Reviews of Big Al's Aquarium & Pet Supercentres - Brampton (Fish Shop)

Sandy C

Friendly staff and they seem to know their fish. Fair prices and they pretty much have everything when it comes to aquarium needs.

Ryan Floro

Came to Big Al's for a solution to my tank problem. Was suggested a couple of remedies and it seem to work well. Ran into some issues later and they were fair in resolving it. Store has plenty of stock and a variety of aquatics you can buy, but for service it is a just a pass for me

GJ Pycha

Very Knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Niranjan Goswami

Nice service good layout. Small place but good variety of pets. Lots of fish selection

Simon Watt

Fun checking out the "critters", got what we needed

Kes L

You can get practically everything for your pets here. They also have many fish to choose from if you are interested in starting an aquarium.

king mike

Love big als , been coming here for years. The girl that works here with the tattoos is so awesome , don’t know her name but she’s always so nice to me. Manager is awesome too. Recommend this over all

Delena

Really nice store, you can also buy other pets and accessories like hamsters, bunnies, ferrets, guinea pigs and birds

Nathan Taylor

This location has about half of what other Big Al's have. This one is pretty depressing. It looks more like a clearance section of somewhere going out of business. I'd skip this place completely and check out another location elsewhere.

Gourav Gupta

This place has an amaizng staff and they are alll ready to help with your needs. I got my gold fish from here and whenever I had a problem like a cloudy tank or smelly water they were always open to helping me. They have everything you could need for a pet and their animals also look to be in great condition.

Jenni

I've been to many gta/surrounding big als, so I felt I knew what to expect more or less. Upon closer inspection, both products I purchased appeared to be returned (stapled into package and taped up with boxing tape). One of the products (a replacement scratch pad) doesn't fit my toy with the same brand and picture so I wonder if the product was not the correct item put back in packaging. The other product, a bulb, works fine but the box was ripped and heavily taped over. This is not something I've experienced at the other locations. Most of the staff was friendly and helpful. One staff member said something was on sale when it wasnt- it was very nice of the supervisor/manager to honour that discount. The reptile area isn't huge if you're looking to buy an animal, but they have a good amount of stock and tanks. Their fish and aquariums are displayed nicely and it was a pleasure to look around.

Mayur

The Brampton location is hilariously overpriced, 70 bucks for an aquarium divider, 5 bucks for a sickly neon tetra and etc. Their fish are also often poorly kept, with many being sick. Their plant section is also a rip off as they try to sell you common non-aquatic plants, which will end up dying, for 7+ ea. With that said, they do have quite a selection of aquarium products and are a good "last resort" store.

Abdul Khan

Generally helpful and friendly staff. The prices are a rip, don't buy aquarium equipment here. Try a Pet Smart first, all their locations are NOT the same. Go to a larger Pet Smart. If you truly can't find the equipment at Pet Smart, look online. This store should be used as a last resort because they will OVERCHARGE you! All my items bought here were 5-25 dollars expensive depending on the item. The fish are good here however.

Ike Kotei

Prices are a bit too much. Bought 4 fishes for.my small aquarium $45.00

John Terrance

I had the misfortune of shopping here last week. I was served by this obnoxious brunette (with glasses) at the back, where the fish are. Talk about rude! It was my first and last time shopping at that dump. This place is too expensive and that rude girl were just too much for me. EPIC FAIL.

JUST IN TIME PRODUCTIONS (jjlbd123)

The store is not well kept. Aquariums has lots of algae. There's a lot of empty tanks as well. Staff are helpful but hopefully you get to clean better.

Kaylyn Bell

Please read full story, there is an update.... I would like to be able to wright a review and rate them ZERO stars. Be aware when buying reptiles from this place. I have purchased 2 from them, both of whom died within 4 days of having them. I bought a horned lizard from them on Tuesday at 5Pm and he died today Thursday. I had him for 1.5 days. Please consider an actual breeder or go to the reptile expos when you are able, but avoid this vendor like the plague. My heart is broken and yours will be too should u purchase your pet from here. Update: I called the store and spoke to Manager Shelby. She seemed legit upset as well, as I explained to her what happened. She offered me a replacement or a refund. I told her I would need to think about it and let her know. I physically went to the store today and spoke to Shelby in person. She seemed upset with the situation as well and advised that as per thier guarantee, they would refund the cost or replace the animal. I chose the refund because as sweet as Shelby was, I couldn't go through another death and she also advised there was no way she could tell me if there were any underlying diseases that perhaps would have caused this to happen. She advised that they go through reputable breeders and as far as they know when they purchase their animals, they are healthy. That being said, she advised she will be in touch with the breeder. The money doesnt bring my dragon back, it doesnt take away the grief I have over the death of my boy, but at least she gave me the impression that it mattered to her.

R.I.P. Angry grandpa

I went to the store on Dec 30th and I choose some fish and I asked if they would go with a bigger community fish and they said yes. Later on when I got home I put the fish in and as soon as I put them in the bigger fish ate them. I paid $20 for those fish.

Melissa Zasiadczyk

Absolutely disgusting and scary, the conditions for the fish in this store are so sad, and the fact that something like this is even allowed to be opened is beyond me. You don't even have to be an expert to see that the conditions are horrible. I'd love for someone to test the water quality in those tanks.. Fish that are stressed when they are not in schools are KEPT AS 1 FISH IN SOME TANKS? And fish that are clearly way too big for some tanks are kept in tiny tanks... The floor is disgusting and I'm sure no one has cleaned in months.. The tanks are green and in horrible condition. This store honestly needs to be checked for the abuse of animals.

Bill ONeill

Seems to have less fish than in past Didn't has the size of fish I was looking for but I would come back as there supplies are great and have the parts for my filter

peter henry

Very unprofessional. Went in to get all male cichlids and they guy gave me 3 females I tried to take them back but he would not accept them that was $50 worth of fish. Now I have females I don’t know what to do with them and I still have to replace the fish I lost in a cichlid tank you need high numbers and have to replace the females with males or the males I already have will fight for that female. Never go here for fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finatics Aquarium (6200 Dixie Rd #105, Mississauga, ON L5T 2E1) Has way better quality prices and they have proper knowledge on the fish they sell they also have pictures of the adults so you know exactly what you are going to get!

