Amazing small business with very knowledgeable staff available at all times. All these tanks were beautiful, the variations of both freshwater and saltwater fish and plants everywhere was spectacular. Definitely have everything you could want for your aquarium. Will be coming back here over and over again! read more

This is a top notch 5 aquarium where you can actually buy the fish. Ok, maybe it's not an aquarium but it is a very high end facility with people who know their stuff. They sell amazing products as well as mesmerizing fish species. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. They have plenty of parking as well. read more

I buy almost all my fish here. Katie and her staff are beyond helpful. They have tons of stock of equipment, a huge fish/plant selection and the know how when you have questions. 5 star service!!! read more

Got what I wanted at a great price! Plenty of people around the store to help out. Will be back. read more

Definitely recommend Tropic Isle Aquarium. Professional and friendly staff. I purchased 17 freshwater fish and 2 large Aquariums as well as equipment and accessories, food. read more

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This shop is INSANE if you like fish! I'm only 1.5 years into Betta fish and shrimp ownership, but just browsing around the place is a learning experience. Every type of substrate, rock, and wood you need, they seem to have. And they stock Aquarium Co-op stuff, which is REALLY nice! (save on shipping!). Lots of heaters, and they even sell Eheim air pumps, which are rated as being some of the quietest, and are rather difficult to find. Their neocaridina shrimp prices are very reasonable compared to buying online. The food and treatment section is HUGE. I can't comment on the saltwater supplies. They do have nifty coral, and I like the big red & white shrimp in the marine tanks. Some tanks aren't as pristine as they could be, and the floors can be dirty, but there are so many tanks, and fish come and go so much, it can't be easy keeping up with it all. I do wish they had more plants for sale. Most of the staff has been helpful with my newbie questions. They also usually tend to know when to just leave someone alone to ponder their purchase, or their future aquascape. Once you figure out the various ways of getting into their parking lot, the drive there can be OK, too. (HINT, come in from the back) So this is my #1 go-to fish store! read more

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Great selection. Huge store... spend an hour or two checking out all the tanks. Very helpful staff. Way beyond big box chain stores.

Amazing every time I go! The new location is great! Very helpful and no more Petco! I'll get my next tank there.

I order a service at my house, after one week my tank was green, even if i change the filter nothing changes. so I went to the store and they don't helped me at all. she told me that i should buy another filter. i have clean my tanks for years and this is never happened before. i am very disappointe. read more

The whole staff is fantastic. They all have a wealth of knowledge. I ran into the previous owner Mr.London who was a gentleman and extremely knowledgeable. Katie the current owner is extremely helpful and a real pleasure to deal with. They have a fantastic shop fill will beautiful tanks, top notch aquarium equipment, as well as a fantastic selection of both fresh water and salt water fish, corals, anything you need.. they have. I have been three times and each time I encounter a new employee I have met and they all are a wealth of information that clearly love their jobs!!! Keep up the good work, fantastic customer service and great prices! Update as of 1/6/24 the tank I purchased is fantastic, as well as everything else I bought. More importantly their knowledge helped me with substrate, plants, water parameters, as well as some starter biological material to get the tank going. It's been two weeks and it's really going well. Katie is awesome, as well as her staff. Great folks!!! read more

My husband and I have been going here for months since we got our wonderful Saltwater Aquarium! We love the selection of fish and have become so close with the employees there. We have Chris come out every month to service our tank and we look forward to it each month. He has been so helpful with helping us learn how to maintain our tank and is always available for questions. We really enjoy going into the store to look for new fish. Katie, Sharon, and Ben are always so helpful! We feel like their family when we go in there and we always end up spending so much time talking with everyone there and learning more about saltwater fish and aquariums each time. I highly recommend Tropic Isle for anyone interested in starting this wonderful hobby. Tropic Isle has the best variety of fish and equipment for your aquarium you will find anywhere around. I am so lucky we found them! read more

Tropic Isle Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

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We visited the store about a week ago. The selection at Tropic Isle, is extraordinary. That is the best part of the store, which is great. Unfortunately, there were some issues during our visit to the store. For one, the store was packed. Certainly they are not adhering to the COVID guidelines. The store is quite small, and there were at least 20-30 people inside, without any social distancing measures. Also, while I was there, I waited for at least 15 minutes for anyone to approach me. I ended up taking my business to another store that day. That said, my experience is apparently not a typical one for this place, and perhaps next time I am in the area, the experience will be better. read more

