We recently purchased our very first Fish tank aquarium. With only minimal knowledge and limited experience with a fish tank we wanted to have a truly successful tank. In addition to following instructions that came with it, we decided to seek out advice from people who have more knowledge and experience as well to ensure we did it right. (at least as best as we can) One of the places we looked into was the Living Aquarium Tucked in an industrial /warehouse section of Cambridge - you may not even see this place. It doesn't have the flash of big pet stores / aquarium stores. What it lacks in flash - it more than makes up in QUALITY. After visiting other 'fishy' stores, that left us unimpressed, we looked for other options and came up with Living Aquarium. the operator/owner is extremely helpful and very knowledgable. Unlike other big named stores - this guy lives and breathes through his gills. every question we had was met with a confident and knowledge filled response. As a person who's back ground is in animal health, I am always drawn to 'Animal Husbandry' & care. So, I was fascinated by his set up. At one point he saw me staring at an empty tank, and explained I was impressed with the plumbing and filtration of his set up. He then showed me More and explained how it all works. Our first visit left us with such a great impression - that we have returned to LA a few more times for more fish as our tank developed. We now have a thriving aquarium set up and it is because we took advice and information from someone who knows what they are doing, and not from a store with a more recognizable name. If you are considering an aquarium set up - be it fresh or salt water - Let Living Aquarium be your FIRST choice.

Best place hands down to go and get an amazing friendly experience. Have it be the father, Son or any of the staff at this location they are there to help you with any of your needs and are super knowledgeable in all aspects. I was having issues with my tank that I bought from the local big box Pet Smart and even though I didn’t purchase it from them they walked me right through the process of setting it up and keeping it maintained. As well If you have questions or any concerns they are on Facebook and respond quickly and are always Available to help Out. They have a fantastic warranty policy as well on their fish and anything you purchase from them which is great. If your looking to start up or just want to keep growing your tank go here you won’t be disappointed ☺️ Thanks again for all your help over the last 3 years.

I bought a pair of Molly from the store, one ended up carrying ich which I found out latter and died. I have my tank up and ruing for 8 years and never had ich before. A few days later I lost one more and the rest of my tetra all have white dots on them. I hope I can save all my fishes, but for this review I do not recommend this place. I’m all about supporting local businesses but I suspect this place do not have good parasite control for the live stocks they carry. I hope you read this review and be careful of the fishes you purchase at this location.

When I was looking for where to get a fish this store was recommended to me by a lot of different fish groups (betta specific) on social media. I will say this place definitely lived up to and exceeded my expectation! Don’t judge it based on appearances of the exterior when you arrive. This store is absolutely amazing! Immediately when you walk in you can see that all of the fish are being taken care of properly! I went to get a beta and ended up exploring and walking around and looking at all the fish and different decor and stuff they offer. The staff kept coming over and talking to me and my friend who was there which was very nice. When they asked what I was looking for (if anything) and I said betta they asked which I would prefer (make or female) and showed us the option they have. I will say they have absolutely beautiful healthy bettas! I was set on getting a female however I ended up getting one of their beautiful copper samurai males. I absolutely will be returning for any fish related things that I need 100%. I definitely recommend this store! Such a great environment!

Fantastic selection of fish and plants! The Father's and Son team here are extremely helpful. This is my favorite and go-to aquatic store! Very highly recommend!

they sell great products and have very knowledgeable staff. Steve and Rick are nice guys and very helpful- this is the place to go!

Beautiful store filled with amazing rare and colourful fishes. Fish are.well cared for and store is very clean

Love love this place. The staff are all great!! They are able to give great advice and can answer many questions!! Absolutely recommend them.! Rick and Steve are awesome! Love going for visits and I always find friends to home.

Amazing staff that were so knowledgeable. My tank had a parasite Ick and they took the time to explain and helped me with the procedures to clear it up and saved my fish. The shop has so many different fish species to choose from at reasonable prices. Tanks are always clean and easy to see fish so you know the fish come from a healthy environment. I would definitely recommend getting your aquarium needs here. Thanks for all the help!

Very impressed with the my experience at Living Aquarium, I wish I had come across this gem sooner! The staff are clearly very passionate and educated. I was blown away with the variety of live plants, rocks, and different types of wood. I can’t wait to go back and pick out some more

We have one of their aquariums in our office and it is beautiful. Steve designed and created the seascape with rocks, wood, and live plants. Everyone comments on how natural-looking and well designed it is. He chose the fish and snails that would be the best mix of creatures to keep the tank clean, that is, some eat the debris on the bottom, some eat the algae on the glass, etc. But the best part is that Steve comes out and does the cleaning and maintenance on our tank for a very reasonable price. And always, always service with a smile. We are very happy with our aquatic ecosystem!

I love this store! I can always count on these guys to have the specialty products I'm looking for. They have everything you could ever want for your plant and/or aquarium needs. I also like that they 3D print their own tank accessories. Love to see them growing herbs from some tanks. The guys working are also friendly and knowledgeable, love the laid back atmosphere.