Hana Ishmael

This store is huge and has everything you can dream of in terms of aquatic care. From tanks to fish to decor to chemicals, they have it all. Most importantly, the fish are kept with the upmost care. They are all very healthy and happy looking. I would definitely recommend Big Al's over your average pet store to any current or upcoming fish owner.

Sundeep Kiklawala

One of the nice place to get different kind of fishes. This place carries fishes of fresh water, salt water, etc. This place offers different type of turtles as well. As they are pet store they offers different type and size of fish tanks, many fish tank accessories and maintenance supply too. This place is good to buy fish food, various food options for reptiles like snake, gecko and others and food for cat, dogs and different types of birds. Big Al's have loyalty points program as well.

Fairy Good Designs Co

This location is good, normally have a good stock of what I'm looking for. I prefer the Mississauga location due to it being ALL fish supplies, however this location has bunnies and hamsters as well

Jennie M.Q

I personally liked this place had a lot of variety of fish and neat unique water species... I recommend it. Kids loved it.

Stew Henry

Good all round mix of pet supplies. All the big names, smart fish folk! I've been a member more than 30yrs.

zia mohammad

Just purchased a new aquarium but unfortunately had trouble fitting it in my car. Thanks to Diego who went out of his way and dropped my aquarium set to my house. Really appreciate the help and support from all the employees. Thanks again

Mike Young

shout out to Diego for helping me get a discontinued part for my canister filter. Even though the Big Al's stores were no longer able to order this part from the manufacturer, he took my number anyways and told me its a long-shot, but he'd see if the warehouse still has one lying around. Sure enough, they did, and Diego did an excellent job of communicating with me, letting me know when it was ready for pickup. Saved me having to order online and ship from the manufacturer in Germany! Turtle is appreciative of his working filter again.

carol garrett

Excellent service and the guy that served us walked away at a time I had to explain to my child why we were only getting one fish. Very respectful. Lots of great info for a novice family like us. Thank you so much.

Kristie Holmes

I went there today with my little brother to help him pick some of his first fish (I've had many for years and looking to get him started) and the person that helped us was amazing! He took the time to chat with my brother and teach him about some fish he may like, and was clearly very knowledgeable. First time at this big als location and would definitely go again for the friendly staff. Wish I got your name but to the younger man with the black longer hair: you were fantastic and thank you so much ???? you were clearly very busy but took time with every single person, worth the wait!

Kris R

Great local pet store, with a great selection of live animals and pet accessories. The staff were great and very helpful, everyone seemed like they were having fun in their work environment. I had the girls enthusiastically talk about the kinds of dog toys they had available (ant there were aisles full). I found their advise very helpful and not at all geared towards the most expensive products. They also have a great selection of exotic fish, and really surprised at how clean their aquariums were for the amount they had on hand. Really impressed with this store!

iQra Hady

I like this place :) staff is super friendly and now that covid restrictions are out, there's more variety of everything. They also don't take your enterview to purchase a fish, just ask, pay and go! In PetSmart they just don't sell you the fish you want without buying a big tank for it ???? Anyway, I like it

Samuel Dey

The store manager and employees are nice. Their fish care knowledge does seem to lack though. I've been to 3 other BIG ALs locations (Mississauga, Vaughan and Scarborough) and Brampton seems to be the least impressive. Staff at the other locations are knowledgeable and well versed in the fish keeping hobby. Obviously some opinions may differ amongst locations and staff, but relatively the same info and guidance from Mississauga, Vaughan and Scarborough. Fish are also significantly cheaper at all the other locations and their livestock is visibly healthier. I'm not knocking these guys, but my honest observation is that there is just better quality and price points elsewhere. Though this is my local shop, I will drive the extra 20 mins and go to the Mississauga location. However, if anybody cares, Vaughan is definitely the best of the 4 locations. Nothing to continuously drive out of your way for, but if you happen to be in the area and are looking for some new fish friends, it's definitely worth it to check it out. Brampton is overall not horrible, but far from great.

GrimzSavage AMG

Pretty much the only pet supply store i go to for tanks pets food whatnot awesome people in here

harpreet singh

My bowl was craked that I bought and when i came back to return i got excellent customer service from Mr Diego and got it replaced right away. Great experience

Overly Opinionated Mama

It's 4 stars only because their Betta fish need bigger tanks and they look sickly and depressed. Other than that, the man there helped me get all I needed for our rescue land snails even though he didn't know much about land snails. My son loved seeing all the animals and everything we bought has worked out great and just what we needed! Please please give your Bettas a better temporary home.

rajveer grewal

Very poor service. I went for to buy fish's and accessory . allmost i was spending 500 to 600$. I had clipboard with list off fish's i im interior designer. when i done with list i ask to boy to help me . The boy had eye glasses i still rember .He said wait .I was wating 10to15 nobody sowed up .The boy i talking about him playing with phone instead help me .i ask him again anybody help me his answered i will as soon i done.Mean he plaing game on phone .Then i left rightway without buy any things.Then i went to wild fish store guy was very nice i give him 565$ business. In future if some one ask i give them this store reference..

Rc Madman

I don't go anywhere else for any supplies that I need I just found a small leak in a hundred gallon tank I have and they have a silicone that I can use to fix it outstanding

Dionne Leon Madrigal

They should restock more often, some of the fish food I like it's not available and have to drive to Mississauga. They could also improve the store setup. Not impressed. Mississauga is great though.

Arminder Kaur Kainth

My boys loved the budgies they got from here..decent customer service..but loved the budgies we got...it would be great if they can share more knowledge on how to keep pets healthy and what type of food should be given..

