Awesome staff. Great prices. Healthy livestock. Love the new location

Wow, well I wasn’t sure what to expect walking in as I’m new to aquariums but this place is great. I had a simple 10 gallon planted tank that has been freshly cycled with some snails and I received no judgement for having a “small” tank and plenty of help. I used to keep a few tanks as a kid but finally got back into the hobby and have a whole new level of appreciation for it. The staff was very helpful with the choice of fish and ideas around creating a good community that can possibly grow over time due to temperament and size. (I came in looking for a particular fish which they had but then honestly talked me out of it due to their aggression level and my tank size) they did recommend I could have the fish I was searching for, a type of gourami, after my tank is established due to their territorial behaviors and for that I was really appreciative. They have a 7 day guarantee but honestly as long as you have good specs on your tank (which they did ask plenty of questions to make sure you’re capable of handling your new friends) you shouldn’t need to worry. All the fish and plants there seemed happy and healthy and my goodness the saltwater/coral displays were worth the trip alone. I didn’t feel like a second class citizen because I just had a little 10 gallon starter tank, they made me feel right at home. I will absolutely be going back for anything I need in the future. I bought 3 beautiful fish for about 4.50 during their anniversary sale, the price and quality of the fish were better than any big box store and I couldn’t be happier. They have brought me great joy and relaxation. I expected to pay way more as I was being sold on these different fish but they really took to heart what I was trying to buy and accommodated me. Can’t believe the level of attention to detail they gave me based on my total transactions amount. 5 star service.

I have been shopping at Old Town Aquarium for about a year now. They have a wonderful selection of fish plants supplies and pretty much everything you can need. They selection is well stocked and rotates frequently. Each time I come in they have new species of fish and plants and the quality is great. Everything I have purchased from them has been healthy and have had great luck with. The staff is always the same and very knowledgeable. This place is great. There is parking in the back off the alley which makes it very easy getting in and out. I highly recommend checking them out for any Aquarium needs you may have.

We came into this store many months ago while walking the neighborhood & decided to check it out and look at the cool fish. Now, a few months later, we have 3 tanks. Whoops. The staff of this store is incredible and very knowledgeable. They’re always willing to help with any problems or questions. We’ve purchased several fish (salt & fresh) from them and they’re all in perfect health. Not a huge selection (like petco, petsmart or other chain stores) of decor & tanks. But what they do have is carefully curated. They also always remember us, which is a nice touch! We love this store!

This is a gem--great stock and good variety despite being small. The tanks are very well taken care of, are beautifully designed, and the fish are healthy and looking great. The service here is also fantastic--im like staffed and even on busy days they are quick to be available and take care of you, and are very knowledgeable and insightful, which is crucial when purchasing new fish friends.

They keep their betas in cups.. any store that keeps something that should be in a 5 gallon tank minimum in a plastic cup screams volumes as to how abusive they are to their other fish and live stock. If they ever address their abusive behavior and BE BETTER I will update my review. DONT BE ABUSIVE TO ANIMALS EASY AS THAT!

Currently requiring masks for entry. This warrants a 1 star review because you are treating your customers as slaves instead of free Americans. People have a right to choose what risks to take with themselves. I completely agree with a business's right to serve whoever they want to, but the issue of masks has become tyrannical, with businesses (like this one) assisting the government in forcing people to do things against their will. If you doubt this is true, remove your mask policy and see how many people still wear one.

These folks are great! Healthy fish, good advice, friendly people, very knowledgeable. Prices aren't much higher than the big box stores so it's definitely worth waiting until their Friday/Saturday/Sunday business hours if you can. So glad that I found them and will definitely continue to shop there for all of my fishtank needs!

I've read a lot of positive reviews about this shop, some stated that it's the best fish store in Chicago, so I drove an hour to visit this place and had high expectations. The store is compact, and has a lot to offer for being both marine and freshwater store, they have many option on equipment, that's probably the best variety that I've seen in a store. There's also aquascaping hardware, pretty decent volume and options for both types of aquariums. Unfortunately, the only disappointing thing for me there was the fish supply, they literally have 25 tanks and 60% of them we're about saltwater fish. The good thing is that even though they have limited options, the selection was interesting, but you shouldn't expect to see 100 types of fish there. Overall it's a good shop for this hobby, much better than any chain store (like Petco, Walmart, or Mayer), but I don't see how this small store could be the best in Chicago, so if you have to come from far to find something that you haven't seen before you might be disappointed.

Amazing spot and amazing owner! They keep some of the best corals and fish in the city. 100% recommend to all.

Amazing! I am a retired "fish store" owner and within 10 seconds, I knew I had stepped into a decent shop. Selection, service and quality are second to none. In addition to the marine livestock, there is a nice selection of freshwater fish and plants. I will be coming back soon to add to my 55.

Picked up an awesome copper banded butterfly there yesterday. What a great place! It was my son's birthday so they gave us a great deal on some coral. High quality staff, and stock! Been going there for years and they rarely disappoint.

Beautiful setup. Amazing fish. Pricey, but it's worth it. They have so many beautifully kept aquariums its nice to watch them.

One of the best shops, let alone aquarium shops I have ever been to. Great prices, huge selection, healthy fish, helpful knowledgeable and friendly staff. I can’t rave about these guys enough. Alex helped me out tremendously setting up my first tank and giving advice and recommendations. Definitely my go to for stocking and aquarium needs. Blown away.

Old Town aquarium is phenomenal. About a year ago my bf and I wanted to get into the tank life. We literally had 0 knowledge about anything and they have been extremely helpful throughout our journey as fish enthusiasts. We now have 3 tanks and get constant compliments on how informed me and him have become on the subject. This is all thanks to the amazing team at Old Town. They have been our shamans through this beautiful new hobby, they have become one out routine places to visit almost every week in search of more cool stuff for our tanks. We are in deep now in the best way possible and have Old Town to thank for all the serotonin we get from observing our tanks thrive 💜

Very healthy fauna, great sized stock tanks, with a diverse selection of flora and supplies! I'll be visiting this place again for sure, and free parking in back

Nice employees and big selection of rocks and wood. My scorpion is very content with his slate

I decided to get back into the hobby after about 10 years. Went to plenty of the other Chicago reefing shops, and they were fine, but the staff at Old Town Aquarium made the difference for me. Naturally, after being out of the space for so long, things had changed. I had plenty of questions, and they were happy to answer all of them when some of the other stores seemed bothered. Great shop and great staff.

No place to park! Store looked nice as I drove by (3 times), but there was literally no place to park. Will update review if I ever manage to find a parking spot nearby.

Danny was very helpful and gave great advice about feeding routine for my fish. Thanks for the guidance!

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Competitive pricing and a beautiful selection of live stock!!

Solid local fish selection. Good help. Wish they had better hours and a bit more of a consultative approach.

Been stopping in for many years at the old location in old town, the new location is in old irving Park despite the name. The new shop is beautiful and bright, quality livestock and excellent service - Kevin is at the top of the game, ask if he's available.

I was upset that on goolge they still have pictures of the old store. The new store doesn't have much and isn't nearly as nice. They need to remove the old pictures, it's very deceiveing.

Very friendly atmosphere. ALEX helped me out. very Informative and friendly. Down to earth. Went in to look and walked out with puffer fish and the knowledge I needed to start my reef tank. will definitely be coming back

Fairly new to the hobby. The employees here are very knowledgeable. Very helpful. Not pushy or pressuring with sales. Small but, adequate. Lots of very rare and unusual items.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Beautiful and clean tanks, healthy plants and fish! Will come back!

Couldn't be more helpful. They really care about your fish tank. They don't try to sell you things you don't need. This is the only place I go