The best Local Fish Store will be relative to your location, though 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 best for specific items:
Best Overall LFS (meaning they offer everything, fresh, salt, tanks, & supplies):
1) Neptune’s
2) Fish Crew
3) Fish Den
Honorable Mention goes to a new LFS – MC Aquatics
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
Best Freshwater Plants and Aquascaping (this was tight, so I added 5 instead of just 3)
1) Aqua Rocks Colorado
2) Fish Crew
3) MC Aquatics
4) Nature’s Box Pet Emporium
5) Valley Pets
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.
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Best for Saltwater Corals
1) Murrman’s Reef
2) Biggs Lagoon
3) Underwater Wonders
Best for Saltwater Fish
1) Liquid Kingdom
2) Neptune’s
3) MC Aquatics
Best for Freshwater Fish
1) Aqua Imports
2) Golden Fish
3) Animal Attraction for both Fresh and Saltwater fish
Best for Nano Fish
1) Aquatic Dog
2) Neptune’s
3) Aqua Rocks
Best for Monster Fish
1) Ray’s Tank
Best for 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. As a rule, I go to the LFS closest to me first and then when I cannot find what I seek there 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 the one that has what you need at a price you can afford. Given that, how does this list pan out? (comment here)
Sequoia Elisabeth
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