Forest Lake Pets — Local services in Forest Lake

Let me start by saying there aren't many pet stores in my area. This one is 50 minutes west of our house (and there are a couple in this area). 45 minutes east of our house there is one that is a large chain but the smaller one in that area went out of business. We only went to this area because it was on the way home from a hospital trip for my 7 year old son's cancer treatment.

We were not expecting much when we pulled up out front and saw this tiny unimpressive store front. We were expecting a tiny mom and pop shop where we would be able to get a couple basic fish. That would have been fine because that's what we needed. Well, that and my 7 year old son, who is going in for high dose chemo and stem cell transplant in 1 week which basically means 2 months at the hospital, wanted to see some small furries and lizards before he goes in. They did have some of both of these and my son was happy with the variety he got to see.

When we walked in the front door we felt kind of crowded, not with people, but with supplies for sale. The isles are not very wide, but that is because they offer such a wide variety of pet supplies and accessories. I'm only mentioning this so you know what to expect in case you need a lot of space to get down isles. We weren't looking for supplies this day, but what we did see were very reasonably priced! If we would have known about this store when we bought our son his fish tank set up, we would have saved over $60 compared to what we had paid at PetSmart. (Which, by the way, is how we learned about this store. The associate at PetSmart said their supplier hasn't been able to fill all their orders recently even with basic fish like kuhli loaches or plecostomus, so thank you PetSmart for the referral!)

Now the main star of the show. This store is NOT as small as the store front would have you believe. The depth of this store feels like it goes in FOREVER! The "back" of the store is filled with rows upon rows of fish, plus a separate room just for saltwater which we didn't even make it into. We did not get to see even 15% of the fish because we ran out of time, but what we did get to see was astounding! This place has more fish in one place than I have seen anywhere else in my entire life. Fresh water and salt water alike. Everything from the basics that I mentioned earlier to string rays, rope fish, flower horns, and so much more! That's not mentioning the plants, anemones, live rock, etc.

This place is heaven for any aquarium lover or enthusiast. This will be my new go to location for...

Forest Lake Pets is a delightful small business to visit and procure all your biota needs. In 2022, I visited this fine establishment to invigorate a ten-gallon freshwater aquarium for myself and my two-year-old son. Shortly thereafter, I became a regular, frequenting FLP for advice, plants, and fish. The staff here are knowledgeable and dedicated to satisfactory customer service.

After cycling and stocking the ten-gallon tank with various aquatic life, I decided to extend my interest and expand my mind by adopting a forty-gallon freshwater ecosystem. What started as a hobby primarily for my two-year-old, quickly gifted personal growth. And yes, my two-year-old totally loves this venture. The glory of keeping aquaria alive and well is successfully fostered by the professional and wonderful people at FLP.

In this first world post-industrial society, that algorithmically gamifies consumption, personable exchanges resonate at a deep level. FLP maintains a balance of interpersonal gratitude without sacrificing its commerce. They've given me reasons to NOT order anything off Amazon, stop by a soulless big-box store, or ask questions online.

Please make an effort to visit this store and see for yourself what a small business can do when the correct parameters are curated and instilled across the board. Thanks to everyone that has provided my family with a fantastic experience. We'll continue to patronize FLP as long as they stay dedicated to the present atmosphere they've cultivated.

Thank you for your time &...

We discovered this store not far from us and were thrilled to see a place with large variety. We have visited several times and have purchased plants and items for our tanks. We finally made a huge purchase for two new tanks and spent around 220 for all. While checking out it was extremely busy and my partner who is disabled became hot and in his confused state I was helping him into the car and was going to purchase two more items. I said I’ll come back in and it was hot. I was walking to the door and the cashier yelled in front of everyone at us like a child.

Upon my return to purchase the last two items which totaled $10, I could see them speaking about it in front of other customers and me.

I understand their actions and concerns for theft but accusing and being apologetic toward someone wasn’t enough and scolding me in front of other customers was uncalled for. Simply asking is enough but treating me like I’m a huge thief…

The last few visit is to the store something has always been off. The employees in the front seem to not know what the heck is going on and frantic. I came in for water testing and the employee who did it gave me weird advice on cycling a tank. Don’t trust them for testing. Get your own kit.

All in all to say the people in the back near the fish are great guys and I’m sad to say that the people in the front are rude or frantic which makes it uncomfortable. Sadly I will not return and I hope...