Today was my first trip to house of aquatics , store had lots of variety but it seems that they take quantity over quality of life for the fish/ reptiles. I seen a good bit of dead fish, which is expected to some degree. My real problem was the reptiles, majority of lizards are clearly extremely stressed, pacing back and forth trying to escape a small tank sitting in direct heat under lights smh. I purchased some plants , duck weed in particular. By the time I got home I noticed at least 10 SMALL snails. After a closer look there’s probably close to 50 microscopic bugs all in the duck weed. Definitely won’t be using or purchasing from this place again. They DO NOT have the room for the amount of animals being stored.

Always have live mice. Something very hard to find anywhere else. Employees have always been very my helpful with suggestions to my Son, as a new snake owner. Huge selection of everything you need, for any type of aquarium life. They pack a lot of merchandise in their small space, to meet demand of customer needs. I've been taking the kids there since they were 2 & 5 years old, now 18 & 21.

Wanted to get some plants and some fish for a small starter tank and had some questions, and wanted some guidance. Figured this was the place to go based on their reputation and wanted to support a local business. I am very shy and have general anxiety, so it can be hard for me to talk to people. Went in on a sat night and it was very busy and a bit overwhelming. Left and decided to go back when they opened the next day with hope of a smaller crowd. There were less people, and I was able to ask an employee for help. This guy was rude and, though generally knowledgeable did not seem to want to help. He seemed irritated that I wanted some suggestions on what to buy instead of just knowing what I wanted. Left the store in tears, did not get what I went in for, not going to go back.

Larry n Rick are very knowledgeable they keep up with every individual animal to a T i can go in a year later and ask when my snake was born and Larry would know even down to health issues instead of sending you to spend a lot of money at the vet if it's something they can fix they will fix for you they take pride in what they do they're very passionate about their work we love going here even when we don't need to go we go just to say hi and see the animals been going here since I was a kid have and I'm still going as an adult me and my husband would not go anywhere else

I do like them; they have a lovely variety of fish. I think my issue is that whenever you need help, most employees are disinterested, so it can be hard to purchase anything here. If you are there to look through; definitely a nice place to check out.

Great store for aquarium lovers. Very nice selection of freshwater and saltwater animals(live coral too) + plants. Pricing is written on tanks. They also have set up needs like tanks, substrate, rocks, etc. And other animals: lizards, tarantulas, rabbits. You could even pop in just to look at some of the permanent residents (some large fish). Compared to other locations, their selection is wider and their prices more competitive (lower!) Pictured: The tiny aquarium I started using their plants and substrate (snails from ebay).

They really know there stuff and are so helpful. My Fluval FX4 needs new o-rings and they are out of stock but Mark told me what to do tell they come in give me a box so my filter will not leak all over my hardwood floors worse until I'm able to fix it properly. Just really great customer service they go above and beyond and beyond wonderful people and great animals too, they love and handle them

Great "local" fish store. I actually travel about 120 miles to shop here. They have everything a Marine Aquarium keeper needs. They are often crowded and sometimes the lines are long but it's understandable. I read another review from a person upset because the staff member at the counter spent 20 minutes talking with the current customer. If you think about it, you should be ok with that because it only proves if you need help or have questions, and in this hobby you certainly will, it's nice to know they'll take the time to help you. Great selection of saltwater fish and inverts as well as equipment and other supplies. The freshwater side also has quite a few interesting types of fish...lots of rarities in both fresh and salt water. If you think some of the tanks look "messy" don't be fooled. The water parameters are spot on and right where they should be. A messy tank doesn't necessarily indicate bad or unhealthy water.

Bought this one twig of Bolbitus and they had it marked “rare”. $20 for one twig and I got three nice plants on eBay for the sake $20. Not rare at all and super overpriced. Also spent $150 on shrimp that have already died. Shame on you House of Tropicals.

