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

Alicia MP

Helpful staff, they helped me get my daughters aquarium set up and educated me on the best fish to pair up together!

Jason S

Good collection of fishes, specials every month, just not a big fan of their return policy with fishes, they will never give you a 100% back even if you bring it back the same day. Other than that it's great, points system a little pointless unless you have a store yourself

Kyra Freer

Adam the sales guy is super helpful and knowledgable on products!

GHoST

Great selection of fish and other aquatic animals, staff is very helpful and informative, their prices on a few things are a bit steep but all and all good place to shop for all your aquatic needs.

Andrea Golding

Good prices lots of fishes to choose from

robert kaczynski

Love the place, helpful staff. Taking my new born fry from me as I'm out of space for 60 new fish. Thanks

Susanne F.

Nice place for an outing if you like to look at fish. Kids will!

cars1750

Bought all my aquarium stuff here, very good store

North Painting

My Wife Came home very Happy over the customer service she received at this Location. The staff were very knowledgeable and sympathetic to the circumstance that was put on us by Pet Valu. Big Als really stepped up and earned themselves loyal new customers. BIG THANK YOU TO TYLER AND BLAIR! YOUR customer service went far beyond the call of duty! GOOD JOB!!! JUSTIN & EVE ORZY

Cass W

Excellent service and wonderful and helpful staff very clean and organized amazing job social distancing and making sure proper masks are worn

Dan Sanders

Everything you could need for an aquarium. Huge variety for fresh or salt water.

NSmodelertim

Great service and the best part extremely quick online ordering. A lot of stores could learn from Big Al’s with their online ordering process. Great job Big Al’s.

Winston Blenman

They have 99% of your aquatic needs in stock 99% of the time. Very friendly, and always willing to help you with whatever you ask of them.

Sean Fullerton

Always able to find what I'm looking for, the staff is always pleasant, courteous and helpful.

Brittany Gosse

Awesome store with friendly employees. I go there all the time and it's great for the kids to walk around too!

daniel perrault

Very good selection of fish.. At the right times.. Expensive hobby but worth it.. If you are not lazy..

Caleb Hodgson

Great place to go for aquarium or terrarium related needs. Sadly they don't have their best attraction the shark anymore. Though very honest employees, I had someone call me because they double charged me and I didn't notice. Fantastic and knowledgeable employees.

ClassyKassi

By far the best selection of fish and fish related products.

Carrie M

Awesome place for all your aquarium needs and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. ????

Julia M

the employee who was helping me wasn’t very informative on what I need for my new tank. Gave me info on what kinds of fish are good with others and that was it. I told him I was getting back into aquariums so I needed a refresher. The guy helping me was also winking a lot at myself and my mom which was really weird and uncomfortable and it seemed like he was high. I had to ask the guy at the front desk on what else I needed for my tank. I’ve also purchased some mollies and platys from this store recently and discovered they don’t last long, I think some of the fish are just old and/or ill, maybe just not good quality. They also only have a 5 day guarantee and they only replace half the value of the fish when Petsmart has 14 days and give you a full replacement. But I think I’ll be taking my business to Petsmart from now on.

caled c

Very good fish shop but unfortunately it doesn't sell zebrafish

Kristy Coyne

Always shop here. Staff is always friendly knowledgeable and helpful

Dipankar Bhattacharya

Loved the place. very helpful folks , eager to help out newbies like myself. will be back again for more saltwater fish supplies

Brent 77

Mostly knowledgeable staff, wide selection of fish and anything you could need for your tank. Unfortunately the prices are usually higher than most stores for the accessories but the fish are competitively priced and all are well taken care of. We have purchased a tank and several fish from there.

Joshua Heagle

Great place for aquarium fans. Lots of fish to see and plenty of essentials to keep your pets happy.

Jenna Hayman

Lots of fish and fish supplies. Huge supply of tanks and tropical species. There was even a shark!

Mike Wilson

Do you long to take a underwater adventure? Well look away. At this big Al's location we take the fun out of anything aquatic. Our staff will always be there to make you feel depressed. Want to be greeted when you walk in the door by the kids at the register? Who are you the queen? We will happily mutter hi unenthusiasticly while looking st our phones. Do you have any questions? Well don't come here then. We pride ourselves on making you feel like a idiot for not knowing anything about our products already. Want to teach your children about the facts of life come on down. We have lots of dead fish floating in the aquariums to teach the little ones about death. Also if you don't have a lot of money, don't bother coming we boast some of the most expensive products on the market. Not because it's the best... just mainly because were all you have and we know it. So if you want to have your day ruined come on down to big Al's barrie location. Smiles not included.

Michael Marchut

Huge fish and aquarium selection. Also a great place to take you little ones to see some cool fish.

Annalinda Iustic

Very clean good amount of fish to pick from ...tanks are kept clean fish look healthy

Bernard Kint

The place to go for reptile and fish lovers/enthusiasts. Friendly helpful staff will guide you through the process if you have just started.

Katie Schilling

Roy did an excellent job helping me put together a new saltwater tank set up. He ensured I had everything I needed and educated me along the way to ensure I had not only all the hardware needed, but the knowledge as well. Big Al's is by far my favorite place to go to for any aquarium needs.

Jordan Hicks

Staff are always ready to help and quickly retrieve your item. The best place to find anything pet related

Dillon Regimbal

A nice store with a good selection of fish and supplies. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, and decent prices. The store stocks tropical freshwater and saltwater fish, as well as a small selection of reptiles and supplies for them as well There is also a good selection of aquatic plants, though they can be pricier than the local fish club (DRAS - Durham Region Aquarium Society) which should be checked out if you are into the hobby If Big Al's doesn't carry a certain product that you want, they are able to order it in for you, which is a wonderful service One of the only bad things about the store is the location as turning left (towards Oshawa) out of the parking lot can be a hassle if it's busy on highway 2, but that's no fault of the store

Sharry Budd

Beautiful aquariums and tropical fish selection.

