please help these babies. read more

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Recently visited and saw staff vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning all the tanks. It was nice to see. Still had a strong pet store smell but it's expected and doesn't have the air filtration system a big store might have. Bought a few fish that were cheaper than your big box stores and they look a lot healthier too. Definitely going to keep coming back! read more

I really wanted to like this place but they've obviously over burdened themselves with the amount of creatures in their care. The condition of the birds is the main thing that needs to be addressed. Please give them to rescues or actually take care of them. They were almost all sneezing and they are plucking feathers because they need more toys and fresh air/clean water. The electrical outlets by the fish tanks are rusted and there was a guinea pig stored under a shelf on the ground. I'm sure these aren't bad people and they have a ton of fish knowledge but this place hurt my heart and I left without remembering to write a suggestion in their suggestion box out front. read more

I love this store for fish. They have a wide variety and I have never brought home a disease. I have been coming here since I was a kid, so happy they are still in business! I always have time to look at all the tanks and someone is right there to help me when I am ready. So sad to see that the friendly shop cat is missing, hope they come home safe! read more

This place needs to be shut down. The poor animals are neglected! Th we bird's water has poop in it, the newspapers in their cages are all ripped up, and the birds look dirty. They had several small cages with over a dozen of parrotlet in them. Place is disgusting, they need to take better care of their animals. read more

Old school fish and pet store that I like to support. Not many of these still left in the Seattle area. I used to come here as a kid when the midway swap meet was still here across the street. Got back into the fishkeeping hobby and was surprised to see the prices for fish here which were in some cases 50% cheaper than others. The staff is friendly and helpful. I like to support these mom and pop shops and you should to! read more

Founded over 50 years ago, Midway Tropical Fish began in the back room of a gas station on the corner immediately north of the present location. As a child I got so many wonderful fish for my aquariums, and lots of good advice from the founder. By now it's decades since they moved to the present location, became a much broader pet source, and the founder is long gone. But it still has endearing family feel. A crowded clutter of just about anything you'd need for your fish, bird, dog, kitty, guinea pig, "pocket pet," reptiles, and tarantulas, and who-knows-what is your companion. In some ways it's like stepping into the past, as some of the fixtures have been in place from the beginning, and it's not a state-of-the-art modern petshop (though recently they updated caging for snakes and lizards). But it has that mom/pop feel of a shop run on personal devotion. It's even worth a road trip if you don't live near! read more

This store is bigger than it looks. They have a large variety of pets and everything you need to care for your pet. I'm very impressed with the knowledgeable friendly staff. I always wondered how to tell a boy turtle from a girl turtle, now I know. read more

Midway Tropical Fish & Pets - Pet Stores Near Me - Kent, Washington

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Was very happy we chose this place! Bob knew so much about fishes and tanks - that's all we came for, he might have even more knowledge!- definitely worth the stop, so many options read more

Grew up going to this store so it's really heartbreaking for me to give this place 1 star but the care for these animals is absolutely disgusting. There is no love here for any animal in this building, and it's honestly awful. Honestly just unsure how this place is still running it's so upsetting I can't imagine the horror these pets go through here. read more

Best selection of African Cichlids in Western Washington. And they know and understand Cichlids.

honestly a horrible pet store. I understand animals are messy and can be smelly, but this store goes beyond that. I own many, many exotic pets. I am well educated in them. Almost all of the animals here are housed improperly, this store is much dirtier than most pet stores, habitats are overcrowded and dirty, and no one that works there ever seems to be doing anything besides the one person that sits behind the counter. Truly a deplorable place. If you care about and know about animals, you won't like it here. The positive reviews on this pet store must be from employees or people who have literally never taken proper care of animal in their life. I would never purchase an animal from here, and I would never give this place my money. Please do your research on animal care before shopping here. read more

My wife and I went here last night. The fish store was stocked very well but it looked though it was built in early 1900. I would say that every tank in store was very dirty! We just lost two very large angel fish and we would like to get third angel fish some company. We walked around for 15 minutes before we found anyone to help us. I thought if we bought any fish here that our tank would be so clean it would kill new fish? The store is really dirty and it needs someone new to run store and make it look better! I really think that two stars is way over rating this store!!!! read more