Mr. G recently started a salt water fish tank. A new hobby more than pets. They have a lot of different fish and supplies and the people have been helpful while we experiment. We got a crab who didn't last but a few days but we brought in a water sample and got full credit on the little dude. I got to pick out a fish called a Scooter Blenny. I really like it, him, her now named Oreo since it was black and white. It seems to have changed color to more of a brown now and I am thinking it adapted to the rocks and is blending in. I think Oreo is really cool. I call Oreo a he, although I am not sure why. He swims, hops, climbs, chews his food and moves around on the bottom during the day and swims up and down after lights out. We also got three hermit crabs. Ok so maybe they are becoming pets. Very cool and fun to watch. The green goo on the other hand is not so pretty but Mr. G is working on it. read more

Tropic Isle Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

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We have never had a bad experience at Tropic Isle in the 20 years that we have been patronizing it. Staff are always friendly, knowledgeable, and available for help. We have gotten many fish and supplies here and have never seen sick fish as described by other reviewers. Check it out! read more

Fantastic selection, picked up some happy and healthy Farlowella catfish, got good advice from knowledgeable workers who care about their craft. If you're going to write a review whinging about Covid be the change you want in the world and return another time. Whoever was in the store at the time knew the risks and behaved accordingly like an adult, so should you. read more

I'm not sure what's changed but last night's visit was a real disappointment. Our past decisions to drive from Boston to Framingham to support an independent fish store resulted in happy, healthy, beautiful goldfish, and good supplies. This time, 90% of the goldfish tanks were sick, empty, or dead. When I couldn't find help to buy a plant, the cashier wasn't helpful and then upon checkout the price was really high. If it was a couple tanks, or even half of them, it may be excusable but I'm not exaggerating that it was 90% and it was evident that this had been going on for a while. It's disappointing that they're letting this degrade. read more

Tropic Isle Aquarium - Why are 90% of the goldfish sick or dying? What happened?? - Aquariums Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

Best place around. Great selection, knowledgeable staff, nice tanks and quality stands. I spend way too much of my money here :)

Allowing WAY TOO MANY people in the store during COVID. At least 25 people in a cramped small space. We left immediately. You should be spacing out costumers during this time! read more

Best aquarium store in the area !!! Katie is the best, so helpful and a nice person too. The new store location is awesome - wide aisles, lots of tanks. Always a wide selection of fish, both fresh and salt water. And all the supplies and equipment needed. This is the best place around for aquarium hobbyists. check out the new location, much improved. read more

All of their fish have ick. Take your time and watch them. Most will be scratching against rocks or substrate. I would not buy or recommend this place at all. Save your money! Also the staff is incredibly rude. Go to OSA in Ri instead its worth the drive, and will save you money and hassle. Or find a reputable place online. read more

Tropic Isle is pricey, yes, but there's a reason for it. When you walk in, you can expect that your questions will be answered by friendly staff members who know. their. stuff. Every time I've been in there, someone has taken a good amount of time to answer all my questions and help me find exactly what I need. In my opinion, the higher prices are part of a service that you don't get at most pet stores. You can also assume that most of the livestock there are fairly healthy, so there's less worry about bringing home sick animals. I think it's worth it. Sure, you can go to chain stores, but in my opinion, that's like having brain surgery performed by Jethro the Wonder Fidget rather than an actual MD. The last time I bought fish at a chain store (I won't say which one, but it rhymes with Shmetco), both of them died within days because the guy who helped me never told me that they had a special diet (even after I asked what I should know). The folks at Tropic Isle are always quick to advise me on things like diet, environment, and tank compatibility. I'm sure it's obvious that I'm pretty much a n00b in the ways of the fish (and trying to learn), but the staff have always been patient with my questions. As for knowledge about their livestock, when my companion was only able to describe the fish he was given as "a weirdass looking little thing from Vietnam," the guy helping us knew what it was in seconds (a Reticulated Hillstream Loach). They were also super helpful in the looong process of getting my marine tank ready for the gorgeous seahorses that now live in it. Oh yeah, one thing that wasn't so great - I was told when I bought my first Nanocube that it was a great deal because of the included rebate. Upon getting the box open, we found that the rebate had expired over a year earlier. So, be careful of that kind of stuff. Still, it beats Shmetco and Shmetshmart any day. read more

I love this store so much, every time I have been here it's been pleasant. Their fish are well taken care of and the people who work here are actually helpful. I love that I can shop aquarium co-op products here. I have not been to many other fish stores that know what they are talking about when giving advice or have as good of a selection of supplies. read more

I love this place! It is better to get your supplies and fish here than a chain store. I currently own aquatic snails and cherry shrimps. This is where I go for my needs. Big place and so many selections. read more

Tropic Isle Aquarium - Our babies - Aquariums Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

