Aquarium Fish Depot Introduce
For aquatic hobbyists across California, especially those deeply passionate about the vibrant world of freshwater and saltwater aquariums in the San Diego area, finding a reliable source for healthy fish, corals, and essential supplies is crucial. Building and maintaining a thriving aquatic ecosystem requires access to a diverse selection of living creatures and the right equipment to support them. This is where Aquarium Fish Depot aims to serve the community, positioning itself as a key supplier for a wide array of aquatic life. For those of us in Southern California who cherish our underwater worlds, a specialized store like this often holds the key to expanding our collections and nurturing our aquatic companions.
Aquarium Fish Depot endeavors to be a significant resource for both novice and experienced aquarists, offering a wide selection of saltwater and freshwater fish, invertebrates, and corals. Their online presence and descriptions suggest a focus on sourcing a variety of species, from common community fish to more exotic and rare specimens. They promote their commitment to safe and guaranteed direct-to-door shipping, aiming to ensure that aquatic pets arrive in good condition. However, it's worth noting that experiences, as reflected in various customer reviews, can vary, highlighting the complexities inherent in shipping live animals. The intent of Aquarium Fish Depot is to provide a comprehensive inventory for hobbyists seeking to populate their tanks with diverse and healthy aquatic life, striving to meet the demands of California's passionate fishkeeping community.
For San Diego residents interested in exploring their aquatic offerings, Aquarium Fish Depot is conveniently located at 5121 Santa Fe St Suite F, San Diego, CA 92109, USA. Santa Fe Street is situated in the Pacific Beach/Mission Bay area, a locale known for its mix of light industrial businesses and recreational activities. This location makes the store accessible from various parts of San Diego, including beach communities, Clairemont, and areas further inland. While it might be tucked away in a suite, the street itself is part of a commercial zone, facilitating easier navigation for those familiar with the area. The accessibility of the location is a practical benefit for hobbyists who prefer to pick up their orders or browse in person, allowing them to conveniently access specialized aquatic supplies. Ample parking is typically available in commercial complexes, ensuring a relatively smooth visit. This positioning establishes Aquarium Fish Depot as a local point of access for aquatic enthusiasts across California.
Aquarium Fish Depot specializes in providing a wide variety of live aquatic animals for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. While their core business revolves around live stock, they also offer supporting products necessary for the successful keeping of these animals. Based on available public information and common practices for an "Aquarium Fish Depot," here's a comprehensive look at the types of services and products they offer:
Freshwater Fish: An extensive selection of popular and unique freshwater species, including various types of plecos (e.g., Gold Spotted, Bushynose), catfish (e.g., Otocinclos, Corydoras), loaches (e.g., Dojo Loach, Hillstream Loach), tetras (e.g., Neon, Rummynose, Ember), gouramis (e.g., Dwarf Honey, Blue Gourami), angelfish, barbs, Bettas, cichlids (African and New World), danios, discus, guppies, mollies, platies, rainbowfish, rasboras, and more. They categorize fish for beginners, customer favorites, and new arrivals.
Saltwater Fish: A diverse collection of marine fish, including angelfish (e.g., Coral Beauty), gobies (e.g., Firefish Goby, Royal Gramma), blennies, anthias, dottybacks, and various other reef-compatible and fish-only species.
Invertebrates: A selection of aquatic invertebrates essential for aquarium ecosystems, such as cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp, snails, and starfish (e.g., Fromia Starfish).
Corals: For reef tank enthusiasts, they offer a range of corals, which can include various types of soft and stony corals, often sourced from different regions to provide diversity for marine setups.
Aquarium Supplies: While not their primary focus, they typically offer essential supporting supplies such as fish food, water conditioners, testing kits, filtration media, and potentially basic accessories for shipping or initial setup. Their online store mentions items like canister filters and driftwood in related content, suggesting an awareness of broader aquarium needs.
Online Ordering and Shipping: A significant part of their service model includes offering online ordering with shipping options, including overnight shipping for live animals, emphasizing careful packaging and a live-arrival guarantee (though customer experiences can vary).
Customer Support: They aim to provide customer support for inquiries, order updates, and post-purchase questions, including advice on feeding, though the responsiveness can be inconsistent as noted in some reviews.
The features and highlights of Aquarium Fish Depot that make it a notable option for California aquatic hobbyists, while also acknowledging areas where customer experiences have varied, include:
Extensive Live Stock Variety: A major highlight is their broad selection of both freshwater and saltwater fish, invertebrates, and corals. This allows hobbyists to find a wide range of species for their tanks, from common to more exotic types, fulfilling diverse aquatic interests.