Jeff Shewchuk

Great place to go for fish and supplies.

Rebecca Burkholder

Great service. Got exactly what I was looking for

Amy Reynolds

Placed an order online for pickup, went smoothly considering the chaos of covid. I was given a restaurant buzzer pager while they picked my order and I waited in the car.

Kaiser-_-1980 Gaming

Helpful staff but... I bought 2 Autocats or whatever u call them. Put them in my tank, now everything is dead. Awesome ????

Rui Carvalho

Great selection. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Big Al's is the place for any and all of your aquarium/terrarium needs.

Blaine Smet

Amazon is definitely cheaper for most things, bit there expertise is bar none!

Roy Simmonds

People who cares about there customers and knows there products. Thanks for all the important help you guys gave on putting together a healthy and realistic fish tank... Cheers!

Robert Balicsak

No better place to be if you have an aquarium or just getting your first fish. People there are awesome.

Afroz Khan

Good choice. No sales or markdowns .. Chris the sales person is great guy. Good product knowledge, very patient and friendly.

Dylan Simpson

Love the selection of fish and aquatic plants. They have some really exotic fish too and it always makes for an interesting visit

John White

I attempted to call and order for there Boxing Week sales today. I live an hour and a bit away so was going to pay for my tank and accessories today and pick it up on Saturday when there open again. Was placed on hold for 20 minutes then was told that they won’t honour there sale price if I pick it up Saturday even though I’m paying for it today! Absolute sham don’t bother going near this place. Not to mention when you go in here the staff is less than helpful, You’ve lost a long time customer!

Anna Drexler

Amazing place, the best in Barrie if you are looking for fish, marine life and supplies. Great selection, friendly staff, fair prices, my go to place!

Rodney Peeters

The best aquarium shop in Durham. Friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Julie K

I was looking for fancy goldfish. Made a visit while planning stock/cycling the tank setup and looked at some small lionhead/orandas. Noticed alot of injured or sick black moors in the tank with them. Made a return trip two days later (over a long weekend) and found half the tank was dead, floating petrified with very sick looking survivors. Walked away feeling kind of disturbed. Week later, dropped by to check plant selection (very limited) and saw they had restocked medium sized orandas. Tank was very very overcrowded with zero airation, fish visibly gasping for air and emancipated. Staff/owner at this location obvious do not care for their fish stock, very cruel. Will never be going back. PetSmart has better quality/care.

salman naeem

Nice place to show your kids a shark, always buy my fish products from here

julie gamache

Great prices and friendly staff

Chris Bell

Amazing selection, the staff is super friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable pwith whatever questions you have. They clearly care about the fish. This is the only Aquarium store we go to now, the best in the area hands down.

Annette Westgarth

Awesome supply of various Aguatic supplies as well as healthy fish stock

Matt Davey

Nice knowledgable and friendly staff, and a very clean store !

Adriano Tsiganes

Great place, very friendly staff!

Wally McFarlane

Nice people, friendly service and clean place. Full of information too

Dalton Moreau

Considering its like the only fish place around its pretty good. Helpful staff

Mike Renaud

Good selection of fish and lots of aquarion options and accessories.

Gordon Su

Great friendly staff, clean and safe environment

Michelle S

Love this place. Staff are friendly and helpful. Good selection

Stephen Berry

Lots of variety. Very expensive and only 50% r reimbursement on dead fish compared to pet smart which is 100%.

Cori Peachez

As a previous customer, overall a really nice set up & well organized. Unfortunately, I looked online before returning & now won't.. The website is NOT customer friendly. These days, technology wise & desire to look before going to stores is essential & Big Als website is beyond lacking in both. It shows nothing. So sad besides myself, sure others will visit different stores instead.

Ross Mairs

Love Big Al's, employee's are very knowledgeable and genuinely care about their fish and will help answer any questions you may have. My go to fish store. I love it.

Paul A

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE - Just left me on hold for 10 minutes to tell me an Emerald Crab I just bought 3 days ago that died is my issue and they do NOTHING to rectify. I have spent hundreds of dollars at this store. My water is perfect, I have things thriving in my tank. LOOKS LIKE I need to find another aquarium store. Any suggestions?

Yas. M

Very happy with this location! The majority of the staff in the back are extremely knowledgeable. There are a few new employees who do not know as much but they seem very eager to learn and will always go out of their way to find the answers you are looking for. We LOVE coming to this location and find it way superior to the Scarborough branch.

Siddiq Rahman

They have various collections and have got knowledgeable staffs.

Tyler Gilmore

This store used to be nice, with a lot of knowledgable people, it has since fallen quite a bit. Their salt water section just looks neglected and most staff are just there to make a sale and will rarely have information on the thing you are buying.

Ali Darbandi

Running an aquarium business with very helpful and knowledgeable staff is a wish that only 2 people can pull off, the gene from the magic lamp and the Big Al's aquarium. Visit this store. You wont get disappointed.

Mark Cadman

Love this place!!!! Staff very knowledgable and helpful. Well stocked with weekly orders coming in.

Jesse Shwiftty

Awful customer service/sales staff. One of them nearly knocked my small child over while dripping fish water from a net on her head while we were waiting 5-10 minutes for someone to assist or acknowledge us. Pathetic. Ended up leaving and going elsewhere, recommend you do the same.

BeautyFashion Vlogs

I loved big als there fish are in really good condition

Ted Holotuk

Even though crazy busy still made time to help out .and carry out the stuff to my car .very pleasant staff

Drew

Great selection of fish. Staff are very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. They have helped me set up my aquarium community with a variety of different species.