Ann Vernille Velasco

Where do I start? They became my "extended family" when it comes to my bettas, guppies, mollies and platties. Also my daughter's axolotl. Their manager, Brandon really knows the pet's world. All their employees are gems! Special mention to Jordan, George, Ashley, Jenae (I don't know if that's the correct spelling, and the rest of the gang, THANK YOU GUYS! Yes, maybe your store should not be neglected by management and have some tweaks here and there, but all the staffs really deserves a 5 star rating! BIG AL'S BRAMPTON LOCATION provide WORLD CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!

Mistaa

Staff sucked. Prices were marked down but were doubled in reality. Quality of live stock was poor. Will not go back to brampton location ever again. If you're looking for quality go to finatics aquarium.

Mehul Patel

Reasonable price store for aquarium and pet store.

Marenka w

I have gone to this store for 3 days just buying up a storm for my betta. Which then I bought a second betta which meant I had to buy more things, super happy about as I love decorating . With the pandemic, they are short stocked but the man (Brandon) has been helping me constantly finding things, ordering things all on top of being the only one working, answering phones, and dealing with needy customers like myself. Even with his mask on you can tell he gets joy from helping people and making them happy in turn. This gentleman has been beyond helpful and I would reccomend his store, and his customer service to everyone. Thank you so much

Vanessa Cad

Always picked up my fish from here. They now carry a variety of other pet foods, toys, treats and accessories. They have really good sales from time to time. They also have a shark feeding which is really cool to watch.

Will Kim

The staff are super friendly and helpful. However the website said items were in stock here which was clearly not the case. Even the staff said they told their IT department who have done nothing about it. Apparently I'm not the only one who came and left disappointed due to this. Save yourself frustration and call first to check.

Javeria Jaffrey

Nice pet store with a lot of variety and friendly employees who are always ready to help. However, the store could use some better organization and cleaning. It is mostly a mess whenever you go and everything needs dusting.

Abdullah Zulfiqar

It's a bit cramped compared to similar pet stores, but it's selection of fish is exquisite. It really excels compared to other stores in the fish department.

Saeed Ahmad

I was sorry to see almost empty store. No verity of fish and price are crazy.

Other Families

Hats off to *Brandon* at the Brampton location for going above and beyond, offering an after-hours pick-up, facilitating a replacement glass panel for a terrarium & being cool and understanding the whole time. Nailed it! Thanks again!

Al Cancilla

Very helpful pleasant staff...the only place u can get live mice & rats 4 ur snakes & lizards..

Minelle Ramkissoon

Great customer service. I didn't feel rushed, they answered all my questions and made recommendations.

David Maclean

Large range of animals to call family. Employees are very knowledgeable. I plan on get a reptile(s) one day and this is where im going!

Gurpreet Malhi

Peterbilt guy very good staff

John Mckee

Person in the store less than helpful. When asked where another Big Al's was he said he didnt know. They didnt have the fish food I was after and made no attempt to locate it. Can you say Pet Smart

Zaid Syed

Place has pretty much everything bird, fish (both salt and freshwater), reptiles, along with the apropriate acceories. Thier reptile area could be a bitter bigger and they need to exapnad on variety but they are more fish centred so I dont that'll happen any time soon. staff is nice but its more depending on who u go to. Dibt trade in fish woth them ur pretty nuch getibg scamed I dont remeber for sure but i think they only give u 30% of whatvthe fish is worth and if they dibt have it then they go to the cheapest thing closest to it.

Agha Faraz Khan

I liked the professionalism and courtesy of staff. Very experienced team and reasonable prices. They have lots of Fish, accessories and medicines for the aquariums. However, they need to increase their working hours though. Will definitely visit again and would highly recommend.

Randy Charles Morin

My go to place for anything pet. Turtles, fish, tanks, food, filters, decor. We spent a lot of money here over the years. Staff is available, pleasant and overall great experience. Also, bit stock, so they always have everything I need and more. I use to take my kids here all the time. Can’t return turtles ????????

John Maynard

I'm disabled. In a wheelchair. Came from Bramalie Rd. & Clark. To Kennedy Rd & Queen. I called ahead asking about what birds they had.. the guy said the have canaries , cockatiels and parakeets. Getting there.. no cockatiels. Needles to say I was not a happy guy.

Momma Knows

We came here just to browse and ended up leaving with a rat! The Professor, now known as Gandalf, is loving his new home! Selection was great, prices were great! Thank you so much Becky for all of your help and wisdom! It was an absolute pleasure! We could tell this is not just a job for you but that you truly love what you do and care about the animals! Thanks again!

Canadian Kevin Videos

Big Al's Brampton amazing store I know owner s and manager friendly people very helpful to me and my friend got some variety of South America or African cichlids and salt water fish and birds reptiles worth trip if your looking for more selection cichlids go to fanatics aquarium Mississauga

keith benson

Brian at Big Al's in brampton went beyond average customer service to help me with a replacement filter casing. When arrived there I realized I ordered the wrong size, and they didnt have the correct size in stock, but he fixed me up on the spot with another unit so I didn't have to come back again. Well done ! Thank-you for your excellent customer service. K.B.

Mi Rama

Finally i found why my fish kept dying , when i bought a fish(gold fish) and tank(10 gallon) at the same time no one told me from the store ,its very small for them, if someone suggest me that time i wouldnt buy a gold fish,i might buy a small or diffrent fish, i only like tel to the seller if peoples buying a fish first time ,please give them all information, i went to the diffrent store and met a professinal guy so he told me why gold fish dying because gold fish need a big tank, for me spending a almost $200 on fishes its a big money , my opinion better you buy a puppy ,i mean spend more money on puppy or kitten.i dont wanna ruin anyone's business ,its only my opinion .one of irritating thing ,everytime your fish dies ,you have to go to the store with water and dead fish and 30 minutes drive????, or keep buying another fish

Simone Slimaz Watts

Great place for fish tanks, saltwater fish , freshwater... bettas, rabbits , birds .. reptiles aquarium plants etc...one place with everything you need that's what I love mostly . Great selection and reasonable prices!! been a customer for aprox 15 years very happy with all my purchases and staff is very helpful and friendly...great customer service!! I have my eye on getting a turtle soon just getting the tank ready and lights etc .. very excited about my future purchase !!

