Reviews of Fish World (Fish Shop)

11634 Busy St, Richmond, VA 23236

Average Rating:

DESCRIPTION

Here you have the reviews of real people who consume the products and services of Fish World (Fish Shop) in the state of Virginia.

At the moment the firm gets a score of 4.4 stars out of 5 and the rating has been based on 116 reviews.

As you can see it reaches an opinions average is positive, and it's founded on a large number of opinions, so we may say that the rating is quite accurate. If there are many people who bothered to evaluate when they've done well, it works.

As you know, we don't usually bother to set reviews when these are good and we usually do it only if we've had a problem or issue...

This Fish Shop is included in the category of Tropical fish store.

Where is Fish World?

REVIEWS OF Fish World IN Virginia

Andrew Gayne

Michael Messinger

Always a great place to shop. I visit there frequently for all ny coral and fish needs wuth excellent staff support. WhstveeW you need ut can be taken care of at fish world.

Patrick Gunnell

Joe the owner not only has the best customer service I have encountered in along time but genuinely cares about what you are trying to accomplish. He is also willing to send items, special order items, or advise in any problems that occur. Great place and awesome displays!!!!

Aaron Whitmore

bharani talluri

Great selection for the reef enthusiastics expensive hobby. Priced appropriate.

Stephen Ferguson

Nice shop with some great equipment for sale as well as nice display tank for some motivation. Selection wasn't what it used to be but still worth a visit.

Michael Simpson

Liz Younglove

Love the owner, Joe. The downside is that they are super busy and you could wait a long time. The upside is they are very knowledgeable, and friendly.

Ashley Butler

Amazing service, small business owner, great selection of salt water fish and corals

Parker Allen

Terrible experience! Don't waste your time at this place, everything from the customer service to the prices was a let down.

D Fletcher

Zach Greer

Their staff is amazing ( joe and Cameron are the best).

Kelly Pellot

Great friendly people & Beautiful setups! Will definitely be back!

Sport blue sky

Tina Wyatt

Wanted to have an existing tank serviced...Joe was supposed to come....Never showed up. Guess I wasn't a customer he wanted.

Mary Reed

Kim Jones

I understand everyone has their view of an experience bad or good. There is a paper with prices on it everyday. When you come in and are looking ASK FOR IT AND YOU WILL KNOW THE PRICES. That is how I learned were the prices are and what they are for the day. Fish come and go and everyday according to what is sold and what comes in changes what is in the tanks. Pricey. Well, I just started learning with a salt water aquarium and I may be able to get things cheaper from mail orders or ebay but, with the experience that I had with my temperature going up and killing several of my fish and dealing with the toxics and all the toxins and bacteria that can kill the living things in your tank. I don't think saving a few dollars is worth the risk of not being able to see were what I am buying is coming from. Maybe later if I had a quarantine tank. But, Joe and Scott have been nothing but very nice and helpful to me. Yes, I have waited sometimes for 30 mins while he helped another customer. He was ahead of me and like all business he was explaining to the gentleman how to put an item together. What to do and not to do. So, he treats me with the same attention. I don't have a problem with that because he would give you as much time if you needed, As, far as a lady being rude. Well, I wasn't there but I don't let anyone be rude to me without addressing the situation. Maybe her personality is not an outgoing one and if you let her know she would realize how she made you feel and apologize or take into consideration and change how people are feeling about her customer service. However, everyone thinks life is all about them. If Joe was late did you ask him why? Or did you explain how you felt. Or did you just say nothing and right a bad review. If so shame on you. Learn to communicate with people and maybe things will work out for you better in life. Either way I have had nothing but a good experience and I do know how to wait my turn. And express myself when I feel I have been treated unfairly. I go here and would suggest people go and get your own experience rather than just from someone's point of view. Kim Jones:)

MB

Will Ganaden

Christopher Schramm

Awesome staff amazing selection. Cant wait to go back

KeAndra Evans

Great place for Salt water and fresh water for my fish tank

Blake C

Owner and staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Very willing to answer questions and help get back into the hobby. You can tell they really love the animals they sell and take care of. The display tanks are nothing short of amazing. Can't wait to go back.

