Reviews of Big Al's Kitchener (Fish Shop)

Mike Russell

Pretty decent. It's about the only game in town. Fish are generally healthy but rarely robust when purchased. Usually takes a few weeks to get them into proper fitness. Hardware selection and foods are good though. Staff range from off-putting to fantastic.

Marissa Reinhart

Staff are knowledgeable enough, lots of product variety. I don’t agree with the keeping of small mammals (guinea pigs) in glass aquariums as the poor circulation can cause respiratory issues (not to mention the store is always very warm and guinea pigs especially are susceptible to heat)

Hanzifcation

I've been to this location a few times. There are like no Fish stores in Kitchener-Waterloo period, so this is probably your best option. It's way better than Aquariums by Design in Waterloo that's for sure. This Big Al's is pretty small, compared to others. But they have a decedent selection, best in the neighborhood! Plus there's a cute girl on cash, so can't really go wrong.

Trapstar Meec

The people that work here are fantastic. I actually haven't had fish in years but my wife has a few gold fish now. I have always been a customer just not for a while and the customer service is still the same as 15 years ago excellent. ????????????

Matthew Ford

They have a pretty good selection of fish and equipment, pricing is reasonable. I would never buy shrimp there and won't buy aquatic plants there because of how many snail issues i have had over the years unless you go through a whole treatment quarantine process.

Bloom

We went to this location to purchase a Red eared slider. We did some research prior to going but clearly not enough on our part. They not only tricked us into buying a "turtle package" that didn't come with a water heater which is essential to the survival of a RES. But they also encouraged us to purchase 23 dollars worth of gravel, which is extremely dangerous to a small turtle and should never be put in their habitat since they like to eat it (can be fatal). They took advantage of new buyers so do your research if you choose to buy at this store. Also the attitude of the staff was absolutely horrible, they were extremely rude and acted bothered anytime you asked a question or for assistance. They have a nice selection of tanks and accessories but most of their male Bettas looked dead or in disgusting water. I probably wont go back there I'd rather just order stuff online. Turtle buyers beware.

Ryan Holman

One stop shop for fish and reptile needs. The staff is very nice and extremely knowledgeable!

Athena van Nacht

Good fish supplies, does suffer a bit from the kind of elitist dude culture but many of the employees are lovely

Brian Hinds

Great pet store with awesome customer service

Jody Lynn Boyd

Super friendly staff who definitely know their stuff. Have been going here for years. Good prices and awesome sales. Good variety of fish, plants and reptiles as well as products.

Andrew Brown

All the fish we bought died within 24 hours. It was a bad experience and none of the employees had any idea what they were talking about for fish

Topher Makkreel

Better saltwater setup then most BA stores. Staff knows everything you need to know about marine fish or corals.

Kyle Snively

Great selection. I bought my turtle here. They always have what I'm looking for.

Melissa E

Very knowledgable, wish I went there on the first fish tank I set up

Sa Hua

Been coming here since I was a kid. Big Al's is hands down the best aquarium supply store in the region. The only hiccup we've had with them is one time we bought a Betta fish from them and it's cheek was injured... A lot of the Betta there that day did not seem so healthy in comparison to the fancy ones out front... but I guess that's the reality of any pet store... Otherwise the staff seem to really care about the fish and the housing tanks are much larger than the tiny shoeboxes you see at PetSmart.

Emily Holden

This is my favorite place to be, the animals are cared for the best they can (keep in mind it's a pet shop so the animals may not always be as happy and healthy as they can be due to the fact that they must provide at least adequate care for all the animals in the store) I have been buying things from there since I was small and will continue to. I would definitely recommend Big Al's to anyone.

Javid Samad

Huge variety and knowledgeable staff!

Em Galloway

My boyfriend and I purchased an aquatic plant as per an employees recommendation and it began to die as soon as we brought it home. We would have NEVER purchased it if we had known the kind of care the plant required. We specifically asked the employee serving us about if it would survive and be OK in our tank under the conditions we have. She said it would be and recommended the plant. The employee KNEW what type of tank/lighting conditions we had in our tank yet she still recommended the wrong plant for the tank. We specifically asked if the plant will do OK under our current lighting and she said YES. Turns out the plant she recommended us required extremely HIGH lighting. We would have NEVER bought the plant if we had known it was going to die under out lighting type. I called the store a couple days later to tell them what happened and they made it sound like it was my fault and that they cannot do anything about it because they don't have a warranty on plants. I even spoke to the store owner and they too said it was due to my tank setup. They did not apologize for their employees bad recommendation or try to compensate in any way/ I have NEVER had such poor customer experience and PetSmart down the road sells just as nice plants for around same price and they have SUPERIOR customer service compared to here. We are extremely angry and upset and won't be returning to Big Als anymore. Be wary when asking for employee recommendations because it seems that certain staff aren't educated enough and would rather make a sale than give honest advice because they know the buyer cannot return it. Very disappointing experience.

Victor Toth

Decent place for dry goods. Fish aren't as good as some other big Al's locations but then again there aren't many choices in the area for live fish.

Jody

I’ve had some of the best and worst experiences here. Some of the staff are amazing but others I find rude and unfriendly. I keep returning because the good outweighs the bad and no business is perfect.

Matthew

Was able to pick up all of the things I needed for my first live plant aquascape. I really appreciate all of your help and will be coming back soon enough I'm sure! Cheers

Andrea Allan

The staff seem knowledgeable and friendly but we had all 3 fish die after following their instructions. Then 2 out of the next 3 replacement fish died. We bought 2 more fish from a different store and they're thriving.....

Thomas Blazon

Popular place. Very helpful, just have to go when it's not a zoo in there. Trust me this place gets busy on weekends.

Robin Rhodes

Wonderful tropical fish store. Also has lizards, snakes, hedgehogs, etc. Staff is well-versed and knowledgeable

Kyle Richardson

Man I’m soo disappointed with this store, I’ve been going here for aquarium stuff since I started my first tank when I was 10! But for multiple reasons every time I leave this place recently I’m bitter or disappointed. So from now on I’m going to try to take my business else where. Edit* pretty happy with my vist today. Had convorsations with nick and he has restored my faith in the store. Even picked up a bunch of livestock

Zac VanVeen

Lots of selection. Informative staff. Little bit cramped though.

Amanjot Singh

The staff was very rude and condescending, please just go to PetSmart.

Sunny Birdie

We recently started an aquarium and have been here multiple times for advice. They are very knowledgeable and friendly and prices are fair/comparable.

Hongming Xie

I have already spent close two hundreds dollars in the store within two days. Today I would like to have a suction cup, but l thought the price was a little pricy and I thought I could take a picture and go back to do some online shopping research. However, my asking was declined. I was kind of upset. It seemed the owner didn't want to provide any extra helps unless you do business with him. He did nothing wrong. But it didn't give a customer a nice experience.

Matt Lacasse

Staff yells at you if your mask is not up. Manager is a great guy.

William Reynen

Went to the store today, first time in nearly 20yrs. Great friendly staff and service. Needed a power cord for my tank, they were more than willing to take one from a new product. As he stated "Its better he waited for the order, than for myself that needed it sooner". Thank you for making my visit back, awesome.

MrAsherDeist

Had to replace some lamps for a turtle tank because of corrosion which broke a waterproof bulb. Turns out it was a setup that shouldn't have been recommended last year by someone from this store. After talking to a man there he spent a good amount of time educating us what is required for a turtle tank and we ended up getting some new lamps which will be proper for our set up. It was a little frustrating because last year it took 2 trips to this store but this seems right now

Crystal Glitter

Liked

Tristan Thompson

Get for all my aquarium needs. Informative and knowledgeable staff. Home to a wide variety of fish and reptiles. The website does not reflect how amazing this store really is.

Kenneth Ebanezar

Incompetent staff. There was one guy that was RUDE, yelling at us to step aside. Been a long time customer. Never again.

Nicole “Colie” English

I go here on a regular butt it's because it's the only fish aquarium store in the area they definitely need to do some upgrades

Igabod Clarke

Great place to get FRESH crickets...not half dead like some other name brand big box-buy your kittens here stores...????

Jaden Pereira

Great service and great advice

Bethany Delleman

Good selection, reasonable prices. Bring your kids for a free aquarium tour (by that I mean look at fish, little kids love it.)

Akash Kapoor

I understand the capacity limitation is no fault of Big Al’s, but when my family and I came in to purchase some fish for our first aquarium, we were told we had to wait outside which is fine. We waited for about 20 minutes and we went in single file since their were 4 of us. We waited, and waited. Everyone ahead of us cashed out their purchases and headed out. Eventually when we all came into the shop, we spent about 5 minutes inside considering which fish to purchase and we had an associate help us. We knew we didn’t have a lot of time, so we wanted to pick some fish up just to get our aquarium started. Not even 10 minutes in the store, after waiting outside for 20 minutes an employee asks us to leave because other people are waiting in the line. There was 1 couple outside and that’s it. Essentially their time and money was worth more than ours.

Will

Defenetly one of the best stores for reptiles and exotic animals. Prices could be better though but I like the rewards program. Helpful and friendly staff.

Abdul Khan

I have gone to all of the Big Al's locations in the GTA and even here in our very hometown of Kitchener - the knowledge and level of expertise when it comes to maintaining and taking care of your aquatic life can be enjoyed by us all! Very helpful, approachable and friendly staff and of course all your tanks related questions and needs will be answered. I am not a big enthusiast but the setups that are here are very enticing to dive into this giant world of aquatic life. Thank you Big Al's and keep up the great work! I will keep visiting for my marine supplies from you. Cheers!

Kevin Farnan

All the staff at Al's Kitchener are helpful and go the extra mile to help out I recently had a filter problem that I couldn't resolve myself and the staff put it together and got the new parts running for me they are my go to in the region

Michael Leece

Not as knowledgeable as other locations of theirs. Staff is more worried about bodies in and out of the store than actually taking the time with ones that could easily spend over $100 there.

EchoingWhisper

Sydney was so awesome. She took time but was not over chatty. She helped us get all the stuff we needed and was super friendly and knowledgeable!

Becc Bells

Wonderful staff who helped us get some new goldfish

Megan Dyksterhuis

Awesome selection of fish, reptiles and equipment. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful. They gave me the tools and information I needed to help my son set up his gecko tank. They also have a points system in place for customers.

Matt P

Big Al's is a great local fish store. Great inventory and very knowledgeable staff. They've been in the business for a long time .

Ryan Hickey

We are so lucky to have such a specialized store in our community with knowledgeable staff and excellent selection.

TJ Durnan

Good selection of supplies,equipment,plants reptiles and fish. Staff are reasonably knowledgeable and friendly. By far the best store in the region

Frank Schindler

Love this place. Good selection of fish an inventory. Highly recommend

Sah Fora

Selling feeder rats who have SENDAI VIRUS. My entire colony of pet rats are dying one by one due to exposure to these rats. Do the feeder breeders they buy from not notice their own breeding colonies dying off? If they do know they're keeping it hush-hush as their breeding colony would have to be quarantined which means no profit. NEVER buy feeder rats if you have your own pet rats at home. If you do it will be a death sentence for all your beloved rats.

Kat D (AuroraTitan)

Amazing selection of reptiles, fish and other exotic animals. If there is something specific you're looking for and they don't have it they can fill out a form to their breeders to ship one out for you. Great quality feeder animals for carnivorous pets and a huge assortment of pet care taking products. Recommended for all exotic pet enthusiasts.

Cheryl Ives

We have been three times regarding beta fish, always on the weekends. The staff have little helpful knowledge and seem to care very little about the cheap fish. We have bought two different beta fish there and both were sick when we got them home. When I called, I was told there wasn't much I could do, just put in aquarium salt and hope for the best, but there was no concern or help offered, and no refund although in each case we had the fish for less than a week. The first fish recovered due to my research on the internet and diligence on our part, but the second fish, we don't know yet. They are probably good for expensive fish, ponds and things, but not for pets such as the beta.

Rachel Trudel

We have been going to Big Al’s for years. We have purchased fish tanks, fish as well as donated older fish with no problems. The staff really know there stuff and are always there to help you.

Geoff Pearson

Great service and good people

serenity robertson

love all the fish and reptiles!

Brinn Heseltine

Great store, lots of animals to choose from. I just wish they got certain live feeder insects more than once a week.

Reiner Walter

Rude, Condescending and irritable employees and over all terrible customer service. I've been coming over to this spot for a little over a year since its the only aquarium store in Kitchener, and almost every time the employees have been impatient and just seems like they do not want to help you or even talk to you. I tried to be empathetic and polite but its the same every time, I'm not sure if they need to hire more people or perhaps try out therapy. Not to mention they have a poor tank & lights selection if you want anything other then the most basic set ups. I find my self rather paying $40 shipping fee from angel fins then coming over to this place. There is one older gent who has been consistently nice and welcoming, so if you absolutely have to visit this place I recommend you speak to him.

Silent Alert

Absolutely disappointed with staff behavior and attitude. This used to be a fantastic and fun place to take kids to look at fish and shop however the staff especially manager (person with beard) was extremely rude. We took our time to shop and I was looking at my phone what I need to purchase while staff was pressuring us if we need help and that we need to hurry up as there are people outside in the cold. I am sure the cold is the last think on their mind with lack of traffic. Horrible management and staff, very disappointed.

