Reviews of Big Al's Aquarium Supercentres - Edmonton (Fish Shop)

Andrzej P

I love going to this place, even if I don't buy anything. Great selection of fish and reptiles and supplies and knowledgeable staff. There is a big shark tank in the back of the store too, which is fun to watch.

king fish

Awesome service went there 2 days in a row and i kept asking david w lots of questions on both days and he was happy to help me out and he would even check the information that he was giving was correct . awesome store with awesome people and david w was lots of help

Lara C

Weve been here a few times and the staff is always extremely helpful. Last visit was to buy a tank/accessories/fish and Anthony was incredibly helpful and never made us feel rushed even with how busy the store was. Everyone we spoke to seemed incredibly knowledgeable. 10/10 would recommend checking this place out.

Sam Poier

The staff are pretty nice and their prices are good. There selection was lacking a bit when I went but they could've just been out of stock on a lot of stuff, which happens due to covid. They have a large selection of fish, but some of their tanks were a bit crowded. Nothing for the fish to really hide behind, no substrate. Overall was okay.

Josie Badger

They have everything a person needs for a aquarium. Food for amphibians . Fresh water turtles you name it they got it . Great place . I recommend

J. Smith

Excellent advice on all things you keep in glass tanks! Verybwillong to help you get the best set up with the right things your pets needs to be happy and healthy. Also excellent knowledge on all things out of the tank. Lights, filters, pumps, food, nutrients all very knowledgable and helpful staff! Some may find the prices a little higher on livestock but it's made up for in quality. Other prices are very competitive.

Dan P.

This is the best site for any aquarium needs you might have

Taya M

I realize that most people found the employees to be a bit disrespectful, but I had a completely opposite experience! While there, I talked to at least three different employees. All of the employees were knowledgeable in all types of fish/products and patient, some even going out of their ways to help me and answer questions that weren’t related to purchasing products. As someone who is trying to build my experience in taking care of fish, Big Al’s employee work and products were a great help, especially with the store so organized.

Brooke Marchand

Lots of interesting fish and other creatures. Very knowledgeable and helpful staff. This store is a bit of a drive but I usually buy my fish and aquarium needs from big al's store.

Beth Blackstock

If I were reviewing the fish, it would be a solid 5. However, the customer service is sub-par at best, and usually it's downright awful. I had to leave the store the other day after being in there for about ten minutes because the staff were rude to the point that I felt like I was in the way by being there. I tried to make friendly conversation with one staff member, and I was met with total disregard and annoyance. I asked another staff member for advice, and the advice she gave me was 100% incorrect. As much as I love the fish... I am totally let down by the staff. PS: Thanks for the pest snails.

Thor L

Thanks to the ignorant manager pushing me closer to the end. 5/5 for product if I could rate 0 for abuse to a customer I would. Won't be back ever again..... disgusting.

Justin

Friendly staff lots of products for aquariums. They have both salt water and fresh aquatic animals and plants as well as stuff to build your own outdoor pond. They have sharks (not for sale) in the back aquarium and stingrays in the front area. Definitely making this my stop for our fish needs.

Breanne Hopkins

My kiddo loves seeing all the fish!

Greg Marcil

Last batch of crickets I got from Big Al's did do so well. A lot died quickly. However this is the first time in a year that has happened. Over all, they have a great feeder section. Check em out.

Jared Otto

The staff is very helpful and friendly. The shark feeding was amazing! My nephew really enjoyed it (and so did my brother and I). A nice guy fed other fish and the stingrays, which we also enjoyed. Comparatively, pretty good prices and awesome selection! ????

S W

Rude people!!! Just very bad experience!!!! Won't be back ever again..... disgusting.

Kevin Cardinal

Would have been a 5 stars if the girl knew more about salt water fish ! Still a excellent store for all your fish needs

Jade

Absolute best place, they care for the fish they have and sell. We go here way too often and their always helpful and can answer questions. I love that they take donation fish. It helps if you cant find good homes yourself they can find it for you. All and all great place.

Caley Rose

I appreciate the knowledgeable staff here. Every time I've needed assistance, they've been incredibly helpful without being to pushy on the sales. I also like that they carry a wide selection of healthy-looking fish. They also provide items to stock your salt or fresh water tanks (live rock, coral, drift wood, etc).

Scotia Romkey

Good service and decent return or replacement policy. We did get some guppies here that died within 5 days due to ich, but were given replacements with little to no hassle. We also noted when we were there that the guppies we had purchased were no longer ready for sale as they were undergoing treatment: a lot of regular pet stores would continue to sell the sick fish but Big Al's is better than that. Go to for fish lovers, and seeing their beautiful shark is always a plus.

Justin Mazurek

We’ve been coming to Big Al’s for a couple years now and we love the store and the fish stock is great. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the staff. I can normally let bad customer service go, it happens. But every time we’ve walked into this store the attitude and avoidance from staff is unacceptable, unnecessary, and very unprofessional. There are a select few who greet us and are kind and helpful, though I really can’t get over the lack of customer service skills present as if some of the staff hate being there. I completely understand that the store gets very busy, this could be stressful. Though we’ve been there during the week in the afternoon on off hours when it’s not busy and it’s the exact same treatment from staff. The last time we were there a younger man literally rolled his eyes at me and didn’t say a word except for “what’s ones” when I asked him if he could grab some fish for me. When he finished with the fish, I thanked him and he just walked away without saying anything back. I’m not usually one to write bad reviews but the level of unprofessionalism from some is baffling. We've been weaning ourselves off of Big Al’s and have started to go to Petland as the staff there is always wonderful and helpful.

Trevor Smith

Great fish and fish supply store. Large selection, good prices and very knowledgeable staff.

Avery

Nice big place. Has lots of products/animals. Even nice to take a walk around as if it was a small zoo

Patrick Burneau

Very helpful. Quickly helped us get everything we needed for own new Musk Turtle

Joseph X

I loved it, many fish for cheap as well as all the aquarium products you would ever need!! All aquarists must come here!

Cori Zufelt

I have never had a bad experience at Big Al's. They have great quality livestock and plants and are my go to place for any hardware. Prices are really good and, if you order online, your order is shipped and success really quickly.

Anne Behnke

Staff is very knowledgeable and very helpful. Always able to help with questions about our turtle

Laura Bosch

School field trip! Big Al's always accommodates our 30 + students and they're happy to show off pythons and manta rays to all the excited kids!! They usually provide a scavenger hunt as well that everyone loves. Thanks again, Big Al's!