Shane Dowler

They know their salt water tanks. Always friendly service

Rob Phillips

Tonnya Moore

My husband and I have always had a great experience with Joe and the staff, including his wife. Do we pay more for certain things, Yes. Why? Because we know we are getting what we pay for quality fish and great customer service. They are all knowledgeable about everything. The price list is right there to look at, we walk around with it. You only need to know your ABC's and process of elimination to figure it out. We went to other stores before Fish World, all I saw there were dead fish in half the tanks. And people telling us we couldnt do it. Well, with Joe's help we have a wonderful 94 gallon tank, beautiful fish and coral. Joe speaks to everyone, and helps everyone out with any problems. I can personally tell you he ISN'T about the money, he IS about making sure you have the healthiest tank possible. Spent some actual time there, and you will see. As for his tanks, they keep them clean and the fish are well cared for. He will always have our business. Thank you Joe and gang!

Brett Meade

Store was mediocre at best. I was stationed on the west coast with alot nicer saltwater stores. Just by looking at his tanks, he doesn't care about his fish or coral. I saw a lot of aptasia, hair algae and bleaching of corals. Puts of a sign he either doesn't know how to care for saltwater or, just doesn't care. Nothing in store has prices, which means he way over priced. Lucky for me I know people back in california to get me whatever I need, only need to pay for shipping which isn't much. If your new to saltwater don't go to this store he's just out to make big profits. Live rock at $9.99 a lb is outrageous. Since you can go on forums or Craigslist and get it for $1-2 lb. Just be sure to keep an eye out for aptasia or hair algae. So I won't be going back to this place.

Eddie Wright

I'm new to the salt water tank world. I was giving a 150 gallon tank and I need a lot of help getting started. My wife and I visited the store and they were very helpful and informative. Thanks for everything and I'm looking forward to a long relationship with you and your business.

Stephen Petruzzo

Great place for all your saltwater needs! They have massive tanks to showcase coral and fish. You will find specimens in these tanks that you could only imagine. Besides the size, the main 1200 gallon display tank seemed to be lacking that "WOW" factor that other fish stores have with their coral growth, variety, and fish selection. There aren't many fish for sale, and most of the fish that are for sale are fairly common fish - clowns, tangs, fire fish, etc. All of the fish seem to hate their lives as their tanks are small and they do not to appear to be in the healthiest of conditions. However they do have a sea horse tank with about 8 specimens if you are interested in that. They have a large variety of corals for sale, nothing too special except for a couple of nice SPS corals that were rare. Most of the corals are of the soft and LPS variety. There were only about 15-25 SPS corals that i would ever consider buying there due to their condition. The reason for three stars is because their tanks have aptasia everywhere, algae seems to grow in all places, and they often leave bleaching or dead coral on the shelf for customers to look at. However, the worst part is the pricing of their products. IT IS WAY OVERPRICED AND EXPENSIVE!!! A blue hippo tang, about 1.5 inches, runs about $95. While my local LFS sells these tangs that are 4-5 inches for $89!!! You can find corals that they sell for 1/2, or even 1/3 of the marked prices. A 1-1.5 inch small normal acro frag...$65-$100. LFS - $30. Also, on top of that, the way they price their products is very weird and confusing. They mark the prices of their products on lined paper packets instead of on or around the tanks. This means that you have to scan each page for the price of the coral that you want...what a waste of time! And on top of that they only have on packet per section of the store, so if two people want to look at the price of the corals at the same time it is very hard to. On the brighter side, the customer service is very friendly and very knowledgable. The employees are willing to talk for hours about the corals and everything to do with them. Overall, it is worth the visit if you live under an hour from this place. However, anything more than that and it is not worth the trip as it was a 2 hour drive each way for me. Again, i do not recommend buying any live products from this store as you are sure to get ripped off. If you're willing to drive the distance, I highly recommend that you visit "The Marine Scene" located in Herndon, VA. They have a larger selection of everything and everything is marked at a fair price and is high quality. They also have discounts every Friday and Saturday, so id go then. The Marine Scene is closed Sunday - Tuesday so dont go then.

Isaac Whitesel

The og ryder

Nice place

Jimi Zich

They let my girlfriend hold a starfish. Super cool.

Nick Yatsko

I have not been it this hobby for many years but When I first got started I only went to Joe and his staff for help, advice and supplies when I lived in Richmond and Raleigh, NC! Now that I’m in PA and thinking about getting back into it I can’t wait to see Joe and these guys again! Joe is amazing and the most knowledgeable person I’ve met yet on the topic!

