The Fish Store - Seattle

Overall Experience: 4.5
Cost: 4
Quality of Fish: 5
Variety: 4
Service: 5

They have both fresh and saltwater live stock.

Overall Experience: 3
Cost: 1
Quality of Fish: 3
Variety: 4
Service: 1

Overall experience: 5
Quality of Fish: 5
Price: 4
Service: 5
Variety: 5

Overall Experience 4.5
Cost 3.75
Quality of Fish 4
Variety 4
Service 4.5

Overall Experience 3
Cost 2
Quality of Fish 3
Variety 3
Service 1

Overall Experience: 1
Cost: 2
Quality of Fish: 0
Variety: 5
Service: 1

They told me many things about fish that I have looked up since, most of which seem to be flat out lies, specifically about cardinal tetras. I had a good school of tetras going, and bought 5 from them, 3 of which died. A month later I bought another 10 more from them, all of which died over a 2 week period. I was not my tank, as I have Cardinals in there already. I was very careful adding them to my tank, adding 5 gallons to the water they were in over an hour before letting them loose. Also, a Dwarf Baby Tears pot added a type of algae that covered my other plants in a few days. I thought the algae was roots when I got the plant.

Overall Experience: 1
Cost: 2
Quality of Fish: 2
Variety: 1
Service: 1

I am not a fan of this store. No on there knows what they're talking about (of course) and their tanks are way too tiny to have a couple of the same fish there for over a year. No cool display tanks or anything exotic or rare... Waste of time in my opinion.

went there tonight to pick up another stiphodon, I wanted a particular one, he trapped 2 before he got the one I wanted . . just sayin'

I didn't typically want a specific fish but when it's over $10 I feel the right to ask and it's nice to not get push back.

breach of thread protocol but hey

Overall Experience 3
Cost 3
Quality of Fish 3
Variety 3
Service 3

As you can see this is a middle of the road store. You get what you pay for and no more.

This is the only store that I have found that carries endlers live-bearers. I've purchased a few fish and all my plants from The Fish Store. They are a bit pricier than some lfs, but understandable considering. They have a lot of people who just browse, so you have to go to the counter to get help, never had a problem getting someone to assist me or answering my questions.
Overall I like the store and will give them my business in the future.

Overall Experience 5
Cost 3
Quality of Fish 5
Variety 4
Service 5

I like this store. You have to ask for help but have always been treated well after asking for help. I went there when the kids and I made tabletop shrimp support modules (Google that term if you don't know it). They were super helpful and informative.

Overall Experience 5
Cost 3
Quality of Fish 5
Variety 4
Service 4

Great looking fish! Was in here for over 20 mins; did not see 1 dead fish. Large variety of community fish, cichlids were a bit lacking, HOWEVER they did carry cichlids not widely found in other stores. Prices a bit high, but they guarantee their fish for 15 days (unusual for a LFS? I like it!!). Would go back, but would probably need to bring more money than expected; your buying quality here.

Overall Experience - 5
Cost - 3
Quality- 5
Variety - 5
Service - 4

Same scores as last time. After going to the Jackson St. shops, I now say this is probably the best shop in Seattle. They have the best variety and selection out of the shops. I hear the clerks are a-holes, haven't experienced that yet. Picked up another livingstonii (hap), eyebitter (hap), and got a gold/brown calvus (tang).

Overall Experience - 3
Cost - 3
Quality- 3
Variety - 2
Service - 3

Very low selection on desired african cichlids. Walked out empty handed.

This is the best fish shop in Seattle IMO. They get a lot of poor revues and i don't get it? Very knowledgeable staff. Great selection for me, though I'm not into cichlids. I live in bellingham and I buy my tanks from them. They pump a lot of fish through this shop i of course there will be pathogens present, like any shop.

overall experience 5
cost 4
quality 5
variety 5
service 4
I like them because they buy apistos and plants. good variety of plants and say they buy 75% of them from customers. Refered there by gsas to sell my plants. Every shop gets some sick fish. I like they are first to tell you if tank is sick...what do you think happens when you import fish in large numbers?

overall experience 0
cost 3
quality 3
variety 4
service 0
knowledgment
I went into this store and stood around for 35 minutes. At least 3 sales people walked past me and not even an acknowledgement! I will never step foot in there, again... No customer service.

overall experience 4
cost 4
quality 3
variety 3
service 5

visited this store for the first time today, good little store..they have signs posted " please ask for assistance at counter" posted every few rows of tanks..they leave you alone unless you go and ask for help and ..just the kind of store I like!

decent selection of all types of community fish.

for the space they have i think its a cute little store over all decent.

