Asia Gift & Aquarium — Local services in Tacoma

I've been here a few times over the years and highly recommend it. Over the past three years, I've set up three aquariums with fish from this store containing about 20 fish and live plants and have only had one fish die (which I will admit I probably had something to do with me) and the owner was extremely fair in giving me a discounted price on a replacement.

The best feature of this shop is the knowledge. The owner has operated from this location for nearly 30 years and clearly knows what he's talking about. He's especially great at knowing how different fish will cohabitate and can talk forever about their characteristics. All of his knowledge concurs with countless reputable resources I've read regarding tropical fish care. I absolutely trust his word, and my happy fish are living proof. You won't find this knowledge at a chain store with high turnover where most employees don't even have a year of experience (and they're trained to sell/upsell, not to worry about your fish or their reputation).

This shop also has an exciting assortment of fish, some of which I believe are bred by the owner. It may be a lot smaller of an aquarium shop, but the selection of fish is very intriguing. He has more live plants than artificial ones, and if you're a pond person, he has fish, plants and supplies for you too.

To address the bad reviews here, I've read them and they're irrelevant. If you read them yourself, you'll notice not one complaint of a dead fish, bad customer service, or any CUSTOMER dissatisfaction; just a lot of "judge a book by its cover" type reviews from people who haven't shopped there.

Yes, some prices are high, but this is mostly on smaller items and is offset by savings on more expense items; tetras cost a bit more here than PetCo or PetSmart, but Tiger Barbs are less (and bigger) AND you get better value for your dollar. I've also noticed that replacement filter media is less expensive than elsewhere (for my filter). And keep in mind, this is a small business, he doesn't have the bulk purchasing power corporations do to "pass the savings on to you."

No, the tanks aren't dirty, in fact the water quality is great. The tanks are just old and have seen years of commercial use; if anything, they're a realistic preview of what your tank will probably look like if you don't lose interest and get rid of it after a couple years. Keep in mind, a fish tank is nature in your home and nature is never "clean"--a healthy fish tank is filled with bacteria and microscopic life we usually sanitize.

No, the fish aren't mistreated. They're genuinely happy! I've never bought fish from elsewhere that seem so unafraid of and interactive with humans--any time I put my hand in my tank, the fish come up to say hello. When you're actually in the store, a lot of the fish will come up to the glass and follow you.

No, the building isn't stale. It actually just smells like a healthy aquarium and if it smelled any different I'd be concerned.

Yes, it's a bit dark inside, especially toward the back where the fish tanks are. Have you been to an actual aquarium and do you know the first rule of a fish tank? There's supposed to be less light outside the tank so you can see the fish, AND TOO MUCH LIGHT...

In response to the reviewer who described this place as dimly lit and stale smelling...of course it is. This is a 30 year old business in an area with a "Chinatown" type vibe. I don't know what they were expecting but it won't have the polish and sterility of a newly constructed strip mall. What it DOES have is a very nice owner who runs a gift shop with half a store dedicated to his hobby of fish keeping. While he does not have the vast selection of a typical fish store, he does have an eye for quality. He had one of the nicest flower horns I have ever seen and excellent fancy goldfish. I picked up a calico oranda and a red cap that were show worthy. Also, his selection of half moon Bettas is outstanding and his prices are better than the chain pet stores in most cases. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for traditional Chinese gifts or quality...

Very cool little store pretty unique. The owner said he's been running it for like 40 years, and that he retired years ago but still runs his shop cuz he has nobody to take over it. He was a really sweet man. I really hope he finds somebody to save these kind of stores.

There's not a huge selection but there is some more rare things that I haven't seen in other locations. The tanks could probably be a little cleaner but the fish seem happy he also has some rarer items when it comes to accessories and he's always willing to cut you a deal.

I will definitely be back in supporting this business their little koi pond is amazing even the Fish...