Tiffany s

Avoid, love big Al's but this location gives the brand a BAD Name. The two older gentlemen that work are so rude, they have no way of talking to customers. The Dundas big Al's is worth the drive. Brampton big Al's Is TERRIBLE.

Krystof Chrzanowski

Brandon Verner has always been the best person for the job. We have had great service with selection of tanks and products and set up.

karen petri

Great selection for all aquatic needs!????????????????????

matthew gilmore

Last 3 times I’ve been here service is bad, no one helps…. Must be new owners

Wendell P

Great place if you need anything for your pets. Good assortment orf fresh/saltwater fish. Customer service is really good and everyone working is polite.

Robert Reis

Absolutely disappointed with this store. Went on Sunday, noticed it was not very busy. Saw a lobster / clawfish get eaten alive. Told the representative there, and he told me that was nature's free lunch. No its not dumbly, being inclosed in an overpopulated small box with potential predators is not nature's free lunch. It was the saddest thing I ever seen, it was using its tail trying to shield it's body as he already lost most of its arms. I bought a few fish and so far only two of them died, but then I went back to complain about the dead fish after 3 days and only received coupon for half it's value, honourable only on that day (thanks for letting me know that). On that day I found a very nice plastic plant. Took it home and noticed it had a mold smell. Washed it and soaked it for a day and washed it again. Decided to give it a try seeing as how I paid twenty for it and though maybe that was just how the plastic smelled. Nope six more dead fish later and I removed it. Overall avoid this store at all cost. Moldy decorations, and stupid policies coupled with a clear lack for cleanliness of the tanks and for their own animals safety. Also noticed in their bird section, none of the buggies wings were clipped, so you can literally watch your money fly away.

Carly T

The axolotls are not properly cared for. They should not be sitting in 3 inches of water, the need a 20g long tank full of water. Sad. I lost my respect for this place. One of the hamsters looked like it was prolapsing as well.

Madiihaa Qui

This store is quite well kept and the employees are quite helpful. They are very knowledgeable and guide customers according to their needs. I had a great experience here and even got a membership where I get emails when there are sales!

Shannon Martin

Big al's has friendly and knowledgeable staff and a wide variety of aquarium products as well as some for reptiles and other pets. They are however under staffed and a little pricey.

Brett Feschuk

Dirty, awful conditions in store. Everything was dirty... leaking... The store has been closed since March, guess they decided NOT TO CLEAN the entire time they were closed. The chain is good, but this store is nasty.

Armando Lourenco

Awsome staff lots of pet products and accessories just bought 4 guppy’s from this place there awsome and best of all is that the customer service is 100% great awsome

Christina H. Rose

Amazing staff, so friendly and helpful. Thank you!

Samavia Nasir

Very friendly staff, answered all my questions.

Jon Rosario

Great place to buy all my aquarium needs. Staff is awesome. Super friendly and they know all their loyal customers. A+++ service

SM Geoff

Has most of the animals I was looking for such as betta fish and parrots. They did not have cockatiels at the moment but they did say they will get more soon. One thing to note, wouldn't recommend adopting fish such as bettas from here as it cost much more compared to petsmart.

Copper Dee

Talk to Jenn (purple), Diego (D-Money), or the B-MAN! Reviewed before, but let's do it again (I came back for MORE little fishies!) They have snakes, they have birds, they have just about every cute and cuddly and "don't mess with me, buddy" animal you can think of! Helpful, funny, light-hearted and VERY knowledgeable staff; go, go, go!!!

Chelle Alley

Took my cockatiel for a wing clip very friendly and helpful and very much following the covid rules

RANDY AUJLA

We had a great experience shopping here for our new tank and fish. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. We will be back soon!!

Nicholas

I knew nothing about fish until meeting Devonte! This guy knows his stuff!!! Picked up a couple beta fish for my three-year-old to look at on her shelf. He guided me in the right direction to pick up what I needed and even gave me further instructions, as to how I should set the living arrangements up at home. Huge selection of fish! It was like visiting Ripleys aquarium

Damian O'Gorman

Been shopping there fire 30 years. Always have what i need

Palvika Manchanda

Beautiful place to go to with many beautiful birds and many more pets. Place is great. I just went to get a fish pet they have a beautiful display and properly maintained and the mosses collection is great too.

Mark G

Nice place, its a decent place to get fish , bird, reptile food. Bummer peel now only curbside so the staff has to go get your order from the front door.

Pawandeep Singh

Bought a beautiful aquarium for the hamster. Half the price of what you would pay elsewhere. But buyer beware the Hamsters here are infested with bed bugs!!!! Look closer and you will see

Brendon Keating

Love the franchise however,This place in in need of a serious makeover. Great staff and great service, however the biulding itself needs work

Alena Martin

I will not recommend this place . I bought two fish same day one of them wasn’t swimming normally I knew it is sick and in the early morning was dying . Very dirty place I drove 30 min to there and not enough fish types there the big Al’s in Vaughan is very good . Are the brown rabbits caught legally? I wondered that

Joseph A

Wish I could give zero Stars. Overpriced diseased fish. Bought 10 fish Sunday 5 are dead Thursday. Disgusted by this store. They will never see another dime from me aslong as i live. This place is due for some new management.

Shaunna Rhoden

Excellent staff. Very knowledgeable

syed usman shamim

The prices are very high. Their prices are marked in a weird way. They don't honor what they say and list. One employee says something else they other says totally different. Less informed on fishes. Prices are stupid and return policy sucks.

Cristina Jordan

Super friendly staff and everything we need for our snake. They are geared towards fish, reptiles and small animals. Not a store for dog or cat supplies.

