Our favorite aquarium shop ever- Steve is such a pro and a pleasure to talk to. We wandered in one day after my kid's cello class and got hooked looking at all the cool fish and shrimp! Two years later we have an amazing tank stocked full of kuhli loaches and a cute betta fish. Steve has the best recommendations about plants, tank care, and he's a lot of fun to talk to about life/the world. I'm not joking, this shop is truly one of a kind and very special. Don't hesitate to visit! Great prices, always the real deal, so so so much better than Amazon, Petco or even Chewy. Easy parking and cool area in general! read more

Always a pleasure coming here and always get what I need I drove far just to make it here to this shop. I grew up in the area whwn I was young. read more

This is the second times shopping at this aquarium shop. The gentleman who work here is very knowledgeable. Take his time to help you and gave good advice. Overall, I see that fishes is very nice and healthy here. Will continue to shop here for sure. read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Aquarium corals - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great place to get stuff for all your aquarium needs. I really appreciated their selection of aquarium live plants, way more than most aquarium/pet stores I've been to. read more

Steve is the GOAT! My boyfriend and I come to this store to pick up ranchu all the time and are always impressed by the standard of welfare he has for his animals, as well as how kind and helpful he is. He knows each fish very well, he once sold us a gorgeous black ranchu whom he personally cared for for years. He still remembered her favourite snacks and temperament as a young fish. He lovingly shared all those stories with us and asked us to please take good care of her :') One thing I noticed was that there is no photography or food and drink in the store, which I thought was a very thoughtful gesture towards his animals--so that there are fewer objects suddenly startling them. That's something I don't often see in pet stores, where profit can overtake kindness to the animals themselves. We shop around different pet stores in the area and noticed too that the fish we bring home from Steve tend to be less skittish--a testament to the environment he keeps them in. It's very clear Steve has a passion and is not only here to sell livestock. Anything you want to know about fishkeeping, he'll stop and take the time to share. In an age where everything is sold online, it's easy to get items whenever you want--but a good brick and mortar like this one is so special, run by an honest family, and worth your support. Thank you PTF and Steve! :) read more

The manager is knowledgeable and kind! We got our two turtles from him and he is always so helpful!

My kid is taking music lessons at a different place in the same shopping center, so this initial review is based on my walk-by and peek in the store, as well as what I could father from the store front. PTF Pets seems to be largely an aquarium place-- the back walls are covered with tanks, there are aisles on the floor, and a couple of workers were loading styrofoam containers of presumably live fish while I was standing there. The storefront features male betta fish for $4.99, live koi, and aquarium starter sets. Prices seem reasonable, although I didn't get any time in the store. Perhaps they're not quite open for business yet in this recovering shopping center? Posted hours show open until 7 PM M-F, and until 6 on weekends, but they were locked at 5:15 today. Going to head back over and check the place out next Tuesday... the neighborhood hasn't had a specialty aquarium store since Vince's Pets shuttered years ago over on Foothill. And no, the big box PET stores in the area don't count. read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Storefront in shopping center - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This place is GREAT! They have a great selecton of fishes and your other fish needs! And the ówner is super friendly, nice and helpful! read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Assorted Molly's / Serpae Tetras / Columbian Redfin Tetra / Neon Tetras from PTF. Had these for weeks and they are happy & healthy! - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wonderful store with lots of supplies and fish too for saltwater aquariums, fresh water, and ponds, aquatic plants too, necessary chemicals. We shop here for our pond supplies, and the owner is super-helpful with pond maintenance guidance. Highly recommend. read more

It's a small mom & pop shop, but more like just pop shop. I know he's only open from 10/11-5pm, but the owner has been there for over 40 something years by himself at that location. Please be patient as he may be helping another person. I mainly come here for the variety of bettas. It's a great selection and not quite like the $5 bettas you find at the local conglomerate pet store. Yes they may be a little more, but you are getting a more exotic color scheme variety of regular size to king betta to giant betta. Yes there is a difference between them. read more

The store is in a bad shape. There is mold in the ceiling which it can be very dangerous. However, nothing bothers me more than seeing the conditions of the Betta fish little vases. The water is filthy and there were a few dead. There were a some vases with barely any water inside. If you want to sell these fish please make sure you care for them while in your store. It is insane to have them in such conditions. Insane!!! Please do better! read more