We have been coming here for years. The staff is very knowledgeable, welcoming, polite, and wonderful. I think his name is Jeff? Has a long white beard. Anyway, he is amazing and has helped us many times. He is a fish guru! We will continue to come here for all our aquatic needs. Rip Tiny Towanda! It was always amazing to see you. You will be greatly missed! 🐠

I can't believe the let down that this store was. From the smell that hits you right when you walk in the door, to the awful conditions of the walls and floors, to the tanks that aren't up kept, visible dead fish with the fellow tank mates feeding on the deceased, this business doesn't live up to the hype. Large selection of products, plants and fish but all in poor condition. My family and I expected a clean and organized shopping experience, but instead received a crowded and unclean store. Rodent droppings on shelves, rust and splintered wood literally everywhere. 3/10 recommend for a shopping experience, but as far as supplies go, the selection is easily a 6 or 7/10.

Terrible customer service. Never has this happened to me. Understaffed. Big lines while guys talking to one customer for over 20 minutes while you got a line of 5+ people. Cashier telling people they closing in 20 minutes. This place used to rock with good customer service. If I could give them a zero star I could. Went in to get something that would take less than 5 minutes turned into going home with an hour of my time wasted and nothing done.

This place knows how to be a good fish store. And they don’t do just fish! They had a cool selection of reptiles and arachnids! I felt like a little kid at an amusement park for a minute! I would go back just for fun! 🤩

Overwhelming! Just had my first visit. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful, especially since I knew pretty much nothing about my new fish. My only critique would be perhaps better signage throughout the store. But an overall great first experience.

Fantastic shop staffed by people who know what they're talking about when it comes to keeping the animals they sell. Even though it gets pretty busy sometimes, service is still solid. Their fish selection is great, and the aquarium plant selection is also impressive. Happy with all of my purchases!

It's a nice exotic pet store nice place to buy reptiles and amphibians and fish. The people that are very nice and they have the biggest hermit crabs I've ever seen. The only thing is they don't have many dog toys the store is mostly for amphibians reptiles and fish but it's a great locally owned small business the kind of place you would like to shop

Went in today to get an entire setup for a rescued betta. Zach helped me with every step and was absolutely wonderful and very knowledgeable. We looked and pulled out four or five tanks because I have to see things. He helped me pick out all my plants, substrate, and decorations. Zach even made some suggestions to help my tank setup be as enriching as possible for Winston. I really appreciated his help and for the shop itself having everything I needed and wanted.

This was a lovely shop they have such a variety of everything for your aquarium needs and ponds as well! They even have reptiles! The shop was so clean and well stocked and there was friendly workers!

I went here mainly to pick up a gift certificate however thought I would take a look around as well. The place is very warm but based on their name, that should be expected. The tanks seemed a little dirty. Usually when I check out fish and things the tanks are really clean and you can easily see what's in them, no the case here. Overall though if you're looking for tanks, fish, exotic fish or accessories this seems 4p be the most well stocked place in the area

I always learn something about fish everytime I've been there...🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽😍😍😍💯💯💯 I bought a Baracuda & phranha the first time I went there... they are doing well

Place is really good and has the potential to be one of the best tropical fish stores ever. Customer service is lacking and lots of the tanks seem neglected. However, the selection is great and you'll find some cool finds in there.

Mostly good. Large assortment of exotic species and fish both fresh and saltwater. Better than petco and Petsmart. One guy was introducing us to the species in the tank near the entrance. Cheers to him. Some animals had infections and were left untreated though. One of the turtles has an eye infection so he can’t see, among other, similar things. But overall nice experience 👏

Traveled 2 hrs from delaware due to the lack of tropical fish stores, let me say it was worth it, left with 5 new plants for my planted tank and a beautiful red tailed shark, all the tanks are spotless which is unbelievable with how many there are, will deff be back again, well worth the drive to support a good company, all the staff were very attentive!

Amazing selection of fish and reptiles. Everything you could ever imagine needing for an aquarium all at amazing prices. The store lay out allows you to wonder the isle lost in the sea of aquariums and the staff go above and beyond to ensure you get what you need while you are there. Please take the time to use them for your fish or reptile needs.

Visited yesterday. This place used to be wonderful. Yesterday, we found it to have gone way downhill. Fish tanks were dirty. Many were cloudy. One poor unfortunate fish was living in thick green soupy water with absolutely no aeration. The tank of hissing cockroaches had a pile of dead roaches in one corner and cobwebs all over the tank. We also saw a mouse running across the floor. What happened to the nice store this used to be?