Gagandeep Khosa

The staff is not knowledgable enough and have a very bad professional approach to deal with problems faced by customers. After I moved from Calgary to Edmonton in the end of January 2019. I wanted to have an aquarium. Because I had a betta fish when I was in Atlantic Canada and I had him for about an year, I wanted to have another betta fish. Last time I got the betta fish from Kijiji and the previous owner told me that she feed only two pallets a day to her betta fish. This time in Edmonton I went into BigAl’s, just because I’m starting of this hobby and wanted to have a full aquarium instead of a betta bowl and needed advice. The first time I went to the store on March 11, 2019 and bought my first aquarium. I have bought two aquariums, all my supplies and many fishes from them. I bought red, white and blue Dumbo half moon betta on March 16, 2019. Every time I went in to buy anything I always ask questions so that I’m not doing anything wrong later. Hence while I was buying my betta fish. One of the questions I asked was how much should I feed him and how often. And this particular store employee told me that feed one pallet at a time and if He take it then give another, keep doing it until he stopped eating any further. He also told me that remove the remaining one pallet once he’s done. I clearly remember that I even asked this guy that my goal is to introduce this better fish to my 15 gallon tank along with some other fish after the tank is cycled. But how I will feed him the way you are telling me once there other fish is also in the tank. To that he replied, that is one of the reasons why I do not recommend bettas to be in a community tank. So I started feeding him the way he prescribed. To my surprise he would eat 10 - 12 pallets a day. He kept on eating this way for about for 4 to 5 weeks. And then he stopped eating altogether. It was three days since he hadn’t eaten anything that I went into Pet Value near my house for my pet dog grooming. They also carry betta fishes. When I told them about what’s happening with my beta fish they were surprised that how can anybody from a specialty store can give me such a bad advice to feed my betta fish. The girl over there told me that they feed one pallet every other day to the bettas they have. And I was thinking that maybe I was starving the previous betta fish that I had after this bad advice from the big Al’s employee. I found my betta fish dead after not eating for seven days in the morning of the 14 April 2019. I was so much in love with him, I had named him Freddy and he was on my YouTube channel all my viewers knows that. I don’t want to share the links to my videos here because then some people may think that I’m trying to promote my channel. But there is a recording of the day when I found him dead and anybody can feel the pain that I was going through. being a responsible person I went into their store on 17th April 2019 to inform them about the whole incident. I talked to some other person because I couldn’t find this guy at first. While I was talking to this other employee I saw this guy who gave me the wrong advice and informer the other employee about him. He asked me “now what do you want” I wasn’t expecting that question because I have done professional work all my life and would never treat any of my clients like that. So I replied to him politely at least talk to this person and let him know that please do not give such a bad advice to somebody else who rely on you for the correct professional advice because many people like me do not have much information about this hobby when we are starting off. I was also told that maybe your tank wasn’t cycled. But my answer is this betta fish remained in a bowl for 4 weeks. And I introduce to him to Aquarium after my aquarium water cycled. Again following the advice given to me by them. just a couple of weeks ago I bought another Blue and white half moon betta fish from bigAl and I was feeding him the same way until got to know the right way to feed him from Pet Value. ******* word limit exceeded!

Kyra G

Lots of selections for tanks, equipment, decor, fish etc. Great staff.

Will & Amanda Vlogs

Ignorant staff. Went into purchase the giant albino gourami as we have been eyeing him for awhile, finally want to pull the trigger only to be ignored & talked down too by the staff for not having a 300 gallon tank, when they have him in a significantly smaller tank than 300 gallons. In the interaction the 2 employees countlessly made me & my fiancé feel stupid for even asking about him. Do not come here unless you want to be made a fool for even being there in the first place. *Update* This issues has been resolved. Thanks to Damon jones, the store manager. Bubbles is now at home with us & is very happy!

Amanda Molnar

Pretty good selection. A few things were out of stock but it was still ok. We will be back

Joshua Woods

Absolutely the best aquarium store in edmonton, incredible staff and an Absolutely outstanding product selection. Evan is a legend, got me set up with my white cloud minnows, and i am 10000% coming back for more!

B M

Friendly staff, will price match other local businesses. Stock level is typically good but Covid has caused some supply chain issues. Will be back!

Laith Gagi

Prices are almost matched with amazon. Good customer service.

Laura Falk

They are a good store to go to for equipment. There is tons of selection and great return policy on items. However when I have bought fish from them usually 4 out of ten have brought a disease into my tank I've since learned the importance of a quarantine tank. If you do buy fish make sure to keep them separate for a month or so and treat with a broad spectrum medication such as para guard. Also they do not dip their plants so there's a chance of pest snails and microscopic bugs they do have some nice plants though so if you are worried about it is suggest a permanganate dip at home.

Jim Moffatt

Large variety. Covid safe. Helpful and professional staff m

S K

Love this place! They have such a great selection of freshwater fish (and saltwater too), and the staff are always so helpful and friendly. Excellent selection of supplies and equipment. Seems like they also take excellent care of their tanks as well as they're quite clean.

Tim B

Staff have always been super polite and knowledgeable. Damon is a wealth of knowledge and information. The store is always clean and it is a pleasure to shop. The fish area is always a blast to take kids through and a great way to spend 30+ mins easily. Whether you are looking for freshwater or saltwater this is the place for you.

Dayne Wegner

The staff is always very helpful, with some members being extremely knowledgeable with invaluable advice. Hands down they have the best selection in the city for aquarium species. They also have the best selection of filters, powerheads, lighting etc I have come across The downside is you better be prepared to quarantine the fish you buy here. They are all on a handful of filtration systems so they share disease. Still 5 stars for selection alone

C.S. Elliott

WOW. never been, was at the pet expo and was told there was a Shark Feeding show... So me and my nephews checked it out. They loved it, as much as I did. Great place, staff were really terrific. The shark was cool. Great place to go if you need aquarium type stuff.

Kausal Gopal

Fun place to be especially with kids! The staff are friendly are always looking out to help. Great place to come when you're out looking to buy a pet fish! They're always stocked up too!

Rayn Cunningham

Cool place! Nice staff and lots of sales on a regular basis. I gave 4 stars because we haven't bought anything from there yet so I don't feel I could review that area fairly!

Eric Larocque

Cool store. But multiole visits we find the Staff nembers here to be rather impolite and quite condescending.

Matt Misner

Knowledgeable and friendly staff, great service, clean environment, great stock selection, excellent prices. I love these types of specialty stores. Aquariums require a lot of knowledge and this store can help you achieve your dream tank without having to learn everything the hard way or putting your creatures through hell.

Ty Kubel

Good selection, prices are good too, staff well informed about the products and fish they sell

Simeon_natureboy#1989

The owner likes when you make cheeky jokes he may even give you a discount if you can make him laugh ???? ????.... Excellent selection of fresh water plant and fish species. Betta variety is unmatched

Phillip Robertson

This is the best place I've found in the city for purchasing fish. Much better selection then PetSmart and petland, and the people are great and very helpful. Even when it's packed the staff are quick and willing to help with anything you need. Also their fish seem very healthy and well kept. My guppies are happy in their new home now :)

C Villeneuve

The owner of this store openly discriminates against people with disabilities. After seeing how another fellow customer was treated I will never spend another nickel in this store and will recommend all my friends do the same.

Geordie Cheeseman

Lots of salt and freshwater fish and reptiles. Fun place for the kids! Knowledgeable staff who really care about the health of the fish.

Svetlana Baidak

Very inpressed with everyone's knowledge amd ability to help. We got really screwed at Petland - they advised our 7 year old fish that were not able to be in same tank as one is aggressive. Then tried to sell us a new tank on top of that without fish for it. Big Al's treates our daughter without condescending attitude we had before. She was shown tanks and what type of fish go together...and the price was half compared to Petland. Our girl got a big 20 gal tank, all the accessories and fish for her birthday. And she was treated with respect (as was I). We will definitely be back for more.

Gunner

This place has almost everything you could think of to put inside an aquarium, including the aquarium. Friendly staff too.

Jaymz Blanchard

Always love this place! Awesome selection of animals and habitats! Very helpful and friendly staff as well!

Shivonne Danette

knowledgeable staff & lovely assortment of fish

Bernadine

Whenever I have fish issues people across the city always refer me here. Whether I go to a big or small pet supply store, I always get referred here for treatments for fish. They seem very knowledgeable here and always have what other stores do not in terms of product.

Julia Ross

Always have a great selection of bulk rock and tons of basic tanks, fish and plants can be a bit pricey but ????

Larissa

Easily one of my favourite shops to go to. The staff is always very friendly and informative. Learn something new each time I'm there. Always look forward to going back

Mark Dunbar

Update.... Most recent visit standards haven't fallen crew is still well knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoy some pictures from my last visit Pros: Variety is wide alot to choose from. Prices are reasonable. Live shark feeding. Aren't rushed to purchase anything. Crew is well informed. Cons: Unable to return dead fish like other places. When you finally fill out your list an associate isn't easy to track down.

Alex Boots

Great store, awesome products for reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Candace Caskey

I love this store! And I love taking my daughter here!

