B & D Aquarium

The fish are healthy and well taken care of. The owner is hard of hearing, but very helpful. The store is dark when you first enter, but he turns on the lights so you can see everything. One of my favorite places to get fish!

The fish are all very healthy. The owner really cares about his fish, he started with one tank and then had 20 and then 200 in a store. Passion just like all of us hardcore aquarists start with. This owner cares so much about the fish it’s worth wanting to pay more. He has a lot of tank raised fish of his own and I’d rather buy those than at a chain store any day! I bought some beautiful jewel cichlids and some baby Cory cats (tank raised from his own parent fish of course) all of his tanks are natural, prices are fair especially for a small personally run shop, and you can trust your getting healthy fish that will live longer than those from other sources. I also saw great looking dwarf frogs: D
With all that said, this store isn’t for those who want to get a fish for their 5 year old, you should be a dedicated aquarium hobbyist or someone who’s going to care for their fish as much as the owner does. :)
Just remember it’s about the fish. And it’s also about supporting local businesses. Sure at pet smart you can find those fish on sale for a dollar but you then also need to quarantine your fish for a month before putting it in your tank! And the knowledge you get is from a card and is influenced by store sponsored products…
You pay for quality, that’s the difference.
Give this store a try. If your a true hobbyist you will appreciate the passion and dedication.

Healthiest freshwater aquarium fish I have ever seen, anywhere. A lot of species that I didn’t even know could look that beautiful. Yes the owner is a shaggy eccentric man but he really seems to know what he’s doing as far as fish care.

Worth the price and the trip. I live in Kent and make the trip. I value the high quality of fish stock they have. The best around in my opinion.

So far this place takes the award for the best variety and healthiest looking freshwater fish. I was impressed that the owner would not sell some fish in the ‘back room’ because they were recently delivered and he likes to keep them for a bit to make sure they are settled in before selling. Personal opinion is that it seems slightly overpriced, but worth checking out.

Knowledgeable staff without the snobbery. I like this little place for its selection of healthy looking fish and knowledgeable, friendly staff. They treat you like a friend here and are really helpful. I was just getting back to the hobby after losing a 75 gal marine tank during a week long power outage a few years ago. I wanted to start over but with an easier freshwater setup. My first attempt with fish purchased at another store ended up in a tank of dead fish. I came here for the second try and am happy to say all fish that I’ve gotten from B & D are thriving. But really, it’s the people here that make this place good. I spent some time browsing while also observing their interactions with the other customers. Everyone was treated kindly and questions were answered thoughtfully. Its tough these days for small businesses so spend your money and time here and help support a small local business.

This guy needs to take a shower, and put some shoes and socks on, this place stinks. I would have liked to purchase some fish but the smell pushed us out the door, yuk. I forgot to mention the cigarette smoke smell, I think smoking is allowed here.

This store was fantastic, all of the fish looked healthy, they had a large selection, and the prices weren’t outrageous like some smaller fish stores. They were able to offer me helpful advice, and it was an overall great experience. Definitely the best fish store I have found in seattle so far.
The only thing that was a little confusing was that the address listed here is not their current location. They are actually around the corner, near 15^th and 206^th. There is a sign at 10 402 16^th ave with their new address.

I checked out virtually every other aquarium store in Seattle before finally finding these guys. They know their fish (and love them), stock virtually everything you will need, and will give you honest, straightforward advice. Most of the other stores I went to were displaying and selling fish that were obviously sick. The people at B & D Aquarium take zero risks with diseased fish by quarantining and observing new stock for a longer than average period of time. I believe this approach is less profitable for them, but they have told me that they believe strongly in doing business this way. Reward this awesome store by giving them a look when you need tropical fish stuff!

Steve was great! Kind, knowledgeable, and had some sweet stories To tell about his aquariums! It’s all freshwater and they some good selections. A little higher priced compared to your big box stores but they make up for it in quality selections and customer service! I will back hoping to find some more fish and plant treasures for my home aquarium!
They are now located at 10 450 16^th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98 146. Right on backstreet of the old location-​just find some aquarium art! Near the Eagles club!

The best fish store around! Steve is especially knowledgeable about diseases and has helped us through many crisis’.
They have moved from the 16^th Ave spot. I’m not sure of the exact address but it’s now on 15^th Ave SW, right around the corner. There’s a large clown loach painted on the side of the building.

These guys are the most knowledgeable aquarium hobbyists around. They have a good sense of each customer’s level of expertize, offer helpful suggestions and only sell you what you need. If your looking for a place to start a hobby, or add to your fish collection B & D, is the best shop around.