Brent Higgins

A little pricey but usually have a larger selection of Fish and Aquarium Equipment then most stores. Great one stop shop if you can tolerate the ignorance of a couple staff members. I recommend not to deal with the older guy with the beard and Young giant in the back. Both are extremely rude and belittling.

David Caldarelli

It's one of the only two places I could find to get live feeder rats for your snake, but the cashier lineup often goes way too slow

Curtis Draeger

very helpful staff, and a great selection of pets and products

Kody Wolf

Great fish

Devin Pronovost

Great place for getting all sorts of reptile and aquarium needs. I but food for my snake and gecko here always at the best prices

Aneisha Young

Love it! So clean, helpful & very friendly staff. Can't to put my fishies in my tank.

Jay Bird

Great place to shop for your reptile and aquatic needs, staff are great and very knowledgeable about everything in the store.

Derek Martin

They were very helpful and cared about their suggestions to your needs

Holy Moly

Not everyone is knowledgeable about the products which is unfortunate. There are 2 employees which are amazing. If you have a membership any items which have defects will be fixed within a period without any hassles. Fishes are healthy but please do your due diligence and always double check when the fish came in and what care is needed before buying any fish.

Very Wary

While this isn't the only option for aquarium hobby, it may be the largest with many locations and big stores. Prices are competitive (I guess) but not really cheap. Equipment can be found online for less ; but live stock of course is a different story. Their fish seem to be very healthy and I have seen them refuse to sell fish they suspected might not be the best. (kudos to them). Maybe more importantly the staff are knowledgeable. I won't comment on other animals that they sell, cause I don't know much.

E Weber

Very knowledge staff, great selection of fish (rotates depending on time). Seem passionate about aquariums and helping you create awesome ones at home. Have African cichlid tank and planted tank, both setup with there advice

Shawna-kay Mills-Trepair

A bit on the pricer side, when compare yo Petsmart. However they have a wide inventory. Staffs are friendly and super helpful.

Mike C

Great retail location to buy aquarium supplies. Best and most varied selection of animal foods that aren't available at other retail locations (Hikari and North Fin). The selection of aquatic plants should have something to satisfy most hobbyists. The pricing and return policy prevent me from being able to justify a full five stars review.

AWALZ Hilbig (Arson)

Knowledge and friendly staff. Adorable reptiles, cool fish, and even some little furry mammals. Everything seems happy and healthy.

Kevin Bensette

Great selection. Some fair sized fish at the normal prices charged for smaller ones. Will be back for more full grown cories. I find a lot of stores sell fish that are too young and just don't last.

Winged Elf

I love this place! Great staff who know what they're talking about (usually) However... The reason I'm even leaving this review is because of a new face I've seen start working here. If she's got a silver pixie cut and a tattoo on the back of her neck.. for the love of God don't let her pick your aquarium plants for you... Got home to a bunch of mine Absolutely demolished as I was taking them out of the bag. She grabbed all my plants by the stems instead of the base or root area. Entire stems had broken off and were already brown by the time I went to put the plants in my tank. Fingers crossed they live considering there's nothing I can do about plants being given to me already messed up by the hands of the employee. But I wanted to make other customers aware... I could have 120 dollars in the toilet now because of this girl.

Mel Read

Best Big Als store I have been to so far! They keep all their tanks clean, fish look healthy, and the store staff were very helpful! I wish I lived closer so it could be the store I shop at all the time..

Sarah Z

Very quick to help with finding filter replacements for our tanks. Very informative on full size of fish for our tank

Spencer Hauck

They have a great selection of aquarium plants, accessories and live fish. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. With everything going on with covid-19 they have kept up the same great service despite only being able to offer curbside pickup at this time. Keep up the great work.

Beckah Parslow

Really nice place ! Super staff. Unfortunately one complaint. A lady gave me wicked info on putting my Betta fish with other fish and he died about a week later. Really sad.

Conrad Wilde

Great for fish, this is my go-to store for all things aquarium related. They're well stocked and very able to supply the vast majority of what's needed to establish and maintain a variety of healthy freshwater or marine aquariums. They also carry a solid range of terrarium supplies if you're in a pinch, though these are not as affordably priced. A few employees are a bit rough around the edges, but they're all honest and knowledgable when it comes to aquatics, and I've found all of them to be efficiently helpful in answering my questions about aquatics. The reptile section however... I would never recommend this place for reptiles. I wish they had just stuck with aquatics and maybe terrarium supplies, and left live reptiles alone. They just aren't equipped to handle and sell them responsibly or affordably, and it's a shame because the store is otherwise great. I want to give this place a 5-star review, but as long as that reptile section is in there in the state it is now, I just can't. It's uncomfortable.

hetal trivedi

Fantastic place. They have so many varieties of fish and other small animals. My 7 year old got his first fish here :)

Krystina Mair

This review is for the well being of their chameleons. Anyone who knows reptiles, knows that chameleons have some of the most specific requirements and are NOT starter animals or easy to care for in any way. As the owner of a panther chameleon, I know the unique requirements in terms of lighting, husbandry and water sources for these reptiles. I was very upset to find 3 chameleons which are not properly cared for. Two of them had drippers for water, which would be great had they not been completely dry and empty. The third one had no dripper or mister set up, only a water bowl, from which CHAMELEONS DO NOT AND WILL NOT DRINK. They need a moving water source to drink from or will dehydrate, which is of course fatal. The one with the water bowl is so thin and dehydrated that it appears "boney" for a lack of a better term and is clearly much below a healthy weight. All of their reptiles should be in conditions that are exemplary to the customers, not like this. This negligence reinforced my opinion that more "advanced" animals should only be sold by breeders. I am not here to bash any business, but in hopes that this review makes a difference and that they take their care practices MUCH more seriously or stop bringing in animals that have such unique requirements. To the owner - I know I made a comment to you before I left, but I am leaving this review to ensure this is taken seriously. I, once again, do not intend on bashing anyone's business, your staff are generally helpful and there are some good things to be said about your location, but this was unacceptable to say the least. I hope this comment reinforces that and that real changes are made.

josh comeau

Great store I always buy my crickets an horn worms here always cool lizards an everything I need to find for my reptiles

Gerald Hoekstra

Good selection for what you need to maintain your aquarium.

Bethany Dawson

The staff here us always helpful and very knowledgeable. They've always let me know if one species won't be super compatible with each other, and then offer solutions. Always a wonderful selection and pleasant atmosphere.

Im The Devil

Friendly, knowledgeable staff who really care about the health and happiness of fish. They're always helpful and I appreciate the great customer service I get every time I go here. I've never had a question they couldnt answer. They have a huge selection of fish and reptiles and I just realized they sell small animals as well, like Guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs etc.

Selene Miller

Always someone knowledgeable to help you out, honest sales advice and friendly service. Livestock is well maintained and kept in clean confinements.

Amelia

I absolutely love this store. Staff is always incredibly helpful and the variety is outstanding.

Frank Mardian

My kids love coming here to look at the array of creatures. We visit quite a lot and I have spent thousands of dollars here over the years. I love that this place lets the kids come in to look around. All in all a great experience and one the kids will remember.

Paul Meyer

Lots of fish, cool big aquarium with an eel in it, good selection of fish, reptiles and accessories. They have always been busy when I went there so it is easy to get forgotten if you don't find someone. I was always served promptly and professionally. I would recommend this store to anyone.

Wayne

Was on their website..has to be the worst site l.have ever been on ..I could not find any search features .Had to.page through pages of stuff l wasn't intrested in,never found what l wanted..was after an aquarium stand no dam luck finding one

Jeremy Woods

My kinds and I love the fish store. Gotta keep my seven tanks stocked up!

Aaron Wood

Great selection here, probably the biggest fish stock in the area. Prices are good. Pet smart used to be cheaper but they are the same now.

Rachel Grimard

Has everything!!

Carter Stere

Excellent customer service! All the employees are always so helpful, and knowledgeable. Their curb side pick up is fast and efficient. They also have lots of stock. And carry items many other stores do not.

Carter Stere

Excellent customer service! All the employees are always so helpful, and knowledgeable. Their curb side pick up is fast and efficient. They also have lots of stock. And carry items many other stores do not.

Reece Weber

Great variety and selection of fish and products! The staff are so friendly and helpful! Highly recommend to check out this store!

Jennifer Girard

I really enjoy the employees at Big Al's. Whether you are experienced or a beginner, they listen to your questions and answer them in a way that is non-judgmental and informative. Many of the employees have knowledge about the items sold there. If they don't know they ask others or they refer you to another person who is able to better answer your questions. They also have decent prices for their aquatic stock.

Ioana Suteu

Chris was super helpful and very knowledgeable , we walked out with the best gift and we will return soon

Nyx Nightshade

I cannot speak the utmost generosity about this store!! I found a starving Robin (who was too weak to eat or drink) and had absolutely no idea how to care for this beautiful bird and was told to go purchase some meal worm at Big Al's. I took the bird and explained how I found her and two of the staff members took the time to gently feed her for me. Once they new she was safe (swallowed her meal) to be transported they put her in a box and returned her back to me. I went to pay and the gentleman looked at me and said have a great day, it was no trouble at all and there will be no cost!! WOW that is all I can say. I'm speechless and humbled by such caring individuals. Thank you every so much!!

Kim Doucette (Kimburlee)

They have everything you need for your fish or your pet lizards. I love just walking around and looking at all the different fish,frogs,turtles,lizards and last and least liked the snakes

Brody Meyers

Good selection of saltwater fish and corals and pretty well anything else you need

Petar Jokic

Great selection so four star, but poor staff so minus two. When a customer walks in and asks for a snail or shrimp, the right answer is: "they are in that aisle, go pick one out and i will be right with you to tell you about the species care and help you bag it" The wrong reply is: "why do YOU need a snail? what is your tank like? what volume? what shape? what fish are in it? you dont NEED a snail" because youre giving wrong advice, leaving a bad impression, and turning away a customer. Story time: I had a 10 gallon tank with a betta which had an algae and rotifer bloom in august. Went to Big Als to buy some cleaners, snails, shrimp, anything to cut down on growth as water changes werent helping. Staff discouraged me from buying cleaners. Acted weird, asking me why I "need" things I want to buy. Aquarium is a hobby, I dont "need" any of it, its for fun. Anyway I walked out with no purchase, trusting the staff that "betta would be fine", and a month and a half later my betta died due to ich. Turns out some algae species attracts rotifers, which attract small crustaceans like the ich parasite. And I never noticed betta was sick in time because the algae made the water cloudy. I should not have trusted some guy who never saw my tank just because he was acting like a knowitall. You do not know more about your customers setups than they do. Period. I loved that betta, man, and I needed those cleaners. Recently I bought a tank and some nice plants from kijiji and some inverts and fish online. Never going brick-and-mortar shopping again. People like your staff have ruined hobby shops.

Joshua Toutant

Helped us pick out our first fish and tested our water for us. Great store.

Mitchel Nicholson

Great selection of fish and aquarium products. Some reptiles. Even a hamster or two. Friendly knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Dion Sharma

Excellent, knowledgeable, and very friendly staff. For all your aquarium needs, fresh water or salt; or if you're a seasoned owner or first timer, this is THE go to store for everyone.

Justin Joyce

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff! I have gone just to chat about my reef tank. Recently I got some advice about my hedgehog and they were kind enough to give me a small sample of a new food they recommended. Turns out the little guy didn't like it so it saved me a few bucks.

John Kuntze

Great place to shop for the aquarium hobbyist. Also appears to be a great place to buy any other critters that may interest you.

Paul Braden

Great place to visit whether buying or not. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Best to visit weekdays otherwise can be quite busy.

A

Great variety of fresh and salt water aswell as reptiles and supplies

Paul Bisanti

Got some good advice on setting up my first aquarium and species selection.

T H

Got my teddy bear hamster here, he’s really active and healthy a nice affordable price! The staff here will let you hold each hamster and meet them before deciding. Thank you so much for your help! If your in Kitchener/Waterloo I’d recommend this place for any and all hamster shopping.

George Mersereau

This is the place to go for the best prices and selections of aquarium suppliers and fish.

Anna Chahill

Gaelen (not sure how to spell his name) + Jamie are phenomenal! I visit quite regularly because I’m building a community tank. Staff is very helpful and prices are great.

Kristine Benham

This location has wonderful variety of aquarium, terrarium and other pet equipments. The staff that stays mainly with the back room/pets are friendly and will answer questions when they're not busy. This may be a one-off but I found that the register staff behind the counter was less than helpful. I was looking for a specific light bulb and the two employees behind the front counter pointed to a back corner where I could find tens of similar light bulbs, so I was forced to go back and forth. The only reason this bothered me is because they didn't have a line of customers and instead just wanted to chat with each other, rather than assist a thoroughly confused customer (me). Like I said, it could be a one-off, but it left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Otherwise, it's always been a nice store to visit, even if I don't end up grabbing anything.

