This update is for all those who are visiting the Denver Metro and would like to visit the top LFS’s. The honorable mention section includes stores with specific specialties. The best Local Fish Store will be relative to your location, and the criteria I used in this list is as follows: How easy is it to get in and out, convenient open hours, finding what I am looking for, quality of the livestock and products, knowledgeable staff, and competitive pricing. This list was harder to decide than you would think. There are only a few LFS in the whole state that I cannot recommend. If you have read my blogs, you know which ones I speak of. Here is a list of every LFS in Colorado. There has been a shift in the stores which are open and how I rank them. My goal is to promote the aquarium hobby, so let’s move on to the best of the best. Understand that all the LFS in Colorado are good stores or they would not be open. To be fair I broke them down by category. No point in comparing apples and oranges. Here are my top 3 picks in each category, plus honorable mentions for specific specialties:
Best Overall LFS (meaning they offer everything, fresh, salt, tanks, & supplies):
1) Neptune’s
2) Fish Crew
3) Keepin It Reef
4) MC Aquatics, mostly for supplies
Best Saltwater LFS (meaning they only offer saltwater fish, coral, inverts, and supplies)
1) Aquatic Art
2) Elite Reef
3) ReefKoi
Best Freshwater LFS (meaning they only offer freshwater fish, plants, tanks, and supplies)
1) About Fish
2) Aquatic Dog
3) Ray’s Tank
4) Aqua Rocks Colorado (expanding to have a full range of fish to offer as well)
Best Plants and Aquascaping
1) Aqua Rocks Colorado (expanding to have a full range of fish to offer as well)
2) Fish Crew
3) MC Aquatics
Best LFS on the Western Slope
1) Western Slope Aquatics – because they have both fresh and salt.
2) The Jungle Pet Shop – best for plants and freshwater fish.
3) J&M Aquatics & Pet Center – because there are only 3 LFS on the western slope.
Honorable Mentions to find that specific livestock or item.
Saltwater Corals (those not mentioned above)
1) Murrman’s Reef, now MC Aquatics Denver
2) Biggs Lagoon
3) Aqua Culture
Saltwater Fish
1) Liquid Kingdom
2) Neptune’s
3) Keepin' It Reef
Freshwater Fish
1) Aqua Imports (specializes in odd and exotic fish)
2) Golden Fish
3) The Jungle Pet Shop
Nano Fish
1) Aquatic Dog
2) Neptune’s
3) Aqua Rocks Colorado
Monster Fish
1) Ray’s Tank
Cichlids
1) About Fish
2) Golden Fish
3) Aqua Imports
There you have it, my take on the best LFS in the state. This may change over time as the stores change and as the market shifts. The Honorable Mentions are there to help you find specific types of fish, plants, or corals. As a rule, I go to the LFS closest to me first and then when I cannot find what I seek I go elsewhere depending on what I need. I support my LFS first and then either go online or travel around the state. I don’t like to order fish or living items online, so I prioritize LFS for these. My experience with online plants, fish, and inverts has not been stellar. While this list is biased, I suspect it is not far off for most of my readers. The best store is one that has what you need at a price you can afford. For specific questions please ask (here). Remember each store on this list has at least one review on my blog, use the search feature to quickly find the store you are interested in. Thanks for visiting Colorado LFS!
Sequoia Elisabeth
Comments