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Aquariums West
Category: Pets Pet Stores Pet Stores [Edit]
796 Beatty StVancouver, BC V6B 2M1
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 669-9249
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 7 pm
Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 11 am - 6 pm
6 reviews for Aquariums West
6 reviews in English
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Review from Danielle B.
Vancouver, BC
This store has a great selection, good prices, genuinely friendly staff, and most importantly - they know tons and tons about fish and will happily share that info with anyone who walks in the door ... I have kept fish as a hobby for several years, all freshwater and tanks from 1-30 gal, and after checking out LOTS of fIsh stores, this is the only one for me! It would take a lot to entice me to make the trek from Tsawwassen/Point Roberts, and this place has always delivered.
They have everything you need right there in stock, and they have had helpful and (highly) educated answers to every fish-keeping question I've ever brought to them. Also, their fish & plant stock are extremely robust & healthy and I've learned (from a terribly catastrophic incident with camellanus worms that were introduced by a fish I purchased elsewhere) to only purchase live items from Aquariums West ... I know someone who works for a fish wholesaler, who claims that they clean the entire (already clean) warehouse top to bottom just before the Aquariums West people are coming to buy, because they are known to be that selective in choosing the livestock they purchase to offer to their customers. That says a lot, and is no surprise to me, as a happy customer for more than five years.
P.S. the new location on Beatty St (right by Terry Fox statue) is amazing! There is an elevator, for those who find so many steps challenging. -
Review from Dan J.
Vancouver, BC
7/9/2011
I've been shopping at Aquariums West on and off for over ten years. The staff are by far the most knowledgeable in the Lower Mainland.
I had a custom vertical aquarium built that I thought would look kinda nifty. What I didn't realize was, because it was vertical I had opened up a Pandora's Box. If you're thinking of designing a custom tank consult with the experts first.
The employees and owner of AW provided all sorts of advise and customized solutions for the unique needs of this tank. They calculated how powerful the pump needed to be in order to filter 96 gallons of water at a 3 foot depth. How many watts it would take for light to penetrate salt water at that depth. How best to rig up a protein skimmer. All the necessities for a healthy eco-system.
That's on top of the usual calculations of salinity and starting a biological cycle. They encouraged me to take my time and add life sporadically in order to establish and maintain a stable biological filter. Everyone's tendency is to fill 'er up and watch 'em go but only irresponsible pet owners would do that.
Well two years in I woke up and every damn one of my fish was dead. I had a Nitrate spike that killed everything in a matter of hours. I was heartbroken. I went in with a sample of water and they tested it for free and explained what happened. Seeing I was heartbroken they gave me some live rock and water from one of their live coral tanks to turbo charge my cycle again.
They were always careful to advise me about what animals and corals were compatible and which were not. One of the corals I bought here broke a record for longevity for one bred in captivity. Many fish far exceeded their lifespans. This is in contrast to another shop that sold me a Spanish Dancer sea slug that promptly died and contaminated (poisoned) much of the tank.
Sure, sometimes they are busy and can't answer my questions right away. And their prices are sometimes a tad higher than some of the other stores. No one is perfect. But I'm willing to pay a few extra bucks when I have confidence the animals are well treated.
I no longer maintain the tank but I still shop at AW and have used some of their animals for photo shoots. The owner couldn't be more helpful in those cases.
Like any hobby you need to research it first. These are live animals. Having a rudimentary understanding of chemistry, biology and patience is the key to a healthy aquarium. Otherwise it's like buying a car without learning to drive first. Don't blame the Ford dealership when you wrap your Mustang around a tree. -
Review from cheryl m.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2009
staff are reasonably friendly and somewhat knowledgeable ... i bought a tank there and at no time did any staff member mention cycling the tank which i later find out is pretty important and something an established aquarium store should mention ... they did not know how many fish i could add to my tank, offering to sell me 30 when 5 were sufficient for the kind of fish ... but the store has a good selection of fish and accessories ... the fish seem healthy ... i will continue to shop there but i will educate myself before i go ...