Ken Berenz

Stopped sale of terta min, top quality food that I have bought for 50 years.:-(

David Kooi

Always romantic. Great date spot.

Roger L

Friendly staff and great prices

Monika Clark

Is it a great place to come and get all your needs for aquariums and or Lizards.

ryan chavez

We were looking for a aquarium for our toddler and and staff answered all my question. Staff knows what they are doing and selling. Recommended for those first timer on having a fish pet. Has a varieties of fish tank and fish.

Far K

Friendly Staffs.

Paige Thompson

Super friendly & helpful! Fast service on curb side pick up.

Sabrina

Bought our son his first fish to take care of. Betta fish the staff was very knowledgeable.

Cory

Ok prices. Nice selection of fish and accesoried. Nothing to be excited about.

B Finch

This place is great and the kids love checking out all the fish. The shark is cool to see as well but seems like it needs more space.

Jeffrey Nelson

They have a great assortment of fish and products and very knowledgeable staff.

Diana Bartholomew

Lots of fish knowledgeable staff..good sales

madonna massey

A lovely place to buy tropical fish. The staff are friendly and well trained.

Brandon Lynchock

Excellent service and great selection in this huge store! Parking lot is busy but has lots of spaces available.

Gideon Kenyanya

Great deals on pet fish varieties!

Mathew Houghton

Love the set up, everyone seems to know what they're doing. And very knowledgeable staff.

evan hunwicks

SO MANY FISH!!!!! Ihad to leave early cause I ate McDonalds and needed to poop

Dino Pantelidis

Amazing staff and service. Always a great selection of fish and corals. Highly recommended.

Archit Arcot

Wide range of fish and fish products!! The staff clearly explained me how to handle and maintain my fish tank!! Now I am satisfied having a fish as a pet at home

Stender Dave (Stenderdave)

What a great place for pet supplies for aquatics and various others such as bearded dragons! Thank you!

Celine Mac

Very friendly and helpful staff & service.

Dan Koehler

The best place to get your fish and supplies! Awesome staff too and a great selection!

Sal Jiwani

Tons of fish. Lots of stock. Ok prices. Great place to bring your kids to see the fish.

David Wentland

Great service and lots verity in fish selection

Slowchrome hand

Best selection I've ever seen! Tanks were all in great health. Even the baby piranhas were being fed properly because none of them were missing fins or eyes.

Jason Regular

This place has been really efficient during the past few months I've been purchasing everything from fish, live plants and aquariums, and the fish and plants have all been healthy and thrived in there new enviroment and being a beginner at that. There also very helpful and quick when ordering online as my orders have been ready for curbside pickup within 30 minutes. Also you can just drive up to the store front and someone will come out to assist without leaving your warm car. I'm not sure if there watching like before as you are able to shop inside, but you can call on your arrival and let them know.

Francesco Ferrara

Always fun to visit. Staff is friendly and tanks are well maintained. The new(ish) focus on reptile care is refreshing to see also.

Tracy McFall

They have great selection of fresh and saltwater fish. They have everything you need to build an aquarium for your fish. They are also quite knowledgeable. I just bought everything brand new about a week ago and the staff helped decide which fish were best to start and which one should now go into a new tank right away. This is the only place I will buy fish.

TOM HOLUB

I know nothing about animals but that hasn't stopped my kids from buying everything from fish, geckos, rabbits, cats and dogs...ya...I know. Anyway, the staff at Big Al's in Whitby are always helpful and patient when explaining the hows and whys of pet care. I also find their prices for supplies very competitive.

Ray Tobin

great people great store and great products this is what I thought two years ago but not so much now it has changed and not for the better!!!!!

Andrew Geddes

Big Al's is fantastic. Sure, if you go to a big box competitor you may save fifty cents, but you're not going to get the help and guidance these guys provide. They do everything they can to help and offer free water testing. Best quality, variety and service. You can trust these guys!

jeff haze

thought the salesman was just not interested, but now I think he was just trying to get us out a quick as possible. Trying to get rid of returned merchandise perhaps? The Bulb we purchased lasted a day and a half, the fixture was missing parts, and when I asked him the wattage rating, he read off what the socket said, not the overall fixture.

Jesse Bosgraaf

BEST FISH STORE I HAVE EVERY BIN TO.

J-pres jeff preston

Friendly staff great place to fund your next pet!

Sugar Sammy

Been coming here for I don't know how many years. Petsmart has a decent selection for fish/fish stuff, but personally I've always been coming to big al's instead. I used to be heavy into salt some years back and then I went heavy into fresh as well and everything I bought, was from big al's. The points system is also good for rewarding repeat customers.

Alex Waddell

Almost always well stocked, and a great variety at that. Only a 4 star review because I wish all of the staff were as knowledgeable as the couple who seem to know everything.

swiss_knife_ 4_edc

The fish are great quality and the staff are very knowledgeable. Only bad thing is if there busy the wait line should be take a number, not just grab a clipboard because several people got helped before us and shouldn't have.

Ashley West

Very friendly and patient service. Thank you!

A R

First visit where I purchased 4 fish, unfortunately one fish died under 24 hours. The recommended instructions were followed. However, the guarantee instructions were not fully read. If a fish dies, you must bring the dead fish back. Contacted the store and was told my refund would be based on how the employees "feelings" were that day. As I didn't have the (4.99) fish's body. They would not honor a receipt for a 2.50 "credit" on purchasing more fish. They do not provide a refund with the dead fish. Disappointed in "Big Al's" customer service. I will not return to Big Al's as result of this. I suggest that they inform all customers of their dead product return credit policy. As, they have a high number of people attempting to steal their fish. On a side note. The staff are not very polite and it is not service with a smile. Wake up big als.