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I have been going to this store for years even for any kind of advice, The gentleman that is always there is very knowledgeable. I have koi fish in a pond and 4 turtles. I also have an aquarium with10 fish. I'm getting old and I asked him if he takes my fish and turtles in case something happens to me and he and he said yes. read more

My local fish store. This place is great for dry goods and has supplies for both saltwater and freshwater. Prices are reasonable and Steve, the owner, is a very helpful guy. He's very knowledgeable about his trade and will give it to you straight, no upsell or anything like that. If you're a saltwater enthusiast, the store gets a new shipment of fish and coral every Sunday morning. Sometimes you'll find something rare and he usually gives a discount on these items. Always a fun day! read more

I love this fish store! My kids especially do as well. They have a vast variety of sea creatures and the healthiest fishes I've seen compared to a lot of aquarium shops I've been to. Plus it's so spacious too not the kind where you have to side step away from others just to get through the lane, which I truly like because it would bug me if someone bumped into my kids and not apologize. It's a must go to if you are in need of fishes or supplies in general. Also a very friendly environment with a vibe of calm cool and collected with the knowledge of just about any questions you would have for them. Prices are very fair. Please don't haggle. It's definitely not cool to do. Thank you very much PTF Family! Our family will always shop here! read more

Great fish. Healthy. Steve, the owner, is awesome and so helpful. I have a 120 gallon fresh water tank and my son has a 150 gallon salt water tank. I trust Steve over anyone. I've been a customer of his for 30 years. Highly recommend this store !!! read more

Great store. Being going there for years. Yes, it is in an older strip mall that is a bit run down. But don't judge the book by its cover. Fish seem well cared for and I have brought many plants and fish from this place place over the years with no complaints. Staff is very friendly as well. The go to place for hobbyist. read more

I love this place. The owner was very patient with all of my questions and my rowdy kids. He has stuff for outdoor ponds, which is hard to find in other stores. I finally found my water lettuce and water hyacinth! I can't wait to come back here to stock my tank once I get it set up! read more

Old and expensive they do not have the fish I wanted. Not recommended this place to pricey

Steve is the best! He goes out of his way to help us with our pond when we encounter a problem. We've been going to him for over 10 years I highly recommend Pasadena tropical fish. Excellent customer service with a smile! read more

Been coming here for a year prices are fair sundays are the days you want to go if you are looking for fish

I have started 3 different aquariums since the pandemic/covid outbreak and I've come to Pasadena Tropical Fish for a wide variety of supplies from fish, plants, decor and other items. They pretty much have it all. Because of the wide variety of fish and different aquatic pets and while my boyfriend is not happy that I have 3 fish tanks already and have been begging to get more, we do both enjoy coming here and seeing all the different animals that they have. The family that runs this pet store is really nice and helpful. They can get busy at times though so please be patient. This isn't Petco or some big chain, which I like. read more

Store is a little chaotic. Good supply of aquarium stuff. Bettas all looked roughed up at least 2 dead. Would not go back.

For my 100th Yelp review I wanted to share with everyone Pasadena Tropical Fish (PTF) and why they are such a great establishment. Sorry Yelp friends, you can't eat these fish... Well, you could, but eeeeeeew! I've been coming here for over 15 years. Steve and his family take the time to speak to you about a healthy environment for their "critters." If they don't think you can care for it properly, they won't let you buy it. I really think that's being very responsible especially with corals and certain fishes and I don't see that happening at other places. I've been into marine aquariums for over 25 years now, and when you find a place like PTF, you realize how lucky we are in the San Gabriel Valley to have PTF. They have a large selection of fresh/saltwater fishes, and other products. I've only ever purchased their imported koi for my pond (the Japanese or Malaysian koi are quite beautiful and different than what you see locally). Cash is king, boys and girls... As with most other fish stores, you might get a little discount for cash. It's just how the cookie crumbles. If you are looking for something special, just tell Steve and he will keep an eye out for you! How about some sexy pics and vid of some of the things I've purchased at PTF: read more