Traian Palade

This guys knows their stuff always helpfull and the ball.You need something they will make it hsppen.I am definitely recommending this guys. I will always looking forward going back

Natasha Scott

I bought 3 aquatic plants from you guys and now I have a pond snail infestation in my aquarium. I'm not impressed. You guys need to keep snails out of the plant area. I found the snails on the Anacharis plant I bought - the dwarf gouramis love to nibble on this plant. Now I have to go buy a Clown Loach so it will eat the snails.

scott boyd

Completely awesome store I have been going there for about 28 years now and I have not been disappointed yet ,and the owner goes out of his way to make sure that you are happy with experience

Ovidiu Bledea

Good selection of fish. This is where my aquarium hobby started years ago.

Chad Dupuis

Most of the staff are grumpy and don't seem to enjoy the customer service aspect of their job. They seem annoyed when you ask for help. I also question the care of some of there terrariums and aquariums.

Ladislav Hudec

It's so nice to have fantastic store selling pond supplies (and so many gorgeous fish species to choose from, as well a ton of other items for home aquariums and terrariums). The staff is super knowledgeable, friendly and very easy to talk to. Based on their advice, we got our pond cleaned up, and now we also have 100 goldfish happily roaming it. Thank you guys ... we'll be back.

Stacey Tosh

Half of the tanks where empty ...most of the fish looked sick ...has gone down hill in a year ..sad ...was one of my favorite places too go and look at all the fish

Heidi Hanna

Extremely knowledgeable staff.

mike vickers

as far as aquarium stores go, pros: they have the cheapest prices or most competitive prices, widest selection of equipment, products and meds. they stand by their fish with a 14 day return policy. good selection of animals (fish) and plants. cons: quality of fish is comparable to run of the mill petsmart stores as far as disease goes but a little cheaper service sucks, u literally have to get someone in order for them to help you in any way so u can't be shy. if they are busy and there is a line up just continue to cycle your tank for one more day because u will be waiting an hour. like most pet stores selling exotic or tropical fish you need to make sure they don't have disease, I didn't quarantine my fish when I first started simply because I didn't have the means at the time (kind of ridiculous that quarantine is necessary but it is a must) 5 out of 6 fish developed disease purchased at the store (no, nothing wrong with tank size or water parameters) I was too in-experienced to see the problems at first and the 14 day return policy flew by I did my own research and cured the disease with the loss of one fish. the meds they sell are expired, 90% effective depending on how long they have been expired for but still if your going to drop 20-30 bucks on meds you want them to be 100%... service sucks because if you do manage to get an associates attention you are rushed and then you end up leaving without fully explaining whats going on and you feel that maybe the attendant didn't get the most important part and you are left with an uneasy feeling (u feel like your fish may die regardless now). you don't get to pick your specific fish, so when you fill out the chart they make you wait by the counter while they hand pick your fish for you. I am experienced enough now with fish disease to see the early signs and I also know the difference between nitrate burn and fin rot, I would appreciate the opportunity to pick the best looking and healthiest looking fish possible so there is less risk that the fish I take home will develop a disease 1-2 weeks later, because although they are just fish you do get attached and it sucks when u have to either return the fish or have it infect your whole tank and risk killing the other fish by medicating or watch it die. pro/con I bought 7 guppies, 2 gourami, 3 cories, 2 sunset rainbows, I've lost 3 in the span of 4 months so that isn't too bad but I might have lost less had the fish I bought been in good health to begin with, I spent twice as much money on meds then fish trying to keep them all alive. would I buy fish from there again? no, would I buy other aquarium products hell yes because they are usually cheaper and they have more selection. (again weekly water changes, water parameters good, tank size appropriate for the 1" per gal guideline - applies to what size the fish would be when it became an adult I say this because most people think "oh this guy is just new to the hobby he doesn't know how to take care of his fish and thats why they died") do I bother asking for help? no, waste of time, I do my own research and fish forums are a joke, everyone has a different answer. use wiki or an aquarium book that is published lol. anyways that is my two cents. if they fixed the fish situation and service was better I wouldn't have any money left for sure because the store is very nice and has a wide selection for sure.

Andrew Stoltz

Horrible customer service, very unprofessional staff, the parasites in plants, very unfriendly. Do not waste your time with them! We did online order for salt water stuff and got treated like we were nothing at all to them on jan 9/20. Didn’t give us time of day told us to wait in line after we went thru doing the work of ordering online, was lined up for 25 min waiting for a curb side pickup order. Went to pet smart to pick up some other stuff for one of our other pets called store parked in designated area and they even put in vehicle for us. We also were in prior to things being locked back down at christmas we were in store looking for a new tank heater for one of our tanks that stopped working that afternoon on a saturday arrived 10 min before posted closing time to be told they are closing shortly, went inside werent in store hardly 1 min and got told they were closed. Which was very upsetting considering we arrived 10 min prior to posted close and we even checked the time and it was still 7 min till there posted closing. We have 9 tanks that are currently running and stocked in both salt and freshwater, i suggest anyone wanting good service to look at other options, amazon sells most of what big als sells at a better price, and for livestock look at living aquarium, i have bought stuff from them and have far better quality livestock then big als. We are constantly buying fish and tanks and equipment and will not be returning to big als after the piss poor service we have received. If management or a owner would like to contact us by all means please but at this point we will be sourcing our aquarium stuff elsewhere and i suggest anyone reading this to do the same. Also we have bought plants and ended up having a parasite outbreak in our freshwater shrimp tank after buying 2 plants from big als kitchener location, we ended up losing half the shrimp having to empty the tank and treat it and move all the shrimp to a different tank and quarantine them.

Joe Stan

I am not a happy customer first time saltwater tank owner came in to a fish having ich asked for advice apparently if the other fish are healthy you don't have to treat was what I was told witch is total bs asked another big Al's they told me that I should have immediately removed all fish to a qt tank and treated with cupramine but now I'm out hundreds of dollars and this is what they tell me as a loyal customer I do not feel responsible for what happened to your fish and we will not be giving you any store credit towards new fish and will not be giving you reduced prices on fish when you do restock the aquarium.

Vanessa Murphy

I visit them often as I love my aquarium. Some staff are very helpful others can come across a little rude.... refusing to sell fish or by making comments about how you manage your tank. I take excellent care of my fish and am very careful not to overstock. I have also noticed the last few times I have gone that there are multiple tanks with fish not ready for sale. Maybe just bad timing but when I make a trip to buy something it's disappointing when I leave empty handed.

Luke Bouchard

Fish are kept in wonderful tank scapes and the staff is knowledgeable in all general fish keeping skills. Some have in depth knowledge of very specific areas of fish keeping and all combined have the ability to advise on most any setup!

Mark Hammar

Great selection of what you want for reptiles, fish and amphibians. The aisles are crowded to fit in a lot of merchandise so it can be hard to find what you want.

Ashley Godbehere

I love going to Big Al's just to browse. They always have lots of selection. Some lovely salt water tanks. And a good selection of equipment. Their prices are very reasonable. And they are by far the best place in the area (that I've found) for aquatic plants.

Jason Merucci

Love the saltwater selection.

Darryl Cobb

Very helpful staff and nice selection of fish and reptiles

Bryan B

They have live feeders for my snake. Mice, Rats, small to large.

Wit Vos

Staff doesn't lie to me about things, and was significantly better then the London store. Only thing keeping it from being 5 stars were some of the fish were in poor shape and still for sale

Ben Harper

Employee's don't know anything, super rude and it feels like you're bothering them when you ask questions. Never tell people about cycling and are just in it for the money. Went a couple times when I was in a jam but won't be back. Take your business to a shop that actually has experience and cares.

Sylvain Raymond

A great place to see some fish lizards and snakes. Kid friendly and great staff.

brittaney scott

Turtle is fantastic . Staff are very helpful and full of knowledge definitely recomm getting reptiles from here

Carrie Olsen

Love this place.... Lots of variety! I find they are very knowledgeable and have tons of fresh and saltwater fish, reptiles, amphibians and even a couple hedgehogs.

Mallory Pickering

Great place! I come from Stratford just to get my fish, I could spend hours in this store picking witch fish I want! Staff is great and a big help when making sure you have the right fish.

Mike Catalano

Decent prices. But some staff think they know more then they do and don't always give the correct advice

Brooke

The staff are always attentive to help find you what you need. Very knowledgeable. Have been going here for years for reptile supplies. Good hours too. And frequently hiring.

alankrit41

Pretty good collection with okay price

Ryan Hutcheson

Love just visiting this place. It is so relaxing to check out the fish. Always helps me plan what I eventually want to do aquarium wise.

Jay W.

Knowledgeable friendly staff, top notch service and quality products.

Amritha Stalin

Great place to take little ones . . . Love the collection of fish and accessories. A bit expensive though.

K Cassaman

Yes been years since I was in Big Al s. Still has has the same smell. Same set up as well. Caters to more smaller fish. Use to be able to get large fish at 1 time. Also added tons of reptiles of all kinds. Still have the great big tank in the middle filled with awesome fish.

Mitch Turner

Great store for fish and reptiles and supplies. Decent prices

Trevor ThreeHundred

Not very happy bought an oscar for my other oscar I got from petsmart. My buddy bought 3 the same day. 3 days later ich now all over both tanks. Now my albino oscar I really liked is now getting ich too. So their fish destroyed our tanks we treating both tank but survival is very low now or all our fish. No impressed. Called they told us to buy ich treatment and treat them. Should not take them back. So we could have treated the tank without the fish. Ich will die off in few day with out fish but we still treat tank. I'm so mad right now. My petsmart one had lot energy was happy to see ne was so so much character now has fight for his life now.

Paul Pamboukian

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Good selection. I had to do a return and it was no problem whatsoever.

Shane Plante

Great staff, knowledgeable as you would expect in a specialty store. Prices are good and of course they have a great selection. They care about what they sell and no one tried to convince us to buy anything - they just informed and offered help.

Moose

Absolutely amazing staff! Super friendly, always knowledgable and helpful.

Pat Favron

Awesome place even if you're not buying anything, it's like a zoo. 5th star withheld because the shark is always sleeping when I go there.

Levi Kendrick

What a beautiful shark.

Jadyn Hall

Excellent and knowledgeable service

Lawate Keny

wow great time i had got 50 gold fish and put them into my "built" pond they survived all summer then got them back inside,and they are now 3 years old a majority died from natural causes but they are as big as koi fish and 12 survivors so great

FB Girl

I brought friends here to show them, been here many times . The fish and accessories are endless. Staff really know their stuff here.

rach

This pet store is my happy place!

Paige Smith

Staff was super friendly! Very helpful in helping me pick the appropriate amount of fish for the tank I had and gave helpful advice for making sure I had success with my tank! They have a wide selection of fish perfect for people starting out and experiences fish keepers! I will definitely continue going here for any fish/fish products that I need.

Michael Garcia

I've recently purchased the setup for my first freshwater aquarium and the team at Big Al's have been great. Knowledgeable and friendly. Can't ask for better. Highly recommend them!

cool girls

They have a wide variety of things to choose from, but the store itself is very small

Alyssa Death

So many different fish and other animals to choose from! Been going here for over 10 years and it's always been the go-to place in the tri-cities for aquatic pet needs!

Chongabong

Some of the staff by the fish / live plants could be a bit more personable. I don't care if you've seen pictures of 1,000,000 tanks - don't be rude, act like you love every one of them. Not, "Yep, that's a fish tank." I find myself avoiding this place if possible because of that one interaction. Don't be in customer service if you're just going to be salty. That said, a lot of the staff here is very helpful and knowledgeable, the knowledge just doesn't always get shared in the nicest manner.

James Barker

The only place to go for aquarium gear and fish. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff always ready to help answer questions.

Melody Moss

Service is great, if you know what you need you can go right up to the door and they will bring it for you.

Charles Chamberlain

At this location you can buy the fish and it comes with ich free Beware of ich and make sure you quarantine your fish from this location because chances has it they have ich The benefits of ich Spreads quick to all your fish and kills them Cost alot to get rid of if you have snails or shrimp don't worry the medicine for ich is fatal to them as well

Tishara Loucks

Ever since bringing my Beardie home(not from here), I have been getting most of my supplies and bugs from here when possible. Although sometimes their hours don’t line up well with my work hours lol. I’ve never had a negative experience with the staff and for the most part they are friendly and do check in to ask if help is needed. In terms of knowledge I do disagree with those leaving negative reviews because the staff didn’t know the answers to their questions. If you are purchasing an animal it is your responsibility to insure you know as much as possible to properly care for it. The staff may know some tips and tricks about some animals but expecting them to be some sort of expert is very unreasonable…. On another note the only downside I would say is sometimes the care for some of the reptiles I’ve noticed is questionable…. It’s not overly horrible in comparison to other chain “pet stores” and I think that may be due to only specifically catering to mainly reptiles, fish, amphibians, and some small mammals. The store is well maintained and overall kept in good shape and the animals do look well taken care of for the most part. If you are looking to support a smaller chain that more specializes towards things that aren’t dogs and cats like large pet stores, I do recommend Big Al’s :) .

Darryl “Lost Forever” Smith

This is a good store for all your fish needs.

Aaron Sherratt

Experienced staff and well stocked. It's even interesting just to go there and walk about looking at all the different creatures they have.