D M

Purchased a piece of dragon wood from the online store... no where near what they describe it to be. It was about two or three inches shorter than what described. A small terrible piece that I was charged $50 for... probably only should be worth about $20

Rick Baksza

I had genuine questions about adding a new breed of fish to my tank, in the span of 10 minutes, the associate told me, "I cant guarantee the fish survives!" or " no guarantee's," FOUR TIMES. then after picking up my order, in bold red ink across my bill was " no guarantees" I wonder, do they really want new customers? why say and write that so many times? I did not walk out satisfied, I left thinking "wow they covered their butts" Suggestion: if you need to say it, then do it once, by doing it this many times does not gain a new client, just one that will not return

Tiffany Casey

The best place in Edmonton for your aquarium needs. Great selection! Lots of species to choose from too. Any fish I've bought from here have lived a long life.

Sara Friske

I appreciate big Al's for all of my aquarium needs, feel they are super knowledgeable and have lots of variety of fish and such. I would love to give a higher rating but I only feel confident asking 2 people who work there any questions about my tank or fish or plants to put in it and feel that some staff do not provide enough information or lack confidence to exude being knowledgeable. I will always recommend this place due to having more knowledge than any other fish or aquarium store I have gone to and the ability to test the water samples if needed, but I feel some staff need more training.

Brian Wang

Always get what I need with good service and price.

lorne

lots of fish and freindly staff

Melanie Perry

We went there this morning to get a little goldfish for my 3 year old. Went to ask a young lady for help and she asked if I had a large tank and I replied no we have a fish bowl. She said goldfish can't live in fish bowls and grow up to be a very large size. I asked am I not allowed to get the fish? She replied you can but it won't last. Really upset that I was dealt with this way. I just wanted a common little goldfish. We won't be ever returning to Big Al's.

Arden Shibley

Loved visiting the stingrays, iguana, fish and urchins! The staff were knowledgeable and kind, happy to have us just browsing and enjoying the fish! Thanks Big Al’s!

Winston Tuttle

Best selection of fish in Edmonton. Great place to bring kids.

Stephanie coombs

Thank you for helping us with our questions. N all the help we needed Great staff and vary helpful

Hans Kohl

Went to the store to get a quote and information for our aquarium we gonna build. Best experience with Anthony there. Got qualified and knowledgeable information. And it’s awesome that they don’t allow people without mask in the shop! That’s awesome! I don’t understand that people complain about this. It’s not a matter if the government requires it, it’s up to the shop owner. The owner dictates the rules people and if you do t like it, don’t go there! I like to be in a safe environment in these uncertain times and I am happy they take care of their customers and employees. Thanks ????.

Justin Marcinowski

I do not know why, but every time I talk to associates here (be it in store or over the phone) they seem really rude or mad. I do like this store and the quality and quantity of products is great, however I cannot fathom why they are always this way. The people at the front of the store are usually pretty nice and friendly, but as you travel further back they get worse. Maybe it is some sort of rating system they have for their employees? Depending on how uncourteous you are is where you are placed to work. As most other reviewers have stated; I will continue to shop here, as the only (real) alternatives are chain box stores. So... I guess that is a win for Big Al’s?

Kevin Crisp

Awesome store for all you aquarium needs. The staff are very knowledgeable.

Abe A

Nice place, I went asking about turtles, I got a very nice customer service. I recommend this place

Tim D

Great store!!Great staff always helpful. Good selection of fish and supply’s. Have been there many many times Definitely recommended..

Laura B.

If you need/want ANYTHING fish-related, Big Al's is definitely the place to go. Whether you have freshwater or saltwater fish, add to your tank or, even better, have them custom make a coral reef tank or a freshwater terrarium, so that your new home can run and practically take care of itself. Prices are reasonable and much cheaper than other Edmonton pet shops--be they big-box stores, or mom and pop shops. Even if you don't have fish, the visit alone is worth the trip! There are so many different species to fascinate you and is more diverse than many aquariums I've visited in Eastern Canada. A note tor fellow photographers: don't forget your cameras!

Katie Ripley

I drove from Airdrie to experience the legend that is Big Al's. Blown away by the prices, selection and customer service. The fish room is stunning, with a selection of rare species that was absolutely incredible.

Jim Webb

You have to hunt someone down to help you. And when they do, they are not very friendly and always seem to have an attitude. The people at the front counter are usually quite friendly, but the staff who work in the back with the fish are not very friendly at all.

The Rusted Saints

I have been going to this store for a couple years now, recently changing from fresh to salt water aquariums. There is no other place I will go! Hands down the best service from staff who are incredibly knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Damon and Samantha have gone above and beyond helping me and my family to create a gorgeous tank with amazing animals that has become a centerpiece in our theatre room. I would strongly suggest anyone interested in getting into, or continuing on with their aquariums to take some time and stop in. You will not be disappointed. I wish there was more stars for me to rate with.

Shane Heath

Love this store. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and great selection.

Fred Waters

Well informed staff, good inventory and reasonable prices.

Garrett L

This place is the best aquarium store in Edmonton, they have plenty of different types of fish/reptiles/amphibians available. They even have stingrays.

Jocelyn Verreault

Hands down best place for anything aquarium related

Peter Scaife

Best shop in town for all aquarium needs. Largest selection of saltwater gear and animals by a longshot

Evie E.

This place is Amazing! The store layout is easy to navigate, the fish area is beautiful, clean and very well maintained; the tanks aren't overcrowded and the selection is unrivalled! The staff are friendly, knowledgable and actually happy to be there! Al's is worth stopping in even if you don't own fish, great place for kids to see a wide variety of fish!????????????????

Tina Williams

Had the products I needed and great service

Rayne Oosterveld

I go to Big Al's over big box pet stores for my aquatic needs. The reason I do that is because they take better care of their animals than I find other sellers do. With the exception of breeders of course. And they acquire their fish from better sources typically. Unfortunately I do find that this fish store also promotes chemical "cycling" (if you just add 'this' and wait a couple days you can add fish) and in-fish cycling. Both of which do not cycle your tank as communicated. This is unfortunate because a lot of new fish owners end up having a lot of dead fish on their hands and a lot of diseases and issues they're trying to fix. All that could be avoided if they took the time to put their aquarium through the proper nitrogen cycle. Also unfortunately antibiotics for aquatics are no longer available in Canada so all of the issues that come to fish with an uncycled tank are not easily solvable anymore. Anyways, aside from that I find that it's hard to find assistance when you need it. It seems like everybody is busy all the time. But on the occasion that I have been able to get help from someone they have been very helpful. Normally for me it's just if I'm finding something or need someone to actually get fish out of an aquarium for me to buy.

Dylan

Nice aquarium shop. Previous visits have proven knowledgeable staff. Nice displays, and a pretty great selection of equipment as well as fish. Didn't really look too far into the reptiles. I do think, however, their products are priced quite high.

liampatrickm

Worst website, not very friendly staff, most fish got from here were sick. Expensive

Jonathan Smith

Great service from the staff. They're very knowledgeable about anything to do with aquariums and ponds. Definitely my first stop for all my needs for my outdoor pond at home. Prices are good, too.

Christy M

Went here for bearded dragon food , substrate and inquired about his forever home. The staff was very knowledgeable and this is probably the best price I found for his sand. It's also a great place for alot of aquatic and reptilian friends for you to take home.

Damien Verheyden

Friendly staff and decent prices

Amanda Eckenswiller

Wide variety of selections. Store was clean and easy to move around in despite being fairly busy. Staff was helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. The animals were all well looked after and healthy.

Courtney Albrecht

Love the selection and how helpful everyone is!

Rumana Afroz Sultana

Great collection for fish, reptiles and so on!

Travis Knapcik

Grate service ans quality of fish

Dennis M. Trinh

Pretty much the Walmart of all Aquarium places. Everything you need for all fresh water and salt water supplies and fish! Also has reptile stuff however admittedly I don't know much about that topic. Helpful techs. Selection of fish is excellent! However in my experience you NEED to quarantine your new friends if getting fish from here.