Nasir Minhas

Awesome staff, friendly and knowledgeable, very reasonable prices, lots of cool fishes and other cool animals to check out, always fun going there, definitely come check out their shark. I highly recommend it ????????????????????

jithin sajeev

An ok place. They couldn't help me when I went there to get some advice on assembling my pressurised co2 system. Plants and fishes are bit pricey compared to the North York location I guess.

Chris Laidlaw

High quality and variety. Wish their fishes weren't so tiny and their prices are a bit high. 15 neon tetras that were both insanely small and cost $50. I really only shop here for specialty items (foods, plants and equipment). I find the fish size, selection, and prices are a bit better at Heartland PetSmart (but that’s the only PetSmart I recommend because of Darren).

Bikram Banerjee

I would like to thank Diego from the Big Al’s Brampton team for his timely help. Without his advice and direction I would have lost more fish from my aquarium. Thank you Diego.

Ravindra Pedapati

If I could I would give it a zero. Customer service was horrible. I was waiting at the cash register to cash out and the two females where just chatting while I was waiting and giving them my time. And the fish I bought their died within a week. The pet store I recommend going to is petsmart. They have great customer service and the live stock there are always healthy and never die. Their maintenance is great and they treat their animals with great care. They have a good return/refund policy and a great 'pet perks' system. They have good sales now and then, too.

sydney holmes

DO NOT GO HERE. takes terrible care of their fish, hense the four photos of new shipments, and no others of their full range of sad, dirty, ammonia filled tanks. a true crime. fish dead in almost every tank when I went a couple months ago, and they had one tank with literally twenty or more baby turtles. There is a beautiful fish store I went to after called Finatics, and I'm sure there's other bunny/bird stores, Please spend your money elsewhere. I am an aquarium hobbyist and 17, and whoever owns this store needs to do better. I almost wrote the city and big als corporation after seeing the shape but had a lot going on personally and haven't but please do not go to this store. its so sad and i'm surprised no one else is talking about it. I hope the owner takes their time to read my comment and truly makes change. Its so possible to have clean tanks i understand you might be understaffed but thats no excuse to have these animals in these conditions, and i haven't been back since august but i hope theres labels on all the fish now, as when i went i had to ask the man about every fish because nothing was labeled. They also have competing species in their show tanks, at the end of the aisles, so me and my brother purchased a fish from each tank to rescue them as they would not have survived with the other fish there. Please do better. Big als as a whole is not like this, but its hard seeing sellers who are a part of the name treating their fish this way, and i'm sure if they saw they'd agree. Thank you for your time.

Sasitharan Kajan

Thier tanks are often dirty with fish that have a variety of issues that are clearly visible. Poor costumer service and even seen false advertising, by far the worst Big Al's I have visited

Darren carlos

Very knowledgeable employees. They helped me with all my tank and Axolotl questions. Thanks alot guys ????

Valerie Torchia

Recently the business has been going downhill (at this location, at least). Been a regular at Big Al's for years and have been noticing that shipments are coming in late more frequently. Stock, especially for reptile food, is always sold out when I go to buy. (I pre-ordered mealworms due to these issues, and even THAT shipment was late!) I have had to waste my time on multiple occasions due to misinformation. Cashiers will forget to ring up items and you will end up with multiple transactions (has happened multiple times). Could go on but overall they need to step it up.

John Kinsley

Big Al's is the best .. during covid I am always happy to see they r still with us support this long time brampton business..

Abdul A

bought some schooling tetras within 30 mins introducing them into my tank all of them died ????, as per 5 days warranty called them put me on hold and waited for more then 30mins no one answered me back

Mike copping

This is the most rundown big Al's I have ever been in. I drive 2 hours from the falls to get there to pick up a bird that I've been waiting for for almost 5 weeks period and told that there is no public bathroom to use that's a 2-hour drive. The guy at the counter was very rude and condescending. As a Marine hobbyist I went to go check out their fish section their tanks are in absolutely poor condition dead fish filthy water glass covered in algae. The only good thing about that store is the exit sign that you see when you leave

edley reeves

My daughter's favorite place. Great staff friendly and honest.

Benjamin Sacrey

Manager seems to always be in a mood. Great for live food buy from here frequently. Newly renovated reptile section looks great (see pic) Bought a baby bearded dragon from here. Reptile supplies are over priced. UPDATE : 2 young people took care of my shopping today.Friendly asked and answered a few questions. Quick and a very nice improvement. Had to put my review back down to a 2 star !! I went in on a Monday to buy live food for my breaded dragon what they had left was not fit to buy. The delivery dates are Tuesday's and Friday's if you want to pick your size, amount and fresh. UPDATE.So I have been back to Als a few times since my update and have ordered superworms, mealmorns, and crickets in bulk of 1000. They came in healthy and only about 10 dead. I even think the manager cracked a smile. Raised my rating up to 4 star. *** LATEST UPDATE APRIL 2018 *** Live food supplier now only delivers on FRIDAYS once a week get them while they last.

S L

Easy to navigate layout, cute bunnies and other animals. Prices are comparable to pets mart when on sale. No line ups

Kent Horsfield

This big al's is over priced and dirty. Be careful of the health of the fish that you purchase here as many of the tanks look neglected.. On numerous occasions I had to return fish that had died. I will no longer shop at this location. The Mississauga location is better.

chaits1234

*****Highly Recommend***** to visit this store if you want to buy any pet or any pet accessories. Good collection of fish at affordable prices. I visited this place with some questions yesterday and got resolved everything infact ended up doing few transactions. Today i got visited the same brampton store again with an issue with my old filter where I got to talk to Brandon(person with complete knowledge on pets). Brandon went over and beyond and fixed my filter with all required tools and turned into a brand new working condition. Big thanks to Brandon for saving my money towards buying a new one. This helped me to buy more merchandise from the store. Thanks Brandon and Big Al's CK

Alexey K

Good store I often visit if for middle quality food for my cat. They have some discounts for quantity on some items. Lower quality food from people's food stores is not accepted by my cat (OK, she does eat it but later I find the eaten food on carpets:) so this store is the right place for me and for my carpets.