Lee-Ann Dawe

Great customer service. Good prices.

Charles Carreiro

Not kid friendly at all. Older bald guy with glasses was sure to remind me carts are not allowed into the store so be prepared to carry your child if they cant walk. Some PC training for these goldfish peddlers might improve sales which in turn might clean up the store. This is an addition in response to the owners comment and a subsequent second chance visit. You forgot to mention that I said I was not looking to drive the cart around the store. I just wanted to pop in the door to show the baby where mommy and older walking brother went. That is why I started with not kid friendly. I then stated you were sure to remind me no carts allowed. I say remind because my family used to frequent your store and I knew from previously seeing you not allow carts into your store I was in for trouble to appease my baby. Being kid friendly would have bent that rule to let the baby see mommy. If you truly were kid friendly you would have realized this especially as the owner and let the baby see where mommy went. So I repeat myself PC training would have made you see why I even had a conversation with you about this in the first place rather than just accepting the store policy. The architect of the building atleast knew an over hang is nice shade in the summer and built one. You didn't even care I was outside the door of your store with a crying baby waiting for my wife and other child to realize I did not enter. Oh and so the world knows my cart was filled and I mean full with purchases from Toys R Us. I could not just lift the baby out and leave all my stuff outside ungaurded as we choose to walk that day and not take the vehicle. The reason I could not call to my wife and child is she is deaf and my child was not old enough to know enough language to be of help. I chose to not make a scene which you clearly wanted to. The fact is you lost a $70 sale as our usual stock up that day, and made a baby cry. Your selective memory you posted online only lost my business in the future and any parent that can see through your fake/selective child friendly comment will make their own choice. I reviewed your store in an open forum for store reviews stating facts which by description you were able to recognize I was talking about you. You then took the opportunity where businesses normally win back the unpleased customer to advertise your store rather than a chance to save a customer and apologize for your insensitivity. In my opinion you only painted an image of a store over packed and cluttered, which clearly makes it harder to move around in and in turn difficult to tidy/clean. I also got the feeling from your comment if one is not careful they will bump into something but if you have the right circumstances in your favour you might get to feed the fishes. My question is have you gone to other pet stores? That's a minimum of a child friendly store not a deal changer these days. I am sure your defense of your cart rule makes everyone in a wheel chair feel like your store is less than ideal for them aswell. I hope you see your petty response only made you look worse. Your reply also verified other reviews of your poor attitude. Please take this opportunity to grow as a businessman and maybe as a person and become an honestly kid friendly store. The reason for this addition is that I gave your store a second chance and my original opinion was confirmed. This time no cart ????????

Joe Puglisi

Huge selection of marine fish, corals, freshwater fish, and reptiles. They also have one of the most extensive selection of fish equipment out of all Big Al's. They even sell the Apex Neptune system. If you haven't been I would highly suggest you check it out. Worth the trip to kitchener.

Cel Singh

Rude and belligerent staff. Very disappointing! Not going back again after being yelled at....

Melissa Welke

First time coming to this big als and it had everything my husband was looking for! We will come back for sure!

Benito Zefferino

Good store that has everything you would ever need, and a variety of fish. Customer service is hit or miss though.

Lorne Putnam

Great service the guys there let my girls pick out their gold fish even though there was too many to pick from

Trevor Bisch

Knowledgeable + helpful staff , lots of selection

Dawn Hoffman

I called for help with my kids beta fish and they were so helpful and happy to help, it is much appreciated!

powerful Stuffys

Very friendly knowledgeable staff. I am new to having fish. They answered all my questions and even suggested things I wouldn't have thought of. I didn't feel pressured to purchase like I did at other pet retailers.

Wa Closeup

Website is the pits. Looking to find product and nothing, just locations and events. At least Pets Smart list products. Not consumer friendly!!

David Peddle

These people really know what they are talking about and give you great pricing for the fish and reptiles

Al Parker

Great selection and service

Jay & Lynn

The wife took the grand kids looking at betas and all different prices one was almost 60 bucks and floating belly up

Greg Ronald

Best fish store in area, great selection, alright prices

Jenna Moffatt

I always highly recommend Big Als Aquarium Kitchener to people because they have just about everything in terms of fish and reptiles. The staff are always helpful and they run on a points systems so you can log your points and use them get "free" stuff!

AssumingOwl

Lots of cool fish

Angie Targett

Very intelligent and friendly knowledgeable employees. Ask about their " Point System " and receive merchandise half off to free, depending on the amount of points collected. Up to $250.00 off

Viviane Frenette-Lapointe

Great knowledgeble staff! A lot of variety in fish and reptiles.

Peter M

Very knowledgeable staff regarding all things that live in aquariums. Bought a starter kit for my daughter and the staff took time to explain how to care for the fish and the tank. Much better than the chain stores who just don't have the specialized knowledge.

Mike Lopez

First time at this location and customer service was good. There was long line on Saturday and able to assist people at the door for feeders.

Thomas Rodgers

Really disappointed with the service here. I was recomend to go here as I was starting up a fish tank for a Betta fish. The person who served us pretty much had no interest in helping us whatsoever and only wanted to sell things that were as close to the door as possible since we weren't allowed in the store. We were made to feel bad about using a 10 gallon tank for a Betta and sold substrate wasn't our first choice at what seemed a grossly over marked price. I had been in contact with someone on the Facebook page and they were really nice and helpful. They had said I could see the Betta they had in stock and when I had mention it to the guy he just point over his shoulder and said "that's what we have" to which I couldn't see any details of the fish at all. Overall really disappointed and didn't feel like a customer but more of a bother and most likely won't return with customer service like this.

Lisa Fehr

I keep 3 types of frogs (dwarf, spotted floating, and clawed), a toad, shrimps, mini crayfish and now mudskippers. This store has everything I need for their diets and habitats. Some staff are knowledgeable but I still research new pets before I buy.

Karamjeet Sidhu

Product and variety the best by far. Healthy fish and staff are very educational .

Studio Brock (Brock)

While there's a big selection and it's cool to see a large variety of fish and reptiles these animals don't seem to be treated the best. While there I saw fish swimming through nearly solid algae, lizards missing tails and all of them without drinking water, our beta which seemed to be one of the healthiest is sick, and when we informed the staff about one of the dieing betas a staff member with fully open gapping mouth tapped at and shook this little glass bowl watching the fish who couldn't lift his tail fins and then she left it without a word. Then they charged me twice for my sick beta. I'm only going back there for a refund then never again. I'm so disappointed.

Shane Everest

Best place in town for Aquarium supplies and fish. Great selection, helpful service and always fun to walk through to see whats on display. They have also taken excellent steps to ensure the store is Covid safe. I'm going tmrw!

Bob Steiss

Fun place to take the kids while mom picks out fish to purchase. Not very roomy so keep kids within arms reach.

Theadosia Hamilton

Really nice place, lots of terrariums and cages. I’ve bought a female ball python, two winter white hamsters and a gecko there and have never had any problems with them. Good experience:D

Ethan

Decent selection of fish and dry goods but small store can be very crowded

Sheri

I love going here. I always spend money on something but still love it. I always get well informed from staff and they don't mind ALL my questions.

Justin Milson

Very cool Aquarium store. Knowledgeable staff and great selection. Would recommend to anyone interested in fish or Aquarium

Kiel Bromley

I have been twice. Both times the customer service was horrible or none existant. The first time I was greeted by a rather rude man with his mouth full of sandwich while he was walking the floor, at 8:30pm. Second time was worse not one employee acknowledged us. We walked the entire store clearly looking for something. No help! I will say that their coral colonies seem very nice. But the saltwater fish selection is /was lacking on my visit.

Tara Robert

Absolutely love the customer service, they are ready and always have available product and stock that I require. Horn Worms,Superworms as well as Crickets. Yoshi & Tara

Theo McKane

Great variety of aquatic pets and reptiles! It's always fun to go in and check out the pets

Brittany Marotta

Always the go-to place for everything we need for our Lizard! Staff are great, knowledgeable and friendly. They always have what we need in stock and are more than willing to help find what you need!

Benjamin Vanderloo

Love coming here to see the fish. Great displays and an assortment of fish and reptiles.

Philippe H

Nice store with a great diversity of products. Bought 2 tanks here and some accessories. Highly recommended.

Adrienne Hong

Love this place. Have been coming here for decades!! Really helpful and knowledgeable staff. Even though the storefront isn't open right now, the shop is still open for business. Super easy to shop online, then head over to pick up your order. Even if you need help, just talk to them and they'll work with you as usual to get what you need! Highly recommend!!

Mani Shams

Not all tge staff are friendly, but most of the time you can find what you want. Moreover, most of the fishes I have purchased from thia location did not make it after a month or so, and this happens to fiaheah I bought from here! I am not surewhy.

jeff S

there great always got what i need at a decent price have set up multiple tanks here

Eric Reda

Best local fish shop, been coming here for years and staff is friendly and very knowledgeable, big Al's will always be my number 1 stop for fish

GrenadeMagnet

Really good store. Has everything you would ever need for fish. Even special things like specialty fish can be ordered from here. Would highly reccomend. Always good selection and stock.

Rob S

Awesome store. Great staff...friendly and accommodating. Great selection of stock and supplies for my marine hobby. It's great seeing an awesome kid-friendly store like this. Often times I see the staff showing toddlers the wonderful world of reptiles. The kids' faces say it all. Thanks also for not allowing carts in the store...can't imagine working through your aisles trying to navigate these. Looking forward to my next visit!

adventuros adara

I get my fish:). Great service

Dan Paul Nguyen

Great place to get fish stuff (obviously). More than that, there's a great selection and the staff are friendly

Waqar Yunus Haider

Helpful and friendly.

Brad LeBarron

The staff were not knowledgeable at all asked many questions about a specific aquatic frogs snd other fish and they had no knowledge-based answers for me and they had to ask others in other departments just to get an answer to my questions. ????‍♂️

Al Lewis

This store has been my go-to since I started my aquarium. Very friendly staff, lots of selection and their fish food and medicine has always been fresh and reliable. Be sure to do your own research on your pets too; the staff know a lot, but don't know your water quality in your home (Kitchener tends to have hard water with chlorine added).

Bilal Al-Ghazi

Big selection of fresh water plants and fish, marine corals and fish as well as reptiles. Also you can find all the food and supplies for them. The prices are reasonable and sometimes they have great discounts on the weekends. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

Shannon McPherson

Best fish store hands down! Friendly staff, great selection and products!

Ryan Snyder

Staff are very friendly and know what they are talking about very knowledgeable but lack of cleaning on the ceiling the vents are disgusting

C. Chen

Very nice selection of fishes at reasonable prices. Keep an eye out for their store specials.

David Tyler Pinkerton

Awesome place get all my animals stuff there for fish for my bearded dragon I have had excellent service! For the most part pretty quick in there. The employees are all nice points system works well, takes a while to build but you’ll get there lol

Sasha Tomanec

Drove here from London Ontario while trading coral on Kijiji. The stocking for fish, both saltwater and freshwater, was quite impressive, and I noticed a few interesting "dry land" critters as well. Staff were polite and helped me with my purchases, but what I found impressive was that while in line the gentleman running the till asked another associate to double check available stock for a customer ahead of me who was not able to find exactly what they were looking for, and produced an option that they were more than happy with. A good experience all around, and well worth the visit.

Radek Martin

Right of the bat, the prices are WAY TO HIGH. When I go Toronto, and visit some other fish dealers in China Down, the prices are way better. However, in KW, there really are no other fish dealers, which leaves you stranded. The staff are flexible, they helped me get my tiger oscars (they where out of stock, in one day they where able to be more of them in). This was a big bonus. They also helped me fix my filtration system at no cost.

Sowmya J.

I grew up walking to Big Al's Mississauga as a child and teen and once I moved to KW after University, Big Al's Kitchener has been my favorite aquarium store. The people there really care about my fish and take time to help with any issues I have ever had, whether it is over the phone or in person. It feels like a home away from home. I an grateful to have such an amazing place so close to me.

Gord Ducharme

A very nice selection of fish and very knowledgeable staff. Glad we made the nearly two-hour trip, and super happy with our new fish and plants. Having been a fish keeper for many years, it is refreshing to find someone at a LFS that imparts some real knowledge, and helps us know our fish better. Thank you!

Ashley Dalby

I cant say hate but compared to the other Big Al locations I have visited, the staff didnt seem to want to be bothered and if you did have to ask a question it was an inconvience. The store itself was dirty with the Betas in filthy water and throughout the store had dead fish in tanks.... I will bring my business to another Big Al location

Kyle Wilson

Great service, the workers are very knowledgeable about the products and animals! Always helpful everytime I go in and they always have what I need when it comes to reptile or aquarium necessities.

Angela Molendyk

Knowledgeable staff... They're very busy but pretty good helping all customers. I've never left their unhappy

Jesse Hannah

Love going to big Al's always helpful an great selection. Love my mini freshwater lobsters.

