Aquarius Tropical Fish — Attraction in Montreal

I really wanted to Iike this store as they have a great selection, but I had a disappointing experience this week. I have many years experience in keeping fish and have an established 200L community tank. My tank parameters are great and my other fish are thriving.

Two days ago I purchased 2 electric blue rams and 8 cardinal tetras from this store. To be fair, there was a dead fish in the electric blue ram tank and I still chose to purchase them (that was a red flag that their water quality was off). They were placed in a temperature-controlled bag and transported carefully in a warm car (short drive) and then properly integrated into my tank with acclimatized to the tank temperature in the bag for 30 mins following proper protocol.

The following day, the two electric blue rams had white spots all over their body, which I believe is Ick. I have never had this in my tank before so it had to come from the store (and no other fish in my tank have it). I am currently treating them and I hope they survive. The cardinal tetras have not fared well and within less than 48 hours 7/8 have died. All my other fish are perfectly fine and doing great. Even though the transport can be stressful, I have never had such a mass death following a fish purchase. These fish must not have been in great shape to begin with and the transport put them over the edge.

I called the store to explain my situation, and they basically made me feel like it’s my fault. I am a scientist for a living and research animal biology and water quality so I know what I’m doing. Unfortunately, I won’t be purchasing my fish from this place again as there are clearly issues with their water quality and/or health of their fish and I’ve just wasted $70 of my money.

Giving two stars as the person who served me was super helpful and I did find a lovely piece of driftwood.

EDIT: I spoke with the manager, and he explained there was a problem with the tanks I bought my finish from. He apologised and offered me a $70 credit for the purchase price of the fish. Despite my initial experience explaining the issue over the phone, the management handled this very well and were very apologetic. I just used my credit in store and the person who served me also apologised for the incident and was very kind. I’m very happy with how it was handled and I would go back...

I had heard so many good things about this store. So, I went there explained to the store clerk that I wanted to start a new aquarium and I was a newbie at this. I bought some substrate, products and two pieces of decorative wood. I spent for nearly 200$ in equipment. The clerk recommended to prepare the aquarium before I got the fishes. When I was installing the decorative pieces of wood, one of them wouldn’t stay in place. No matter what I did, it was floating. I called the store and they instructed me to immerse it in hot water for 3 days. After 6 days, I called to let them know that it didn’t work. I asked what they could do to replace the faulty wood. I ended up talking to a manager who (despite me stating every step of the way that I was new at this) told me that I should have known and asked if the piece of wood would float or not. He added it could take up to 3 months before the piece of wood stopped floating. 3 months!! Why would I purchase a piece of wood that will be ready in 3 months when I clearly mentioned I wanted to get everything done in 2 weeks. The best part, that same manager added that I could sell the faulty wood on Kijiji and suggested I that come back to the store to buy another piece of wood. Come back to the store? What he thinks I need another serving of his condescending ways. He must have been joking. Maybe I got unlucky, and I had the misfortune to talk to one of the most uncaring managers in the store. I had planned to purchase fishes, plants, the whole work. But I will definitely go elsewhere to finish my aquarium. Good luck if you’re a newbie and head there. I’m not spending another dollar in that store. The clerks I had met were really nice (hence the 2 stars instead of 1). But if you’re not an expert and don’t ask all the right questions, the fault is on you as that manager so...

These are some people serious about their fish and their customers. I rarely write reviews, but I had to stop by and give some review. I went in on a Friday afternoon with a wish to get a small jar and 1 pet fish. I had a thoroughly educative introductory session about the world of fish and the care they need. The guy who worked with me left no stones unturned - he probably must have had this conversation with 100s of other customers, but yet, he took me through the same lessons and questions that others have had before me. I went in as someone who had very little confidence abt rearing fish - hence the small jar and 1 pet fish stand. However, i ended up buy 3 fishes and a moderate tank all within my budget. Here I am two weeks later - the tank still stands and my fish has all survived ( i am also someone who is famous for killing her houseplants) and they all look healthy.

When I left the store, they promised me I could come in or call any time if I faced any issues. And true to the promise, I called them today because I encountered a pest snail infestation. As with the in-person meeting, the person who talked me did not hurry me through or force me to come to the store - but he listened to me patiently, much a like a doctor would. He had answers to my questions and once again, I left with the confidence that I can deal with the situation.

This is a long review, but the summary is that, this is def a place I would recommend in terms of service and price points. The people are great and super helpful. They know their fish and if you are new aquarium owners, these are the people who you would want to...