Awesome people work here with great attitudes.great low prices on quality items also take very good care of their animals ,I like how they separate them and and do not crowd them together like a lot of other stores.

Always awesome visiting there. Staff always helpful and knowledgeable!!!

This place have a lot of marine and fresh water fish, customer service is great.

This is a great aquarium shop! It's geared more toward established aquarists but there are plenty of options for beginners, as well. The best thing is the staff's knowledge. I have always received thorough information and recommendations, no matter what I asked about. Everyone there knows their stuff. They carry saltwater and freshwater livestock and all of the equipment, food, and supplements you'd ever need. There's a great section for outdoor ponds and they also have reptiles, terrariums, etc. Besides the expertise of the employees, the fish are very healthy. I have never had one die soon after purchase, never had a problem with fin rot or fungal infections. Just very high-quality aquarium, pond, and terrarium supplies and livestock for every interest. Go there, it's well worth your time and money.

I love this place. The employees are friendly and helpful, the sheer variety of fish offered is nearly overwhelming, the animals are healthy and well cared-for. If you want to know if they have something specific in-stock before you make the drive, you can call them and they will quickly tell you if they have it currently available. It's kind of like an aquarium where you can buy the fish, honestly.

I love this store. They almost always have what I'm looking for or things I didn't know i was looking for. My only complaint is the knowledge of some of the staff on the sales floor. Some of the sales people (usually on the younger side) aren't really sure what they are talking about when it comes to certain species or what they will need. While a lot of the older salesmen running around can tell you about the care and expectations for what you want. The ladies at the register are also very sweet and know really good last minute advice for your aquatic friend themselves

Friendly staff, huge selection, and good prices. A good place to visit if you want to support a local business and you might just find something perfect for your home. The selection ranges from beginner fish to expert with everything in between. The employees are very knowledgeable and will answer any questions you have.

This place has everything you need! Staff is super helpful and knowledgeable. The only downside is that I want to buy everything!

Great experience getting plants and fish for my spouse's tank. It's so fun to walk through and see all the options! Responsible and humane sourcing and housing. Careful care that helps make sure we didn't take home plants or fish with pests or disease. Great value!

I went there to get some live feeder mice because the baby ball we just purchased from a breeder was only feed live. We tried 2 feed her frozen for 2 weeks with no results. Thankfully the guy who works in the reptile department had some amazing experience with 🐍 and gave us some great ideas to try and it worked. We really don't want to feed live and thanks to him we don't have to. I definitely WILL go back.

Beautiful place, was able to get advice for red claw crabs which they don't sell anymore but the gentleman was able to still tell me what I needed to know. They have so many beautiful fish.

This is a very nice place with a good selections of saltwater and freshwater fish. If it's in stock they are good healthy well taken care of fish. Would have gave it four stars if it wasn't for the fact that is is nearly impossible to get the owners to special order fish that they normally do not carry. They took down my information 2 years later they still could not find the fish in question. I even offered to pay for the specimen up front and shipping costs . I went on monster fish keepers ended paying an outer State vendor to collect the specimen I was inquiring about. Since then I have been using numerous out of state vendors to purchase these rare sometimes hard to find fish that my local vendor can not get or my have access too.

I been a few time to this store since it has a large selection on equipment for fish and reptiles. I would say if you are looking for fish stuff or just terrarium, hides etc, it's a decent place. However the reptiles isle is a misery, every single time I check, snakes has mites, priced 2 to 3 times the market value. Also they do not know how to take care of them, nor to sex them or even tell you where they coming from!!! On this picture you will see a poor baby ETB with multiple layers of sheds, dehydrated, open mouth and with mites. I asked the manager to sex the snake and to tell me if wild caught, his reply "I dont sex them, it will sell like this anyway" I don't think I need to comment, the pictures speak by themselves. Avoid this store