A J

Everyone is miserable at this store dead fish everywhere prices are crazy petsmart for fish and Amazon for everything else

Billy Boob

Not a bad word can be said about the place. Big Al's has sold me aquariums, fish, food, accessories, it has the best stuff and great staff. Very helpful.

Jeremy Drescher

Prompt, friendly service. Keep it up guys!!

Dansei

I bought three Amano shrimp, guy charged me the price for three other shrimp. (Amano’s were 3-12 I got charged 3-15) On the 6th day one of the shrimp died. No refund or 50% off a new one. You’d think for a 5 dollar shrimp they’d not care but because their stupid policy I’m left with a dead shrimp and I will have to go buy a new one. Never going here again.

dana Jordan

Awsome place to shop

Henniarox D

We were having a really hard time finding the right equipment for our Bearded Dragon. We finally asked the Toronto Zoo and they suggested we go to Big Al's, and we were not disappointed! They had way better selection then any of the other pet stores we visited. A kind gentlemen spent a good 20mins or more talking to us about what we should get and gave us suggestions on how to care for our little buddy. She has been doing much better now that we have the correct lighting! They are very knowledgeable and have larger lizard tanks then anyone else. I would definitely suggest you come here if you need any help with caring for your reptiles!

Mike Lehikoinen

great and knowledgeable staff. fair prices. great selection.

Joe Barter

Great place. Been going here for years and have never been disappointed.

Jimmeh Brew

One of my favourite stores to visit, even if I don't purchase anything.

Subhadip Ghosh

Great selection, friendly staff. A bit pricey though.

Why 101

A little expensive but worth it in the end. They have a ton of really cool options and the staff really knows there stuff

Elaine Misson

It was great being able to buy more fish for our tank. The guy was very helpful. Love this store. Will be back for more fish.

Bibaswan Ghoshal

One of the smallest Big Al's I have ever been. This is just for fishes. No other species like spiders and reptiles.

Laurrie Danforth

Great place, I'm a newbie when it comes to aquariums and the customer service was fantastic, the gentleman took the time to explain everything I needed to know! Highly recommended!

Blain Richards

The kids love this store. Good variety of fish and knowledgeable staff.

Dean Houtby

Good selection of fish and aquarium supplies

Mark Drisch

Easily ranks in the top 3 of all the aquarium stores I have been to, including the GTA and Toronto ones. Super nice, knowledgeable, and helpful staff and they are starting to bring in more rare/hard to find fish, which is incredibly exciting. Store is kept very clean, and not a single fish I have bought at this location has had anything wrong with it! All around a great experience!

Saradha Selvarajah

Bit pricey. But the place was clean, lots of options. Friendly staff.

Ted Magnum

Nice people, well stocked and the prices are good.

Jake McGowan

Very knowledgeable staff and a huge assortment

Dan Wells

The kids love this place. Always amazing service and experience.

John Thompson

O ly been there once but was impressed with the knowledge of staff and.friendly to deal with

Dan McLean

Great location. Great staff. They've been supplying the feed for my ball python (frozen rats) and tarantulas (crickets and hornworms) for almost a decade. Lol They have fish too...

John Schneider

Big Al's is a great place for all your fish and aquarium needs. They have a vast selection of l types of fish and the staff are super helpful in finding what you're looking for. I highly recommend Big Al's. It's fun to look at the all the fish they have.

Mike Rolph

This is a fine store for freshwater hobbyists, however those who are educated in reefkeeping should stay clear. Sea U Marine in Markham is a great place for reefkeeping enthusiasts.

Richard Pichurski

good people and good products.

Cassie Wildman

Fair prices, awesome selection. Definitely worth checking out

Brad Levantis

Helpful staff and fast service. I actually had 3 people offer to help me while I was there. Thank you

Marc & Stephen Gemonjureidini (Travelboysuniverse)

Great Big Al's store. By far the better location!! Friendly staff, and very helpful

Charles James

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Great service.

M Kellington

Best fish store in Barrie that I know of atm

Just The Truth

Good place. Most of the staff are customer friendly

Andri

Excellent staff. They have been instrumental in the success of my new hobby both in freshwater and saltwater. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Love them.

Karen Potterton

Got a awesome tank for my husbands birthday! Everyone was helpful, giving advice on which model and kit to get!

Phil Short

Wide range of products for both fresh and salt water aquariums. Many ideas for decoration and tanks. Very nice selection of fish as well.

Simon Oliver (Psymon)

Great selection of fish, tanks and aquarium aesthetics

Medium Jodi Jones

Such an awesome selection of fish! And there's always really good music playing.

BrilliantNonsense

Do you research before shopping at this location. They do have very knowledgeable staff and also some that don’t know much. Remember there job is to sell you stuff its part of the business but do your research before hand so you don’t end up buying something you think is mandatory right now when it’s not.also before you buy fish here ask them to feed the tank.

G Will

Very busy on weekend long wait times to get your fish

Dezarai Crouter

Got there early one day and the manager(?) noticed us waiting in our car so he offered to get our order ready for us. He really didn't have to do that, he was clearly busy opening up shop but he did anyway. Thank you for a great customer experience.

Cass and Rui Carvalho

Very knowledgeable, friendly staff,great selection of product. This is the place for all your aquarium hobby needs.

Jesse Leonard

Excellent selection of fish

Jessica Buttee

Tons of cool stuff to look at. . The staff are helpful and friendly.

Amanda Zyla

I only wish it had the shark feeding tank here

Brad Dougherty

Knowledgeable staff here are able to answer any question that you have. Huge selection of fish and plants, and equipment is all organized and easy to find Best store in the area for all fish needs by far

Ryan Smith

Friendly and knowledable both fish department and sales. Keep up the good work!!!