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I am working at home full time at the moment with two young kids. I wanted to get back into the fish hobby. (It's literally been 10+ years) Decided it was time to make the venture back during the pandemic. At the same time, my kids do enjoy it too. My family and I recently relocated to the SGV from the Bay Area and I came across PTF. I'm super happy to have found a fish store that has a wide variety of exotic fish. However, this place lacks the customer service that I look for, and I will not go back here again. Thankfully, I was able to locate another local store that has exotic fish selection that goes the extra mile. The person who runs the business definitely didn't provide a positive vibe. Short in responses and paid no attention to support my questions. Experience: I purchased 3 "cockatoo dwarf cichlids" to realize they were actually 3 Agassiz's. The store owner should know their inventory better as I trusted them and went ahead with the purchase. Yes I'm upset! Mind these fishes aren't cheap, ($20 each) all three have died within 2 week span. I had my water tested and levels were fine. This makes me feel like the fishes weren't all that healthy to begin with and weren't accumulated correctly. Whatever, the case, lesson learned. Long story short... This store is about 20-30 minute commute which I thought was worth it for their fish selection. I attempted to call them many times on my second trip there with no response. What do you know. I drove there and the sterbai fishes that I was told would arrive in a week weren't there. I would recommend going to CK Fish World. That's the store I located. They have the fish inventory and provide excellent customer service. read more

Hands down, the best place to get aquarium supplies in the area. My dad came here for his aquarium supplies, and now I go here as well. Even though there's a Petsmart down the street, I'll always drive the extra distance to come here. Supplies and fish are usually cheaper, and the owner is always willing to give advice. He is honest as well, and never tries to up sell you on anything. It is a bit humid in the store, but what do you expect from an aquarium store? There's tons of water, of course it's going to be humid. read more

He is real knowledgeable I would like to see live brine and ghost shrimp prices are fair overall I always buy a few saltwater fish

I go for here for my saltwater tank. Has everything that you need for saltwater and freshwater aquariums, a nice selection of coral as well. Prices are especially good on Sundays!!!! read more

Spent a lot of my childhood here. I used to run my own 90 gallon aquarium and this would be my go to place to buy anything. They would have cool things for sale all the time and I always bought saltwater from them. They have everything saltwater and freshwater and more! I really love this business because I'd rather get things here than from the online store. There are other stores in the area, but none of them compare. The owner is very experienced in this field. Some of the coolest experiences here influenced me to study biology in college! read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Zoanthids - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

I wanted to give a shout out to this tropical fish store hidden in a half empty shopping center that has everything you need in regards to tropical fish & other aquatic pets. The store is packed with everything from saltwater to freshwater fish... plenty of exotics and other things you may need for that perfect aquarium. They've got tanks, filtration systems, pumps, food, plants, accessories, and everything you can possibly think of. It's not the most tidiest or organized store, but really, when you are looking for substrate and natural rocks in a million sizes, I think you can overlook that. I've been going to this store for at least ten years and the owner has always been helpful & accommodating. Everyone that I've talked to who works there has been friendly & I've never had any issues trying to find help with anything. My daughter's turtle is very pleased with everything I've gotten from this store & highly recommend it for anyone needing aquatic pet supplies. read more

Sure ... they have a LOT of stuff but honestly, it looks like they just don't care anymore. The store is dirty and poorly organised. Not a single well "scaped" planted tank. I went in as a long term aquarist excited to get back into the hobby. I brought back ich and plants which immediately died. All this despite me having purchased a new light from PTF which was sold "out of the box" for more than I later found a new one elsewhere in box. This all caused an ammonia spike which necessitated a complete reset of my setup. As an experienced keeper of planted tanks I partially blame myself - hence the 2 star rather than 1 star review but I also gave the owner all of the pertinent information and received zero advice or guidance which might have prevented the disaster of losing not only the 7 fish I purchased but the 3 which had been happily living in my tank for 5 years within days of the new arrivals. Literally the worst wastage of money I have ever had in the hobby. Adding insult to injury was the way my 11 year old was devastated by this whole experience. She also specifically wants me to mention that when the owner's son got our purchases for us from their tanks he seemed like he didn't enjoy his job. Or maybe it was that he had a group of friends hanging out and didn't want to be distracted by actual work. I had been a long term client at Mark's Tropical Fish in Studio City and was devastated to find them gone from their former location. The silver lining is that the total disaster motivated me to do a web search for Mark's only to find them happy and thriving at a new location in Burbank on Magnolia. Please go and check them out! Also Nature Aquarium in Santa Monica. read more