UPDATE: Owner confronted me in the store about my review posted here and was quite rude about it ... and i was not the first person to review, there was another unhappy review that somehow has disappeared ... i will not shop there again ...
UPDATE: Bought a 30 gallon Marineland kit with a black Econo-stand. I have had them for 8 months. The filter broke a couple months back and now the cheap heater has burned out. Water was spilled and the Econo-stand soaked it up like a sponge and is now leaning. So not only did I have to buy a new filter and heater, now i have to buy a brand new stand. I can't believe the mistake i made in shopping at this store.
UPDATE: Having a new custom stand built by a local gentleman that will hold four tanks (30 gallon, 5 gallon and 2 - 2.5 gallons) made for less than the expensive stands this store sells.
UPDATE: And yes, they do have nice plants. They sold me over 140 dollars worth. They just forgot to mention I need plants for low light so the majority have died and had to be replaced. From eight months ago I have one plant that is still alive out of $140 dollars spent. All my new low light plants are thriving.
I will continue my personal boycott of this store and continue to tell everyone I know about my experience with the extremely rude owner. And my original review was not even rude or off base in any way to justify her going off on me like that when I have been a customer of theirs for more than 15 years! That is how they treat their customers.
October 8, 2010 almost two years later, I receive an eight page email from owner threatening me with legal action over my review.
August 2011 - Still being harassed due to this review. I was NOT the first to review this store but the NEGATIVE reviews have been removed.Comment from Jeannie L. of Aquariums West 10/9/2010
The last time you were in the store was Dec. 12, 2009 and… More » -
Review from Carlos O.
North Vancouver, BC
8/11/2010
I have been their customer for a couple of years and I can say that I am happy with this store. True, the prices are not the lowest, but the service is really good and the fish look well taken care of.
A few months back I had a bunch of fish die for no apparent reason, I brought them a sample of my aquarium water and they tested it to find what the problem was, I am grateful for that.Comment from Jeannie L. of Aquariums West 8/11/2010
Thanks so much for your feedback. I hope that we sorted out… More » -
Review from Vic K.
7/9/2011
Ive been to this store many times and spent quite a bit of money, and they are just great. They have a good selection and sell good quality fish, their display tanks are very well taken care of, prices are reasonable. The store is neat and tidy. Ive been to too many stores where the fish are kept overcrowded and dirty tanks. When i see that, I just turn around and walk away. No thanks to all the diseases they are carrying. I appreciate that Aq West take good care of the fist they are selling. My last purchase was 3 denisons barbs, 3 bosemani rainbows and a school of tetras about 2 months ago. They are all doing just fine, good quality specimens.
Honestly I think "ms.Cheryl" needs to give these guys a break. If you dont like something, just go somewhere else, no need to constantly harass people who are in business. Sounds like she does not take well to rejection in her life!! She is a stage 5 clinger. Her harsh review is what made me want to give my own opinion. Personally im glad there is a good quality LFS in downtown a block away from my house.
Honestly with fishkeeping, you should do your own research first. Its not rocketscience, but there are some basics. Buy a book. You will learn a lot. Dont be like lazy ms.Cheryl, who depends on all her knowledge by asking store employees. Even the most basic fishkeeping book will talk to you about cycling your tank!!! If you fail to do this, then you will spend all sorts of money on fish and plants and have them all die.
My suggestion is next time a "Cheryl" walks in, sell her a book, tell her to come back in a week when she's read it. -
Review from Pete S.
6/1/2010
i pick up my dog's and lizard's food here on a regular basis. the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and fun to be around. they are great about custom orders and taking products back that aren't up to snuff. i dig these guys.
Comment from Jeannie L. of Aquariums West 8/11/2010
Hi Pete, I really appreciate your feedback. I dig you too!… More »