Stephanie DiNardo

Very nice clean place.... Beautiful fish variety

Melody Courneyea

The people there were very friendly and helpful. They answered all my questions and helped me pick the right items for my tank. We will definitely be returning.

Evan Lynch

Always love going here they have a great selection of fish, enclosures (for fish or reptiles) and so much more.

Hugh Mungus

Quick and efficient curb side pickup.

Maggie

Staff's advice on products/general knowledge can be inconsistent and even contradictory at times. Staff at counter/cash always seem despondent/apathetic.

Ariel McStravick

It had a wide variety of fish to choose from and the customer service was very helpful! I found exactly what I wanted and it was a quick process. I bought 30 goldfish for $7.89 and it has been a month, they are all still alive! They take really good care of their fish and other amphibians. All in all, 5 out of 5! Great store and I will definately be going again!

Azaeal K

Lots of variety of fish and supplies but prices are abit high so...

Kathleen Tilcox

love all the unique fish, however the staff is very useless you ask them a question about a fish and they dont have a clue out of 7 people working not one person knows anything about the fish. Everytime you ask them for help its a huge inconvience

Courtney Emerson

One of the best aquatic pet stores I've ever been in! Sometimes the staff doesn't always know some simple info about the fish in shop, but I get it, lots of fish and it's hard to know info on all of them especially when you're a new employee and only need 5yrs of fish keeping "experience" to work there lol

Kris I.

Great place for fish supplies and all kinds of fish, friendly staff real knowledgeable!!!

Rob Arksey

Very nice place, a shark to greet you upon entering, and knowledgeable staff. I disagree with the Sea-U-Marine comment, I went there to see for myself and I don't recommend it, very poorly kept. Here everyone has always been pleasent and helpful, and prices comparable to petsmart.

Leanne Coatham

Very knowledgeable and always willing to help you find what you need. Love good there for all our aquatic needs.

Amanda Johns

There fish look sick

Rick Talbot

Best place for tropical fish and accessories in the area. They have a curbside pickup website now, for Covid purposes.

Butterfly Jules (Butterfly Jules)

Pretty low stock, due do the covid virus.

Sunflower Nathan

Bad service. Asked question and got ignored many time. I do not recomande this place at all. PetSmart is better.

Sarah ninni

Big Al's is the place to go for all your aquarium needs. The staff are very knowledgeable and they have an excellent stock of fish to purchase at reasonable prices.

Brittany Hastings

Had a great experience today at Big Al's Barrie! Being a first time fish buyer, it was helpful that all staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Evan helped us pick out all our fish and he showed us excellent customer service. ????????

Deepak Rajkumar

Great place for fishes and accessories. Such a wide variety of fresh and salt water aquariums. Great staff with lots of knowledge.

Jeff Meades

Fantastic place for all your Aquarium necessities with a beautiful array of live marine life to view as well.

Samantha Remo-Couto

We took our son to choose the fish he wanted and he enjoyed doing so

Sierra Hockaday

People who work there are very friendly and always make sure you know what you need to before purchasing anything. They are more than happy to answer questions and have a HUGE selection of fish, Aquariums and decorations. I will absolutely be going back!

Serena Cooper

I am at this location regularly for all of my aquarium hobby needs. Great team and they are very nice and knowledgeable!

Corry Besenyei

I usually love this store the staff is friendly and helpful. If your are driving far for your live plants or creatures check them before you leave. The fish purchased are healthy but the Java fern is half brown and full of holes. Hoping I can get it healthy again but would’ve exchanged it if I had looked before driving 45 mins home.

Matthew Lewis

Very upsetting there turtles are in very bad condition and not well taken care of one has its tail missing and bleeding and all there shells are vent up meaning nla bad diet very upsetting

Sean C

Started up my very first aquarium and i bought my first 16 fishes from here. Prices were quite high on all of the small decorations but the staff ufront was super nice and easy to talk to. However the staff in the back were quite rude, and at points it got pretty embarraing asking them to get a fish out after being ignored twice. It seemed as if they didnt want to speak to me, and as i stood there at the counter with a clipboard, they walked out the back room and passed me. Overall i would come back as it's got quite a variety of fish.

Matt Surrey

A lot of different variety of fishes, and other salt/fresh water animals including large sharks to plants.

Luke The Fish Man

Staff are helpful and fish are the best quality you can buy

LeeAnne Doumont

All the bearded dragons have tail rot $179.99 for an infected pet.

Justin Storks

Nice store with great selection of fish. Sometimes the advice of the staff isn't the best. We bought some gouramis and they told us they would get along great. They've killed each other violently over the last two weeks and my $70 of fish is now down to about $15

Jharell Judah

Service isnt the best I left there without anything I came in there for because everyone refused to help me for some reason terrible experience

Yvonne Maschke

Big Al's is one of my favourite places to go for my fish supplies and new fish. I have spent many hours watching the fish and other creatures they have in the store. They are always helpful and polite.

Cory Bouchard

Has all necessities for your fishy needs, went here as a kid to buy and look at cool fish.

Stephan Jonk

Love the variety of supplies for anything to do with aquariums. The staff is very knowledgeable with anything to do with them too.

HELP

Amazing experience ????

Mag neto

Picked out a fish I wanted but when I got home I realized they gave me the wrong fish.

Heather Nicol

Wish they were not so far away.for me it is 2hrs. Great selection and knowable staff.

Sean Patterson - Dyce

One of the best aquarium shops you can go to they have everything well set up and are very helpful staff I go in any chance I get as they have great prices and a large stock to choose from.