This place has a great selection of fish. I’ve never seen sooo many tanks and fish. The most of staff is amazing but one of the owners is awful. I witnessed him belittle his employees. It was the end of the day and I came with a dead and then noticed a tank had a leak when it didn’t the day before… but still. He tried to blame me for the fish dying, when my water was fine the pH was slight high. Then he tried to tell me the corydora catfishes I had were cheaper than my digital receipt in their system. That made me slightly upset because I felt as if I was up charged. He walked around saying nonsense and blaming his employees for who knows what. After his moment he came back with 2 similar corydora catfish but not Julli corydora catfish with the strip. That’s why the 3 star rating. People should not treat others like that no matter what. I came back a few wells later and noticed the front tank that had beautiful saltwater fish was different. One of the employees then told me today that all the fish in the front died because of poor maintenance schedule/water condition. Which in my opinion points back to management. I hope this helps. Recap: Good place for a variety of fish. Be careful of certain management, they make the staff uneasy and you can tell they’re upset because of the poor work conditions.

Great beautiful store me and my wife went in and were window shopping then a lovely lady with a hat that work there came and ask us did we need help she was amazing walk us over to the fish tanks we pick one and purchased a tank and food etc will be back great staff and a rewards program my little buddy is just swimming happy as can be thank you I believe the young lady name was Breanna. She was really helpful.

House Of Tropicals is an incredible tropical fish and aquarium supply/aquarium pet hobby store. Probably the best of its kind, hands down! I finally got this new piece for my aquarium that I had my eye on for a while, it's a model wrecked submarine! It was the perfect thing to add to my tank! A very fascinating and inspiring store to simply walk thru and browse the diverse inventory of aquatic creatures...love this store!

Little pricey, but good selection.

Very experienced staff who know what they are talking about. Lots of options

Great prices an nice staff.

Awsome place for pretty much all your pets!!

Max and Em have a home 🤩... Thanks to the helpful Staff, never to busy to stop and give some knowledge away. Keep Smiling

This place is great. They have been around for a long time and there is a good reason why.

Just fantastic! David was a great expert.

They have a large selection of fish. They have apistogrammas if you are looking.

Very good service. Unparalleled selection

Oldie but goodie. Great selection of fish. Could be a little cleaner. The staff were nice and knowledgeable. Best aquatics store I have found/been to in and around Baltimore.

Nice selection, friendly staff.

I have some kind of parasite in my ghost shrimp

Wonderful store! Helpful and knowledgeable staff and wide selection of animals.

We went in for a nice starter aquarium. We saw some not-so-great reviews on some of the starter kits, so Patrick helped us find a better setup that wasn't a kit (a bit more $$ but better quality). We ended up with the 45-gal Aqueon, a wood stand, and the basic startup items. Thanks for your help Patrick! The cashier noticed I'd forgotten a thermometer! The store was a bit disheveled and could use a good cleaning (hence 4 stars, not 5, and it really is about 4.5 stars), but the customer service is excellent.

This store has everything we love coming here for fish shrimp and all of our tank needs they have so many different fish and tanks and tank set ups also live plants all kinds if they dont have one they will order it for you they are so nice and helpful if you haven't been here check out the fish frogs water lizards and eels it's so neat and good prices.

Staff seemed overwhelmed and that lead to a bad experience. I'll be trying it again in the future.. Layout was fine but there didnt seem to be anyway to easily find anything without asking an employee who either blew me off or were too busy.

Very helpful 👍 Mark helped us newbies with our bearded dragon needs. He was very patient and helpful even though they were very busy.

As an aquarium hobbyist House of Tropicals provides the best quality and variety of specimens in the state of Maryland. Prices are fair too. I have never had any issues with infection or cross contamination with either fish or plants.

