My son got a snake for Christmas so we are beginner snake owners. The snake stopped eating and we went to the vet, and the vet was basically no help. We brought the snake into S&S and they found that it looked like he had an infection that the vet missed. We brought the snake back to the vet and they agreed and prescribed antibiotics. He still didn't eat and S&S actually took him for a few days to monitor him after that. This is a perfect example of shop local. Even though they are about 20 mins away and I pass at least 3 big box pet stores I will continue coming back here because of the service I have received from them. Thank you! read more

They are all so welcoming and the animals are well taken care of I've gotten my ball pythons from them I wouldn't go anywhere else read more

Slither & Swim - She's such I cutie I come here just for her - Local Fish Stores Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

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I drive 30 minutes to this store to get bugs for my gecko. If i'm In a bind I'll go to a different store closer to home, but I always regret it because the quality is never as good as Slither & Swim. The associates are extremely helpful and the amount of reptiles/fish they have is unlike any other store i've been to. If I could give this store a higher rating I would. They also have a cat that just roams around.. its iconic read more

Very well organized and a wide selection of reptiles and fish available. Their store cat is a sweetheart and the owner was approachable and kind. read more

Slither & Swim - Store pet - Local Fish Stores Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

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The girl I encountered today working here should find a different job, maybe she knew about the animals but she just sat behind the counter unless she had to get someone something. I had to tell her to help 2 baby bearded dragons that were stuck under some carpeting in their tank. I also happened to see an axolotl just floating at the top of the tank, not moving. I know axolotl come up for air and float in their water but that axolotl was not doing good. I told her but she said the others in the tank were picking on him. Well then take him out!!!!! Not rocket science here people! read more

Co housing large snake species in tanks unfit. These snakes also seem to have shed and mouth rot from unfit care, you should not support any reptile store that cohouses ESPECIALLY with large species, in a tiny tank, and they are sick. Disgusting read more

I bought a container of bean beetles from this store they never hatched. They told me it would take a week and they never did. I informed the store but they made no effort to refund my money to me or anything like that just saying it was "strange." So unfortunately even though I did enjoy this store and previously enjoyed buying my frogs from them I am giving them 1 star for selling me bad product. Sad they lost a customer over a simple solution. Will have to go to a different supplier like Josh's frogs. Some of these companies complain people buy online but they kind of bring it on themselves. Sad. read more

They sold me the wrong species of fish, which is unforgivable for a fish store. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars because their fish are always healthy but the fish I wanted (Jullii corydoras) are very distinctively marked as are the fish I got (Agassiz's corydoras.) This happened because they bagged the fish for me and brought them out to the car and I never thought to check because, why would I? They had always been reputable before. I called and the manager didn't seem to broken up about it. He asked if I wanted to bring them back. No. They are living beings and are in a quarantine tank and settling in. It could make them sick to put them through catching and transport again and I would never do that. So...I've looked for Jullii corys that were local for a long time and I still don't have any. These will work but they aren't what I paid for or what I wanted. Be sure to correctly identify any fish or reptile you buy from them. They may misidentify it. read more

Slither & Swim - Local Fish Stores Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

first time going and i'll be going back ! great prices , staff very informative , helpful and friendly . with them around who needs petco or petsmart ? read more

My daughter has recently gotten very into reptiles and is also a growing aquarium enthusiast. We purchased her gecko and later her fish from a big chain pet store, but we're so happy to have since discovered Slither & Swim. The staff there have been so friendly and helpful, whether giving advice on her gecko's diet or helping us deal with an algae problem in the fish tank. We haven't had to use it yet but were happy to learn they will board reptiles as well. The store is small and cramped in places but it has a very authentic feel. I'm happy to drive further to support a local business that cares about what they do. read more

Amazing knowledge and service. We purchased a very healthy leopard gecko and we were impressed by the all of information they offered to keep him happy & healthy. While we were there, a family brought their gecko of many years back because the owner was going away to college. They were happy to take him to find a new home. Highly recommend this place. read more