Doug Brewer

My wife and I enjoy going here and talking to Joe and his staff. They always have something we can learn about and have great stock. The atmosphere's laid back and it is usually loud with laughter and conversation. This is a great place to get supplies and and we have gotten some amazing finds with Joe and his Fish World.

J McCall

I Love fish world! go there all the time! Joe, cameron are really good at assisting their customers.

Therochelle Moore

BRIAN OLSON

Brian Robinson

Unbelievable displays. Their displays are better than most public aquarium reef tanks. Always great looking fish and corals.

Jennifer Newland

Very helpful and attentive. Such beautiful fish! I could tell they are taking care of before purchased.

Mary Harvey

Great selection of salt water fish.

Emily Parris

Brian Olson

Great staff, very helpful and knowledgable

Richard Kingswell

Great team outstanding knowledge.

Vincent McKee

Norman Crews

Matt R

Hands down the best fish store around, their selection and knowledge are unparalleled. I live over an hour away but I don't go anywhere else

Michael Carter

Nice place. Wonderful staff. Personally I would rather see prices marked on tanks but the staff had no problem giving prices and answering questions.

Alex Brown

If you want a unique saltwater fish or coral, then go talk to Joe!

Chris Foltz

I recently purchased a turn key 190 reef tank from Fish World. Everything was great, the tank the rock, the set up, they are true professionals. In regards to price Fish World is the only Premium store I have seen in the region. I may pay a few dollars more but like most people I have tried buying cheap and you end up paying more in the long run because what you bought didn't do the job you bought it for or it didn't last as long as it should. Great store, great people, give them a try. They get busy sometimes (which is a good thing) so be patient and I promise it will be worth your time.

EndGoal Group Inc.

Reggie Drew

Knowlegable. Clean... nice guys

JD Kay

Steve Brinsfield

Fantastic collection of fish, I've never met anybody that knows more about fish than those guys. Fantastic service!

william taylor

Great guys great selection

Hannah Stephenson

Employees were very knowledgeable and helpful

Fish Man

Store is nice, BUT expect to pay double or triple from what the other stores nearby charge. Checkout-Tiki, Richmond aquarium , and Chester aquaria. In addition the owners wife needs to stay out of the business. I.e. anted to buy a fish and asked to hold it. The owners wife told me no, I asked to speak with joe, who is the owner and she told me no and they are too busy and will not hold a fish for a day or or two. GREEDY! I told her other stores hold fish and joe does as well, but she just kept getting angry on the phone so I said I will take my business elsewhere. She replied "we do not need your business" and "we have been here over 20 years". With that I hung up and haven't set foot back in. If you like paying high prices and bring berated by the owners wife, then by all means go to fish world!

David Clements

Best salt water fish store I have been in. I have shopped in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maryland but nothing is remotely comparable. I highly recommend the store. Great prices and best, most knowledgeable staff.

James Grillo Shepherd

they have some good fish and i'm sure frags (even though i wouldn't know, i don't have saltwater QUITE yet) but my biggest complaint is the lack of oddballs. a few years ago i would see sharks and huge eels (along with some interesting, smaller fish) every time i walked in. so, great store, but the selection isn't always 5 star.

Brian Thornton

Great place. Great knowledge of saltwater fishing and coral industry.

Ryan Matney

meh selection, staff was rude and seemed to not care that i was there at all. No freshwater fish at all. Needs a make over. Hoping someone will buy this place and redo it. the deck wall set up was really cool but overall it seems to be in bad hands.

J Saha

If you are going to purchase saltwater fish or corals this is by far the best place to go in Richmond, if not all of Virginia (just ask the countless people that drive 1.5 - 4 hours on weekends to get their fish ONLY from Joe's shop). If you come by the shop this is what you should be prepared for, anywhere from 3 to 10 customers in the store talking to each other looking at the amazing stock available and each waiting their turn work with Joe and his staff for whatever they need for that day...could be having their water tested; could be picking out the perfect piece of coral or fish; or just asking for advice (even if you don't have a tank yet). While Joe is helping that person they are the MOST important person in the store. He takes his time and makes you feel like your question/need is the TOP priority and that is what sets Fish World apart. So yes from time to time you may have to wait your turn before Joe or his staff can help you, but when it is your turn...no matter how big or small your issue (or your purchase for that day) you will receive honest, caring, detailed advice. This is not just Joe's business it is his passion and that comes across in every interaction i have ever had with him. Pricing, his prices are fair - more expensive than PetCo, but comparable to other local fish stores in the area. The quality and care of the fish though are top notch, and paying a little extra to guarantee the health of the fish and coral is well worth it. Joe and Fishworld are the example of why I love individually owned small businesses, because the owners are living their passion and sharing that with their clients, who he knows by name!