Didn't even know this place existed ! That place is amazing ! Lots and lots of tropical freshwater fish. Lots of saltwater fish. But the coolest of all is the live coral and sea enemies . They are so beautiful to see up close. They have isles upon isles of dog and cat supply's along with small animal , birds & reptiles. The busy of all is they sell CBD treats and tinctures for your pets who maybe older or have issues. I'm glad to see this in more and more stores. read more

This is a great pet store. Specially if you like fish. They have so many selections. Seattle need more pet stores like this that sells fish, reptile and even insects (Tarantula). There use to be more non-chain pet stores in Seattle, but I saw a great decline last 20 years. I found everything I need in the store. I found things that I could not find anywhere else in Seattle. Specifically, specifically cat fish like the Synodontis. I also got a Blue Phantom Plecto. Bought also two large size A+ Crystal shrimp. Will definitely come back to this place. Love their pet store cat, btw. A large, chill, Maine Coon. :-) read more

The best petshop out there! One of the very last remaining true petshops, and I will cry so much when they finally decide to close. They have so many animals! My favorite is the bird room! They also have 2 huge fish rooms, a rodent and reptile corner, and turtle and rabbit areas. Sometimes they have kittens. But, this is not a place for snobs! So, if you are stuck up and pretentious when it comes to places, do us all a favor and stay away. They don't need your rude reviews. But, if you are humble and down to earth, and you are an animal lover, this place will be heaven for you. read more

Amazing pet store! Bought a whole 10 gallon tank set up for 80 bucks! Ended up not getting my fish from there but most of their fish looked pretty healthy and happy, will definitely go back again for more fish purchases! They have a huge selection of pretty much anything you can want. They also sell used tanks which is pretty cool too! The guy was really knowledgeable about everything I needed to set up my new tank! Pretty decent pricing on everything. I kept reading reviews about how it smelt but I honestly didn't even notice it. The parking situation kinda sucked cause it was busy but all in all a great experience. read more

After going to this place, I don't see any reason to go anywhere else!! Knowledgeable, friendly and attentive staff along with the best selection of tropical fish, plants and supplies I've seen. I'll be back!!:-) read more

Midway Tropical Fish & Pets - Pet Stores Near Me - Kent, Washington

Love this store I have been going here for 40 years, they know a lot about different kinds of pets. I purchase crickets for my frog and they live longer than ones purchased from other stores, nice and healthy. The prices are great cheaper than the big box stores. I also purchase all my birds and dogs food here. The staff will load your car for you. They also helped me with all the questions I had setting up a salmon tank at the school I worked at. read more

I love this store. It's small and a bit old, but it has a cozy vibe. They have. A bunch of different animals, birds, rats, snakes, guinea pigs, fish, even a water monitor. The staff is also really nice and knowledgeable. Their fish rooms made me a little wary though. Some of the tanks look great and are pristine with colorful healthy fish, and others had multiple sick or dead fish, a few were even overrun with ich, and some needed cleaning. I bought a Lionhead juvenile and it came home with ich that I hadn't noticed so I'm a little peeved about that, but it's not a huge deal as ich is very easy to treat. I'll be returning for sure, but just be careful when picking out fish read more

This place deserves NO STARS. THIS PLACE IS DISGUSTING, AND THEY DO NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THEIR ANIMALS! I went there after going to the school nearby and I did not even go into the store, when I saw the rabbits OUTSIDE of the store in SAD CONDITIONS. Let's see, what did I see? 4 cages stacked up on top of each other, each had pad lock on it. Each cage had a WIRE BOTTOM to it (Those of you who have HOUSE rabbits know that wire bottom cages is NOT a good thing to have), a freaking water bottle, a small carrot, and PELLETS. NO HAY? ARE YOU SERIOUS? On the bottom cage, was a bunch of mini rexes not even old enough to be away from their mommy! I wanted to scream! On the top of the cage, was a black rabbit. I saw it had a huge dewlap (double chin). Dewlaps are normal - but this rabbit ghad a HUGE dewlap, and when it began to clean its face, its NAILS were SEVERELY OVERGROWN! THe poor rabbit could not even properly clean its face! I left. Whoever supports this shop should think twice about it. read more