Yeah, I like this store for selection of plants and dwarf cichlids. I've purchased a few Apisto's from here. This store usually carries something oddball that you wont find any place else...


Overall Experience: 4
Cost: 2.5
Quality of Fish: 5
Variety: 4
Service: 5

Overall Experience: 3.5
Cost: 3
Quality of Fish: 3.5
Variety: 3
Service: 4

When I first started coming here a couple years ago, I would always be frustrated by there lack of customer service. But lately I've been seeing improvement. Their newer staff members I find are much more customer service friendly

Overall service 0
Cost 2
Quality of fish 2
Verity 2
Service 0
I will never go there again. Horrible service, I was there for 15 minutes and it wasn't until I left till someone spoke to me.

Overall Service 4.5
Cost 3
Quality of fish 5
Variety 5
Service 5


I really liked their nano tank displays!

Idk bout that, they seemed to want to ask us if we wanted help every 5 seconds! LOL

Overall Experience: 4
Cost: 3
Quality of Fish: 5
Variety: 5
Service: 4

For people that don't have many local fish stores around them, this store was a treat to visit. They had a good stock of supplies including a nice variety of tanks and stands. They had lots of fish to chose from and although the tanks seemed a little small the fish looked healthy and happy. Both saltwater and freshwater where available and some harder to find species. Very nice plant variety available. We enjoyed this store.

Overall Experience: 5
Cost: 3
Quality of Fish: 5
Variety: 4
Service: 5

Fish Store has many people just come in to gawk and not buy since it is on Roosevelt in the U District. They quarantine much of their stock in the back room before they ever put it out on the floor. Their staff is constantly caring for the tanks so if you need service, you often have to ask. However, tanks are always healthy and they immediately stop what they are doing to help. Also, it is often full with many clientel so unless one makes themselves noticed, they are dealing with others. I have never seen a fish injured during capture which goes to show the professionalism even their newest employees have. I have been a loyal customer for decades.

Overall Experience 4
Cost 4
Quality of Fish 4
Variety 5
Service 4

Went here for the first time and impressed by selection of freshwater and saltwater fishes. But it was so muggy and how to breath in there.

Overall Experience 4
Cost 3
Quality of Fish 5
Variety 5
Service 4

Another visit to this gem of a store on Tuesday. There is so much packed into this little storefront my only request would be to have more space for everything and lots more lighting in the fish area. Tanks were on sale at GREAT prices...wish I had space for more. Nice rimless selection.

Lovely plants with lots of variety. Lots of fish, great selections. Tanks could have used a little maintenance but with the lighting in the store it may have been more a function of that than the tanks themselves.

This store is always on my visit list.

Overall service 2
Cost 3
Quality of fish 1
Verity 4
Service 0

One of the first stores I visited when I moved to Seattle and got back into fish. Over the past couple years I have noticed a sharp decline in the overall quality of tank maintinace and fish health. When we stopped in Saturday on our way to pick up some other fish I noticed three things quickly:

1. Tanks were dirty to the point of not being able to see fish in 1/3 of them.
          I know in a store with that number of tanks it takes awhile to clean them, take the time to come in early before the doors open and get it done


2. Unaceptable number of dead or sick fish
          Fish die, yes it happens, but alot of the fish that were dead had been for more than a day. Read suggestion from above. Sick fish/quaretine tank period WHEN I SEE A STORE TAKE FISH OUT OF A TANK THAT 75% OF THE FISH IN IT HAVE ICK AND SELL THEM TO A CUSTOMER, ANY AND ALL RESPECT WAS LOST!!