Specialization in Live Animals: Unlike general pet stores, their primary focus on live aquatic animals means a deeper inventory and potentially more specialized knowledge in sourcing and caring for these creatures, appealing to serious hobbyists.
Overnight Shipping Option: The provision for overnight shipping, as recommended by some satisfied customers, demonstrates an understanding of the critical need for rapid transit when dealing with live aquatic animals, which is a valuable service for those unable to visit in person.
Careful Packaging: Positive reviews highlight "top-notch" and "amazing" packaging for live fish, indicating a commitment to ensuring the animals are protected during transit, which is crucial for live animal delivery.
Value for Certain Purchases: Some reviews suggest that certain products or types of fish can offer "way better pricing" compared to other sources, making it a potentially cost-effective option for specific aquatic needs.
Communication on Shipping Conditions: Positive feedback mentions the store's attention to weather conditions before shipping, showing a proactive approach to the welfare of the animals during transit, which is a responsible practice.
For inquiries regarding specific fish availability, order status, or any questions about their aquatic products, Aquarium Fish Depot can be reached using the following contact information. While communication experiences have varied for some customers, these are the primary channels to connect with them:
Address: 5121 Santa Fe St Suite F, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
Phone: (858) 926-2060
Mobile Phone: +1 858-926-2060
In conclusion, for California aquatic hobbyists, particularly those in the San Diego region, Aquarium Fish Depot offers a specialized and extensive resource for live freshwater and saltwater fish, invertebrates, and corals. Its physical location on Santa Fe Street provides convenient access for local pick-ups, and its online ordering system aims to serve a broader audience with various shipping options. While customer experiences, especially concerning online order communication and live animal delivery outcomes, have shown some inconsistency, the store's core offering of a vast and diverse inventory of aquatic life remains a significant draw. For dedicated fishkeepers who understand the inherent risks of shipping live animals and who value a wide selection, Aquarium Fish Depot stands as a suitable option to explore for their next aquatic addition or project, especially for those who can visit in person to assess stock directly. Its specialization makes it a distinct player in the California aquarium scene, catering to a niche but passionate community.
Aquarium Fish Depot Photos










Aquarium Fish Depot Location
Aquarium Fish Depot
5121 Santa Fe St Suite F, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
Aquarium Fish Depot Reviews
If I could give zero stars, I would. Avoid this store at all cost!!!I placed an order with Aquarium Fish Depot on April 8th, and it turned into one of the worst customer service and livestock experiences I’ve ever had.Before ordering, I emailed them to ask if I could place an order but delay shipping until April 17th. They responded and said yes, and told me to include the request in the order comments, which I did.Right after placing the order, I also replied to their confirmation email (which instructed me to reply if I wanted to add Route shipping protection) and asked them to add Route. They never responded.I emailed again on April 15th asking for an update and again requested Route protection. Still no reply.I called on April 15th — no answer.I called again on April 16th and left a voicemail. No one ever called me back.Then, the evening of April 16th, I suddenly received a shipping confirmation. They had shipped the order without responding to any of my messages, and had quietly refunded one item — the Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback — without explanation.Worse, the order was incomplete, and several fish arrived dead or in critical condition.---What Arrived Alive:Coral Beauty AngelfishFirefish GobyRoyal GrammaCleaner ShrimpPistol Shrimp1 of 2 Fromia Starfish---What Never Arrived:Hector’s GobyYellow Watchman Goby---What Was Refunded Before Shipping:Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback---What Arrived DOA or Died Within an Hour:2 Lyretail Anthias – Dead on arrival1 Lyretail Anthias – Arrived half-dead, died within the hourMidas Blenny – Dead on arrival1 of 2 Fromia Starfish – Dead on arrival---That’s 7 animals either dead or never sent. I followed all acclimation instructions exactly and documented everything with photos and timestamps.The worst part is that they completely ghosted me after confirming delayed shipping would be fine. I gave them multiple opportunities to respond and resolve things — they chose not to.Avoid Aquarium Fish Depot. They do not stand behind their orders, they do not respond to customer concerns, and they clearly do not care about customer experience.