I've been rudely spoken to not once but twice by young males that work there. you ask a question they don't let u finish before they give you answers one guys today would even look at us as he kept breaking down boxes and speaking looking at floor. Word by mouth goes a long way And working in Veterinary filed really close to them I would never recommend them again when I ask for owner I always get call later and see if he here we won't know when he in read more

I came here with my boyfriend a few days ago while we were up in West haven visiting my cousin. The store felt very homey and inviting. The fish looked healthy as did the reptiles and rodents. I am not sure if everything there was legal to sell, but who am I to judge. If you are looking for exotic fish or reptiles I would say give them a try. I almost brought an angel fish for my 40 gallon tank but I was worried the drive to Norwalk would be too much for him. I also found it funny that there was just a neighborhood cat roaming around for pets and attention read more

Poor management. Been in for the first time in a year last week. The kid with glasses is insufferable and pretentious, and will say whatever to push product. The place also seems to be an absolute breeding ground for covid. So many people with no masks, including the owner of the store, Paul. The guy has no respect for personal space either, saw him literally within three feet of peoples faces just talking away. Had to get out of there ASAP. read more

Pluses: they had many species of reptiles available, I don't know much about fish, so no comment on that. Enclosures appeared clean. Negatives: Walked in to the staff trashing customers, didn't even acknowledge I was there and weren't particularly friendly. Here's a major one. They were selling ball pythons and they had mites. read more

I highly reccomend this store for hobbyists or nonhobbyists, they come fully stocked on supplies not normally found in chain pet stores (especially if you're in need of supplies asap and prime is considered too long of a wait) prices are fairly reasonable, and very a knowledgeable on aquatic/amphibian/reptilian animals and care. Also a great feed store as well. Friendly staff and willing to help you is always a plus. read more

I love this store! I have been a fish customer for years, and then all my casual browsing in the reptile section convinced me to buy a crested gecko from them and started my ever-growing passion for reptiles. It is a quirky and sometimes cramped little place and occasionally they get busy and you have to be patient about getting someone to help you, but they are very nice and usually very easy to deal with. Every fish, aquatic plant, reptile, and feeder insect I have bought from them has been healthy, with the exception of a group of sickly rummynose tetras a couple of years ago that I should have known better than to buy. They have a great selection of cichlids and sometimes some cool fish that (as they warn you) will grow very large, which you do not see in most stores. Occasionally if they have not gotten a shipment in a while, the overall fish selection can become sparse, so it is bad luck if you happen to come at one of those times, but you can always ask when the next shipment is coming in. They have the biggest and best selection of wood branches and rocks (as decoration for terrariums and aquariums) that I have ever seen--I moved out of the area recently and I sorely miss this. On multiple occasions they have gone the extra mile to help me by cutting wood and terrarium backgrounds to size, and if you bring your reptile in to show them, they are happy to do things like tell you its sex and consult on its health. They do sell live mice and rats as feeders, which some people might like but others might find objectionable (feeding frozen/thawed rodents is more ethical). But all-in-all a great place that I would recommend to anyone for both fish and reptiles. read more

While they may be small, they have what you need and really seem to care about the animals they keep there. They make sure that people know how to handle the animals they sell as well as let them know what the animal will be like a few years from purchase. read more

Very rude. I had a simple question about a filter and no answer they couldn't be any less helpful. I admitted I didn't buy it there which was probably my mistake. I was only calling the because I thought they would be more knowledgeable but I guess they didn't want to help or earn a new customer. read more

Favorite small business reptile & aquatics store. They let you hold the snakes and other pets (besides fish obviously) and that helps potential owners really decide if that's the pet for them. For instance I thought a corn snake was the right snake for me, turns out they're very hyper noodles so I ended up deciding on a bigger python. Also they have very reasonable prices & a good selection of supplies not usually found at Petco or Petsmart. read more