Dan

huge selection, very helpful staff.

Kazim Raza naqvi

Awesome service in affordable price keep it zohaib

Hardip Khatri

This is the only place I buy fish and supplies. Huge collection of everything in the store. Staff members are polite and helpful. One good thing about this place is so many employees working here thay you dont have to wait for some one to come help you. Very well organized than other places. Make me wonder how these people can keep this store such organized and clean that you would love to explore more in the store. I at least visit this place once a month. Kids also love to explore and find new supplies in this store. Never had to wait even in line up to pay for the stuff. Definitely it is busy with customers but never felt crowded as store is very nicely organized. Huge parking place in front of the store. You might have to wait some times a minute or couple as Bianca Amore's customers also parked their. Not a big deal never waited for more than 5 minutes for space though. Thank you guys

Canadian Wolf Custom

Great service, love this place, my new fish buying place.

Mark

This is one of the best pet stores in Edmonton. They have a huge selection of fish and reptiles (including supplies). There is limited parking, however, so there is possibility that you'll have to park across the street. The assistance from employees is fairly good, but quite slow to asking if you need help when you're looking at things. Several times when I've been there and had a question about a reptile supply, I was passed along 3 times through different people because they didn't actually know who was in that department. It seems to me that communication between departments could be a bit better, but other than that it's quite good.

La

I would like to say that I made my first purchase at Big Al's today and the worker that helped me was amazing. I believe his name was Luke? He really knew his stuff and was able to help me diagnose a problem with one of my fish that I already have at home. I was all over the place because I had never seen so many different fish in my life but he was able to lead me to the best possible fish for my already established aquarium. I was looking for good bottom feeders that don't produce too much waste. I ended up going home with 3 cherry shrimp for my 15g! I would also like to add that I was really impressed when I was at the checkout that Big Al's has a points reward system that I can redeem for in store credit! Thank you so much for making my visit a memorable experience and I will definitely be back now that I have a VIP card!

Hailey Borys

Prices are high and they don't care about customer service! Staff were extremely rude when I was trying to return a dead fish, and despite being told two days prior (5 day return policy) that I could return it if anything happened (and their name was on the paperwork), they refused the refund. Also claimed I needed a water sample (which it says no where on their paperwork) in order to refund. Asked to speak with manager and the girl said they(manager) wouldn't be able to help me either; didn't even bother to check, just said straight to my face. They had no time or patience for me and it was extremely disappointing. I will choose to shop local even though it is further away, but at least competitors have decent humans running their store.

Nicole Vanlimbeek

Great place for buy fish/reptiles and supplies and have a huge selection of aquarium/terrarium supplies. The staff are friendly and very informative. Although they can be a bit pricey, their selection is worth it. I would love to be able to buy items on their website, as right now it only displays their flyer.

George Tsalavoutas

Amazing experience.

AuraOf Wildlife Cattery

Very bad experience! Rude people with lack of politeness!!! Divide the population! Mask not mask- vaccinated not vaccinated! Shame on you!!!!!!!!

Maddie Cooper

Big Al's is always a neat experience with the kids, even if you are not there to buy. I loved that they quizzed us about our tank and its set up to ensure that we were not overpopulating it or going to place our new buddies at risk.

Cole Boychuk

Friendly service and a good variety of everything you need for the fishkeeping hobby from tanks, to filters, to plants, to fish. They also have reptile stuff too. Substrate, lights, decorations, etc.

Leonardo Gomez

I live out of town (~6 hours away), and upon buying some fish and explaining my situation, i was provided with an sterile foam box with the fish in it and was packed by an associate. The fish made it fine and i couldn't be any happier for the service and purchase of healthy fish. 10/10 and i will be a long customer, products are also available online which makes it easier to restock.

Navneet Kaur

Had a positive experience considering I am a 1st time aquarium buyer. Their associate Courtney really helped me alot during my visit to find me a suitable tank, explained the gravel and ornaments part and which fish I can start with. She even helped me load my tank into the car which was very nice of her. Had some issues with the pricing before but Overall positive experience.

Eric Lo

Very friendly and helpful staff with a lot of variety of equipment and pets

from dawn till dusk

Looks like lots to chose from. Lots of cool fish as well

Niraj Narayan

Really liked this spot gave me alot of information on what I needed to know.

Jason Hill

Big Al's is a go to spot for me for anything aquarium or terrarium related. Typically they usually have stock of what I am after. They can get quite busy though and with so much supplies, you can get lost without some guidance.

Melanie Gallie

LOTS of fish! Great selection for saltwater tanks. Obviously most of them are pretty expensive for my 8 year old who is obsessed but we made a list of what she'd like & she can save up for it.

Damian Dudesley

Everything I go in to buy a fish there is one female staff member who trys to talk me out of buying the fish I want by telling me how a certain fish must live a certain way with certqin fish as though she is some type of fish whisperer or something and when I disagree by showing her photos of all the fish she said won't cohabitate doing just that she speaks to me as though I photo shopped them. All I all the fish are ok the staff obviously essentric and the prices way to high ....pet smart sells some of the same for 1/4 the cost

Mariah W.

Great people that work there. They have lots of information to answer any questions.

Jessica Steeves

Outstanding customer to car service!!

Owen Mullinger

Selection and fish quality are good, but the staff that "helped" me on 2 separate occasions treat me like I was an inconvenience. I wont be back.

Clayton Bock

Wasn’t happy to be given bad advice from an employee, Asked for help for my angelfish pointing upwards and was told to buy aquarium salt instead of the medicine. So now my male is partnerless and I wanted to breed them... I’ll never ask anyone here for help again. Other than that I like the options in the store and prices.

Dennis Johnson (Lilpp187)

great love there saltwater tanks

Morgan Carroll

2nd visit and I walked out with more fish and Shrimp!! Great service and VERY knowledgeable, educating staff. Bravo!

Madonna Mikhail

Friendly staff, a variety of fish and reptiles. Lots to see.

J J

I applaud the store following the mask rules. To the other reviewer, I don't care what your conditional "exemptions" are, the store did not open just for you. Sorry if wearing a mask is an "inconvenience" to you, but maybe you should consider others shopping in the store too. And, the word"discrimination" gets used too frequently. Just because you are unhappy about rules, it doesn't make the other person "racist" or "discriminatory". It means when you get a speeding ticket, it doesn't mean the ticket "discriminated" you.

Aquarium Dragons

This is my go-to store for fish food and aquarium supply. They generally have multiple sale events throughout the year where you can get around 20% discount on pets and supply. They carry many verity of fish so its always a pleasure to visit as a hobbyist

Ferdinand Aguillon

My go to place when it comes to my aquarium/vivarium supplies. great selection of tropical fish and plants friendly and knowledgeable staff including owner/operator

Jordan McKinlay

Fun place to browse the aquariums. Offering freshwater and saltwater, both exotic and common. They provide clipboards to help you keep track of the fish you intend to buy, so the employees can quickly and easily fill your order. Also, every Wednesday they feed the big shark.

Matt Phillips

Lots of knowledge, amazing selections, very kind people.

Nikki “Nikki” W

This place has EXCELLENT fish, and tons of variety of anything you could ever want. However, the staff are usually very short and are rude to deal with. Overall, I will continue to shop there, because of their fish quality and variety, but wish they would have a meeting with their staff about social skills!

Corina Born

We asked about the aqualantis fish tanks, as we want a cube one. We were told go online and do your own research as to the sizes available. Then we can come back and they will work on the price. Definitely not good customer service. Absolutely in disbelief to be so brushed off

Bobby

new staffs are so uneducated and cheap, give me the wrong fish.

No Ki

It’s really good place to go and learn about fishes. Healthy fishes to buy and stuff is friendly and helpful.