Nubz Myota

A lot of there animals look very sick. Would be a better store if they made more of an effort of taking proper care of the animals especially the fish! There was this one salt water fish that looked well kept and I wanted it back in March. I came back today and it was missing and eye and looked super sick, the poor thing is suffering! What the hell happened! Will never recommend this store to ANYONE.

William Jano

A bit expensive but a great place to look around and usually nobody bothers you unless you ask them. Which is nice. Lots of little animals and fish around.

Natasha Heredia

Owner is friendly, store is currently set up very well to handle the current distancing situation.

Curtis Tomasek

This Big Al's is pretty awesome, they seem to not have as many freshwater selection as the Dundas location but maybe that's because they also sell small animals so that takes up some space. No bar comment though, the tanks are always clean and they have decent prices for what they offer. Not comparable to Finatics if you are looking specifically for cichlids though.

Dave Ther

I normally never come to this location becuase I live in Mississauga and purchase reptiles from there, excellent experience there by the way! All my babies from there are thriving! Now I recently decided I wanted to get into birds and after much research I decided having a pair of budgies AKA parakeets would be a good stepping stone I decided to come here since the other store does not have birds. First off I went for my accessories loaded up my cart with probably a solid four hundred bucks (I like to spoil my pets and give them lots of room). After all that I went over to the bird area and I was approached by a worker. They essentially mowed me down with questions which I don't mind but the tone was off putting. I was basically told that the cage was too big that I was buying and basically they tore me apart on all the items I wanted to buy. Funny since they confused a parakeet with a cockatiel and then stopped and apologized for the error. So basically I was insulted for an error on the part of a worker for not being knowledgeable when they mistook a budgie for the name of a cockatiel. I basically put all the items back and left. I'm mean but I work retail so I placed all the items back before leaving, I wouldn't leave them laying around. All in all it was a bad experience, I love the Mississauga Big als and only wish they carried birds since they have nice workers. I'm off to Petsmart now since clearly workers here believe they can just tell off anyone on care when they don't even know which bird I'm talking about. Long story short, NEVER will I go back.

drpencilify

Helpful staff, and they had a wide variety of pets and pet products, including everything I was looking for (and then some)

Jenn Barber

The staff is amazing. But the store needs work. To many birds in cages. Water all over the floor. The store in Barrie is amazing.

Shantel S

I would not recommend going here. There livestock is either dead or dying very poorly kept. There was a bird flying around in the store while I was visiting poor thing was scarred. Saltwater fish stock is very limited. Coral is expensive and not kept well. Majority of the coral looked dead. This place is way over priced. They sell 20lb bag of sand for $37.99. Go anywhere else and its less then 20$. Don't even waste your time going not worth it. You will pay double the price for stuff here. There return policy is ridiculous. You pretty much have 24 hrs to come back to the store to get a refund back.

Tyler

DONT BUY FISH FROM HERE! This place doesn’t take care of the fish properly leaving them stressed and prone to disease especially the gold fish where they have hundreds of fish in one tank. I recently decided to pick up some new tropical gold fish and after introducing them to my tank with two other fancy gold fish I’ve had for just over 2 years and two bottom feeders that I’ve also had for about 2 years now one of the new fish died after a few days of having it and about a week after my entire aquarium had a outbreak and now my entire tank is dead. No life other then this disease now... I’d also like to say that this store has more teenagers who don’t know what they are doing then their is adult employees which I find extremely stupid for a “legit” pet store. I’d honestly rather get all my fish and supplies from petsmart from now on.

Darren Roopnarain

I have memories are going to this location as a kid. We would ride our bikes for an hour to get here. It's nice to see it is still around. Still a good selection of fish and supplies.

Brian Seq

Place has been in business and at same location for many years.Well stocked store for small fish,aquariums and other small pets.Staff is always friendly and helpful

Amanda H

Bought a rabbit from here and in less than 1 week I had to spend 450 for an emergency vet visit because the rabbit had 2 different parasites. I went back to the store after the vet visit and a store associate told me I shouldn't have spent the money and just returned the rabbit so they could send it back to the breeder. Please do not buy a rabbit from this store! Just an update. I woke up this morning and after one month of having him the rabbit has passed away. I should have donated the $2000 I ended up spending on this rabbit and saved my kids the heartbreak. If I could give 0 stars I would.

Farhan Raza

Great pet store with a wide variety of pets. Other than the smell it's a great place to shop.

AI Ishmael

Great pet store if you're looking for fish, not so much if you are looking for anything more exotic. Probably the best pet store in Brampton, though.

A Phan

The Big Al's here has a smaller selection of fish, SW & FW and tiny selection of corals than most Big Al's I have been at. When we went there, their customer service seemed to be in a hurry to get us out, there were only 2 people in live fish stock section - maybe they were under staffed. I did not see a shark in their big tank either, like other Big Al's.

Arial

The customer service is decent, but hardly any inventory for live fish, But this may also be due to the pandemic. But for now the mississauga location has a huge selection if your looking to buy something now

Tuan Vu

Tanks are all dirty, lots of dead fish, not very well maintained they don't even have any good show tanks setup. Store is very run down, bought some background, they didn't even cut it properly. Worst Big Al's in the GTA by a mile.

Michelle Cooper

Huge store compared to mississauga location very helpful staff

Ashley 1.O

Honestly didn't have great service, the staff were very uninterested in helping customers. Cashier was on his cell phone as I waited to be rang up. I've wanted to go back to give them a second chance as that was my first time there, so hopefully if I do it will be a better experience.

r j

Staff is not helping and continue his personal mobile

Carol Bucking

This store has all your fish/reptile/ bird supplies. The staff are helpful as well. In the spring they stock up on pond fish and take healthy trade in fish year - round. Prices are reasonable as well and selection is terrific.

Lissett Hernandez

Very friendly staff, I did find some of the fish a bit overpriced (compared to Pet Smart), otherwise happy with my experience there (been there 3 times).

