Nature Box Pet Emporium is located on the SE corner of Parker Rd and Quincy, 13740 E Quincy Ave, Aurora, CO 80015. They are open 10-8 M-F, 11-6 on the weekend. While this is not a dedicated LFS, they do have a great fish department. They specialize in exotic pets, such as chameleon, snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, salamanders, and arachnids. They sometimes have small mammals, though if you are looking for something specific, I would call first. Visit their website for more specifics.
Of all the kewl animals they have the best in my opinion is the Aquatic Department.
They have supplies, tanks, aquascaping supplies, a very large tank display with a Fly River Turtle, and a large selection of fish. The other thing they have which most other stores only have at a minimum is aquatic plants (they also carry terrarium plants). They have 4 large tanks of plants which depending on when you visit are either packed or picked over. Just so you know, most LFS get their shipments of fish and plants on Thursdays, so they can be fully stocked for the weekend. With the supply chain issues recently stores are struggling to keep their tanks full. When I was visiting NBPE last week, they had a good selection of plants and fish. You may notice from my pics I have not posted pics of specific tanks or specimens. This is for a very good reason. You’ll need to visit the store!
Reasons not to visit this store or if you live nearby, make it your go to store are sparse. The area I find lacking is the aquarium supplies. They carry a variety of brands but not the ones I usually use. Aqueon products dominate the shelves and most of the other supplies are mid-level products. They have a comprehensive selection of items though, including frozen foods. If you need something for your aquarium it's likely they will have something which will work, just maybe not exactly what you are looking for.
The items I shop for here are foods, both frozen and dry, fish, aquascaping items, and plants. When I was doing terrariums, this was my go-to place. In the market of exotic pets, they are hands down the best in the state.
Specifically for Aquatics, I rate them as my second choice for reasons that are hard to articulate. I am sure it is just me. We all have our favorites, and it is usually to do with how we resonate and related to the store. I got my favorite fish here and can say their level of service is top notch.
So, there ya go. NBPE is a must stop on your next LFS crawl!
Sequoia Elisabeth
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