Excellent experience here. We have a new starter tank and the staff is so helpful and so patient with any questions you have. If we graduate to a bigger saltwater tank someday we will not go anywhere else . read more

Came here with a 7 year old who was interested in his first pet. He came in so excited, but was met with employees who did not have the best customer service skills. They were very knowledgeable but very condescending. It wasn't the "feel good" experience we were expecting. If you are in the market for a fish for a child, I would recommend trying somewhere else that may have happier employees. read more

As far as selection and knowledge, I think Tropic Isle is one of the better aquarium stores in the Boston area. Their fish are healthy, they have a broad selection of live plants, and a large store with a wide array of items, such as rocks, driftwood, treatments, lighting and gravel media. I have a tropical tank, but they also have a full assortment of salt-water fish and supplies. I bought good quality merchandise from them, including a beautiful acrylic tank, powerful pump, led light with timer, aerator, heater and a very nice looking black cabinet with doors and shelves to hold everything. They provide helpful support over the phone and are open long hours. I've had my fish for a few years and I'm ready to sell everything after an unfortunate mishap. I had a party at my house and somebody must have tampered with my auto-feeder, leaving it wide open which dumped all of the food inside at once into the tank. Overnight, this caused a bacterial bloom which sucked up all of the oxygen and killed most of my fish. Having checked resale prices on Craigslist and elsewhere, I'm a bit surprised how low resale value is for aquariums and accessories. Makes me think that I really overpaid for new stuff. I thought that I could resell everything for about 50% new value, but it looks unlikely after reviewing used items. read more

Great selection of fish! Don't let the less than perfect store front steer you away. Once you're inside, the tanks are clean and they have a huge selection of fish - both salt water and fresh water. The staff are super friendly and they know what they're talking about! They clearly know about fish and aren't just some kids they hired to make some spare cash. They have a 24 guarantee on their fish, but so far my fish are doing great. Would definitely come back here again. Prices are great as well! read more

I came in to the store knowing nothing about fish and let the woman who was helping me know that. She was very helpful but also used the word "bias" a lot to express her feeling towards certain things. I thought that was a little off. I took a photo of a fish and she yelled at me and said I'm not allowed to take a photo. I apologized and did not take any more but after that she was ignoring me and giving me quick answers without looking at me. She also had her 13 year old dog walking around the store which I thought was super unprofessional and just not sanitary considering I pet the dog and it shed. It took a while for anyone to help me when I first walked in but all in all it was just "ok" and receiving an attitude from an employee I give them 2 stars. That's me being generous LOL Also, the fish tanks were discusting! All fallen apart and dirty. read more

Tropic Isle is definitely one of the best fish stores in the area, but they are also far from perfect. I believe the main reason they're considered the best is because they don't have much competition (PetCo is pretty much it). They've helped me a few times, but also given terrible advice other times. They also have a semi-annoying staff, like the manager Sharon who stares at customers like she hates them all and I really try to avoid her whenever I enter the store. Tropic Isle also has atrocious return policies. Once, I bought a snail from the store (which was supposed to be $1.99 but they charged me $2.99). Well, by the time I got it home (30 minutes later) the snail was already dead. However, to return the snail I needed a "water sample" to make sure I didn't poison it. Come on, it's a friggin' snail! And now, I'm in a similar dilemma. I bought six zebra danios three days ago because the worker there told me they were peaceful fish. Once they entered my tank, they started attacking my other fish. Plus, only four of them are alive now because two have already died off. Keep in mind, this is within three days. To return the dead fish, I would need the receipt to prove they died within 48 hours of purchase and a water sample to prove I didn't kill them*. To return the living fish, I just need my receipt to receive partial store credit (one-third of the sale price). Zebra danios are 79 cents each, mind you. Ridiculous? Very. I'm not trying to rip them off, they blatantly lied to me and now get away with the majority of my money. *I've had my aquarium for four years now, and I'm proud to say most of my current fish have been around since I started the tank. I'm very sure that the water in my tank isn't the cause of whatever is killing the new fish. read more

Tropic Isle Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - Framingham, Massachusetts

This place is great! I used to love Boston Tropical, but then employees burned it down for insurance money and tried to blame it on animal rights activists. I had a landlord who burned down the apartment I was living in once for the insurance money, and that sucked, but at least there weren't hundreds of animals trapped in the place at the time. So I feel sort of betrayed now in regards to the buckets of cash I spent there. To date, the owners of Tropic Isle have not burned it down. In addition to their non arsonist tendencies, They have a great selection of tanks, stands, backdrops, lights, etc. It's a great place to start as a hobbyist or to go as a seasoned fish geek to improve upon your set up or collection. Their fish selection is good too. Lots of different fancy guppies, rare plecos, clawed frogs, ghost knifes, really it seems any sort of fish you are looking for, they have. Their prices are great and their staff is incredibly knowledgeable (as opposed to say PETCO, where they won't inform you that Angel Fish are really aggressive and should only be kept with like fish) and they have a fantastic return policy, and as mentioned before will do water testing for you. I've always wanted a little octopus. I wonder if they sell those. That would be awesome. read more