Cathy Hardy

Love this place

Cdibs reyfunny

They have reptiles tropical fish and a good variety of animals and good pets for beginners

Zack Lamers

I buy crickets here for my gecko and toads. They've always been very helpful and knowledgable. The crickets also live forever. Anywhere else I go, they die off quickly and I don't get my worth out of them. Highly recommended place to go.

justin pautler

My daughter went to this store with her mother and her 2 sisters, to purchase a turtle and some fish. The store was called in advance about the purchases as well. Also, my daughter had done several weeks of research before making the decision to want a turtle. They were told everything would be ok. So they drove to kitchener to make their purchase. Once there they were greeted at the door and told the employee what they were there for, and then were let into the store. Once inside they tried to make their purchases but were immediately judged and made feel inadequate for making any commitments to animals. Which is completely ridiculous. The employees made my daughter upset and she began crying, as well as one of her sisters. After being so humiliated they tried to exit the store, but were blocked in when another employee pushed a cart in front of the door to prevent them from leaving. My daughters mother told them to move it so they could leave and she was told no. They were held inside against their wishes. Eventually they were let out. I would like to know what kind of polite courteous staff does this to customers. Regardless, this message has been screen shot on my phone, as well as forwarded to the Waterloo Regional Police, as I know that as soon as i post it, someone from the store organization will delete it so nobody can see how mentally screwed up this store is. Jamie was the name of the one employee who was the "turtle guy". Just putting that out there. This was Friday August 21, 2020

Jason Louth

Great staff, very knowledgeable and willing to spend time to answer any questions. The prices are good and they often have amazing sales.

Manman Lu

I came there since I want a hamster. But the moment I went there I was really shocked by the terrible environment they live. I can't believe two or even more adult hamsters live in such a small tank, a poor Russian hamster lost his ear and some winter white are fighting. I think a pet store should at least learn some basic knowledge when raise a pet to guarantee their safety. I talked to them online and their attitude is so apathetic. And they reply very very slowly even they read the moment I sent message. So disappointed and rather choose petsmart instead.

jack_butterball

dear big als. you killed my salamander. for the most part I enjoy your store, but tell me why my 20 gallon is infested with snails and worm like parasites after buying java fern. never buy live plants ever again. edit. i think you need to do research because these "harmless worms" gave my axolotl red leg syndrome which can lead to bacterial infection then death so yeah. they are parasites which means they feed of of other animals (my axolotl). so dont tell me there harmless because they killed him, thanks a lot.

Rebecca Longstaff

The way they care for animals there is absolutely horrible I cannot stand to be in there more than 5 minutes with out wanting to break down and cry. So many are in tanks way to small with improper diet. No hides, nothing to do. They are unhealthy and just living a horrible life. Half of the staff doesn't even care or go in the reptile enclosures they have "reptile people". These poor animals deserve so much better. The only reason I go there is for crickets because petsmarts have parasites but I get out as fast as possible.

bigman outdoors

Great friendly servise love there selection in fish and reptiles

Chris Z

Great service lots of help thank you stuff

Liam Piattelli

Ive been a returning customer to als and the customer service there is awful. staff want to rush you out and dont care about what your saying. they are rude and ive had several incidents with their employees that left me feeling bad about spending my money there. there are way better places to support with ur money that actually care.

Scotty

This place has a great selection and their staff is very knowledgeable. Sometimes you have to accept a bit of unsolicited advice, but they have the best products and animals and prices that compete with major online retailers. *I used to have a bad review for this store, but my recent visits have been very pleasant and I was prompted to edit my review. Nice to see a company that isn’t resigned to poor customer service. Way to go Big Al’s. You’ve got a customer for life.

Tintu rose thomas

Vast variety of fishes, aquariums and accessories. Staffs are friendly and helpful.

Al Parker

Great selection and service

MaT DoN

The actually products available are awesome, DONT NOT BUY THE FISH, if you already have established fish in a tank. DO NOT get any from here to add. All fresh water is full of parasites, all my old fish have ick now, after this I might give up completely on my aquarium. :(

Gerry Rowley

Good selection and pricing for all your aquatic needs

Levi Chambers

Great fish store. They have a big selection fish and supplies.

Alysha Williams

Beautiful store, was really amazed by the variety, and cleanliness. The one male staff member I dealt with on the floor however was not very friendly and made me feel like I was inconveniencing him for asking questions about the cichlids before purchasing. He seemed pretty rude as if I should already know the answers to the questions I was asking. I was polite and nice so I didn't feel his attitude was warranted. Other than that, I'd likely return.

Sherry Bradshaw

Big beautiful place! So many options and even of you leave empty handed, the kids will still leave smiling. Friendly staff that leaves you be and let's you take your time to look around but they are available the moment you are ready for them. Definitely recommend this place! Prices are fair and new new stock is constantly coming in.

AC Atienza

Knowledgeable staff, great selection. Not sure if there's a better fish place out here than Big Al's.

Teen Life 101

I love the variety of fish and the knowledge the employees have Little more pricy then pet smart though

Alfonso Garcia

Employees are helpful and friendly too. Great stock of things. You don't need to shop around at different store and mainly good value for your money

Chelsea Weiler

If I could give zero stars I would. The costumer service at this location is by far the worst I have ever dealt with in my entire life. And their lack of knowledge shocked me. A particularly rude and unpleasant worker (I believe his name was Jamie) seemed annoyed he had to leave a conversation with a coworker when I asked for help. Then talked to me like I was 2 years old, even though it seemed like I knew more about the subject than he did.

Tanya D.

Always a delight to come here. Great selection of fish, both freshwater and saltwater, and fish are generally healthy. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. Good selection of lizards and snakes too. Definitely one of my favorite places to visit and shop.

Michael Studley

I am not in the store often, but every time I have the staff have been extremely helpful, and knowledgeable.

Mayan Reiter

Great selection of fish, reptiles such as snakes, lizards turtles and frogs. They recently renovated their space to bring in more products. They now have Gerbils, mice and hamsters. The front room is stocked with all things you would need to set up a happy home for your critter as well as live feed in the back. All staff have a knowledge of the pets they sell and give valuable information. I take my 3 year old son all the time.

Amanda Campbell

Helpful staff (who, despite me clearly being new at the whole fish thing, were super kind and not at all condescending - which I loved), and my 6 fish are still doing great a month out. I can't say a single bad thing!

Craig Treulieb

Great store, great selection, great prices. Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Our tank Hood lights aren't working and they offered to let us test a new AC adapter before buying a whole new top. When picking out fish the staff member working with us was helpful, attentive and knowledgeable. Will definitely be back!!!

Marten Vanmeurs

Big Al's is hit-or-miss sometimes they have really good selection other times all the tanks are shut down for disease. Make sure you quarantine your fish before adding them to your tank if you get them from here

Kate Kamo McHugh

Jamie went above and beyond for me and my husband while we were buying our fish tank. He answered all our questions and gave a lot of good advice and recommendations. Thanks for the fantastic customer service, Jamie!

Jordan Brown

Decent stock of salt water fish at times. Good selection of equipment.

H B

This place has great stock; there's no arguing that. There isn't a lot in the way of aquatic stuff in the area, so this place is awesome for that. However, the staff is AWWWWWWWFUL. They are not helpful. When you're asking for advice or information, they are very condescending when explaining. Some of the staff knows nothing. I had an experience about a year ago with one staff member. I reached out to provide feedback about my experience but never heard back.

Kelly Drouillard

I always get great service!!!

Adarsh haridas

Best one I know in town. Visited there a couple of times. Really friendly service and lots of options to choose from.

Jade p

Great store to buy your fish, I recommend this place over petsmart. They are also cheaper. Very knowledgeable

Joseph Brunen-Psutka

Very nice pet shop for amateurs (myself) and enthusiasts. Great selection and very helpful and kind staff. Very supportive with curbside as well. However, online website with product selection could be updated/improved to support online purchasing during lockdown. Will be my go-to petstore for a while.

Harry Tester

Terrible customer service, misleading facts about fish and how to care for them, Bought neon tetras and they sold me one that was dying … terrible absolutely terrible.

Ernie Kalwa

Wow! What looks like a very small shop from the outside becomes an enormous emporium of tropical fish tanks inside with plenty to see. Whatever you're looking for, from exotic fish species to food and supplies, if you can't find it here it probably doesn't exist! And even if you're not in need of merchandise, it's a great place to take the kids to wonder at all the fantastic fish and critters!

John Mark Dickinson

Very knowledgeable staff here! Nick the manager very helpful and friendly! Be sure to check this location out. Impressive!

Joseph Berenz

never had a problem. Treated well. If you know what youre looking for then no problems. Healthy snakes. Great food selection and tonnes of cages tanks and accessories.n

Caleb Bors

Super store! I've been going here for a while now and my dad used to go here! Personally I asked about reptile info and fish info and buy fish from here I'm a little bit more specific about my reptiles even though their reptiles are extremely healthy, (I guess it depends on what you mean by healthy they're definitely have enough weight on the reptiles at least) but overall it's a great store!

Nikolas N

Very friendly and helpful staff. Good variety of the fish

Rachel Barber

I have bought fish from this location on 3 different occasions in the past 4 weeks. As of today, all of the fish from Big Al's have died. All of them came with some sort of internal parasite and/or fin rot. I highly recommend this location to check the fish they are selling and only sell healthy fish. These poor fish never stood a chance, despite our best efforts to treat them for everything. Never again will I buy a living animal from this location.

Amy Neufeld

I came here for help, advice, and aquarium medicine when my fish was sick. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I'll definitely be back.

Tyler Kihut

Awesome place!!! A little expensive but worth the money they help you with any problem in your tank. And a good variety of fish there fish are good quality too!! 5/5

Stephan rath

All your fish needs in one store. The staff are great they will work with you to help you out with your new set up or your pre existing set up.

Sara Avoledo

What an amazing shop! Great service and great selection!

Teeny Boo

Love my guppies! Fast friendly curb side experience.

Brett Ford

Big Als staff is knowledgeable. They typically have quality marine fish and many other great products to enjoy. My family has shopped here for years.

Laura Reynolds

To the owner's response: You have it for sale with a sign calling it an ugly blue tang. I'd believe you were nursing it back to health if it wasn't for the fact that you're literally trying to offload it on a customer at a discounted price. Completely unacceptable. The staff was friendly but the corals and poor fish are not properly cared for. There is a blue tang that is malnourished and suffering from terrible fin rot that they labeled for sale as "big ugly blue tang". It's only ugly because you have neglected it. It's not ugly, it's sick and needs help. Do better.

allen gatzke

Great spot w great staff and inventory

Mike Hellinga

Great selection of fish (particularly freshwater) and knowledgeable staff. We're regular customers now!

Shelle Chii

great selection, friendly and helpful staff. Went in with some problems with my filter and Anthony was amazing and helped us out so much. I always get so much help when I go in, these people are really great

Shawn Sweeney

Not the nest big Al's, but still better then other chain of pet stores

Katie Ward

The Reptiles in this store are suffering. No water dishes in any of the snake tanks, no hides or substrate. If these conditions are a result of a mite outbreak then perhaps they should be removed from public display. Dead Hermit crabs and an anorexic Uromastyx- if it was even still alive. Overcrowded Bearded Dragon tanks filled with weeks worth of feces. I could continue to list the neglect but with multiple negative visits to this location I'm sure nothing will ever change

Amy Doe

I like this place but the layout is well very tight sqeeze. Fish are a bit over priced as is there inventory but business is good so I guess it's not an issues with many. Over all mostly clean and staff is ok at best.

Sasha Campbell

They have all kinds of fish as well as reptiles and rodents - highly recommend their mice. Very tame.

St'olin McMahon

Love this place friendly, knowledgeable staff and a fair selection products and fish and reptiles.

Vicki H

This place was packed! A little understaffed and it was hard to get assistance. They have absolutely everything you could want for your aquarium!!!

Jayne Forbes

Looking to decorate our Geckos tank, & check out the other species. Great variety of stock. ????

morgan dobney

Great staff . Very knowledgeable. Josh was especially helpful.

Claire P

Felt I would share my positive experience as some have had negative ones. Staff were friendly and asked if they could help us find anything. Reptile staff were helpful in our decision on which gecko to choose. Following staff helped collect all the essential requirements for the terrarium and educated us on our particular gecko. When we got home and opened the packaging for the tank there was a crack that could not be seen until opening, we called and they said they would be happy to exchange it for a new one. Staff were very understanding and helpful.

Josh Hines

Excellent selection here, knowledgeable staff clean store, they prettt well have everything and anything you would need to start the best of aquariums!

Matthew Pizzinato

Really cool store! Had everything I needed for my gecko and he loves the new hide :)

James Seitz

Always have had good luck with the staff and product from the kitchener location. Occasionally you get someone who's new to the industry but we all start out somewhere and as long as you ask questions and help them learn their own way around the products it will help weed out the staff only there for a paycheque. I've never seen their staff rude to anyone so I'm not sure where other reviews have stemmed from. I've been a regular customer for 13+ years and will continue to shop there along with other local fish stores in the area. Great crew, sure the fish room is a bit dark as others have mentioned but overall great place to shop and have your questions and concerns answered!

Mohamad Dureid

Really disappointed about their service. I felt that I have no choice or freedom to choose what I want or ask what I want. No patience with us. They just want to sell and get money. I hope I will not come back to your store anymore.

Just Me

We love visiting big als, mostly because of their awesome fish room. The employees prove to have a great amount of knowledge about their products and are great help

Eric Fitzgerald

They do an amazing job of dealing with covid, and always have the best selection of pets and supplies!

Kristin Schweitzer

Went to buy my son a Betta fish for his birthday. First time fish owners and absolutely clueless on the process of what we needed. Figured, here would be better than a pet smart or pet valu as they strictly focus on aquarium animals. We walked around for a bit, finally found an employee who seemed super nice. Told her what we were looking for and she grabbed us everything we needed to take our fish home, and suggested we set it all up and then come back after a few days to get the fish. Okay, no problem. Fast forward to a few days after we got our fish and in now learning that the tank she suggested we get (2gallon bowl) shouldn’t really be used and that they strive in 5gallon tanks with a filter (which again we don’t have as it wasn’t suggested) She also sold us a food for our Betta and told us to feed it every other day. The food bottle and all the research I’ve done says to feed it (a completely different type of food) every day, and to feed it this food but only a few times a week. I feel like there was some mis information there as yes, this food should be fed as often as she said.. but what about the other food everything else says the should be fed daily? I’m now sitting here more confused and more worried that I haven’t done this right then I was before purchasing anything for our fish. I didn’t even second guess a thing when we went as it’s an aquarium store… now I’m left second guessing every single thing we have done for it.

Sherri Couto

My family and I are new to being reptile owners. Big Als was super patient with us as we went in weekly to figure out if we should become snake owners. I would recommend this location and all of the lovely staff that come with it. I live in Cambridge and started to go to Rare Exotic Pets in Cambridge but the service is mediocre and the owner is often rude. I now drive to Big Als to fulfill all of our pet's needs. And the negative comment below, by Justin Keller, is the owner of Rare Exotic Pets. Not sure how valid your comments are and not sure why you are telling an amazing company how to do their job and how they should handle comments. My unsolicited advice? Focus on your own business. Maybe go in to Big Al's and just observe what excellent customer service looks like. Keep up the amazing work Big Al's. Not sure how you keep hiring amazing staff but you are doing something right!

jason schrieber

We came from Woodstock to buy fish from Al's today. We bought 2 cichlids and 3 koi fish and food for them. Great selection, great knowledgeable friendly staff. I recommend Big Al's to anyone that's a first time or enthusiast buyer.

manny araujo

the kitchener store is ok, at times, need more selection on african cichlids, peacocks/haps, some ppl knock there warrantys, but after a few trips there on certain items, and parts were replaced, i go there all the time, so they get to know you, i'm satisfied in the service, the store needs a bathroom, for the public, which would be my biggest issue, shouldn't have to go next door to other stores to use one, which most if not all have them.....

Miro Nagy

Excellent store and service. Kids love it there. It's like a free trip to the zoo with sharks, snakes, frogs, and other animals.

Carl Weddeler

The best hands down for all your fish and lizard accessories fish, lizards, aquariums, and everything in between. The staff are VERY friendly and highly knowledgeable

Michael Pantaleo

Excellent selection, very knowledgeable and honest staff. I was declined fish when it was discovered that they were a little bit sick.

Alex

Big Al's Kitchener is a pet store, specializing in aquatic and reptilian pets. Located in the Toys R Us plaza, they are my first stop for new fish. The store is basically divided into two sections. When you first enter, you are in the supplies section. Tanks, decorations, food, etc. As you make your way to the back you pass a koi pond inside the store, where people tend to make wishes and throw in change. From there, there is a giant tropical tank in which they keep a sand shark. It is possible to come and see feedings. In the back, is where you find all the fish. They have a larhe variety of fish, easily labelled, to identify community fish, semi aggressive, and those that should be on their own. Along with fish, they keep various species of snails, shrimp, frogs, and other critters that can share a tank. They also have a salt water fish section, with more rare and tropical fish. They have a wide variety of reptiles as well, ranging from snakes and lizards, to some mammals, like guinea pigs, to more unusual pets, such as axolotls and crabs. They have a point system, amd also run a number of sales, so checking in from time to time never hurts. Best thing I have ever seen there has got to be when they occasionally have piranha to sell. Overall, probably the best place in town to get fish, best variety, and most fun to look through. Only downside is that it is fairly popular, so not uncommon for it to be busy, espically on a weekend.

Matthew Billard

Prices can be a little high but easily the best place for fish and aquarium supplies in the KW. People here actually know about running aquariums. Won't find a bunch of dead fish like you will at pet-(not so)smart.

Mark Wolters

I recently made the decision to invest in a salt-water aquarium and the lifestyle that goes with it. Anthony and his team at Big Als in Kitchener took the time to understand me, hear my goals, and help me clearly understand all the steps that I would need help with to make this decision a success. Top notch service from everyone. Despite how busy they often were, they always tried to take the time to answer my questions and connect me with the products and/or livestock that best matched my budget and my dreams. Thanks to everyone for getting me this far! I look forward to partnering with the team for many years to come! Kindest Regards, Mark Wolters

Ted Messner

Awesome place for all aquatic needs. Friendly staff always a great help.

Leanne Petrie

I've been shopping at Big Al's since, like forever lol. Not complaining. It's the best place ever. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work.

Mia Wallar

I went in to buy a betta fish and supplies and asked an employee what I would need and this lady tells me I just need a tiny tank, no heater (cold water is ok), no filter, and one type of food. In theory, a betta fish could potentially live like this, but it is not humane and it concerns me that someone is feeding beginners this information. This tells me that some of these employees don't even know the bare minimum of the animals they are selling. Had to buy all new supplies.

Vicky L

Staff is not very knowledgeable about fish keeping ie. Which fish to house together. Propee care for various species, quarantine procedures etc. They sell sick fish. Only use them for emergencys.

Michael White

the owner (dont know his name) is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. well kept and very healthy livestock.

Oscar Lara

Wide variety of fish, reptiles, and plants. Staff are always very friendly.

Kai Polski

Oh yeah great value I'm surprised they dont charge more for all the bugs they send home with you on your live mice and rats. If you have other pets and need live rats and dont want to bath your snakes food to control a on and off problem that could be a living hell then I would recommend going somewhere clean and that cares about there pets and yours

Mary Macchia

Great service and large variety. My fish are very happy in their new home.

Judy Shaw

Incredible service! Very helpful with a pump. Fixed in no time. So friendly and pleasant to deal with. The fish will now survive! Thank you so much.

jason gauthier

Great store. although I may go here a little much it seems the staff is annoyed with me but considering the amount of money I've spent here you think they would be a little more friendly.

Josh Gonzalez

Great selection of animals and expert service on site. Everything is constantly maintained and very well organized

Claire Hostview

Staff is usually knowledgeable and helpful, store is clean and well stocked for supplies and marine life.

Crystal Durham

Stopped by big als today with my husband for the first time in a while since covid began. Staff was fairly helpful and got us everything we needed in a timely manner to keep the line outside moving. Only wish though that the gentleman helping us with our fish had on a proper face covering though like everyone else working at the time.

Ryan Krete

Good service. Picked a tank and the gentleman there helped me get all I needed.

Mark Greenen

Great knowledgeable staff that gives you all the information you will need while picking out the right reptile or fish. Thanks for your help Al!!

Scott M

Prices are good, service is top notch and regular updates to livestock make this one of the best aquarium stores in the area.

Hassan Nouh

Bad service. No patience with us, just want to get money. I will never come back.

Kieran O'Brien

Great selection of fresh and marine fish, supplies, reptiles etc. Can be a bit pricey for some things.

Jake Hilker

They have nice corals. Too bad they look all bleached out because they have one t5 light running on each Coral tank. Can't wait to see what the corals actually look like when they get LEDs soon.

Wade Veldhuyzen vanZanten

Great service. Staff are very knowledgeable.

Graham Engel

Daughter loved to visit

Rick Detenbeck

Good friendly service, knowledgable stuff good selection of products

brad cooper

They sell sick fish. Whatever disease the fish we bought had it killed off my entire tank. Won't be going back again.

Jessika Cyrr

Great selection of aquarium needs and very friendly and great customer service

dave bryant

Lots of selections. Great service curb side.

George Dragosavljevic

Some staff members can be very disrespectful.. I had multiple encounters with rude employees. Just Really pathetic customer service. I was looking for some assistance and as I approached an employee he turned around and said "What do you want" in an arrogant and condescending tone. Will not be shopping here any longer. I suggest the manager replaces these types of employees, especially since there seems to be a trend of negative reviews on customer service at this location.

Julie Matte

Hey so i called big als about my 12 to 13 inch koi fish they said its to big for them so now i am stuck with a koi fish and have no where to take it so now what no one will buy him so now do i realeas him to public water where this fish is not native to Canada please help idk what to do with this koi

Hollie Marie

Love this place. Lots of supplies for the aquarium that regular pet stores dont have. Also have a large selection of fish and other pets. Bring the kids because it's fun to walk around!

Matthew Wolf

They have some awesome selections sometimes. Many fish I havent seen yet and I go to every fish store in every city. Staff dont bug you unless YOU need help which to me is perfect. This is my local store and I can almost always get what I'm looking for besides some fish they may not be stocking at a given time.

Matt deJonge

gold fish and koi selection was terrible. this location seems to specialize more in marine livestock.

Lynn Hickman

Had what l wanted..Most of the fish l was interested in, must've just came in, were not for sale yet.

jonathan todor

fun place to see lots of cool animals

Eric Lovett

Absolutely amazing store. Awesome selection of fish and reptiles. The saltwater section is outstanding. Staff are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Max Bryan

Very rude staff. The one worker made my decision very easy to start shopping elsewhere.

Chris Parker

Big Al's is a specialty store, they have everything you could possibly want for your aquarium, and it comes at a premium price.

Lori Dronick

Loved the selection got my kids two beta fish and they loved it 5 star.

Cheryl Czerwinski

Best location for fish food and pond fish.

lil danny

we bought our daughter a beta fish a long time ago and it passed away so we went to big al's and replaced it with 2 goldfish....one goldfish died the next morning and the other died the next day, how can they sell fish that are sick and not even last a few days....definatly wont be going back

De Silva

Very knowledgeable staff and reasonable pricing. Also very good customer service.

yy zz

Don't buy goldfish there, happened twice, the fish died in about week or so, water from my tank was tested there and all fine; store warranty for goldfish is 5 days, and they always suggest "try 2 weeks and see how it goes..."

spencer serviss

Place is clean and has a wide variety of fish, supplies, decorations and live plants. Has a small variety of reptiles and accessories

John Smith

Just went to big Al's to get kicked out of the store because I have asthma and don't have to wear a mask even though I did wear a mask just not over my nose great service when you drive from Guelph to kitchener to get kicked out what a joke and both staff members were rude about it

Jorge Diaz

Most unfriendly place I’ve ever been to! Went and bought fish stuff. Employee was rude to my wife and I. So we took our business to pets smart and returned everything :)

Android Geeks

It was good except my new blue lobster died a week after i got him from molting.

Alanna Gillis

Customer service is awful. Cashier was on cellphone when I went to pay for my stuff had to say something for him to notice I was standing there.

Kevin Blakey

Great customer service. Product selection and knowledge of products are awesome

Dano S

I like the store, I generally like the livestock and most of the staff BUT there are a couple of staff who are absolutely lacking in customer service who I try to avoid (they have no patience and are quick to judge). I can see some of them have been the topic of previous negative reviews. I've maintained several clean, stable, healthy fish tanks for years and spent lots of coin at Big Al's and when asking for information on a product I've never found a need to use before I get questioned about why and that my tanks are dirty and that I don't know what I'm doing. If this is true I guess my fish should have died many years ago. I guess I'll just sell my fish and aquarium gear and stop wasting money. Honestly, no credibility from what I've seen and heard in store. I don't see this changing much so I guess I'll shop somewhere else where they actually seem to care about their customers and the livestock.

Tanya Brombacher

Great selection of fish! Staff is very knowledgeable. They always take the time answer questions and help you with questions and concerns.

Shaun McIntosh

Great store with tonnes of selection

James Hague

Found what i needed and have a solid covid system set up.

Sean Carr

I would have rated it at a 5 but no public washroom and a bunch of aquariums flowing water makes it hard to concentrate ????

Michael Rossetti

Good selection and very helpful staff. Fine selection of freshwater and saltwater livestock and accessories. Small reptile selection and accessories. Little pricey but get what you pay for.

Shawn Larocque

I bought some Dalmatian Molly’s from here and got the home introduced them to there new forever home and one of them gave birth to 26 live babies so exited

Rob Barry

Staff is amazing very helpful and knowledgeable

Trevor Rae

Not bad for a big box store. Prices are on par with most other chain pet stores. Livestock looks well cared for, decent selection of products.

Lisa Gingrich

Love the setup for curbside pickup. Easy to get what was needed.

Cindy Hannant-Steffler

Excellent service, helpful, knowledgeable staff. No hard sells, just recommendations. Well cared-for critters and habitats.

Andrew Da Silva

Not very large. Kitcheners is alot bigger. Staff is friendly. I find it quite pricey but it is a specialty store so..

Nate Whiteside

Very cool selection and store. Feels very dirty and dank though. Not overally inviting.