Andy Tchir

I have a brain injury and a written medical mask exemption and was hoping to shop here for my birthday with my wife. They didn't let me shop here. Haven't had this issue at any other store. Was a long time customer here. Won't come back. Prices are high and never have the fish I want anyways. Better options close by like Aqua Market with more expertise.

Gordon Martin

Knowledgeable staff and support for corals. Were very open to listening and sharing straightforward way to address concerns I had with my corals. Worth a visit.

Alex Monto-Stein

I am only shopping at this store for filters, fish food, tank appliances and others. I don't agree with shopping for fish from this place, because of bad experiences. I technically modified my perspective from shopping to rescuing. However, I found this store is very resourceful for products and information. I recommended this store for the products. I give this store 5 stars for the products and their customer service.

Diablo

Despite the reviews, i found the staff very friendly, and very helpful.. and they helped me find what i was looking for. Will be back.

Legosushi

Friendly people and prices are medium, not super expensive but still high. Great quality

kristen paul

Love this place !!! I could spend hours watching all the beautiful fish. The staff is beyond knowledgeable. Highly recommend

Crajjg Corjan

Great place great staff wish they had more frogs...

Joel Adarna

Big help.. I broke the aquarium fluval 406 filter. Big Al's Edmontn staff help me fix for free , I just have to pay the parts which is reasonable .Than You so much, my cichlids still alive. Salute to you guys.

Trevor Uitvlugt (ArcticTurbine)

Best fish store in town,!

Barrington Dartmouth

Its a big store. I mean, a really big store. And then in the back half there are fish. I mean, a lot of fish. Wow

D C

I don't know. I bought 7 fishes. They DIED next day. I still went there to buy more fish. High pricing

Dillon Shepherd

Always a good experience at big al's staff are friendly and there is always something new and exciting with the animals

Raj Kunduru

Looks like these days they increased a lot in pricing for fishes and even aquatic plants, other pet store seems to have fair price but I have seen a high incline in pricing on almost a lot of them here , good place to have a lot of different species available bur only disappointed by their prices , other than that it's pretty good store

Kasey E

Beautiful selection of most everything you need for your aquarium/terrarium needs. Plants and livestock are very well cared for and the staff is knowledgable! It's truly a one stop shop and brings me joy to browse. The only downsides to this store is the parking and it can be overpriced (similar items are cheaper at other aquarium/pet stores in the city). Thanks for being a solid aquarium staple shop Big Al's ❤️

Kenneth Baidak

The staff where Excellent, This is the only place I will ever go to from now on to buy fish.

ArtWolfDemon

When I was younger I would get my fishies from here, last year I was wondering about an axolotl, didnt get a real answer, great store but they need to answer questions!!! other than Call us at!!!!

scvm fvckz

Amazing staff and a great selection of fish a must go for any fish fanatic

Fi Ba

Very good service Covid Efficient very organized.

Michał Michalski

To many qestions how big is this how many of that. If I got some qestion Ill ask you never go there again

Toni Bee

Wow.u dont know where to start.6 stars for ANYTHING CONCERNING MARINE LIFE.

Colby Bruin

A great place to find all your aquarium and reptile needs.

Keifer Erikson

Absolutely love this place. Massive selection of common and rare fish. Best aquarium in town hands down.

Chris Strome

Always love going to Al's when I'm in town. Always great advice and fantastic fish.

Amber Suvee Wells

We’ve been going to big als for about a year and a half now. Jesse always helps us out! He’s very knowledgeable about the fish they carry. We absolutely love his service and his respect towards us! Thanks Jesse

Em Gee

Great selection of fish and fish supplies. Everything from Goldfish to saltwater fish. They have plants and coral too. It's a fairly large space. Prices are pretty good. Staff are friendly, but it's hit and miss with good advice

Brad Petracek

Best pet store in the city. Especially if you are an aquarium enthusiast.

Andrew S

Nice big store. The aquarium prices were good, but the stands seemed over priced. There was a great variety of items with the exception of titanium or alternative heaters to glass available. Staff was helpful and approached several times if we needed assistance.

Grant Moore

Have been buying everything here for several years or more, and for multiple tanks. Bought 15 or so new fish during there boxing day sale and some where dead before i even got them home i called and spoke with the manager he offered me 50% on the purchase of new fish????. was the best they can do.

joshua heudes

Always a great experience here.

John M (Rupkin2)

Great help from staff & mngr. Tons of fish stuff and parts.

Troy

Very disappointing, a lot of fish were sick, they post signs for everyone to social distance 6ft but the workers working in the fish area do not. I was there today and two diffrent workers bump me when I was looking at the tank. I said to one of the workers that they need to social distance (legal requirement for covid 19 in edmonton right now) and the worker said yes and walked away. Nobody was social distancing, to hard with the walk ways between the tanks. Store people don't care, I left because the store was not safe. If I get covid I know where I got it.

Harley Spencer

Have a decent selection most of the time, unfortunately the fishroom staff are quite snobby.

Nic W

We usually love this store and are very loyal, but are disappointed that they will not honour medical exemptions.

Brandon Motz

The horrible attitudes of the sales representatives on the floor make it very hard to want to ask for any help as they are extremely condescending and rude. I was asked to leave the other day because apparently their store enforce 2 years old and up need to wear a mask. The manager didnt seem to kind at all that a long time customer of over 10 years was treated this way.

Martha Vasquez

We had a bad experience in this place, they denied entry to my 4-year-old autistic son for not wearing a mask, we explained his condition and even so they refused him to enter, he was very excited to be able to see and buy fish.

Carlos Robinson

This place is FANTASTIC. Great selection and variety, good assortment of recognized names as well as economy options. Beautiful panoply of all types and breeds of aquatic creatures. Great value, helpful staff. I have only been there 3 times, and though there were a number of customers in the store I was approached each time and more than once each visit to ensure I was finding what I was looking for. Most of the value of my rating is because of the attentive yet not pushy customer service.

Ashley Soriano

We've been purchasing fish and aquarium supplies here for 10+ years for our tank. It's clean and there's a huge selection of fresh and salt water fish. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. It's also a cool place to just look aound at too! We recently brought our kids in and they loved seeing all the tanks, plus the huge shark tank is really cool!!

Kiran G

Amazing customer service and a wonderful collection of fish and pets. The staff are extremely helpful and told us detailed information on what it will take for each type of fish we were interested in. One of the staff even let my son shake hands with a turtle which made his day (mine too)!

Zaron Gibson (Malerra)

Big Al's is a staple in my aquarium supply shopping. I come from Red Deer often to just shop here for supplies, fish, and plants. They have a good selection of them all.

Gurpreet Singh

First they try to sell the stuff you dont want. And when you come back to exchange they never excepted it. They sell us fish food that we dont want and when we came to return they said no. And one of your fish died. Never recommend this to anyone

Skinny Al's Fish Room

Bought a fish yesterday (feb 14th) labeled as freshwater. Staff was rude, dismissive, and hard to get help from. Did some research on the way home and found out it needs to be acclimated to brackish. Started mixing salt as soon as I got it into my tank. Was informed it was in freshwater at the store as well. Not even 24 hours later and its dead. I called and they're saying they will only refund half the value in store credit. I will not be shopping there again due to this and their unwillingness to stand behind their product. What use is store credit. Do not purchase here.

Julie-Ann Babiuk

Went here after Christmas to buy more fish for our tank. We were lucky enough to be there when they were feeding the shark! My kids LOVED it, but the 2.5 year old wasn't so sure when it came near. The shark seemed to think she looked tasty as he kept circling by her. The kids love to look at all the fish, amphibians and reptiles. Always entertain g while Dad scopes out what he wants for his tank!

Chris Schultz

Melanie - They actually care what size tanks fish are going into. Of course they're not going to suggest you get a fish that will outgrow a bowl. Goldfish are naturally big and dirty fish. That's like raising and keeping a German Shepherd in a closet. Maybe you should look into and research fish before you start blaming knowledgeable people for your incompetence.