Laura Pascu

Absolutely amazing, love that place.. Great staff, really knowledgeable. Thank you!!

amber b

10/10 for equipment I now have a population of Bladder Snails and Water Fleas due to some anubis I got from big al's, and though they are beneficial, I hate looking at them. My betta came with some minor fin rot I was still too new to identify, so the loss of finnage is on me. So far, the Nerite snails I bought are the happiest thing to look at in the tank. I have made sure not to overfeed, but the death of one of my plants from Big Al's caused a population explosion. I'm deciding whether to accept my life or make a trap.

Shawn Kent

Staff was rude, snobby, and overall unpleasant. Horrible experience, would never go back. Staff were completely rude, seemed off put by our questions and ignorance. Until today I never knew there was such a thing as a fish snob. Not too mention they even recommended we buy fish to kill them as a way to prep the tank. WTF? Went to Pet Smart around the corner. Found a guy named Jai, super nice, super knowledgeable and walked out of PetSmart smarter, with over a hundred bucks in gear. Skip Big Al's, Pet Smart may be a big block, but they will treat you with a modicum of respect.

Megan Smith

Amazing customer service and the animals are very well taken care of. Bought a large pleco (about 10") they were super gentle with him, even put him in a styrofoam box for me for the car ride home.

Denis R. Potvin

Big Al's in Barrie is a great place to shop for all of your aquarium needs. From quality products to quality livestock, you can find it here. I've spent a small fortune here setting up my marine tanks. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable and their products and their livestock. I've had them successfully order rare and hard to aquire marine livestock. Their prices are quite reasonable.

Joe Mariano

Place was clean, staff were great! Enjoyed my visit there...

Ken Anderson

Great service great selection prices are going too high but sales are good

Erin Kennedy

Super cute store with lots of variety for aquatic pets and the materials to take care of them

Paul Rogie

Prices are no where close to the lowest. That needs to be adressed. As for the staff, it all depends who you deal with. There are some very good helpful people there, there are a few I dont even bother talking to. 3 Star rating and that is mostly based on their pricing.

Angie Godbout

Many options for everything..prices are ok. Staff can be helpful but not always.

Hestia

I really enjoy the taste of their fish food.

Malcolm Robinson

Sexy workers

Tiffany Horodecky

The people thar are realy nice and over all its esey to find what you need but i think the prise should go down a little

Vigilant Fox

This place is great as usual! Friendly staff and great selection.

Shaun Moon

Lots of help from the staff. Bought a betta, and he is very happy :)

Mathew Sosnowski

This is the place for everything marine life. I'm not kidding. These people know everything when it comes to taking care of your fish friends.

Gawie Delport

What a fun place to visit. All the fishy stuff you just might need in one place.

Builder Tips

They have pretty much everything your aquarium needs and loads of freshwater and saltwater species for sale

Anita Daley

Prices are reasonable. They take great care of the fish there and have many different types of fish! Customer service is great and they always find you what you need or would like.

Black Rabbit

Great place. Really know their fish.

Norm Petroff

Love this place! Friendly staff and the best selection of stock north of Toronto.

Rebecca Snow

Great place for all your pets needs.

Desirée Massey

Staff are very knowledgeable and willing to assist.

Nate Vickers

Staff is always super helpful and some are extremely knowledgeable. We always have a great experience here. The pets we’ve purchased there have always been healthy and not riddled with parasites like some of the big chain stores

Samantha Lefebvre

I’ve heard great things about this place, but unfortunately my experience was poor. May have just been the time of night, but for however many employees were in the store, acknowledgement and helpfulness was seriously lacking. Cashier also didn’t even speak to me and seemed miserable. Most disappointing part was that a large majority of their Betta fish were either dead and rotten or barely alive, and it was sad that they were neglected and even sadder on display in such bad shape. On a positive note, it was the best selection of plants I’ve ever seen.

Ty Leslie

I went in there 2 days in a row for their 20% off sale, first day they were overwhelmingly busy and were still able to help with my needs. Second day I came in for information as I am just venturing into salt water, they were very helpful and friendly to me. It is definitely the kind of place where you can go and not fear to ask questions as they are very understanding and helpful. All staff are very knowledgeable and friendly people. I do not write reviews awesome and im usually irritated when I write reviews but I am very satisfied with this store and recommend them or any of their branches to people getting into the hobby.

Drew Baillie

Horrible store credit only return policy. Is this even legal? Bought something and returned it an hour later. Wouldn’t give me my money back. Instead gave me a receipt (not on my file) that expires in 6 months?! You just lost a customer that’s been shopping there for many years. #fail

Michael Nokes (Holiday)

They have everything you could ever need or want for your aquarium, fish, food, tanks, materials, etc! The prices are a LITTLE higher than a standard pet store, but you get ALL the knowledge and specialty! Even if you wanna go in to look at the fish for a few minutes (especially with kids) they don't seem to mind! Very nice and knowledgeable people!

Linnea Whitcroft

If you need advice talk to Christian! We bought a betta fish at the Big Al's in Vaughan a week ago and noticed our fishy doesn't look too happy. We went in and explained our worries to Christian and he helped us figure everything out!

SicaFPV & TinyHandzFPV

Great staff friendly and very knowledgeable, greets me every time I walk in. Go there for all my fish food and bugs and everything in between!!

Moosa Mateen

Gave my fish fungus infection after I bought plants from here. Do not come here

- Mike

Really clean tanks, staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, great variety and selection.

Wissam Al Achkar

Great selection, friendly and knowledgable staff. It's one of my weekly stop by shops.

Kookie Bellafontaine

I love this place...so clean, such good staff. Friendly, and helpful. I love all the big al locations! I really recommend this place for the fish geek enthusiasts.