5 Stars for the newer guy though! Go to support your Local store they have almost everything and its amazing but definitely see the newer guy there if you go. His name is Matt or Pat, I've seen him in there for a little while now, but He will be the only person we go to from now on. I decided to write this based on others I have seen and my experience the other day with him( Big/Tall guy with a beard, lots of tattoos on his arms and legs. Couldn't hear clearly because of the mask but I think he said his name is Matt or Pat). This place is awesome, have been coming here for years but stopped as much because of most of the employees, Usually have everything we need. Some are down to earth and nice but Some of the staff is terrible and unfriendly so we would try to avoid going. The other day we went in and went to the back to get help with fish, After awhile of standing there, this guy cleaning tanks in the marine section walked by and asked if we had been helped, we said no and he said give him a second and he would be right with us. He sat his stuff down and came right back. Every time we've come in lately, he seems to be always doing something or helping people, this was the first time he's helped us and it was great. There was at least 3-4 other employees that walked by or we saw standing around talking to each other and not one asked if we needed help which is normal unless they are really busy. You have to hunt them down or ask and its like a burden for them. This guy was fantastic, he was very friendly apologized right away for the wait and asked how he could help us, walked us over and showed us everything we needed, which you normally get an over there and a point which leads you to asking someone else. Was able to answer majority of the questions we asked and the couple he couldn't, he said right away I'm sorry but if I'm not 100% sure I look it up or ask, I wont give wrong information, which he did for only a couple questions like full grown size of a certain fish which i doubt anyone knows every size with everything they have. Everything he said otherwise we checked after we got home and he was spot on. Just a habit to be safe from other wrong info received by other staff there. He gave us numerous suggestions on help with problems, things to avoid, and products they had when they didn't have exactly what we wanted or it was a better option, also even asked us about how we introduce our fish to the tank and advised us on a couple things to acclimate better. He made sure we knew everything we needed to for us and the fish to be happy before we left. This store would be 100x better if everyone was like that. most of the time they're really laid back and treat you like family when you've been going there and they can be extremely busy and under staffed some days. I've seen some of the stuff they have to deal with by customers over the years but their customer service sucks and not everyone deserves to be treated like that. I will be going back to support my local store and will only be going to see this guy from now on. Overall other than some of the employees the store is amazing. It could use a makeover and be cleaner but whatever that's not too important.

Great place could use more staff. This place is awesome but because of how few people the service is a bit slow. Absolutely everything you need for any type of aquarium.

Many good things

LOVE THIS PLACE! Awesome selection, staff is knowledgeable and they have people who specialize in things like plants so I can get my questions answered. Never feel pressured to buy anything and they have a generous selection of rimless tanks. Say hi to the octopus and morey eels too!

Best aquatic store in the state for freshwater but the marine selection is limited

Great store with very helpful staff. Prices are below Amazon, which is unheard of these days from a brick and mortar store. Love my new tank, substrate, and plants.

5 Stars

This store is awesome! Beautiful fish. Helpful staff.

Very helpful sfaff

The best place in Maryland for all your aquatic needs... the staff is Great and Kevin is the FISH WHISPERER!

Great store with the most diverse selection of freshwater and saltwater fish in the area, hands down.

Best selection in the greater DC/Southern Maryland/Northern Virginia Area. There are other nice shops but Tropicals always has more accessories, more fish, more of what you want and need for saltwater or freshwater. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Always busy. Other places have a larger selection of corals, especially niche corals, but Tropicals is always my go to for almost everything else. For freshwater I haven't found anywhere with the rainbow fish selection that they have. And they have about 12 tanks full of healthy plants with a huge variety. I wanted a Hanna digital phosphate checker for my saltwater tank...nobody carries those, but tropicals had one behind the counter for the same price you'll pay online. I could go on and on. Finally a local fish store with a selection worth the trip, and I go back all the time. 5 stars all day over anything in the area.

Great people beautiful fish

One of the best places to find treats fir my critters.

Always amazing customer service

Very good pet store. They have a large selection

Customer service was awesome

The employees was very polite and helpful.

As an experienced reefer, I don't recommend this place for your saltwater fish/corals. Just having moved up from Florida, I was really excited to see what a shop of this caliber could bring. Sadly I was let down with poorly marked coral descriptions and overcrowded salt water tanks. There's no passion for the saltwater hobbyist and thats the real turn off. They do have some impressive colonies and I think they should learn about them to educate their customers better. They do have the necessary equipment but some of it can be overpriced. Wishing they were more competitively priced and actually engaged with their customers.

You can always find what you are looking for here

Great selection!! Huge displays, knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend