Foutains Aquarium

Driven by Fountains for years and today is my first trip inside. I was there for a betta fish. It’s a little overwhelming for a first timer/​never had fish before kind of person, but I was helped almost immediately. Kerry (?) was friendly and bubbly, fantastic beyond measure, providing every bit of information I could possibly imagine on bettas. What I was buying was minimal, considering a betta requires very little, but if I were to look into buying everything necessary for an aquatic theme for my house… no question. I’m coming to Fountains.

I for sure think not. This use to be the place to go. It no longer is. I visited on Saturday & was heartbroken to see so many sick & dead fish. It seamed almost every freshwater tank had either a dead or sick fish in it. You would think if nothing else they would make it a priority to pull dead fish. Not the case as some have obviously been dead a while. The girl in the fish room was cleaning the outside of the tanks. When I pointed out a cat fish that was obviously suffering she said we are aware. It was very shameful to the point I have called the authorities as this placed should be shut down. If you are over having the business sale it, pay someone who cares, close it.

I have koi, marine and freshwater setups. haven’t shopped here for a while, and now I remember why I stopped buying here. Simple request, but the older woman (owner?) turned it into an miserable ordeal. She will not simply shut up and listen! One of her employees tried to explain what I wanted, but the older woman was remarkably rude and adversarial, to the prompting me to ask if this was too difficult a request for them to manage. I had been been treated like crap here here in the past, and stopped coming here to save the stress. If they acted like my little $ 5.00 filter purchase like it mattered to them, I would’ve returned as a customer.

We’ve just got 4 tetras from there 2xray & 2 lemon pepper. It’s a little outdated & you may find some fish dead at the bottom or eaten in some cases which can be expected when there are that many fish in the tank. Besides that I love the choices they have for not only fish but all your tank needs, everything is at a reasonable price,& the employees there are helpful in choosing a well fitting fish for your tank. Going back this evening for more ! :)

LOVE this place! It’s beautiful clean and filled with a large variety of exotic fish! Eceme (not sure how to spell her name) was really helpful and very knowledgeable! I am a happy returning customer!

First off, this is one of the most interesting-​looking fish stores in San Diego. The décor inside has a jungle theme, with the subdued lighting, artificial flowers and vines coming down around the ceiling and walls, the big pond on the front corner, and that tall artificial tree by the turtles and gravel area with the air bubbler inside. (Hollow trunk made of a clear acrylic tube filled with water, bubbling constantly.) The huge display tank towards the back of the store (in front of the «back» fish room) is also appealing, but could use better décor.
The «main» fish room in the back is where most of the livestock is kept, and it reminds me strongly of trips to the fish store when I was a kid in the early 90’s. It features very «old-school”-looking rows of acrylic tanks going around the room. It’s divided with freshwater and saltwater sections, including a fairly large area for African cichlids.
I’ve visited this store twice, and had a good experience both times. I was greeted immediately upon entering and was asked by each of the employees– and even the owner on occasion– if I needed assistance. I’m a pretty experienced hobbyist and everything was clearly labeled, so I didn’t need to ask them anything; therefore I cannot attest to the quality of their knowledge base.
I have only purchased dry goods there– the selection was decent, but I’ve seen better. They do have a lot of items that are «older» or discontinued, such as hard-​to-​find filter parts or lights for older aquariums. The dry goods are all in great condition and the prices are ok. The gravel section is a brilliant idea that I wish other stores would adopt. Lots of bins full of different kinds of aquarium substrate, each priced by the pound (usually).
I have never purchased any plants or animal livestock from this store, so I cannot attest to the health of the animals once they come home to a hobbyist’s tank. However, several of the koi and goldfish for sale had clamped fins, and several smaller marine fishes were dead. Overall though, most of the fish looked fairly healthy. It’s always best to quarantine new arrivals anyway. :) I was also pleased to see that they don’t carry a lot of «tank busters,» but there are some (regrettably) like certain species of eels and a few oddball freshwater fish that grow pretty big (certain bichirs, Oscars, the occasional Pacu/​Tambaqui, a few large catfish species, common Plecos, etc.)
Overall, worth a visit. Everyone working there was attentive to the customers and seemed friendly. The store looks really cool. You can get good deals on nano tanks that are already set up and on display. They carry some hard-​to-​find aquarium products.
However– I’m going to have to take away a star for lack of cleanliness in the tanks. The saltwater tanks in particular need some TLC. Diatoms and red slime cyanobacteria are very common, and the décor in a lot of the tanks was very lackluster. There was more attention paid to the look of the store itself and customer service than care for a lot of the animals, it seemed. It’s a hard thing to get right, to be sure. I hope things continue to improve.

The selection is ok. The quality is ok. The health of the fish there is ok.
The disposition of the old lady that works there is scary.
Not «A-​Ok»… just «ok».
She’s a crab. I don’t know if she’s the owner or what, but I don’t remember her from when I used to come here several years ago. Now she’s always there and she seems irritated with you even when she asks if you need help. Reminds me of a disgruntled Math teacher. You’re afraid to say anything to her because you’re afraid you’ll get in trouble and get detention or a yard stick thrown at you.
But aside from her, the place is a little dumpy. They have these carpet runners in the isles that are encrusted with old salt water, the tanks are kind of dank and dark and old. There is just literally salt crusted on everything in the fish room.
Its in need of a major thorough cleaning and facelift.
There are ALWAYS way more dead fish in there than is normal. There are always going to be dead fish at fish stores, but they seem to have a slightly higher die off rate than most.
The prices are not too bad, for the fish. They are normal for an aquarium store.

I am SO disappointed.
This place looks nice when you walk in. I was greeted right away, and was able to flag someone down quickly when I was ready to purchase. The employees were knowledgeable and friendly.
I purchased 5 fish, to add to my established tank. I brought in water for testing, which I also test at home with the API Master Kit, which is the same one they use.
After getting the results of 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10 nitrates, 8 pH, and being told that everything looked good, I continued with the purchase.
I acclimated them by pouring ¼ cup water into their bag every 3 minutes for 30 minutes, as they instructed, and then I placed them into my tank.
Immediately, 3 of the fish were having trouble swimming.
It is now 2 days later, and only one of the fish from the original 5 has survived. I am so heartbroken, I have only had one fish die in the year I have had my tank.
I am within their 3 day guarantee, but I just want a refund. I don’t think I could ever step foot in this place again. What a waste of time and money! Go somewhere else.

Haven’t been here in awhile but stopped in yesterday. This shop has gone downhill. Especially the care for the saltwater livestock. I was sad when I walked through and saw many dead fish and empty tanks as well. Some fish did not look good. I hope they hire someone who cares about the fish like they were their own.

Walked in and did not receive any greeting even though it was dead. A simple hello would have sufficed. Additionally the location has limited selection

I was at first in love with Fountain’s Aquarium because of the atmosphere inside. I had a 2 gallon aquarium given to me and initially intended to only buy plants, but the place was so neat that I couldn’t help myself! I bought a fernlike bunch of plants and a couple days later, I bought a Cory catfish, but was unhappy to see it panic nonstop in my tank. I had to exchange him for ¹⁄₃ store credit and then had my heart set on a small, tame school of fish, so I purchased 5 neon tetras.
However they were poured very roughly into their bag by an employee and one then held quite still in the bag, only to die an hour after I put them all in my tank. A few hours later, tetra #2 died. The next day, tetra #3 died. I now see that my remaining two tetras have ich, although I have been extremely careful with my water and with their adjustment to my tank.
I kept a bigger aquarium for years when I was younger and at Fountain’s I asked questions about every topic I could remember, and I obeyed every word of their advice. Sadly it has only been a week since I first went to Fountain’s and now ³⁄₅ of my population is gone and half of my ferny plants have been steadily dying, as well! They are trash now.
All in all, my opinion is that although Fountain’s Aquarium is fun to shop through and the employees seem enthusiastic, it is a very average fish store. It is also overpriced; in my experience, the prices hardly even came close to matching the poor quality of what I bought. I feel like I literally flushed $ 25 down the toilet.

This store is not reputable. I was sold an aquarium and several fish which were incompatible with one another. Four days after my purchase, everything was dead. I called and was spoken to rudely and told that the reason everything died was because I didn’t have a heater. I was not SOLD a heater! (The lady I spoke to tried to blame the employee until I proved it was HER – the owner – who sold me the aquarium and her son who sold me the fish.).
I was told that I could not get a refund on the fish because I didn’t save them. I was also told that they would do a free water test to determine if water treatment was necessary. I was not about to give them any more money after they ripped me off for $ 125 bucks… so I went to a different store with my water. It was infected with ick… so I was sold sick fish. Additionally, I was sold too many fish for a 10-​gal. starter tank. On top of that, I was sold fish that had different heat requirements and was told the fish were compatible when they were not!!! All in all, crappy experience and really bad customer service.
Avoid this store like the plague!

I’ve never had a bad experience here, I’m kind of astonished at how low the reviews are. They’re always very friendly and knowledgeable. My fiancé actually took me here on a date to walk around their aquarium area, haha. Its gorgeous. I’ve never seen a dead fish, but honestly people they’re fish… it happens. I can’t believe the prices on their fish tanks, crazy cheap. I went in there looking for a replacement 50+ gallon and was prepared to dish out $ 300. I didn’t even crack 200 with a lamp, bulbs and screen included. They also deliver if you ask. Their red eared sliders are gorgeous.

I’ve had my 65 gallon fish tank for over 15 year now. The older lady «I believe was the owner» was extremely rude to me. You can tell she was stressed out and really burned out on the business. When I asked her to select and pick out specific fish for me she became extremely irritated. Not only did I have to ask them to help me, she started throwing rocks and plants from the aquarium due to frustration. BAD, BAD SERVICE. This place is over priced and horrible customer service. There is alot of different aquarium places in san diego, take your business somewhere else.

After reading all these poor customer service reviews, I felt obligated to post my experience today in January of 2015.
Im a new fish keeper but Ive studied a lot and am learning fast, however I recognize there are many holes in my knowledge yet.
These guys treated me exactly how I would have prefered. They didnt talk to me like I knew nothing nor assume I knew it all. Very neutral during discussion. And many discussion did we have. I dealt with Scott most of the time. At first over the phone he seemed a little blunt and unemotional but upon meeting him, the guy had all the answers. Sam goes for the dude in charge with full sleave aqautic tats. Nice guy and very helpful.
I was there to get a few mbuna to offset my overaggressive yellow lab from tormenting the other cichlids. Stock em heavy they say. But I walked away with a LOT of answers today about all kinds of topics related to my tanks and fish.
Scott took as much time as I wanted.period. He patiently stood there and answered question after question without pause. He and Mr beard and tats (I shouldve got your name, sorry dude) were all over anything I had interest or question in.
Now, that being said I will say that thier prices may be a bit higher than most. Thier fish overall werent as bright as other places but they looked pretty healthy and well kept to me. (an uneducated inspection) They have a pretty big selection and some really nice fish too. I found thier fish prices to be about on par for the commons and maybe slightly higher on the more desireables. Nothig that would stop me from buying here, and Im a cheap bastard! lol
After hanging for a couple hours and talking to Scott about everything from fish to pc builds to gaming to cars and builds… I finally walked away with 5 beautiful, hand picked African Cichlids and some needed tank supplies for a fair price.
I will be back and I will be making the most of thier patience and knowledge to further my own fish keeping attributes by pestering them with more questions and based on today, I dont think they have a problem with it. These guys are pretty cool. I cant say how they used to be as today was my first trip but after today, Id recommend them. They may not cater and kiss your ass, but they get you the answers you need, are there when you need them without hounding you and have a great selection. I say give them a try. I have been going to aquatic warehouse exclusively since i found it but these guys are now on my go-​to list. Well done.
Jason

Very mixed feelings about this place. I’ve been going here for several years now. The staff seem just plain depressed. The facilities are somewhat over the hill. Last time I wen in, hoping for some small simple tropicals, the fresh water tanks looked bad with dead fish and cloudy water. Most fish looked sick, with closed fins, swimming funny, etc. Definitely wouldn’t take a chance of infecting my tank with them.
Sorry Fountains, but something needs to change !

She’s not very nice, but she got back to me with a estimate for 150 gallon custom fish tank. Also she was charging $ 300 extra. I’ve decided to take my business elsewhere. They got good selection of fish. there are platy of stores around san diego that have better selecrion. Bought a lot of fish, Only 3 survived.
I would not go back tbat for sure.

I contacted the owner Judy Hoffa and was spending nearly $ 4,000 and tried negotiating. The owner Judy became irritated and insulted.$ 4,000… It was close to Christmas and i did not have the time to shop around. Never said thank you. Terrible people skills. Sold me a heater that was totally inadequate for my size tank 140 gallons. I went back and she sold me an additional heater. No apologies even the manufacturer recommendation stated this ! Seems totally burnt out from the retail business.RETIRE.

I drove by this store one day and thought I’d give them a try. After dealing with them I did wish I’d had read the reviews before doing business with them. First day visiting the store I witness a customer with his two kids and wife arguing about wanting a credit, not sure about the specifics so I thought no big deal as maybe it’s not the fish store that’s the problem. But it seemed like every time I dropped by there were pissed off customers.
This fish store only gives a three day warranty on their tropical fish, that should be enough for anyone to shop somewhere else. I witnessed poor customer service every time I did business with them, from what I’ve seen most of the staff are arrogant, combative, and rude to customers and staff are rough with the fish when bagging them up.
For me I’m no expert but I’ve had fish my whole life and have a solid understanding of tropical fish and maintaining water quality and a clean happy environment for the fish. I bought threee angles from them, two died within two weeks even though they were eating. I thought maybe my PH was off and that perhaps I doomed my angles, I tested the water at another tropical fish store for a second opinion besides mine, the water was perfect as I knew it would be. I purchased two more angels at another store and it’s been two months now, fish are very active and healthy.
Hopefully someone can buy out this fish store in the future, great potential. Nobody likes spending good money on fish only to have them die within a few weeks. With my personal experience it tells me all the reviews I read must be true. I won’t complain to the fish store, I never do in cases like this, I just stop shopping at places like this and go somewhere else. I look for businesses that cares about it’s products and treats it’s customers professionally. This business fails at all levels of ruining a business from my vantage point but they must be doing something right as the doors are still open. Invest in fish from another store is my recommendation.

Great fish selections for both salt water and fresh water breeds. The store has a ton of aquarium supplies of all sorts. I’ve been breeding fancy guppies for a couple of years now and found out that this store will trade your fish for store credit. This works for me when one of my fish gives birth to a bunch of the same color and I’m looking for a new color to breed.
Great place to go to if you’re looking to set up your first aquarium or are trying to avoid the terrible service/​products you might find at a larger corporate store.
I love this store!