Houston Aqua — Attraction in Houston

TERRIBLE BETTA FISHES. Sad fishes that are about to pass and not happy as pictured.

I bought an expensive betta fish using their "Premium" betta fish site Bettagem and the experience has been such an horrendous experience. From this site, I purchased a "premium" betta fish where the fish you see in listing is the fish you should be receiving. It was "on sale" from $45 to $35. I chose instore pick up and was very excited to see what other fishes they had in store as I wanted to pick up a few more fishes.

To my surprise, the place and pictures you see of the happy beautiful betta fishes were not what you see in real life. The fishes were stored in bigger tanks than the small cups you see at Petco, but the fishes were in terrible conditions. There were several that I saw that were dead on the bottom of the tank, but became almost mummy like as they were composing at the bottom, which leads me to think they don't come to check on the fishes regularly to even take them out (even after they die).

After seeing this, I just decided to pick up my fish. The guy went to the back to pick up my fish and handed to me. The fish i got was very sad and droopy. I questioned that if this was the fish I ordered, he simply said yes it is. The fish was packaged in a plastic bag and a yellow drop was used (to reduce stress) so it was hard to really tell if it was correct fish.

The fish I received was really sad and didn't swim much and colors was very dull. FINS were torned and the Dumbo ear was also torn. I really thought it was due to stress of the situation and that he would improved once I got him home to my 5G tank at home. It's been about 5 days now and my fish has improved to be happier but it is clearly not the fish I ordered.

I contacted chat support and he said it was my job to make sure I got the correct fish. How should I know exactly what I got? A lot of these fishes look alike and as being not an expert, I wasn't 100% sure and did question at pickup. However, they are not accepting any responsibility for this wrong doing.

I DO NOT want my money back but want to warn everyone about getting their fishes here. You would think you are getting a better happier betta fish but in truth, my fishes that I got from the regular PETCO store for 1/3 of the price is happier and in better condition. Buyer Beware.

Look at the pictures here and you can judge for yourself. This IS NOT the fish pictured...

Received my guppy order today. The order took 9 days to ship. I had it overnighted and got it overnight. The packing was excellent. Communication was a bit spotty. Ordered 5 female guppies. 4 were in excellent shape. The 5th is emaciated and seems to have a bent spine with perhaps an infection. I don't expect it to survive the night. It survived the trip so no refund for the most expensive one of the order. So 3/5 seems a fair rating. -1 communication, -1 for the sick fish. Update 1/20 Sick guppy died in the night. Either a birth defect or injury. The other 4 were the correct size and shape. This one was small and didn't use his tail. He never opened his dorsal or tail fin. I think he was sent small and injured since the others were fine.

UPDATE: They removed my verified review from their website. Not the thing a reputable seller does. If they had apologized and asked me to reconsider, I would have raised my review. Not shopping them again. Try Twin City Guppies.

Update: Order Order #1331. Ended up being a parasite infection. Two of the other guppies came down with it before I figured out what it was. Treated it with the proper medicine and saved the final 2. So sad. They were beautiful fish. I didn't ask for a refund because I didn't want one. I wanted to beautiful fish that passed. I'd reorder but shipping is a killer and I'd already made a...

I recently visited Houston Aqua Store on Westheimer, and honestly, I was blown away. This place may not look huge from the outside, but once you step in, it’s like entering a mini underwater paradise.

First off, the staff is amazing. Super friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do. A staff patiently answered all my beginner questions, explained everything from tank setup to fish compatibility, and never once tried to upsell me. Just solid, honest advice.

The selection of fish and aquatic life is top-tier. Healthy, vibrant bettas, guppies, tetras, angelfish—and even some rarer species like Taiwan Bee shrimp and bright yellow plecos that you don’t see every day. They also have beautifully planted tanks that gave me serious aquascaping inspiration.

What really stood out to me was how clean and well-maintained everything was. No fishy smells, crystal-clear tanks, and clearly a well-designed filtration system. You can tell the owners care deeply about the animals and the hobby.

Prices were fair—not rock-bottom cheap, but absolutely worth it for the quality of livestock and the level of service you get.

Whether you're a seasoned aquarist or just getting started, this is hands down one of the best aquarium stores in Houston. I’ll definitely be back—and probably leave with even more...