Viral condition

Wasn't open late day start 11 a.m.

Abigail Alfaro-Canas

Amanda... go read Albertas site on COVID which CLEARLY states establishments are able to deny you... I am glad this establishment did not allow someone to walk in without a mask. it ensures the safety of both customers and employees... just go for curb side pick up next time and stop being so ignorant and inconsiderate of others... in case you didn't realize we are in a PANDEMIC and there ARE alternative ways of getting what you need. it is nice to see that big als takes the safety of other customers and workers seriously during a pandemic.

Dusty

Fun place to go on a Sunday afternoon if your bored. My kids love seeing the fish.

Cameron Pickett

The service was awesome thank you

Born2Smooth 21

I like big al’s but their information isn’t right. I wanted the buy a pleco for my koi pond to lower the algae in it, but they said I shouldn’t because the koi will kill it, but then I searched it up and it said they highly recommend putting a pleco in your pond.

Josh Goldring

Extremely knowledgeable friendly staff that are happy to help with services or any questions you may have Plus it's always fun to go see the variety of marine life that have there

cynthia saruk

This store is great. Visited today to get some additional fish for my daughter's tank. Leah helped us...she was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful....made our shopping experience a breeze! Even gave me a demo in how to clean using suction hose. Definitely above and beyond! Highly recommend.

Della-Mae Fraser

Definitely by your pails and lids here. Price best I could find .9.99$

Melanie COULSON

I am extremely biased, I love this place. The staff is knowledgeable, the fish they bring in are awesome and they are always able to help me with my filter issues. If a tank of fish hasn't been doing well, they simply won't sell from that tank and it won't be on their main system. They really care about the animals in their care, and they care deeply about a good customer experience!

Curtis Guile

I would have given this place 4 stars until today. I purchased 2 fish here on advice from an associate as they were in the aquarium together at big Al's. I had to return the aggressive fish as it continually attacked the other till the point it had an open wound. When I took the fish back manager David offered me 50% of what I paid for it cause I didn't have a receipt. Then proceeded to down play the issue saying the fish combination did just fine in the store, that's great, but I don't live in your store and my fish were not okay. I was a customer here for 10 years, I have 3 aquariums, spent thousands, and I can say I will not return after this sort of treatment. Very insulting, what? you think I bought the fish on sale and am trying to return it for full price, give me a break! It was an $8 fish, I said look it up with my big Al's card he replied " that only shows the amounts". Don't blame me for the poor advice and no good customer system you have. It was over $4 what a joke... I don't think i had a single return in 10 years hope that $4 sits well with senior management. I expressed how disappointed I was and said keep the fish and the $4 I was offered on an the exchange.

Vee L

My husband and I are new fish people, and went to Big Al’s in hope to be able to pick the brain of knowledgeable staff. Some of the staff there were really standoffish. We initially talked to one guy who rushed through our questions and just didn’t seem to want to be there. So we got the hint and went to find another staff. Brianne ended up helping us and she was so patient and friendly. We ended up going home with two fish and two plants. When we got home, we discovered that one of the plants wasn’t one we asked for, so we called right away and brianne said there was probably a miscommunication. What happened was she had actually spent a considerably long time going through all the different plants they carried and eventually we found two we really liked (Sagittari sabulata and Hygrophila rosanervig) and had spent 10+ minutes talking about the care of it. We even bought iron supplements for the rosanervig under her recommendation and took a picture of how to diagnosis it if the leaves looked a certain way. Anyways, when we were ready for her to package the plants, we pointed out what we wanted and she asked us if it was the sagittari and anubias gracilis and we just said yes. I mean all these plant names are just a foreign language for us. We assumed she knew it was the two plants we spent a long time talking about and we also pointed them out. And no, the anubias gracilis was not next to the rosanervig. It was in a different tank on the other side. Regardless, I wasn’t upset with her at all... she asked the manager and they said it’s fine and we can bring it back and exchange it. So I went back and I guess it was another manager on shift. I explained what happened and asked if we can return the plant but not do an exchange today. We realized with a 5 gallon tank, two plants made the tank look super busy. He said fine that I can have store credit today but that was he doing me a favor. Told me I should understand that due to the nature of these living things, I can’t just buy and return when I change my mind. I explained the situation again and this was simply a case where there was a lost in translation with plant names. He said the order form was written correctly per what we took home (which is funny he mentions this because the anubias cost more than the rosanervig). Basically he was insinuating that that was no fault on his end according to their paper trail. Honestly, if I was given the right plant to begin with, it would not even have crossed my mind to return it even if it didn’t fit in my tank. All in all, I appreciate brianne taking the time to help us but I did not appreciate my last interaction with who I think I was think was a manager. Now I have a $20 store credit and a large bottle of iron drops which I will never use.

Alana Jeffrey

Everyone is always so helpful and knowledgeable. I don't go anywhere else for my aquarium needs

Hannah Mae

Great store, amazing customer service. Quick answer and really cool sharks but I hate your website. It's so hard to navigate and the search engine doesn't run! Normally it is what ever but because of covid 19 it is essential to be able to look at your website online

Kathleen Miciano

Fascinating place to visit. With a wide variety of fish selections, it took me weeks to decide whether I would start a freshwater or saltwater aquarium. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable about their products. This store also has the CLEANEST tanks in the city. Very well maintained. Their aquatic plants seem to be the healthiest too

Anika Choudhury

Knowledgeable staff and I got some amazing blue shrimp there. They sometimes get unusual and/or exotic fish that you can't find elsewhere.

Vic Lang

The service here is absolutely horrific and the staff are very rude! I will never Ever give them business ever again. What a horrible horrible place. Even speaking to the better business Bureau about them.

Marykate Makey

Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Prices are good and the fish are well taken care of and healthy. Lots of choices and lots of good brands

shawn weimer

I have had good service with big Al's aquarium They have a good variety of fish and good knowledgeable staff that know about fish I would recommend going in there and having a look the Staff are very friendly

c lon

Big Al' s was amazing. An awesome shark and Manta rays and seahorses make it really worth the trip. I was like a kid in a candy store! Recommend checking it out to anyone who loves marine life. It was like visiting an aquarium except you can actually purchase the animals!

Mike Mah

Friendly and informative. Large selection of fish and supplies. I will be going back.

Tracy Matwe

I didn't know where to look for a certain fish my son wanted and have never been to Big Al's before. Andrew helped me find the fish, explained what it was compatible with and bagged my fish with oxygen so they would make the 2 hour ride home. The rest of the staff was extremely friendly and helpful as well. I will definitely go back.

Nessa Deans

Worker gave me a hassle before letting me redeem my points. Fish look pretty bad, especially their permanent resident rays. Big als seems to have forgotten they are not the only aquarium store in the city these days. Their competition out do’s them and I will not be doing business here any more.

Devine Toxicity

Amazing prices and amazing staff!

Suey Treeant

We love all the expert fish staff at Al's. They are usually super knowledgeable,a friendly, helpful. But today we had a weird experience. The website advertises an ongoing anniversary sale from Oct 4-6, which motivated us to make a purchase today. However, we are told at the till that the sale, even though advertised for today, will take place next week. I have never had an experience like this, where a store advertises false information, probably to attract more customers, but refuses to own up to their errors. I saw other customers making huge purchases as well only to find out that the discount that was advertised was not valid. What happened today really caused us to loose trust in this shop.

Cory Raniere

Best place to acquire your aquatic friends in Edmonton

Janet

Staffs are welcomed and will knowledge. They have many kinds of aquarium equipment with a fair price. Will keep going

N

Beautiful store, great selection and friendly staff. I enjoyed my visit!

Cass Lyseyko

Amazing place to buy fish and accessories

Carolyn Karry Salvador

A really neat place to go! Very friendly and informative staff. ????????