Hannah Reviews

It’s always Shady down here, they have good stock most of the time but really doesn’t care about their animals.

Stephanie Rigo

Worst big als I've been to. They always look like there in the middle of closing down thats how empty stock always is. Even before covid. Quite dirty and un-kept as well.

S I

Awesome place to buy what my parrot need for their daily food , found service professional and very courteous. They ordered product for me and delivered on time. Never seen so many variety of bird food in any other stores. Keep up the good work.

Tracy Wait

Staff is very knowledgeable. The selection for aquarium supplies is spectacular.

Jessica R

Went in to purchase a few items for my planted aquarium and the staff were polite and helpful however I did wittnesse some customers who looked like they were being taken advantage of and that's why I won't return. The staff were talking to a customer who had purchased some golf fish which died of ick. The staff at the store confirmed their goldfish tank had a ick outbreak but the store manager was refusing to give the customer a refund or even a store credit. These customers were new to fish keeping and to see them being taken advantage of like this was really heart breaking because getting into the hobby from scratch is not cheap so instead of honoring their store policy the store manager just refused to help them and said nothing could be done. He even pulled the employee aside and asked why he mentioned "ick" to them because they probably didn't even know what it was. I had heard good things about this store a couple of years ago so decided to check it out but seeing the store manager treat customers so appallingly is not okay with me. I also noticed a few dead fish in a couple of tanks so the store has probably gone a bit downhill over the last couple of years.

Curtis Henderson

We were served quickly and efficiently. A little rushed,, and fairly assumed due to the high traffic of customers to one sales associate. Questions were answered, and the Sales Associate knew his stuff. What more can you ask for, more Sales Staff, and possibly a little more animals to choose from.

Luis Sharma

This location is great, the staff that work with the fish are awesome, always making jokes and helping you out as best they can, they also have a decent selection of fish and the ones I've purchased have had no problems with !

O

I was excited to go to this big Al's but a lot of their fish and other aquatic animals were dead and their husbandry needs a lot of work. They had wheels in with their guinea pigs which can hurt their spines. No water or hay in with some of the other guinea pigs. I am really disappointed in their care for their animals and wont be coming back.

LouMill M

Girl with the glasses who was working cash is rude and doesn't smile. I was asking for help with my purchases and she made me feel like I shouldn't even be in the store because I didn't know what to buy thus my reason for asking for help. I think she may have even been a manager.

Jacob Schroeder

During this tough time of this worldwide pandemic I give them a little bit of leanancy, however they had no selection of fish.

Janelle

They just kicked me out of the store at 6:59 stating they're closed. Awful service and overwhelming young staff

Jay R

I have been shopping at big al's for a number years now the main reason being a knowledgeable staff member in the fish room named Randy. I understand a few months ago they parted ways for whatever reason. Since then there has been a decline in knowledgeable staff & livestock. I only go to the salt water fish section there. Ever since Randy and Big Al's parted ways, there has been a lack of salt water live stock but no shortage of excuses as to why."shipments late, USD is up, shipment came in sick and returned ect" I have tried over the last few weeks to give Big Al's the benefit of the doubt. I have made 3 trips in over the last 3 weeks. Today I called in, being the 4th week. Still no salt water snails/livestock. Again "The shipment is coming in Tomorrow" line is played. Last week when I was in the fish room I noticed more salt water tanks were empty than the ones that had live stock in them. The fresh water tanks were filthy, the pumps for the live rocks weren't running and it seemed as they had been off for a while. There was an employee who was draining and filling tanks using the water vacs, with filthy shoes he was jumping up and down off the ledges for the tanks that hold the feeder fish. Again many dead fish in that tank. He had to touch a koi which was on its side almost dead, to make sure it was still alive. The Place as a whole has really taken a dive. Ceiling tiles missing/broken. Just a general mess/dis-organization. I am using this as my last experience with them, I will no longer give a place like this my business. I had to wait 20 minutes for help with salt water advise bc only one person knew anything. While discussing options we were interrupted by another employee who was looking for equipment to clean tanks which was in another employee's car. Its honestly a bunch of kids running the store. No professionalism. Randy- If you read this, wherever you are I am hoping the fish and tanks are in better condition that what has been left behind.

Sinthujan W

Horrible. Dead fish in many tanks and fish look sick. The workers dont know anything about fish. Many of the workers walking around looking down on their phones Felt like this one person kept followering me around. Seen a older lady asking for help but the 2 employees continued talking to each other ignoring this lady. This place gives Big Al's a bad name

Steph P

This location used to be really good, especially when Randy used to work there. Been coming here since I was a child with my dad on a monthly basis at least. Now it looks like they stopped caring. Saltwater section completely vacant and still deserted, display tanks shut down and left dirty. Most of the tanks dont even have sticker showing price/species. They are the most expensive.. 5$ per juvenile Neon tetras when other spots charge 2.50-3. Dont bother checking their curbside inventory - on the site it said they have 50 in stock, then I got a msg they dont have it in stock. The only positive was the lady in the fish room was very nice and friendly. Such great memories at this location - but its hard for me to be a returning customer at its current state. I hope they get their ish together.

tfrazer23

Bought a gold fish for my son and was told the wrong tank size, and wrong amount of time to wait before I added the fish to the tank. The next day the fish had a fungus all over it. Went to Petsmart and they told basically everything they told me at Als was wrong.

Scott Worthman

This is a good store with great staff!! They seem to always remember who you are when you come in and very helpful with any questions you have, never trying to make you buy more than you need. The fish are a little expensive and they have a poor coral selection, but they have a good amount of products for your fish and reptile tanks!