Cosmic Outlier

jeff mcguffin

Joe is the man. He is very knowledgeable and personable. I highly recommend Fish World to any saltwater enthusiast...

Rafael Puentes

Best Place for your saltwater needs. We have been driving from Fredericksburg to Richmond for 5 years for our water and supplies.

Katrina V

This is a beautiful aquarium store with wonderful, knowledgeable people working in it and amazing sights to see. They will show you things you never thought to see before, it is almost better than going to a regular aquarium. But smaller. They can hook you up with all your salt-water tank needs. The reason I don't give it five stars is that they buy live-cought specimens from the ocean, and I have issues with taking animals (even fish) from their habitat. I'm not sure how sustainable the business is.

Ben Hebert

I came from out of town looking for an Ecotech MP10. I called ahead asking if they sold them, which they said they did and could order it for me. I got to their store looked around and was impressed by the fish and tanks within. The owner Joe and Cameron were very nice let my daughter runaround with no worries. They ordered the MP10 for me at a lower price then expected lower then i had seen anywhere around and online. Then said they could send it to my house which was awesome. If i lived closer it would be my go to fish store.

Brandon Baker

Selection of saltwater fish was great but there were no prices displayed. Knowledgeable and friendly staff though.

Isaac LOYALL

Overall a kinda boring and useless place. Pretty decor but terrible fish selection. Horrific staff, I had an awful experience with a man named joe who seemed to uppity and full of himself to realize I was trying to give him my business. I hope this store will change as it is a beautiful space. Just needs a better owner/management.

Aisha Hinton

Great place for saltwater aquariums, friendly staff!

Desiree Fitzgerald

Rachel McCoy

Douglas Shook

Shane Berry

Fantastic place, highly recommend to everyone in the hobby

Conner Couch

Great selection. Friendly, knowledgeable people

Jennifer Banty

A really nice store for saltwater fish and corals. They had several nice display tanks including a 1200 gallon. Beautiful fish and nice tank set ups.

Charles Bailey

This place is beautiful! I can't believe the selection Joe has and the amount of knowledge. I was hesitant at first to start a saltwater tank but after coming here I am definitely going to take up the project!

Davileet T

Joe is the best. I purchased a special order tank through him with Planet Aquariums and it was an awesome experience. Prices are on the higher side for corals, but nothing terribly unreasonable if you have a career. There is a cost involved to doing business and keeping the lights on. I am out of town a couple of hours or I would visit much more often. Joe is a really great guy and cares about his customers and that is probably his secret to success.

Robert Johnson

Disorganized and not very clean.

Mundo acuario

(Translated by Google) The best quality in marine fish, quality and experience, ask for Jow .... tremendous person, they orient you and educansin you expect nothing changed. (Original) La mejor calidad en peces marinos, calidad y experiencia, pregunta por Jow....tremenda persona, te orientan y te educansin esperar nada cambió.

Mike Johnson

Would have gave better review but the bubble algea and aptasia(manjo) on everything. Biggest bubbles I have ever seen. Nice people but didn't buy due to afraid to infect my tank. Nice selection of corals.

Stacy Stevenson

Ted Lambert

Awesome SW Fish Store and Customer Service!! Purchased a light from Joe and when I got home I realized the bulbs were not in the fixture...called Joe and he ordered me another and was supposed to arrive Friday. I go Saturday to exchange my bulbs and he was frustrated because UPS had failed to deliver and updates showed Monday delivery. Even though it was beyond his control, Joe packed me up some live rock and other supplies for my tank, on the house! I look forward to buying my fish and corals from Fish World! Thanks again.

Chris Turner

Very Good.

Spidey M

Bobby Green

This is a great store and probably one of the few places I would drop a fish in my display without quarantine. His prices are definitely higher for livestock but why save a few bucks for your purchase to die in a few days. I've bought several fish from here including a leopard wrasse and all are still great and some are 4 years old

Jared Priddy

Denny Green

Love going in to Fish World. Don't own a tank...yet .. everyone is super knowledgeable and willing to share with out pushing you to buy something. Great variety of fish and Coral.