Nathaniel Ouano

This place is phenomenal honestly. Some of the best service. The gentleman Galen whom assisted me is an awesome worker he has consistently provided great service. Everyone should go to big als!

Tony Eales

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. A wide variety of fish and reptiles along with everything you need to keep them

Sam

All your pet needs conveniently and affordably in one place with experienced staff readily available for your assistance!

Emily Thompson

Great service! The girl was very knowledgeable and helped out alot they had exactly what we were looking for.

Ryan G

By far the worst big als location. Cool animals but an ubsurd amount of wild caught animals that were clearly very distressed. Dirty place, poor conditions and clueless employees. If you go to Big Als go to the one in hamilton or in scarborough. If you are just looking for a reptile store I would suggest Reptile kingdom in thorold or All Reptiles in scarborough

Katryna Montag

Always super friendly but I am often waiting a while before being helped.

Rayy Bayybee

Horrible customer service. We did online order for salt water stuff and got treated like we were nothing at all to them on jan 9/20. Didn’t give us time of day told us to wait in line after we went thru doing the work of ordering online, was lined up for 25 min waiting for a curb side pickup order. Went to pet smart to pick up some other stuff for one of our other pets called store parked in designated area and they even put in vehicle for us. We also were in prior to things being locked back down at christmas we were in store looking for a new tank heater for one of our tanks that stopped working that afternoon on a saturday arrived 10 min before posted closing time to be told they are closing shortly, went inside werent in store hardly 1 min and got told they were closed. Which was very upsetting considering we arrived 10 min prior to posted close and we even checked the time and it was still 7 min till there posted closing. We have 9 tanks that are currently running and stocked in both salt and freshwater, i suggest anyone wanting good service to look at other options, amazon sells most of what big als sells at a better price, and for livestock look at living aquarium, i have bought stuff from them and have far better quality livestock then big als. We are constantly buying fish and tanks and equipment and will not be returning to big als after the piss poor service we have received. If management or a owner would like to contact us by all means please but at this point we will be sourcing our aquarium stuff elsewhere and i suggest anyone reading this to do the same.

Luke Christiansen

I go to this location quite often for the past 10 years , staff seem quite knowledgeable, if you have any fish that aren't working in your setup they give you a fair trade in price. They will price match if asked which is not common for fish stores. All of their animals seem healthy to me. I've bought 100+ fish from them and all seemed to be in great health and disease free. They don't try to upsell on products you don't need, and try to work with your budget. I appreciate a store that seems to care about the fish's future and not just the $$$. If they don't think the tank is suitable they will tell you not to buy the fish which is one of the most respectable practices. Edit, I had to drop a few stars, it's not fair to this store to be judged based on one employee but I have no other way, I'm pretty sure most of the products they put in use on display at the store can be bought there, with that being said, I was impressed by the light output of an led light over their coral tank, which I need to buy for mine, however when I ever so gently touched the light to look at it some guy in a black shirt who was cleaning tanks in the salt water area, told me with attitude to not touch the light because its $400, I have no issue with someone telling me to be gentle, but don't treat me like a child, if I break your $400 light, I can easily pay for it, as I'm an adult, not a child. I'm not sure if this is company policy or something, but if it is its a poor practice, I'm not buying something Im not allowed to inspect at the store when it's on display, if your employees feel it's going to fall apart from a gentle touch it's probably not worth $400. Regardless I'll be buying a new light off Amazon or living aquarium in Cambridge I guess.

Yeej Herr

Best place to get fish and reptile pets in town as well as all you need for their care. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly.

Donna Holtzhauer

I cannot begin to thank them enough. On Sunday July 11, 2021 there was a major fire in our apartment building and all tenants were evacuated and couldn't return we immediately grabbed our corn snake, bearded dragon and Argentine black and white tegu and but them in small containers, tanks and carriers to get them out safe grabbing few necessities and lights. We went on Monday to get some bedding for the snake (completely didn't think to grab any on way out) and feeders for them, when we went to pay. We were told no, it was on the house, just take care of them! Amazing people who honestly care for the animals and the people in this city! I could never express how much it meant to me especially at this difficult time, thank you so much!!!!

Justin Kreller

I was a customer at this store for 26 years. I got my first turtles here when I was 6 years old. I have had fish and reptiles my entire life since. This store is no longer what is was 20 years ago. The so-called manager has a serious chip on his shoulder. On one occasion I quietly informed one of the employees that there was a lizard looking dehydrated (which is nothing itself against the store. This can happen during the shipping process) The next time I came to the store the manager got in my face (literally inches from my face) and started screaming and swearing at me for making "a scene" about a dyeing lizard. This is one example of many of how the manager here treats long time customers. I can only imagine how the staff are treated. Needless to say they have permanently lost my business. I also find it interesting reading other reviews they only comment on the positive reviews instead of apologizing to upset customers. I feel this only further shows the owners indifference to the behavior of his manager.

Anne Diotte

Friendly knowledgeable staff. Clean.

F H

One of the better small size bigals. They have a good selection of freswater, saltwater and unique small animals like crabs, reptiles and mamals like hedgehogs. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Sonia Nadeau

My daughter and I had some troubles with a gecko. Thier staff was so helpful, thorough informative and friendly. Chris answered All our questions.

Colin Jetha

I have had nothing but good experiences here. Their staff is very knowledgable and friendly, especially their manager Jamie. Great with kids too.

AM4678

Great place to get aquarium supplies, friendly staff. Great place to bring our young kids. The white haired skinny guy ignores us, doesn't great customers. Other then that great place

belly 420

I try not to give anyone bad reviews, however, every time I have gone to this store I have noticed that the majority of the fish look unhealthy or are swimming oddly. Often there are dead or sick fish left in the tanks. The staff give off the impression that they are only there to make money and are not into the hobby. I strongly encourage people not to shop at this location as anyone who has so little respect for the care of fish should not be in the hobby.

Marlon Jacobson

Can't say we had much of an experience in the store as my daughter and I were turned away. All are aware of a by-law in place re masks.Due to Health reasons (which the by- law states do not have to be disclosed to staff at any place of business) we do not don the masks. Drove across town on a date after recently purchasing a fish, excited to check things out for the first time. Although we may get a response from owner expressing their good intentions and an apology, this was disappointing and discriminatory. Even in the face of these challenging times, absolutely no threat was imminent, and yet that treatment was unfair and unprofessional. Never had this experience at other pet stores, so wasn't expecting it here. Not a great first impression, and that goes a long way with a child. Wish I could give a better review, but wasn't given the chance. Let's hope they at least give some consideration to the next customer in this unfortunate and invisible predicament.????

Peter McMahon

Great selection of aquarium/terrarium equipment and animals! Very friendly staff with lots of knowledge!

Kole Simm

Staff could use some work, they didn't want to sell their fish. Very anxious experience. Would suggest another store

Dianne McLeod

I was disappointed to witness a staff member be quite rude to a couple who were not native English speakers. The gentleman was trying to ask a question and the staff member repeated the same answer twice and when the man tried a 3rd time to explain his question the staff member said “and I’ve answered you twice now”. The staff member was rude and the man with the question was trying to make himself understood- I was embarrassed to see a customer treated this way. Do better Big Al’s.

Ohnowis

Always helpful staff... My only gripe here is when I buy my superworms they give me a lid with holes punched in it that are so big my worms escaped

Ray Duffy

Very knowledgeable. Poor African cichlid selection in the kitchener location

Vicki Ward

Only 10 people in store and 10 minute time limit because of covid. Completely understandable but difficult to browse with 2 kids. Awesome store though.

Lark Fitz

My 1 star review is based on customer relations during shopping. My son who is 3 couldn't wear a mask and we had a valid reason however the staff proceed to rudly and loudly make us uncomfortable during our short stay. With a kid by my side threats were made that police will be called. I've been a customer for close to 10 years and will never return based on lack human behavior.

Nathan Ma

People at the front are very friendly and willing to help. People at the back however look like they don't want to be bothered when you have questions. Overall they have a large variety of unique pets and is still my go to pet store in the area.

Andrew Teminski

Great sercvice

barbara kenyon-hall

Tropical fish and every and anything you need to care for them ...Service Profesional...

Christa Neron

Awesome Staff! My Favorite Place For Date Nite! Why Pay To Go To A Public Aquarium When There Is Big Al's!

Quole

For an exotic pet store, it has a great selection, and great prices. For a Big Al's store though, it's extremely poor. The store itself is extremely dirty and unorganized, and many of the fish are either clearly unhealthy, or in overcrowded tanks, or both. To make matters worse, the employees seem like they never want to help, and they seem rather clueless at times as well. Some actually give false information on proper fish care as well.

Kevin Thomas

Not sure if there are similar shops in town but have had no reason to look. Great store which offers a fun experience for the kids. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Nadia Pantin

Great service! Little one loves shopping here:)

Lisa Gareau Booth

Huge selection of fish and plants. Huge selection of tank accessories. Helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Amanda Ward

Staff are friendly, but finding someone to help you get your fish can be challenging, overall great store.

Alissa Marjanovic (yay bruh)

Very good knowledge on Pet care and advice and they know quite a bit about their own animals in store. Nice selection of products and wide varieties of animals

Nick Fredericks

People there are friendly and helpful very clean in the pets always are in good and proper care

darcelle carroll

Me and my husband started our tank First time amazing customer service Second time we lost two fish in two days We went in because I was concern the first day the fish died that day the replacement fish died the same day we couldn’t go back till the 4th day My husband approached a guy who said he was the manager My husband explained what happened and this manger got into my husbands face like he wanted to fight him Jonathan stepped him and told this guy to back off this so called manger got into Jonathan’s face damning that me and my husband to leave and giving this guy who is his coworker attitude I was very please on how Jonathan helped us out and once I explain my concern he agreed with it But took care of us I believe Jonathan is the best employee you have and he goes beyond for his customers and the company Every time me and my husband go in now we love dealing with him This man deserves a medal dealing with a hot headed manger that guy was And how he will take the time to explain any questions you have and what kind of fish will work with your fish I love my fish and I also am I proud mom to 4 beta fish from there also Please please give Jonathan something or a reward

Cottonwood Stables

Very knowledgeable staff. I have had many questions for the team there about my koi pond and they have helped me every time.

Amy Balcomb

Its ok..very hot in the back by the fish..and a few employes not overly enthused to wanna help you!

t.c. metals

Great experience

Amy Lamprecht

I am super disappointed, as I just got off the phone with the manager and he was super rude to me. I purchased a frog off of them a while ago and they instructed me to improperly set up the terrarium, telling me that it's okay to add pebbles. I'm pretty sure it was the manager who told me to do this as the person I described to them, only described one person in the store... that being the manager. He showed absolutely no concern whatsoever and basically said that it's unlikely one of his workers or him would instruct this but he would look into it. Be careful when you buy animals from big Al's and make sure you do your research prior to because they have no clue what they're doing, and obviously refuse to own up to mistakes.

Norman Wise

Best variety of fish and aquarium equipment in the area. Prices are good too.

Avery Hunter

I have been going to big al’s for couple of years. It has the best variety of fish in kw region. The store is really busy on the weekends and the staff doesn’t have enough time to answer all your questions. Be careful buying plants most will come with a unwanted snail or 2. I purchased a hedge hog they never even asked me what one I wanted . They told me it was a male and turned out to a pregnant girl.She gave birth now I have three hedge hogs but I am not complaining. The store itself is amazing to look at the display aquariums are beautiful. Very friendly staff.

Gur Jagait

I love the service they guys provide to me. Thank you for helping me out.

Alex Evans

Lots of cool stuff. Not quite as big as the one in kitchener but still has most things you might need for reptiles!

Beverley Ahrens

The staff are helpful and knowledgeable and they have a great selection of fish, critters and everything you need to take care of them.

Jesse Servant

Update February 2019. Once again the know-it-all and disrespectful attitude that the senior employees show here has reminded me why I avoid coming to this store. I don't know why they refuse to do anything about these employees. Read your reviews guys, everyone complains about the service here.

A Freeman

Love Big Al's! Always a great experience and awesome team! Lots of options for dry goods and freshwater community fish! Covid shopping experiences have been great too over the last year. This time they didn't have a product from my on line order and they came with 2 options; 1)they could order for me or 2) use a similar product as a substitute. Love that they didn't just say "sorry we don't have that". Keep up the great work!

Rick Hillier

Way back when, I was just getting into salt water aquariums, and I had this little 75 gallon corner unit that I purchased from this store, and eventually had it full of soft corals and fish. I came home from work one day and found that the tank had sprung a leak and there was only around 6 inches of water left in it. I called the store and Anthony answered. It was after hours and I explained my problem to him. He told me to get all that was alive into buckets of salt water and to get it to the store as quickly as possible. And with the help of my parents, we did. Long story short, almost everything was saved and Anthony kept all of my livestock and corals in two of his sale tanks for around 4 months while I bought a new, much bigger tank and the necessary equipment to support it and slowly established the water chemistry and bacteria needed to support the life that would eventually returned to their new home. TO HIS CREDIT, ANTHONY DID NOT CHARGE ME ANYTHING FOR THAT HELP. (Yes, I yelled that). This kind of exemplary customer service has become quite rare over the past twenty years or so and this man should be applauded for what he did for me. Ever since that day, I have bought virtually everything from that store, including all of the fish and corals that I killed while learning the art of keeping a reef tank. Fortunately, the mortalities are much less frequent and the fault for all of those have been my fault. The fish and corals that I have bought there have all been VERY healthy and VERY high quality. I will forever be a loyal customer to this business, as I felt that I was treated like royalty, even though I am far from that. Kudos to this business. I wish that there were more like them out there, and this does not apply to just pet stores either..