Celynne

Friendly staff, though often it seems as though they're understaffed, especially on the weekend, had to wait almost half an hour just to get one betta fish. Prices are reasonable depending what you're buying. Their animals are definitely a lot healthier than any fish you might get at Petsmart.

Il Ismail

Good place for all aquarium needs.

Virginia Furlong

U'PDATE: So despite my misgivings about this place (see below), I made the mistake of visiting this store once again. I wanted some Aqueon replacement filters. They only had a huge box of them and wanted almost $60.00! If I bought that box, I would not have had any spare change left to make it through the week! Seriously, if you can't even have the most basic of supplies on hand, what exactly are you doing? If you really want to shop at an awesome Big Al's, you need to go to the North York store on Steeles just west of Yonge. They have everything and their staff are stellar. Run away from this place!! We have a modest acquarium of about 30 gallons and a limited number of fish. I bought two shrimp and four neon tetras for my son on his birthday at the end of September. One of the shrimp lasted three days. Ever since then we have steadily lost fish. One every few days. Now we are scooping out three at a time. We have a beloved white pleco and I fear he is next. We have kept this tank in pristine condition and had no problems at all before I introduced the fish I bought from Big Al's Whitby. I do not recommend. I won't go there again!

Jade Beer

DO NOT BUY FISH FROM THIS STORE. The fish I bought had internal parasites. I am trying to salvage what I can but will likely lose my entire tank ????

Emily Brady

Staff were very helpful and informative

Deb C

Always helpful and experienced. Fantastic selection of fish.

tr3nt1nat0r

The best store and service when you have questions or need supplies for any size aquarium!!

M. KH

Super polite at the door. Not too long a wait to get in. Nice selection of fish and accessories.

Karlie Garner

They always have everything we need, they are friendly and knowledgeable!

Cameron Wright

Prices are a bit high, but they have a good selection. Sadly not many shrimp though, had to go to Petsmart for that.

Pac Man

Good selection and price. Sometimes takes a while to get feeder fish if there are a lot of curious customers.

Dave Ghezzo (CEREAL KILL3R)

Helpful staff. If an employee doesn't know the answer to a question, they ask someone else in the store that does. Knowledgeable and friendly.

Ashley Anderson

Great place for supplies as they have alot of selection for natural and fake decorations, supplies, food, plants and coral. It is the only dedicated aquarium shop in durham region. I am concerned with their beta fish wall as many are lying on the bottom of the bowls or teeny tanks, some have fin rot and look dead. Wish they would improve that as well as some of their other tanks that are dirty and have dead fish in them. Also bought 6 cherry shrimp and all but 1 has died which I've noticed now has been an issue with this store. Parameters were normal, they were acclimated slowly, did all my research and put them in a 10 gal matured planted tank. so be aware and be careful with what you get. Do your research before you buy!! but aside from that it's a decent place with alot of selection.

Rob Riegs

Best place in the area for Crickets! always big juicey healthy bugs

Jenn Raftis

Great atmosphere, cool fish, & awesome people! Even if you're not buying, a great place to spend some time with the kids!

James Binsted

Friendly staff, and those clip boards are so fun to fill out. Me and my wife enjoying looking at all the neat fish with all their beautiful colours. We picked out two fish on our last visit. A snub nose and a pink guppy. They also have a few salt water fish. The staff appeared to be knowledgable and polite.

S.

Not the same place as it was a few years back. Staff doesn't have the same happy to help you attitude, nor are they as versed with products or fish either. You get shrugged shoulders and feeling that they really dont care. Sad as it was always a pleasure before with knowledgeable staff.

Donna Brooks

Awesome customer service. Super friendly knowledgeable stagg

Daryl Rines

Great place to get aquarium equipment. Service is great and emplayees are super friendly. Over all great place.

Sarah M

Great selection of fish, knowledgeable staff, and great selection of products.

Mandie Copegog

The fish are so beautiful to look at. Cant wait till i get my aquarium i will most definitely be back to get my fish friends here

Eric Brown

Friendly staff and lots of cool fish! Who doesn't love fish?

Elvin Veeramah

When I was in Markham I used to go to the one in Scarborough..but now I am in Pickering and this store is my go to..not as big but I get what I need over there 95% of time. The staff is very friendly..

Michael Barzo

Very professional. Knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Fiona Watt

Have everything you need for your aquarium or terrarium

Samantha Rose

Poor customer service and DO NOT take care of their fish. I bought a beta fish from there and then three days later it died. So I took it back and I got a new one, just a week later it died as well. I have all the proper food, water, tank everything you need for a beta I have. I have other betas that have lived up to almost a year long... and each time I go into big ales their fish bowls are dirty and foggy and gross.. I wouldn't recommend this store at all.

Rank Study Consulting

The best customer service I have received in any store in Barrie. Super knowledgeable, they take their time with you and make sure all of your questions are answered. There is always someone experienced working with the younger team... and even the younger members of the team are great to speak with. If you get a chance, ask for Drew and no matter what you are looking for you will be in great hands. He has been helping us (patiently haha - we ask a lot of questions when we go in) for a year and half. We started with a fresh water cichlid tank and recently added our first salt water tank. Not only have they been tremendous with helping us get fully setup and helping test our water, etc... they even stopped me from buying some expensive fish to ensure I waited the right amount of time and to ensure I didn't start with fish that would be hard to deal with. How many companies downsell their customers to ensure they get the best overall experience. Again... by far the best customer service and team in the city. Try them out, you won't be disappointed.

Anthony Willem

Some awesome staff. Kevin is great in the fish room. Andrew also helpful on the sundries/consumables side. Best store in Simcoe that I know of. Selection is mediocre, some/few uncommon species. Staff generally gets answers to curve ball questions that turn out to solve problems. Ended up with a MTS infestation from their have moss buckets (my own fault for not quarantining?)... I shop here often because it's the best store in a 20km radius at minimum

Bella Love

Everyone was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the products that they have and they could answer any questions you may have about fish and reptiles. They have a great selection!

