Nature Box Pet Emporium Serves Well

What do you look for in a local fish store (LFS)? Speaking for myself, A personal touch, good customer service, a wide selection, supply brands I like, and quality, healthy livestock. Convenience and good prices will be important to others. So where can you find this? Used to it was Neptune’s Tropical Fish in the south Metro. I would argue all LFS have these qualities in varying levels. Using these 5-7 qualities, and depending on where you live and your means to purchase, each LFS in Colorado has been rated by me over time. This is why I use only the 5 as these are universal.

Neptune’s was my first place LFS before, now this title goes to About Fish for freshwater, for both fresh and saltwater in one store, it goes to The Fish Crew, Fish Den, and MC Aquatics, in that order. This said, if you live on the south or east of Denver, Nature’s Box Pet Emporium and Aquatic Dog are well worth the visit as they rank right up there, probably 2nd to About Fish as freshwater only LFS. Of course, Nature’s Box and Aquatic Dog serve other pets and do it exceptionally well. I like that each LFS has it’s own specialty. This leads us to this blogs feature.

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.

The aquatics department has a good selection of supplies, though they are heavy on Aqueon and if you don’t like this brand there are not many other options. They have wonderful plants when they are not sold out and carry a wide selection of fish with an emphasis on cichlids and livebearers. Unlike most other LFS they have several types of puffer fish which again varies depending on availability and demand. For me, I go there for the wide selection of frozen foods. I have purchased many fish from this LFS and am very happy with the service and quality. The return policy is something to be aware of, so please ask before you buy. If you are looking for aquarium supplies or nanofish, Aquatic Dog has a better selection. Nature Box has a very nice aquascaping section with a design stand and a nice selection of rock and driftwood as well as tools, substrate, and plants.

Squaring this blog up, Nature Box Pet Emporium certainly fills the qualities of a top LFS and along with Aquatic Dog (they have owners in common) can be a great place for Neptune’s customers to find what they need and perhaps even what they didn’t know they needed. The best part is exploring!

Sequoia Elisabeth