They do have a great selection, I'll give them that. And probably most of their employees are pretty knowledgable. But in the several times when I went (years ago, admittedly), I ran across some absolutely asinine advice from one of the workers: namely, that a betta female was *fine* with other fish, because only betta males (which I'd owned a few of) are really aggressive. So, stupidly ignoring previous advice that countered this, I bought a betta female and a few feeder goldfish to start a small aquarium...and when I got them home into the tank, watched in horror as the betta attacked and gouged and killed the goldfish little by little in a matter of minutes. It wasn't the monetary loss--feeders, come on, they're cheap--but it really was a thing of nightmares for a pet owner to see. If you do go, I recommend doing a bit of your own research so you know what you want when you go in. read more

First off let me start by saying that this is my first review. Ive never felt the need to review regardless of a bad or good experience. I read the reviews on here and I almost didn't go because of some of the negative reviews Also I know a little bit about fish keeping to know when someone has no idea what they are talking about (Petco) This place is amazing!!!! By far the best fish store that I have been to. They have everything you need for your fish needs both salt and fresh. Their fish selection is perfect they had everything I was looking for and the prices were very reasonable. I was lucky to have Mickie help me... she was amazing and her knowledge was on point, She was super friendly and my 5 year old son loved her. She had many amazing recommendations and would discourage me from other purchases. Most of the time at other fish stores, they could care less what you are buying. All my fish were added to my tank and are all doing well and getting along. Tropic Isle has a customer for life I am so happy I decided to go. Its a bit of a drive for me. 1hr and 15 min to be exact but its well worth it.I cant wait to go back. I cant stress it enough this place is amazing! and if you have any question Mickie will be very helpful! read more

Tropic Isle is my new go-to LFS. The tanks are clean and the fish are perky and healthy - all you have to do is look at the behavior of the fish to know that they are far healthier than those at the chain stores. You will love their selection and the quality of their fish. The only reason I was stingy with that last star is the customer service - it varies wildly. The first time I went, it took forever to find someone to help me and when she did she was kind of surly. I felt like I was bothering the staff. However, the next time I went, I asked a few questions of a young man named John who was fantastic. He was amazingly knowledgeable and seemed to really enjoy helping a couple of clueless newbies like my boyfriend and me. I left the store feeling a lot more educated about my fish tank. I really like this place and I'm jonesing to go back there this weekend and get myself a beautiful Angelfish :-) read more

Went there for the first time last week. The staff is wicked smart and really helped us figure out what was going on with our freshwater tanks (poor puffer fish...) as well as helped us get started in the world of saltwater. These guys REALLY know what they're talking about. Plus, their selection is the biggest I've ever seen, for saltwater and freshwater as well as plantlife and corals. Parking was easy and the store is in a great location, just off Rt. 9 or Rt. 30 in Framingham. Driving in from Brighton after work was a breeze. The store was not crowded on a weeknight, and we were asked by about 4 people if we wanted any help before we worked up the courage to start barraging the staff with questions. Though people say they're expensive, I've not found that to be the case (yet) on some of the smaller things. I also got a great deal on an 8gal Oceanic BioCube and can't wait to see it thrive. If you're going, make sure to print out the coupons from their website. It will save you some $$. read more

These guys helped me out a lot when a fish that I bought 'disagreed' with my tank. The fish I bought was pecking at tankmates constantly, and I didn't feel like waiting for each of my fish to be picked off by it. I called ahead and asked if I could return a fish in good health, and they offered me close to full price for it on the phone. I stupidly put the fish in a small tank with some cellophane over it, instead of a small bag, and went to the store. On the way to the store, I had to hit the breaks, and most of the water fell out of the tank. The resultant small amount of water really stressed out the fish, and also quickly became cold. I feel pretty bad about it. When I got to the store, they slowly dripped warm tankwater into the small amount of water he was in, and within 5 minutes or so, he regained his normal coloration. Even after all of that horrible stuff happened to the fish, and all of the stupid stuff I did, they offered me close to 2/3 of the value of the fish toward another fish in the store. I think that they were great to help me out. Also, they were extremely knowledgeable on a variety of things, and also not afraid to get get a book to talk to you about something. That's kind of rare in a store these days, that someone will make that effort. read more