Allan Rudolph

Hunter Allen

Really impressive layout. Nice selection of live product. Very inviting staff. Knowledgeable as well. Limited supplies on hand. But incredible tanks. Worth a visit just for the view.

steve haskell

Joe and his crew are knowledgeable and friendly. They are always willing to help any way they can.

Sullie Snodgrass

Tataneisha Jackson

They only carry saltwater fish but the staff are very helpful and nice.

Terry Nazar

Beautiful reef tanks and marine fish.

Nicole Bennett

Great fish wonderful people

Nicole Burchett

Fish world is absolutely amazing they have the biggest variety of saltwater fish, and coral in Virginia! we always have to stop in; and see Joe to make a purchase when ever we are in town!

Matthew Knighting

Finally had time to check the store out, absolutely amazing tanks! I was a little nervous but after the owner's pep talk I feel confident again in caring for a saltwater tank. Thank you for your help and hope soon I'm be buying my first fish :)

Mon key

Vernon Narron

He has everything you need

Jeff Lepore

Awesome staff recommend definitely going here to get your supplies and exotic fish. Make sure you ask for kameron he will help you with everything you need. They have a great selection and can get you just about anything you need if they don't have it in stock right away. They are willing to accommodate you after hours if you have an emergency. We love the giant saltwater fish tanks and how well they are designed.

Fenil Sheth

Lil expensive

Samantha Freese-hill

Midsummer's Night Dream

I will say the place has a cool look! Seems impractical though! They never have much coral or fish, would not recommend. Seeing how “joe” acts on here I would assume the staff is unkind and rude.

Duke Browder

Ashar Kamal

Benjamin Colteaux

I can’t say enough good things about Fishworld. Joe and Cody are extremely knowledgeable and are so welcoming and helpful. Their prices are better than any of the other aquarium stores we have visited in Richmond, and it has been most of them. Their display aquariums will blow you away. We could spend the day each time we visit just looking at their displays, most entertaining of which is a 1200 gallon behemoth with a very funny 6 line wrasse as it’s security guard. Atlantis is nice, but can’t match Fishworld in price, quality or selection. Richmond aquariums is just flat awful, and the remaining stores fall somewhere in-between. If you truly are interested in the hobby and want the best, but not most expensive, then head to Fishworld!

Sandy Sanders

The best salt water store in Richmond, hands down. When we moved here 17 years ago, we were told about Joe and Fish World. What they said was correct, Joe is the guru of the Salt Water Aquarium World. Not only does he help solve problems you have with your tank, they get the most unusual fish too. There isn't a reason to go anywhere else!

No Longer USed

Bernard Robinson Jr.

Pretty disappointed. Being brand new to the hobby and curious, the guy running the place didn't say one word to me as I browsed literally every square inch of the store. It was just him and I in the shop, mind you. Could have made a customer for life by acknowledging me. Or maybe not, never got that far. Luckily, literally every other fish shop I've been to is friendly. Pretty sweet looking fish though.

Jake Evans

Recently got into the saltwater aquarium hobby. Visited several dealers and I don't have anything really negative to say about these shops but for me Fish World was an immediate connection (Joe and his wife) have been outstanding and treated me great from the start to today. I cant be more pleased with my new aquarium. They installed and designed the aquarium. The family loves it.

Greg Tetreault

Kenny Munford

Plain and simple joe and Cameron are flat out the best. I have been playing with salt water tanks for years and you just can't get any better than them.

Lewis Wharton

Great staff great selection and lot of knowledge with willingness to share

T.A Breaker

The guy that runs this place is one of the most knowledgeable saltwater specialist I’ve met. It’s a little pricey in some ways, but you get what you pay for. I also have had a wait when there, but appreciated the attention to detail when it was my turn.

Brandy Vaughan

Noppakun Lorah

Really nice place. They might be a little busy but they will make time to help you. Busy store must mean it's good. So just be patient about it. A lot of fish and tons of corals to choose. This place makes all the store in Newport News looks bad. Worth the 1 hour and 30 min drive. Store owner really nice even introduced himself when he met me. If they were closer I would come here more often.

Roman Trettel

Business Hours of Fish World in Virginia

SUNDAY
1–5PM
MONDAY
12–7PM
TUESDAY
12–7PM
WEDNESDAY
12–7PM
THURSDAY
12–7PM
FRIDAY
12–7PM
SATURDAY
10AM–4PM

PHONE & WEBPAGE

Fish World en Virginia
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