The store smells and feels humid when you first walk in. We found that we got used to it pretty quickly. Some of the prices for fish are very good, some are a bit high. The same is true for the supplies. The store needs a very serious overhaul. There is a mishmash of things everywhere, floor tiles are missing, ceiling tiles are missing/stained.....it just doesn't look very nice. The owner is very nice though, patient with questions, patient while you choose your fish (although we try to choose before getting his attention), and he's quite knowledgeable. The store is not much to look at, but the selection and owner are worth the visit. read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Before finding this store, I was in about 9-10 others , this the only place you can buy fish and some of them not die in an about week. Firs time I visited Tropical fish during pandemic and I got feeling, that despite good variety and fair prices, this store owner is going to retire soon. Place was chaotic and kinda unorganized, but from then on I noticed that store is much better every next time I visit it. read more

Great Place to shop for aquarium needs. This place has been run by the same family for the last 15 years that I've been going there. Steve is very knowledgeable and friendly. You can always ask him for suggestion or bounce ideas or problems with your aquarium with him. This place always has great stock when it comes to fresh water or salt water fish organism. They also have a great supply of other aquarium supplies such as filters, media, plumbing, lighting, food, chemicals, substrates, and driftwood etc....Highly recommend read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Most of my fish and plants has been purchased from PTF - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you're looking for the PetSmart experience you're in the wrong place. This is more of a place for people who are already familiar with fishkeeping. I've found great deals here. After taking a break from my last failure I've decided to try just doing a small set up. The 2 gallon rimless tank was only $15 and the total of all the rocks was also about $15. It was also for some reason the only place I could smaller bags of sand. There's an ok selection of plants here and a great selection of livestock. There's also good selection of other aquarium decor like dragon stone and driftwood and a bunch of other fish supplies that you'll be hard pressed to find even on Amazon. read more

Excellent selection of tropical fish and plants. I get my fresh and saltwater fish here. Owner has excellent knowledge and is helpful. Easy parking and if you go Sunday mornings, the bag sale is great. read more

Pasadena Tropical Fish - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Yes it's a large store with a large selection but the quality is very poor. A lot of the fish seem unhealthy and their live plants look like an afterthought. The owner seems unhappy and bitter. Very poor customer service. The only positive is that on my last visit I saw they have walking catfish which are illegal but I love them. read more

There seems to be few employees working here, so if they don't pick up the phone, you'll know it's because the employees are busy. But nonetheless, I kept on trying. I called this store to ask if they would take in a starfish that was accidentally captured & sold in a bag of shrimp by a grocery store. Steve immediately said, "Sure, bring it in." I brought the starfish in, & he said they would take care of it. Before leaving I walked around the store to check it out. They have beautiful colorful little fish here. I walked around some more & saw that they were caring for a different type of starfish. So I think I did a good thing in bringing the starfish here. Hopefully it will be able to survive under PTF's care. I wouldn't have known what to do with it on my own since I don't have my own aquarium at home. Thank you, PTF! read more

Love this place every thing is healthy corals fish etc. This shop has very good quiet energy Mr. Steve is the man!

This review is only as a customer's first visit . Big spacious store but this place SMELLS strongly of fishy aquariums and aquarium plants which need a good wash !!! Lighting was poor , store feels stuffy , floor full of split tiles resulting in uneven and unleveled walking , comes in several aisles to warn customers to tread carefully. They have a great selection of beautiful fish but many aquariums appeared filthy and darkened . I did not purchase any fish because the entire store truly appears pathetic . read more

There is plenty of parking. As I entered the store, there is a humid and fishy smell. It think it needs air circulation. Minus 1 star. I bought a few fishies. This is a hidden gem. There are lots of fish selection. I really like the labeling if fish types. The man in the store seems nice. . read more