3. Rudeness of the people working there.
         Was inspecting a tank with some Apistos in it. Sells person came, and literaly pushed me out of the way to get to a tank above the one I was inspecting. Not a word said to me just push and ignore. We were there for about 30min and did not have a single sales person ask if we needed help or had any questions.

There were some good things, they had some very nice wild type discus and most seemed to be very healthy and priced nicely. Still a excellent selection of fish plants, and Dry Goods at competative prices.

Will I go back yes, they always have something interesting. Will not make it a special trip though like I had done in the past.

Zach

zach_discus wrote:Overall service 2
Cost 3
Quality of fish 1
Verity 4
Service 0

One of the first stores I visited when I moved to Seattle and got back into fish. Over the past couple years I have noticed a sharp decline in the overall quality of tank maintinace and fish health. When we stopped in Saturday on our way to pick up some other fish I noticed three things quickly:

1. Tanks were dirty to the point of not being able to see fish in 1/3 of them.
          I know in a store with that number of tanks it takes awhile to clean them, take the time to come in early before the doors open and get it done


2. Unaceptable number of dead or sick fish
          Fish die, yes it happens, but alot of the fish that were dead had been for more than a day. Read suggestion from above. Sick fish/quaretine tank period WHEN I SEE A STORE TAKE FISH OUT OF A TANK THAT 75% OF THE FISH IN IT HAVE ICK AND SELL THEM TO A CUSTOMER, ANY AND ALL RESPECT WAS LOST!!

3. Rudeness of the people working there.
         Was inspecting a tank with some Apistos in it. Sells person came, and literaly pushed me out of the way to get to a tank above the one I was inspecting. Not a word said to me just push and ignore. We were there for about 30min and did not have a single sales person ask if we needed help or had any questions.

There were some good things, they had some very nice wild type discus and most seemed to be very healthy and priced nicely. Still a excellent selection of fish plants, and Dry Goods at competative prices.

Will I go back yes, they always have something interesting. Will not make it a special trip though like I had done in the past.

Zach

Zach, for points one and two I heartily concur with you. I purchased a pair of fan shrimp from The Fish Store, and as near as I can tell, they introduced ich into our tank (more than partially my fault, I didn't filter them into a net first, I was hesitant to risk hurting them, one had gotten rather well caught on the net at the store and I didn't want to repeat that issue so I dumped them in water and all).

But as to point three, there are multiple signs up around the store saying to ask for help when you need it. I have heard this complaint a bit, both in reviews and when I've been in store, and the help once asked for has usually been extremely friendly and helpful. Their signage could probably use to be more in your face, but they are there letting you know they'll let you browse in peace until you need something.

The Fish Store has not been the same since the last owner died. The had done a lot of remodeling and that took away from the other tanks as work was done to set up the new stands. I also believe they have had to let go folks as I don't see as many employees anymore. They bought a batch of sick a couple of months ago and the whole batch died in a day. That is probably where their infection came from. I hope the deal with it. I go there frequently and I think I will mention to management that they are losing their once pristine reputation.

The big news of the day is The Fish Store is MOVING in March up to 12320 Lake City Way Northeast, Seattle, WA. It is walking distance from my home.

I went into the Fish Store today. 99% of the tanks were sparkling clean. The only dirty tanks had a little algae growth. I believe it was left as food for the algae eaters inside those tanks. (They let corals grow on the glass in their saltwater tanks. Some might consider that dirty.)

I also emailed them today to let them know they were getting bad reviews.

I have NEVER had an ich problem from the Fish Store. However, I transport fish in an insulated box to keep them warm. It is common for fish that have gotten cold to develop ich. Ich dies at 85 Degrees. Raise your tank temperature for 2 days and it is gone.

I have on occassion seen darkened NFS tanks at the Fish Store but rarely does it happen.

They have a quarantine room in the back as well, at least for the higher end fish.

I will continue to buy from them even as I find new places. (I love the Co-op.)

I hope this fulfills the rating thread terms.