Apr 17, 2025 · Achiya YaffeOn January 29th,25 at 4:01pm. Baby Common Dojo Loach arrived.Speechless I have no words but amazing.This was my first time ordering from Aquarium fish depot ended up ordering two common dojo loach. I must say just beautiful the package was top notch. It really show the amount of care they put in making sure that the fishes are protected based on where ever they are shipped to.I love the emails update even when I had questions about what to feed my fishes they got back to me the same day or the next following day. As well as not rushing to ship them out they really care and pay attention to the weather in making sure that the fishes are safe before shipping out in bad weather.All I would say is I recommend if you’re a fish mom or dad I would order here. Make sure to do an overnight which is something they would recommend and I would as well. The packaging you won’t regret. 😘😘😘
Jan 30, 2025 · Taisha ThomasFish all died within 2 1/2 days. I bought 10 Chili rasboras. Was lured by the moving sale. But it doesn't save money if they all die. They did look healthy in the store. I had walked around the store once before. Both times, the staff was polite, but barely engaged. Other stores in the area have staff that ask if you need anything and seem passionate about the hobby and interested in helping you out. Those stores are busy, this store was empty both times. yet still had the least engaged staff. Not a welcoming environment, especially for a person new to the hobby.I had fully cycled my Quarantine tank and the water parameters (were and still are) great throught this time in this review. No signs of illness, but they all just died quickly. I now know it wasn't my tank because in addition to great water parameters, a week later I have other fish quarantining in the same tank. Not even a water change and they are doing great! I will stick to another local store that has friendly helpful engaged staff and fish that do great after bringing them home.Also, this store is more expensive overall, so it turns out the sale just brought them just under the regular price of the store that I mainly go to.There are three other stores in San Diego that are not big box stores, This should be last on your list in my opinion. Disinterested staff, poor quality fish, and overpriced.
May 18, 2025 · aaradiaDO NOT waste your time or money with this business. Three weeks ago, I placed an order after discussing specifics with Patrick, who assured me the items would ship the following week. Not only did this fail to happen, but the company then proceeded to ghost me entirely. Despite repeated calls and emails over the next week, there was **ZERO RESPONSE** until I escalated my inquiries. Only then did they casually reply, claiming the order would finally ship.This week, however, I received a cold, one-word email: **“Canceled.”** No explanation. No apology. No accountability. This is not merely poor service—it’s a blatant demonstration of dishonesty and incompetence. Patrick’s misleading assurances, coupled with the company’s refusal to communicate transparently or honor commitments, reflect a shocking lack of professionalism. How a business can operate with such disregard for basic customer decency is beyond comprehension.This experience has been a frustrating waste of time, and I strongly urge others to steer clear. A company that lies to clients, ignores inquiries, and cancels orders without justification does not deserve your trust—or your money.**Save yourself the headache.** Look elsewhere for a business that respects its customers.I SHOULD HAVE RELIED ON THE LATEST REVIEW PRIOR TO MINE BY GREG. BE WARNED.
Apr 01, 2025 · Anthony Fox (WhereTheFoxTravels)Ordered fish back on Feb 15th, and their website said they would start shipping the following Monday. After I had to send an email to them a few weeks later asking why it hadn't shipped, they said it was too cold to ship still. Fine, I can live with that, to protect the fish. However, I had to send them another email 2 weeks ago, stating I would be out of town, and not to send my fish while I was gone, or I wouldn't be around to accept them, and their return policy having to film yourself opening the box within 30 minutes of receiving them wasn't going to happen. Took a bit, but they said they would wait til I got back from my trip. During my trip I got an email stating they were shipping them - and I wouldn't be around to accept - so I really laid into how poor their communication and customer service was, after they said they would wait til I got back home. They stopped the shipping, and said shipping hadn't received the message. I got back on Friday, sent an email stating I was back and to ship. It's now Monday (they only close on Thursday) and I had to resend another email telling them I would have rather drove 2 hours north to a local shop instead of dealing with their crappy customer service had I known. I just received an email stating they shipped - can't wait to see what condition they are in. Do yourself a favor - don't buy from this place with their poor communication and lack of customer service. Just imagine how it's going to be if one or more of them died during transportation.... What a joke they are!EDIT: Fish arrived - 5 were dead upon arrival, and my 10 Chili Rasboras that I ordered were something completely different - definitely not the Chili Rasboras that I ordered! After complaining to them about it - they refunded me the price of the Chili's, but not the other fish that had died, and their response was "shipping confirmed it was what I ordered". What a complete joke of a company with no customer service. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM! They won't even refund your money completely. Horrible all the way around - go elsewhere!
Mar 13, 2025 · Gregg Osborne
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