This store is located on the corner of 16^th street with limited parking When you first walk into the store, it looks dark and a little scary. But don’t worry, this is nature for true aquarium hobbist turn store owners. This is done to keep the stress on the fishes low and to save on cost of electric. The store is fill up with fish tanks everywhere you look, and tropical fish of all kind. Nothing exotic, except for the channel catfish, but i seen those in a few other fish stores. They carry a large selection of tropical fish at pretty decent prices. Many of the fishes found here are actually largers than what you would find at petco and petsmart. Definitely stop in here if you know what you’re looking for, or just to browse. Many of their tank has infor on the fish in the tank. Definitely a positive things.
The major drawbacks for me, was the store employee or owner. He wasn’t very helpful, and just stood being his desk and watch me walk around. It felt kinda creepy actually, considering I was the only person in the store at the time. When i ask question, he told me to read the information on the fish tank. Thanks, that was helpful. So i ask him if I was to buy 10 large angelfishs and put them in my already establish tank, would they co-​exist with my 4 large arowanas. I already know that this wouldn’t work out, since the arowanas would eat the angelfish for dinner, but i wanted to see whether he’ll tell me the truth. He told me that they will be fine together in the tank. Definitely not, so i walk out of there.

I’m only giving 4 stars because the ceiling is falling in and the place smells somewhat like an old bar. Otherwise, neat place. All freshwater and a good selection of aquatic plants. The little bearded guy is knowledgeable and fun to talk to. I will come back.

This store is getting 4 stars because I would buy fish here. Freshwater Chilids, Barbs, Danios, and others. I would buy big fish if I wanted a new commercial display tank. There is good variety and stock looked healthy. New stock that had been there for several days but they were not yet cerrtain of was «not for sale», which is a very good practice and most stores are not so careful.
The store itself is in rough shape… the building would get 1 star. I would imagine that no one gets rich selling fish. I hope that the owner decides to either remodel, move to a new building, or just sell it all off. It would be a shame to lose a gem like this, but gems in the rough are tough.

This is my favorite fish store in the area. They sell freshwater only and have a really nice variety. Their staff, especially Steve, are always friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable. It’s very obvious that they’re in it for the love. They’re honest and don’t try to sell you what you don’t need. They’ll work with you no matter your budget or level of experience. Their fish are always healthy and happy. I tell everyone I know about this little store in White Center… they’re the best.

I am a new aquarist. I’ve had a 30 gallon tank that has just been sitting around and finally decided to fill it
Alas — B&D was NOT my first stop.
My first stop was PETCO. NEVER buy fish from PETCO. Their staff is not knowledgable enough to make it worthwhile and, while the fish may not necessarily be diseased (which is what I have heard so many people say), you will probably walk out of that store with fish you are NOT prepared for (I’ll be writing a review about PETCO later).
Steve is an excellent source of knowledge and is very patient with the loads of questions I peppered him with. I did not do my research online like I probably should have — this was definitely all on impulse.
Within an hour, I walked out with my pride pair of Kribensis cichlids and some raspboras — Steve went over every fish that could be housed with the cichlids, tank by tank — he told me how many in each species I might want (raspboras are schooling fish) and the kind of environment I would want to set up — he even gave me the lowdown on fish I wasn’t buying but showed an interest in. He was very focused on helping me out and, but for a few customers that came in to buy a random light or whatnot, remained focused on me. EXCELLENT customer service — don’t know about talking to them on the phone but the in person service is all I need.
Needless to say, I will be going back whenever I have a need.

Steve at B & D aquarium is Very Knowledgeable and patient and not at all pushy. He knows lots and lots about fish and plants and aquarium photography. I wish he were our friend. Alas, we are merely his very happy customers.
I attached several photos to this review.
There are also 6 reviews of B & D Aquarium at
: check those out for more evidence of love for this place.

Okay, so lately I have realized (with the help of friends and loved ones) that I have a tendency to be a bit impetuous. In some cases that can be good, in others — not so much. Thankfully, Unilocal has given me the option to change my mind and update my reviews in case I feel differently at a later date.
I still stand by my original assessment that B&D’s phone service skills are not what one would hope for, but I must say they make up for it with knowledge and face-​to-​face friendliness.
Yesterday afternoon I got a chance to take in the 3 gallon tank that was given to me by a friend and fellow fish-​enjoyer (after finally getting B&D on the phone and confirming that they are open til 7 PM during the week), and I walked out with everything I would need to get the interior of the tank set up.
B&D’s staff is extremely nice and definitely appreciates an easy customer like me who has done the research and had tanks before, but I bet they would happily take the time to walk a beginner through the process of set-​up and supplies. The have a small (ish) selection of really neat and healthy fish, a good selection of food and water treatment supplies, and some pretty neat tank «décor» including live plants. I wasn’t encouraged to purchase anything I didn’t need and helpful instructions for care of my soon-​to-​be fish were printed on the back of my receipt.
They’ve been in business for decades, people — that means they’re doing something right and that they know what they are talking about. Screw Petco, support your local small businesses!