Dec 2022 : Great place to buy plants…I just started my first planted tank and bought a bunch of plants from this place. The owner is always there to help and guide.Will be visiting soon again. Dec 2023:This a post after 11 months from the original post…just wanted to share how the plants grew ….still the best aquarium store for fish and plants in the waterloo/Cambridge region….thanks a lot for always sharing great advices

This is an amazing family owned business. Steve and his dad, Rick run the store, along with their cute and friendly doggy. Steve is personable and knowledgeable. And also not pushy to get the sale done. Great collection and variety of fish. I recommend this small family business :)

Friendly amd knowledgable service. Great aquarium products. Great prices. Love supporting local small business from people who love what they do. This father and son duo clearly know aquatics and plants too. Great experience and will be back very soon for more. Did i mention awesome prices too?

I really appreciate that their website has an easily accessible catalog of what is in stock, and they have a great variety of livestock. This is an all around awesome shop, and co-owner Steve is super knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant to talk to. He was able to help me choose a fish for my community tank that I otherwise would have never considered This is a passionately managed store that certainly cares about their livestock and products. I’m super happy with my experience here and I’d come back again soon if I didn’t live so far away. Check them out!

i bought my fish and all the plants in the picture here. i know nothing about live plants, the owner was so helpful and patient explaining everything to me and helping me pick the right ones. you can tell everyone here loves what they do, this place beats big chain stores anyday. Thank you!!

I have been to this store countless times now and I do not go anywhere else. The staff and owners are beyond personable, polite and extremely knowledgeable. I have purchased products including fresh and saltwater fish and supplies, 3D printing and hydroponic supplies. I can not say enough about this place. I leave the store grinning because of the service and the level of care and product delivered by the Living Aquarium team. This is a store I will always come back to and recommend with the highest regard.

Amazing staff, kind, knowledgeable and helpful. Great business and highly recommend the fish I bought were in amazing condition and care!

Love these guys! Very knowledgeable, very friendly and very helpful... Great stock, fair prices... Shop here all the time

This place is amazing! They take such good care of their fish. I went in with my son today and they were so much fun and patient with him because of course every second fish he saw he wanted. They are so friendly and knowledgeable. Took the time to answer all my questions and concerns. I would highly recommend visiting if your looking for a new fish. We are super happy with our new family member.

Great little store. Lots of selection of livestock, plants and aquascaping decor. I was told of this store by a fellow hobbyists and am glad I went. I will return.

I cannot say enough awesome things about Living Aquarium. They have been nothing but fantastic! Their customer service is top notch and they are great with my kids! We had trouble starting my daughter's first aquarium after going to other pet/aquarium stores. Living Aquarium helped us figure out what the issues were! We now have a happy aquarium and I have a happy 10 yr old kiddo. We will continue going to them for everything to do with aquariums. Thank you so much Rick & Steve!

Needed to find a home for my kribensis, Brisallnose Placos. And a lot of plants. As my large tank had broke Friday morning.called bigals Sunday morning big als and they said they wouldn’t give any store credit for them then I had found living aquarium and called them and talk to Rick and he said he would be more then happy to take them In and give a credit. Thanks for the shrimp today and thanks for the help

We have been here many times and will go back again . There are a great collection of fish which are very healthy and active .They also have great customer service always and very glad we have something close to us in Cambridge😃

So happy to have found this gem today! Fairly new at fishkeeping and found them extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Will be my go to. Bought a Bristlenose Pleco and he’s loving his new home. Beautiful selection of fish and supplies.

Cannot recommend this place enough! has an excellent selection of leaf litter that you are going to be paying 30$ for + shipping at an online retailer, monkey pods, willow leaves, live oak all here for great prices, when I saw them last time I visited my jaw dropped at their selection and prices, it made my day. Excellent hardscaping materials again at excellent pricing, and a amazing selection of planted wood, spider wood you name it also an impressive selection of rocks. And omg the plant selection! If you love beautifully planted Aquariums with the best quality and value hardscaping materials this is the place for you!!!

Awesome Father and Son aquarium shop, truly felt like a hidden gem when I visited there for the first time. They are very knowledgeable and love to provide you with advise on what ever you ask. Prices are super fair, better than the big chain stores and the quality definitely seems better. If you are looking for fresh water or salt water tank set ups, I highly reccomend this place when you get the chance. There are way more stuff then what is shown in the photos here.

Very nice to buy aquarium fish here And mr. Steve the owner so nice ...and frendly

Best LFS in the area. Kept us stocked through the pandemic. Prices remained reasonable even though small businesses have taken a hit.

Great prices. Lots of help. Very knowledgeable owner

Great place for salt and freshwater aquarium supplies. Lots of happy fish, and hydroponics too. Friendly, knowledgable and clean. Love it!

We were here today for the first time and it is super clean, owners were so helpful. Prices are unbeatable! Fishes are so happy and heatlhy! Definitely we will be back!

The best place in thd Waterloo region for anything and everything aquarium related! Staff are super friendly and helpful, I had a issue with a rock I bought from a different company and they helped figure out the cause and what it is they also recommend solutions that I could do at home and other stuff they had to help without breaking the bank. I recommend them to anyone and all my family /friends that have tanks 10 out of 10 for everything can't stress enough how great they are and how caring for the fish both freshwater and salt water thank you for everything and keep up the great work

A tiny store with a big selection of fish. Super friendly, helpful staff who clearly enjoy the aquarium life. Tanks we're well stocked and looked very clean, with healthy, active fish. Fresh and salt water livestock, as well as plants. Prices are excellent for freshwater fish and plants. The store owner mentioned to me he brings in fish weekly.