JS

The staff is great and so helpful for new fish people!! We got the best 4 starter fish they had!! ????

Random Human

Just bought a beautiful betta fish, labeled half moon. We where not able to look at him up close, and realized once we brought him home he was extremely bloated! I’ve been feeding him very little for the past few weeks and he’s continuously getting bloated! I’ve been feeding him frozen food and another formula called bug bites. And recently we found out he might have fin rot too? Really not happy. he was $50.

Cam Morris

Many thanks to Kennedy for helping our daughter pick out a snail and guppies for her tank. She loves the store and the staff are always great.

Jenniffer St.Pierre

Fantastic place for all fish, fresh water and salt.

murray tairney

Love going to Big Al's and look at all the new fresh and salt water fish.

Meghan Threadson

Animal welfare should come before profit, I came for UVB light and asked about stock for a particular bulb, instead of checking stock the employee proceeds incorrectly inform me why I need a different bulb which they did have in stock that wasn’t the proper strength. The employee made me extremely uncomfortable by just trying to make a sale instead of making sure it would have been beneficial for my animal. Also, no one is social distancing at all and no employees had PPE.

Skyler Neubauer

Great store great staff, but diseased livestock. I lost 22 fish in total after adding 8 I bought from here.

Pawandeep Kaur

Worst place. Poor management, none of them have accurate information about fishes, everyone give their own perception and because of it, my so many fishes died. Disgusting place ever....

Rebecca Laforge

Today I was denied service because I have a significant medical condition that does not allow me to wear a mask. The manager (Tim), after being asked if their policy actually states that they discriminate against persons and deny goods and services to people with medical exemptions (who are, by the mask bylaw, recognized) answered "Yes". They even suggested I send my child in to purchase the items for me so I did not need to enter the store! My children are 8 and 6! Since when can an establishment start making up their own rules, deny human rights and suggest people send in an unattended minor instead? I'm appalled.

Lina H

I’ve been to big als multiple times now and I love it!! The fish are amazing and the displays that have are cool too. They keep they’re fish tanks very clean and the fish are taken care of!! Plus they have a wide arrangement of fish foods, water conditioners, tanks and so much more, plus they have a free points card!! Typically I spend about 1-2 hours there because I love see all the different types of fish and watching them. And the staff are really helpful and polite!!

Christina Steinke

We were helped by Leah today and she made it such an enjoyable experience. She was well informed about the plants and various aquatic environments and was able to make thoughtful recommendations for the needs of our tank. Despite being short staffed she took the time to personalize her suggestions and I look forward to coming here again. Thank you so much Leah!

Chamil Wickramasinghe

I visited Big Al's just now and wanted to buy a pair of Angels for my planted tank. The Sales Associate who came to help me was a giving me recommendations about what I should get. I never asked for recommondations I just wanted to buy a pair of Angels, but she refused to sell me the fish I wanted. Big Als they have high quality fish and accessories but because of one non skilled Sales person I will never return. PLEASE EDUCATE YOUR SALES PEOPLE TO GIVE WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT.

KET

Expensive as they are the most prepared and well stock on different type of fish for you to shop. Staff are friendly and helpful with great knowledge. If you are interested to start a new fish tank, make sure to ask questions!

Sindy Baxter

Was one of the most experiences I had. I even called the store and ask to speak to management. After waiting 10 mins we left...

roman szymczyszyn

Decent selection of salt water fish and coral. Only problem is you must quarantine the fish sometimes they have velvet or ich. Staff is helpful and selection of freshwater fish is very good

Doug Gouldson

Great fish store with fairly knowledgeable marine staff.

Samantha de Vries

Got nothing but attitude the entire time. Told them we had a 2 gallon tank and didnt want a bigger one so was meant with eye rolling and attitude the entire time. Never coming back again.

Jon Mcrae

Great selection of fish. Can't wait for them to be open a bit longer and bring in even more. Awesome prices on aquariums and accessories.

Kimberly Dunn

Great place for fish information. Got a new Betta fish and have had a lot of questions. They have been great and patient, answering all my questions. They are very pleasant as well.

K Coutts

As fair as fish shops go in Edmonton these guys are by far the best. They can be really busy at times and patience is required, this is understandable. I personally never feel rushed because there is other people to serve I appreciate this greatly. Also a great resource for help, recommendations, or just information.

Brayden Ta

People complain about mask exemptions ???????????? how about buy local through kijiji instead if using words like discrimination on a company enforcing government policy.. Ahem person under this review

Dina Awad

Nice place for shopping

Randal Hoscheit

Great knowledgeable service!

w k

Good selection most times just have to be cautious and careful what you buy cause there is no guarantee if your fish dies in the parking lot your s**t outta luck and staff can be somewhat Unknowledgeable.

Cole Nychka

This to my knowledge is the coolest fish store in the city. Who else has eels and rays?

MeMiri Eros

Due to COVID stock is low, but they are starting to get more fish in. Today I got an albino bristlenose plecky. It loves the mass of live plants I have and dove right in. Rarely have to worry about disease with fish from Big Al's, but they still recommend a dose of both types just as a precaution.

Delsere

I shop here quite a bit for both fresh and saltwater. I find most* of the employees to be knowledgeable and I trust they won't sell me something if its not in my best interest. The store is well managed, livestock health is average and they have a good selection. Never had any problems with exchanging or returning any items. Coral prices could be a bit better. Big Al's is likely the best one place stop for most things.

Edward Nardella

Emilia was extremely helpful getting me started with my aquarium plants!

Brian Anderson

Informative staff well-stocked excellent store

Roy Eykelbosh

Good selection of aquarium supplies and equipment. Fish room is big with a good selection of fresh water fish, plants and what not. I don't have salt water aquariums so don't feel competent to talk about that sort of stuff except to say it looks nice. The staff is pleasant and helpful. Google's tip is to describe the atmosphere so I'd say it is fishy and some real reptiles hangout there. Still like the place but some of the prices are outlandish so I had to drop a few stars.

thedudevinman

Best place for a good selection of aquarium,fish and accessories also for reptiles and such

Crystal Lindenbach

Amazing Experience

Nathan Proulx

Super friendly staff loud of merchandise and the best live fish iv ever seen

Saint Joe

Overall pretty good but after we bought almost $400 worth of aquarium stuff they originally appeared like they didn't want to replace a couple of $3-$5 fish the next day. It felt like the only reason they replaced them was because of the $ value of the receipt, so if we hadn't spent so much, they might have been more hesitant to replace.

Salam Sami

The place was amazing and I could find whatever I want I recommend you going to the store and find your fish! The fish I got is very nice go ahead and buy a fish

Rachelle Johnston

This place hires some of the rudest people this city has to offer. I went in this afternoon to get a betta for my son. We were “greeted” by a thin, younger girl with red hair who coldly told us we had to wait outside. I told her it was raining and ask if my eight month old son and I could wait in the corridor until someone left as to which she replied “well it’s not my fault you didn’t bring an umbrella” and went on to continue saying “whatever” to anything I said. Besides this encounter the fish are obviously much over priced. As someone in the hobby I suggest going almost anywhere else. Only reason I’m giving 2 stars is because Stephanie was very sweet and helped us find fish that would suit our tank. Other than her and her great customer service, Big Al’s is not somewhere I will not go back to. Find someone friendly And with less attitude to greet and maintain capacity.

Mark Hinse

Great staff,very clean,very good fish selection.

Luke S

Great service, the staff is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Raj Singh

Excellent service with knowledgeable staff and a large selection to suit any aquarist's needs.

Tionna Berlin

Great products, amazing tanks. However I always find the staff very condescending towards customers. Very poor business.