Haseeb Khan

I have been to this particular store on two separate occasions and although I make a point to do my research before I purchase any livestock I have noticed that the staff appear to be very judgemental and interrogative for no particular reason. During my most recent trip to get a saltwater fish I was asked very particular questions-is your water treated with salt, why do you want this particular fish, what else do you have (which are all very good questions to ask a beginner) but my issue is that the staff member who asked me these questions couldn't even Identify the fish that I was asking for-I had to tell him which one I was talking about. How are they going to ensure that I have the right setup for a particular fish when they can't even identify what the fish looks like? It all seems for show. I have not experienced this issue at any other Big Al's and staff at all the other stores are much more knowledgeable.

A Gops

We bought a hamster for my kids here. It's a smaller store compared to the one off of Dundas but the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. They got us kitted with everything we needed to keep a hamster. The kids love their pet and we will definitely go back for our small pet needs.

Danny Terrien

I usually go to the Mississauga location but since I was close to this location on Sunday I came in. I wanted to buy a starter tank but I received no help, and staff seemed to be interested in helping customers walking in after me as opposed to me waiting an hour for assistance. Long story short, avoid this location like the plague, at least if it's regarding the aquatic staff as they seem to not want to help.

Q (Qbomb)

Been coming to this location since PJ's closed down at Bramalea City Center. They used to know a lot about their reptiles and what types they have. The new staff now knows nothing about animals and can no longer order the ones you are looking for. Only come to this location if you are looking to spend too much on a wild morph leopard gecko. If you are lucky they may have an albino but they won't even know enough to tell you that it is an albino. The girl I talked to on the phone today (3:36 pm/ January 19, 2022) was very rude and of little help. I would recommend you go somewhere else for pets.

Aurora November

To all the folks complaining about this store's staff not educating them on proper animal care, please stop. You don't buy a car and expect the seller to teach you how to drive. Why should this be any different? Do your research and have an appropriate home up and running/ready for the animal you're about to purchase. With that being said, this place is great. The location is central, hours of operation useful and the staff are quick. The variety of supplies is immense and on the occasion that they do not have what you need in stock, they're more than willing to bring it in for you at no extra cost.

Erika McKibbon

They have much better prices than other pet stores in Orangeville.

Jeff Lindo

Awesome place. Staff is great and all the help and needs you need.

Nickesha Taylor

Clean and atFf were friendly and helpful

Fdamian

I LOVE THIS STORE!!! I used to shop at PJ's Pets but they closed. I was searching for another Pet Store in Brampton to get supplies for my birds and fish; my friend told me about Big Al's. I thought they were only a fish store and man o man I was wrong. They are a full pet store. As I walked in and was greeted by a girl at the entrance. I was blown away with their selection of accessories but mainly by their prices, SO MUCH CHEAPER!! I went to the fish are just to check it out and I couldn't believe how nice and clean their aquariums were. I was then greeted again and asked if I needed any assistance, chatted with two different staff members about my fish tank and fish, they knew a lot about my fish! So happy I found this place. Many different options of fish to look at and to choose from. I will definitely come back to this store, great prices, friendly and knowledgeable staff I strongly recommend!!

Andy P

Honestly I don't really review a lot of places but decided to take the time to review this store. It is local for me in Brampton, I think it's good for supplies but HORRIBLE customer service. Employees don't like answering questions with rude replies as I am a beginner aquarium owner and had questions noone seems to know anything. On a side note some positivity is that the Mississauga/Dundas location is very friendly and helpful amazing customer service and no rude staff. Glad and willing to help you out even if you're question may be an obvious one to others. Would not recommend the Brampton store at all to beginners.

Mark Grant

Long line however great selection of fish and pets not to mention all the equipment for your new addition

Margie Mendoza

All my neon tetras died one day later but they do have some exotic animals but there betta fish is 30 dollars and all the other stores sell it for less than 10

Adam Locke

Best spot for anything pet related!

Linda Chalmers-Moss

At the moment this store is very empty of stock and the store could do with a good clean we were looking at some fish but nothing was labeled or priced . I work in retail so I know how important that is to customers

Nav Mahal

Bought our budgies from here and of course fishes. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff that understands the pets and what they need.

Harjodh Karwal

Worst experience...one of the staff members named Jordan is so unprofessional and rude. Not ready to help the customers and even if he does help...it's in the worst way possible...we will never go to this store nor do we suggest it to anyone. Big Al's please train your staff to me polite and helpful to their customers.

Roger Trudel

This place specializes in fish and Aquariums terrariums they also have different tropical birds lizards, gerbils rabbits guinea pigs and all the things you would need to take care of these pets but the best stuff is there aquarium equipment and fish

A

They're the place where I get the food for my Beardie, thankfully they're open during CoVid. Proper measures are in place too. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of live food they sell.

Ramona Anthony

I feel compelled to put my opinion forward based on the review from Sydney Holmes. My customer service and shopping experience over the past 20 years has been quite to the contrary. This store has always been there for anything and everything I need. I frequent this shop at least every two weeks and can’t leave without taking my traditional stress relieving tour around the beautiful fish room to see what’s new. I have never had an experience of seeing dead fish in the aquariums, the fish I buy are always healthy and beautiful. I always love to check out the small animals and birds, they are so beautiful and extremely well kept. Keep up the great work guys, Brandon and Diego you guys are the best!

Laura Charette

Me and my family love going to this store. My brother always get fish and fish supplies and I always get my pets and supplies there. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Julie Schick

It was horrible. The guinea pigs had no water in the container. The empty containers were full of mold. There was a dead reptile in with a live reptile. Shelves were filthy. There were more dead fish then alive ones. It was hard to see the animals in that condition. Spoke to staff before leaving.

Nitesh Dagur

Quite a comprehensive shop for you pet needs and you pet's!

Evan A

New to fish hobby... I grab a few things I "think" I need then one Betta... I ask if this is all I need and anything I need to know. Two employees basic just say Yup that all. With no instructions. Now, my Betta is not doing so good. Water was already dirty when I got it, and two days later tank is cloudy, then 2 tank changes in still have some cloudyness. Staff in the fish department, useless :(

stanley goodyear

There were lots of dead fish in most tanks, some look like they been dead for a long time and not removed. Some look very ill and need proper care.