This place is great. They have what you need for all types of exotic animals. So far every time I've gone in, I've found exactly what I was looking for and the staff has been knowledgeable and friendly. They are able to answer all of your questions expertly. They really know what they're doing here, unlike the corporate "pet" stores. They clearly take care of their animals here and know everything about them. Good job you guys. In a world overtaken by greed, this place puts the love for animals first. Which is exactly what you want in a pet shop. I'd give it 10 stars if I could. read more

Small store but nice variety. Visited the establishment because my son raises snakes UGH!! They hAve fish, snakes, rodents etc. all the things you love to have in your home.. NOT! Store is clean and staff very helpful. They ordered larger bags of pet food for my son to avoid excessive shipping costs. Nice of them to offer that when they certainly did not have too. My son is willing to drive further to frequent this shop versus others in the area read more

The best local pet store you've never heard of - Slighter and Swim has an excellent selection of animals and supplies, a gorgeous showroom of aquariums, and knowledgeable staff who can offer good advice on neat setup, animals needs, and design. This place is so good that the staff at local big box store petshops were the ones who told me to come here. Don is a real artist when it comes to designing fabulous arrangements for aesthetically pleasing tanks. If you want a showpiece designed for you, this is the place to go. Some of the male staff members are a bit tiresome to deal with (think highly of themselves and dismiss younger female customers on face or ignore you outright) but the owner and manager I usually see there seem like nice people. read more

Cool local pet store. They have a large selection of reptiles and fish you wouldn't normally see at other shops. Animals are healthy and well cared for. Staff is nice and willing to help out. I go out of my way to stop here for supplies because it's better than any shop near me. read more

I am a patron for over 10 years, they have been knowledgeable and helpful every time I go in. They were basically my reptilian doctors and my snakes were gloriously healthy under their directives. They offer a more dynamic reptilian care than any other pet store; NC of their specialization, I used to drive 45 minutes out of my way to them and they were worth it!! read more

We called in advance to see if S&Shad a 20 gallon starter kit for reptiles as well as leopard geckos. We were told yes on both accounts. Got out there and the reptile kit was only a 10 gallon one. We were told it would be cheaper to buy the 20 gallon kit and outfit it ourselves. That was wrong; it was much pricier. Additionally, the only leopard gecko they had did not have it's tail! They said he'd come that way and were unable to say how it had happened. Unfortunately, I was not along for the pet pick up. When my boyfriend brought this gecko home with it's raw stub because his 12 year old daughter could not wait another day for a pet gecko, I was horrified. The store had told them it would grow back. They had also sold us a heating pad because they didn't have lights in stock, another pet store in Hamden had told us the lights were much superior for warmth for reptiles but they were out of stock on geckos which is why we went to S&S (which we now call Slitherin). A forewarning; Slitherin doesn't give refunds for livestock. Most pet stores give 2 weeks to a month to return a pet. Additionally the guy behind the desk gave me a hard time as if we'd caused the tail to fall off! Luckily a young girl who worked there spoke up and said the gecko had come in that way from their distributor. Not a good experience. The gecko had also cost over $50 there. This week, I found a store in North Haven that had 3 baby leopard geckos with tails intact for $29 each, they also had an extensive variety of supplies and were very knowledgeable. read more

I've never been to the store itself but went to a birthday party where Slither and Swim was the entertainment. The man who works for the establishment brought the first reptile a snake into the crowd of screaming kids. The kids 3-7 were not paying attention to him as they are distracted and my 7 year old nephew was bitten by the snake because the snake appeared to have been threatened. Although it was not a dangerous snake there are risks with any animal bit. I feel the Slither and Swim employee putting on the demonstration should have called the children up one by one and before putting the snake in their hands explained to them the rules. It was poorly organized and very dangerous in my opinion. read more

Wow, I can't believe how rude staff is here! I have heard that this place was unprofessional, but actually experiencing it was mind mind blowing. I'm surprised they are still in business. DO NOT RECOMMEND read more

Great variety of animals, kept in appropriate enclosures. They had really cool ball python morphs but they did mention their big ball pythons were being treated and weren't currently for sale. I had questions about my geckos and the staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. They had a nice variety of fish too. I could have spent all day here even though it's a small store. read more