Tiffany Albert

Loved this place! I was greeted at the door, i was able to get directions from the lady at the front easily. Once in the back, i went in looking for plants but also fish, the fish i wanted were quarantined at the moment but they had an amazing selection of fish. Their live plants selection was incredible! And i was able to get help very easily, not like most places where you have to wait and go look for help, luckily i went during the week when they are not too busy. And the lady helping me was very knowledgeable about the fish i asked about. Can't wait to go back!

Tori Korney

Went there tonight with problems of my turtles making the tank green, they were very helpful and knowledgeable. They had plenty of time to up sell me like crazy, as I had no idea what I would be needing. They took prices as a factor and sent me how with a cheaper and hopefully more effective solution than originally planned. Everyone was super friendly! Would definitely return!

Mehrul Rajib

It is good place for It's variation. But its hard to get help of Associates here and they are not so friendly. If you are somebody new to your pet this place is not recommended but if you know what exactly you want and where to get, then this is your place.Priceis little bit on higher side compared to other shops

Jinwoo Lee

I have had some okay experiences with Big Al’s but my last experience with them yesterday just might be my last. Recently, the staff have not been the friendliest or the most inviting, as they look at you like a nuisance and there is no genuine hello or greeting while you are waiting for help. I came to exchange some cardinal tetras as they passed away, and the store policy in fine print says full guarantee within 5 days of purchase and then a 50% off in the next sentence (very confusing fine print). I misunderstood this as the associate who sold me the original cardinals told me to come within 5 days if there is a problem and they will exchange with no problem. Fast forward to yesterday an associate checked my water quality and was passive aggressive towards me for some reason that I do not know (I don’t think I came across in any rude fashion) and told me he was being “generous” to offer me the 50% discount. Since I misunderstood from the previous associate I had Daniel the manager clear everything up (Daniel is a much more friendly and professional manager). I can understand where the misunderstanding has taken place as different associates has told me different things. I get this and I am okay with paying. The problem is that the associate helping me was passive aggressive the entire time and even told me to “get my ammonium levels fixed” while he walked passed me to get my new cardinals, not knowing it was probably there because of the dead cardinals. The other associates from the get go did not acknowledge my presence and looked annoyed. I personally believe I was not a rude or annoying customer, but I do feel wronged as I have been coming to this store primarily for my fish services. I have been loyal to Big Al’s for 5+ years now and I even recommend this place to everyone who asks about where I get my fish, but after this experience this might be the final straw. I went to aquarium central before on the same day and right when you walk in you get greeted and you feel welcomed. The staff are very knowledgeable and you feel like they want to help you. I was astonished by the difference in staff and I think I will be taking my business and recommendations to them now. Again, I liked Big Al’s for a long time but the staff recently have been extremely sub par. I don’t know if this is a management issue or not as I said Daniel was a professional manager. I just don’t feel like this should have been an issue over a couple cardinal tetras.

Ray Slobodian

Walking through this store such a trip. So many species of amphibians and fish. The reason I’m giving it only 2 stars is because they keep their betta fish in extremely small glass bowls. If you’re going to sell bettas especially GIANT ones, invest in bigger holding bowl while they are in the process of being sold. Seriously, the fins of these guys were all fluffed up cause they were stressed & they could barely move since their bodies took up the entire width/ length of the bowl. I mentioned this to the head of the aquatic area and he just stared at me blankly ????

Alex Botsford

SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE!! Horrible customer service, I inquired on feeder fish availability and got blasted with attitude about how the economy is shut down.... Very unimpressed with the attitude I got, must be nice to be so individually wealthy that you don't need to make any sales or retain any clients. This place was always a treat until today, petsmart and petland bound now. Don't worry Big Al, I can take hint and will NEVER come or call there again, thanks for nothing.

Jasper

I was going to take my children in here again to pick up a new aquarium and some fish, until I learned that they like to discriminate against people with disabilities. Ans are very blunt and rude about it. Now this place will never get my business and I would never recommend them to anyone. What a joke. Shame on you .

gmc30

I like the store for the most part purchased a dragon puffer that passed away on the 5th day tried to use there live fish guarante but not being local made it difficult they wanted me to freeze it and bring it in but that could be months before I come back to edmonton so I will be considering where I shop from now on

Karen Boraski

Am used to the store in Burlington which is much larger with more variety. Was surprised by how much aquarium prices have dropped since I bought mine. Great time for someone to get started.

Justin Dilk

A wonderful place to buy fish and take the kids. They have great selection of fish and other pets. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Ryan Cookson

Didnt have the fish i wanted but was able to get all my other needs met. Best aquarium store in the city!

Connie Grant

Awesome staff so helpful ????

Rae Moberg

Awesome place but I did buy a couple different types of fish and the one species, 4 out of 5 died in two days ????

stu porter

I have a long term established tank, and have dealt with many pet stores/breeders to get my tank where it is today. The usual story when I buy a school is that we need to deal with quarantine and sick fish/tank sickness for weeks. Usually calling for expensive medication and frequently changing water. I got a school of pretty tetras from David and his team. They were all very healthy, from the start. A month later and the whole school is still in amazing condition and have voratious appetites. Thanks David and the rest of the staff at big Al's!!

J E

Best fresh water selection in town, fish are all very healthy, tanks are clean and their plant tank setup is awesome. Plus they have one fish guy that is an aquarium genius, and a nice humble guy. Highly recommend this place for all your aquarium needs, wood and rock selection is excellent, hardware is well above all other stores. Can't say I noticed their prices that much out of line with the others, maybe a little higher but certainly worth the trip. My only complaint is their till line can get a little crazy at peak hours, plus their new cashier is not the most personable girl you ever met.

Kevin Stafford

Great place to buy equipment. But all of their livestock is diseased. I have yet to buy a fish from here that didn't require medical attention or give all of my other fish ICH. Go to Aquarium Central if you want healthy fish. Tuan does a way better job of looking after his livestock than these guys. I'm pretty sure they use centralized filtration at Big Al's so all of the tanks are cross contaminated.

Wade Hale

Huge inventory of fish and aquarium accessories

Tara Enns

Lots of neat stuff and decent pricing. Good fish stock all things considered. Staff were helpful.

Heidi Ahlefeldt

Awesome!! It's been a few years since I have been here but now our youngest has taken up the hobby so we returned for him. I was not disappointed. Even during everything going on with the COVID, there was no lack of selection and the service was great.

Mike

Always lots of selection, it gets a bad rap because its "big box" but the employees do a great job keeping everything clean, the tanks here are way cleaner then a couple of the speciality fish stores in Edmonton.

Dante Vollans

I love the store but due to covid the store has way more customers than usual which makes it seem like there under staffed but even tho this is happening they still try to get to everyone in a timely manner

Catlyn McIsaac

They have a great selection of fish! However, everytime I have been here the service has been terrible. When I first got into the hobby about 1 year ago I came to this location and asked tons of questions! After getting home, 3/4 fish I had were not even suitable for my tank size. I was also sold schooling fish separately, which I now know was completely wrong. The kid helping me clearly didn't know much about what he was talking about and gave lots of false advice. I just recently went back looking for Pea Puffers and the 30 year old guy at the back counter wouldn't even give me the time of day. He was super blunt and rude and didn't care to answer my questions so I didn't buy anything and left. Everything I was told about my fish was the complete opposite after doing research. If you know what you want, im sure this place is fine. But, don't go there looking for knowledge as you will most likely be misdirected.

Paul Nam

I walked into the store yesterday and was suddenly intimidated by all the tanks and filters and substrates and fish. I was walking around panicking about my first tank. Then this worker, I think her name was Steph?, actually approached me and asked if I needed help. She was very helpful and definitely knew her stuff. She was patient with the millions of questions I had and helped me leave with all the things I needed. I ended up spending a lot more than I intended but I’m leaving happy and when I went home to do some extra research I know she didn’t up sell me or anything. I’m choosing to shop locally here from now on!

Mikaila Hudym

Clean, good selection, great display area