I have these recurring dreams where I'm in this really big, complicated fish store with tons of weird species I've never seen before. Sometimes there's drama, like I have a dead fish or my fish are swimming in the air above the tank instead of in the water. Sometimes I'm just shopping. Part of the imaginary fish store always looks just like an isle or two of Tropic Isle. This place is ingrained in my psyche. I've been a customer since I was a wee lad (probably where the dreams come from, eh?) and I have yet to find a better "local fish store." The place has been around for decades. The owner knows his stuff. He works (er, worked?) with MIT's ichthyology department! I haven't found any advice I've received from the staff to be bad advice, but I usually save my tough questions for Mr London. Their selection is awesome and I've never had a problem with livestock dying suddenly or introducing illness to my tank. They take good care of their stock! They even keep a good selection of brackish fish. I do find their prices to be a little high, especially for equipment. Small businesses just can't sell things for the same price as the big chains and internet stores. If you want to save some cash, buy your gear online... but don't expect petco.com to be much use when you need advice on how to set it all up. If you're starting out in the hobby or you just moved here, definitely check Tropic Isle out. Go when you don't necessarily need anything and just check out the selection, maybe ask a few questions, get to know the place. When buying new fish or plants or getting help with a problem, I always do a little research first. The aquarium hobby is full of different opinions and there's always many ways of doing things, so do your homework! The guys and gals at Tropic Isle can definitely help you out, but you shouldn't rely on one source for your info. (end rant) Anyway yeah I love this place! read more

In my opinion, this is the best aquarium store in Massachusetts. They have been in business since 1967. (I went there as a kid and even though I've moved to a 40 minute drive away, it is still my primary aquarium shop.) The employees are very knowledgeable about fish care and are more than willing to help you out if your fish are sick. They've saved my angelfish a couple times. They are fish nerds - and that's what you want when your fish is sick! The shop itself looks a little worn, but they have great fish that appear well-tended. (Unlike the big pet store chains.) The tanks have stunning fish in them. It is worth a trip just to see all the fish and creatures they have, even if you don't need any supplies or fish yourself. You know that if they've been in business since 1967, they're doing something right. read more

I heard about this place from a friend's brother, and now buy my fish exclusively here. I'm going to rate them on two categories: Fish and Other items. I have purchased all of my fish in recent memory here, and they have all been healthy specimens. They seem to be shipped in via air freight from a remote location, then the employees have a crazy day of putting them in the correct places. The only negative experience I had was when I purchased 2 German Blue Rams here (a very sensitive fish), and they died in about 10 days. I called, and they were going to refund about $5 of my $20. I later learned from an employee that the whole batch wasn't great, and they lost a lot of them. Said employee threw in an extra fish on my next purchase, and I had no qualms. As far as fish tank chemicals and additives, I try to buy here to support the store. It would be awful to see a great place like this go under because people want to buy Amquel on Amazon for $2 less. The fact that I can go into the store, and hand select the fish I want is well worth the small surcharge on non-living items. They also have great advice, and an awesome stock of replacement parts. The owner knows what he's talking about, but can be a bit harsh at times. At first I was stunned a bit by this, but then I saw that it stems from his passion for aquatics, and dismissed it. Great place to shop, they know what they're talking about, and it's always fun to joke around with anyone who works there about bad algae outbreaks in a planted tank (because they all have multiple tanks at home and are avid fishkeepers). support them, they are the best in the area by far. read more

During tax free weekend in taxachussetts we purchased an aquarium from, as another reviewer referred to them as, Schmetco. We were going to stock it with fish from there as well but the high school girl working there seemed to know about as much fish as I did. So - off to Tropic Isle we went. Clearly, not all reviewers experienced the same customer service I did. And yes, the cashier seemed a little grumpy. But overall they got us set up with what we need to have happy, healthy fish. Their very knowledgeable and willing to share their knowledge. Overall, a great experience and we'll be return customers. read more

Kate and one of her colleagues tried to discourage me from buying fish because they were concerned that my tank (about 2.5 weeks old) hadn't cycled fully to process the ammonia and that the pH was too high. To me this is the sign of a good store where they put the health of the animals ahead of potential sales. (They may actually have been a bit too conservative; I bought the fish anyway despite their "no guarantee" disclaimer due to the high pH. I gradually acclimated the fish to their new water over 2-3 hours. The fish seem to be very happy. And nitrite/nitrate testing reveals that the tank is definitely cycled nicely. I have about 10 years of experience keeping freshwater fish.) read more