Steve

Always have a positive shopping experience at Big Al's...the covid protocols they have in place made it safer to shop in person

Daniel DePratto

Always cool critters to look at. Staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Simeon Dyck

Great selection and staff know their fish.

Christine Nielsen

Store was cool but lacks customer service. As a first time fish owner, the store was overwhelming since it has a large selection. I was hoping for some advice on which plants and shrimp to choose for my new aquarium, but when I asked one of the employees if he was busy, he responded with a curt yes and turned his back, walking away. Ended up leaving empty handed. I don't recommend first time buyers come here.

K L

The staff are so extremely knowledgeable for aquatic beginners and their sales prices are amazing.

Steve Fehervari

For the past two day for the life of me I could get a pvc pipe to fit into my bulkhead so decied to buy a new one but Hamilton london big Al's and went to all hardware stores Around my neck of the woods. No one could help. Called big Al's in kitchener and asked if they had the ones I'm looking for slip in on both end, only had slippin on one end. Decided to drive an hour and 20 minutes to make sure what they had. Only had one side slip in and other side treaded but he pointed me in the right direction to get a piece for the threaded area to connect pvc pipes. Everything today worked out great was all upset yesterday and day before but wow kitchener is a good place to get what you need. God bless everyone that works there, much love to all.

Chris Kohman

Use to shop here a lot when I was into aquarium stuff, but I'm outta doing the aquarium thing, although some day I'd like to get a salt water tank. Brought my wife here to show her the big tank with the shark. Fun to look around and they were great when I had an aquarium and bought fish all the time! So 5 outta 5!!

James

Great variety of fresh and salt water fish. Good Prices too!

Katie Arnold

The young man was very knowledgeable and patient with us as we had a lot of questions as new fish owners. Incredible experience.

Teresa Davidson

Great place, staff is super friendly and always knows what's best for your meet pet.

Lynn B

Big Al's is a fixture in KW. They have been around for over 30 years. They have a huge selection of fish and reptiles, plus everything you need to keep your pets happy and healthy. The store is well laid out, and very clean for this type of shop. The animals look healthy and happy. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the different animals. Purchasing fish, a complete aquarium setup, or a Bearded Dragon, is a satisfying experience. They will not steer you wrong.

Sheri Collins

Excellent service! Had a great visit ... yes, even during a pandemic. They had limits on amount of people in store as well as inside in each isle. I was helped with my questions and pointed in the right directions for a first fish and tank for my daughter and we were pleased with the checkout process as well.

Shane

It wasn't friendly and they carry mist king products but only had 1 valve.

Jana Whitehead

We love big Al's and we love our newest addition Shelly Bean ????????

Witold Sosnowski

Great store.Healthy corals and fish.

Sheila Isnor

I always find something, staff r great

David Gillies

I have been coming to this location for 20 years, though they may get some flack from local hobbyists at times they really do have a great selection for such a small store. They have recently renovated their saltwater section and improved it in both quality of corals and fish offered and quantity of choices as well. The long term staff are quite knowledgeable and everyone is very helpful. The freshwater fish have a good selection as well and they have a decent selection of exotic pets as well. All in all a great place to visit and buy what you need for your hobby addiction.

Daryl Warren

Great store with great staff.

Peter Wedge

Great selection clean store good pricing

Reptile Lover

When I went into the big al’s in Kitchener, I was extremely disgusted. There was a Pac-Man frog laying stretched out, I could make out it’s entire pelvic half, eyes closed, with bugs flying on and around it. Which leads me to believe that the poor animal was either EXTREMELY sick or dead. I don’t understand how the staff can so blatantly not care for these animals when it’s their job. Disgusted.

Robbie Jones

Fantastic store with lots of cool fish and reptiles for sale. Pretty much the only place to go in KW to get this array of selection and advice. Have been multiple times and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. What more can you ask for!

john m

Very upset with this location. I normally shop at the Hamilton BA location and love it there, clean place, great people working, good service. I decided to stop in at the kitchener location while passing through, and was very dissapointed with my experience. I waited forever for a person to ask if I needed help, when I asked for help, I felt that the person didn't want to answer me and wanted nothing to do with me. I also listened into a conversation, someone called to ask for something and the one guy on the phone asked another guy, and the other guy got extremely upset. After the phone was hung up, there were some nasty comments shared from one guy to the other about the customer. I also saw many sick fish, extremely overcrowded tanks tons of aggresion marks on fish too. Honestly, the only positive part of my visit was the girl on front cash, she seemed to like her job and lightened up the place. Also, their prices are very good compared to other places I shop for livestock, but I wouldn't risk buying a fish there with all the sick fish I saw. Will not shop here again.

James Sheppard

Before I got my snake and her tank I shopped around a bit and this is the best priced store around for lizards and accessories. I love going in and seeing what they have, usually every time I go in there's new lizards and aqua life to view. I did only give this place 4 stars because even though the staff is kind and helpful there is one member who seems like she doesn't want to be there, moody and one time she looks at me and tells me my arm tattoo is creepy. We weren't even talking about tattoos, we weren't even talking in general she just looks up after the transaction at the register and then says that. I'm not a rude person and im usually very soft spoken so for a pet store worker to tell me that it rubbed me the wrong way. But ya great place other than her you'll notice her quickly I imagine, just kinda stay away from her and the rest is great :) returning customer

Matt Zab

Alway come here for my aquarium and reptile needs. Even though the storefront is fairly small, they manage to use the space very effectively.

Lisa Coupland

Staff are pretty good here. Lots of selection on fish! Big and small. Fish food and supplies are available too.

Kyle Detzler

Wonderful store, excellent staff very helpful

matt oliver

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff! Try going when they're not busy.

Rosa Barranca

Best fish and aquarium store in the tri city hands down! Everyone there is so friendly and knowledgeable. The know there stuff, I have been going there for more then 15 years and will keep going there.

Patrick Pullman

Has that classic old aquarium store feel about it. Smells a little off. Tons of fish, and small pets, stacked high. Best part though was the excellent service and advice form all the employees we spoke to.

Amr Moussa

Staff are always so helpful and friendly

Holly Broomer

Friendly, helpful staff. Everything you need for fish and more. The kids love looking at all the different fish and reptiles.

Jeremy Trueman

Small store with a large selection. Limited capacity with employees trying to get customers through quickly. People need to stop bringing their whole family inside to let other people in. Lines can be long.

Scott Reist

A little pricey but they have a good variety of fish and goods. Staff is above average in knowledge on their animals. They also have reptiles.

Melanie Melo

Love love love coming here! Even with the "shop at the door" we have to do these days, the staff are still smiling and willing to help. Great job everyone. Keep up the awesome work!

Chris Matteis

A great selection of products and pets at affordable prices with a very knowledgeable/helpful friendly staff!

Becki Miller

I bought a $300 dumerils boa and was sold a live mouse with her because she hadn't eaten. She didn't eat the mouse which didn't concern me too much as she was in a new environment and familiarizing. I tried feeding her again, live, about a week later and she still didn't take. A few days after that she started behaving strangely, rearing up and quivering and leaning backwards over her tail would be the best way to describe it, she was also getting noticeably thin. I called to ask about possible causes of the behaviour and to inquire as to why she might not be eating and they said that they had fed her the day before I picked her up (keep in mind they sold me a live mouse because she hadn't eaten). Big Als has a seven day guarantee on their animals so by the time she presented any concerning behaviour it was too late. She died a month after I got her, as I am active on forums I also found out that the other snakes in her clutch passed away similarly. The pet store obviously bought them from an unreputable breeder. At her passing she was very triangular, she looked starved. I brought her back to the pet store to show them and they said that she looked fine. She absolutely didn't look fine. She looked starved

j c

The only place I buy my fish. They have been my fish store for years. Knowledgeable staff and really seem yo care.

Dude

Well maintained store. Staff are always friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Best in town.

Andrew nonyabussiness

Have always found staff to be very knowledgeable and will be straight up and honest if they really advise for or against something. They are usually quite busy, so staff tend to have a very rushed demeanor to them which is no fault of their own so do be patient they'll get to you when they can, and just don't beat around the bush, know exactly what your looking for.

Paul Ziolkowski

I have been coming here for the last 20 years. The staff is always helpful and friendly. Great selection of marine and fresh water fish. They also carry all the aquarium supplies and hardware you could ever want at a fair price.

Kelby Lisk

I purchased a hamster here a week ago, and it was effortless (considering the stay at home order). I was easily able to pay for the hamster online through their website for curbside pickup, and they brought some hamsters to the door/window so that I could pick one. (For reference, places like PetSmart said I'd have to pay over the phone and I wouldn't be able to select my hamster at all.) The entire experience was so easy. I had a few questions about care later throughout the week, and they quickly followed up with me, as well as answered any and all questions. Definitely a great experience! I highly recommend purchasing your small animals here.

Bonny Shiell

A great spot! Staff knew their info. Helped us out and will be back!

Bradley CM

I love the selection of fish and animals they have. Generally their prices are better than Petsmart - and their tanks are 1000 times better. I have never had an issue buying fish from Als, and the fish have been great. Better selection than petsmart. My only caution is to know what ick is, and how to spot it. Ive detected ick in their tanks before they did, twice. They are generally very good at isolating those fish and not selling them. Highly recommend!

Trista Rochelle

Thought big Al's would be better at taking care of their animals but apparently not. With a small independent business I thought it would thrive on having a niche but so many animals are poorly cared for. For example their uromastyx, who are herbivores are being fed crickets and bugs. Other reptiles are going without proper heat or uvb and its so disheartening because they're just struggling to survive. I really hope they decide to train their staff in proper husbandry and care for their animals.

Norbert Giron-Godoy

I respect everybody's opinion, however, my father and I have gone to Big Al's Kitchener since I was a young child (I am currently 21), and our experience has always been great. The store offers pretty much anything and more, that is required to have a healthy aquarium, pond, or terrarium. I always do much research prior to making any sort of purchase from here and when asking the staff, they have always been well educated or have directed me to another staff who may have more information on the topic. The only times I have felt "neglected" by the staff is when I struggle to get service due to them attending somebody else, which is great! Finally, the prices are amazing! I have visited other aquariums (non-Big Al's) and have either found more expensive items or cheaper, but lower quality, items. Additionally, the prices here are comparable, and at times cheaper, in comparison to shopping online as an alternative. I would personally give Big Al's 5 stars, and encourage anyone to give the store a visit.

Josh Hira

Wonderful customer service, excellent selection, would recommend to everyone

Wild Child

Great place friendly staff

Ace

Friendly staff and wide variety of reptiles and fish. Manager was very helpful Highly recommended

James Fields

Knowledgeable staff. Went in and purchased a 50Gal tank with a stand, heater, and filter. Jaime spent a good 2 hours with me teaching me about Cichlids and box turtles. Decided to go with the fish because of the lifespan of the turtles. Overall fantastic pet store.

Brad Kennedy

Friendly service. Great place for all your aquarium needs. Fish fish fishies

Kevin Henri

This is the worst store I’ve been to in a while. Very poor customer service. I will not recommend and I will not be returning

justin fry

They always have lots to look at. And they have weekly deals on fish, reptiles, and sometimes plants

Scott Shaughnessy

Regular customer here and losing faith each time I go. Did curb side pick up for some aquarium plants. They basically sold me a dead bunch of ludwigia maybe had one viable stem outta the whole bunch. I understand its covid and all but had they told me the condition it was in. I would have gotten something different instead of paying full price for trash!

david gillies

Very nice Big Al's, the staff are knowledgeable and many of them long term employees. Good selection of aquatic plants, fish and corals as well as some exotics like snakes, lizards, hedgehogs and such.

CJ Punkinotis

Gone downhill a lot since last year. It seems these guys know how to do fish very well, but most other creatures are not well cared for, with some in entirely unsuitable habitats. Cons: The frogs were emaciated. Most amphibians and repiles had dry water dishes, and no moisture in their substrate. Very sad. Every time I've visited there have been sick bearded dragons. Pros: Wide variety of fish and aquatic plants. Variety exotic reptiles and amphibians.

Arthur Dewith

bought cardinal tetras their water was ro water I placed them in my to water tank and 2 of three died

Michael Pinnau

I always enjoy going to this store. They've got a great selection of fish and reptiles. The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable. If you need advice about starting a fish tank this is a great place to go.

Kim Kraemer

Very helpful staff..

Dee Johnstone

We have shopped here for almost all of our aquarium needs for many years, well over a decade actually! We have always been happy with our experiences here due to a great selection with fair pricing, good value for the money and staff who we have always found to be friendly, knowledgable and helpful!