Andrew Snead

Lots of amazing fish just like going to an aquarium. Very helpful staff

X_REDEYE_X

Very knowledgeable. Thank you for helping my 3year old pick out fish and plants for here new fish tank.

Bob Greig

Very helpful, exceptionally knowledgeable, and a lot of equipment not found in just a pet store.

Timmi Campbell

Store was great. Employee was eager to make sales.. however he was not great with my kids. He was hyper. He didn't allow children to be involved with specified fish. Another employee was bejindnon duties and we were made to wait until.that employee was ready to assist the man making the sale Seemed unprofessional.

Julie Campbell

The live fish and plant stock is incredible and very healthy. The staff in the live fish section of the store are friendly and helpful and are willing to go out of their way to make sure that you get what you want. I will only buy my fish from Big Al's The stock of aquarium products is about average compared to other large pet stores and the staff at the cash and in the rest of the store is rude, impatient, and aren't all that willing to help, even when you ask a specific question! I'd pretty much rather shop anywhere for non-fish products than here.

Tea-Lynn VanDyk

New fish owner here. Staff was fantastic about answering my questions and helping me pick out a tank and accessories. Recommended to anyone looking to properly take care of their swimming pets!

Sharon Bennett

They are very helpful when it comes to beginner aquarist. Roman was very patientvwith us and all ourcquestions. He made sure we had everything we needed before we left. I really appreciate when a sales associate takes the time to do guest service.

Fawn Gillard

Love checking out the sharks and various fish.

Adam Scott

Love it here. Staff are all so helpful.

Mikayla Young

Very good store! Well organized supplies and sections, a clean store, and most importantly their fish appear healthy and live in clean tanks. The staff of this store also know a lot about the reptiles/fish and can assist and offer advice or suggestions where needed.

Tony Salvagna

Awesome place to take my son

Bob Weir

A great selection of accessories and very helpful staff.

Janet Cunningham

Lots of different fish . Great return policy.

Neil Yeatman

Can't complain about their service or selection but they lose a star for keeping Bettas in tiny jars and compartments. Many look unhealthy.

Jonathan Simmonds

Big Al's is not bad, the staff sometimes are helpful. Just a place where you buy fish that sometimes live. It is not great but has room for improvement that I doubt we will ever see.

Lari Ferg

Tons of fish! Their reptile section isn't super large, though.

Ross C

Lots of choices in their fish section. I prefer this store over the other Big Al’s locations in the GTA.

Amy Urquhart

This was a fun place to stop in with our son and look at all of the many varieties of fish! There are so many beautiful aquariums set up here. You can also find some amphibians and all of the equipment needed to care for them. Many aquatic plants and decorations for aquariums. We especially enjoyed seeing the clownfish that looked like Nemo as well as the Dory fish. Feeder fish were also available for sale. We didn’t buy anything this time, but if we decide to pursue an aquarium as a hobby, this is definitely the place I would go!

Steven R

This place is great. They have almost everything you would need to run any kind of fish tank.

Michael Bourque

Best place for aquarium and reptile needs. Huge selection, knowledgeable staff, and a huge fish room!

Tony Nova

Overpriced shrimp

lee findlay

I was not impressed with the health of over half the fish.. one of their tanks had a whole bunch of puffers in it and every single one of the puffer had tail rot didn't look healthy maybe I caught them on a bad day but I was not impressed...fish look dead

mike batz

Awesome place to buy your fish.

Tej Boparai

Lack of customer service. Staff seemed preoccupied in chatting. Plus the whole place feels dated from the 70s.

Chantal Stone

Beautiful rainbow shark very fair price

Junior Stephen

Friendly and helpful staff, great selection of fish and products

Richard McFadden

Very knowledgeable. Good prices and selection.

Sarah Schofield

Bought 2 female bettas and they both died with in the first 3 weeks. Very disappointed

Rob Dossantos (dosrob)

Manager is great! Very accommodating and knowledgeable. Only place I shop for fish and accessories

Bree

Staff is very friendly, great selection and staff is very knowledgeable, especially the staff in the back room ! Although there is one older man in the front, I believe rob, and every time I come in he seems very irritated like he doesn’t want to deal with anyone and always try’s to push warranties, and talks very negatively about the other staff.

Tonya Frenette

The staff are always helpful and friendly. They have a great selection of fresh and saltwater fish and equipment. I have been shopping here for all my supplies and fish for over a year and would go no where else.

74N14 M1L0

This place is just depressing. I've bought so many sick fish from here over the years (and spent literally thousands of dollars in treatments trying to save these fish) before I realized it wasn't me and they just tend to stock fish who are unwell. I raise betta fish these days and stopped in to get some water conditioner recently and was reminded of why I avoid this place now. Two dead bettas in their tiny bowls and one that was dying and practically begging for help. It was so hard for me to walk out and leave the poor little guy, but I can't keep quarantining and trying to fix fish from here :( the sales people are constantly cleaning the tanks here, but they don't tend to have much knowledge about the animals they're selling, and sick animals aren't treated properly.

Matt Neves

Great people to deal with and great selection and really clean store

Eric Mckenzie

Love the place seeing all the defferent fish Awesome!!

Scott Rance

It is enjoyable and calming watching fish

Dubz C

Amazing staff, great selection, clean premises, lots of tanks and supplies, really the best go to spot for aquarium needs.

Rachel Haines

Great place to browse and amazing selection of aquarium supplies and many different types of fish.

Jim Shankland

Steve was very knowledgeable and really made our picking out the right fish easy.

Meaghan Woolridge

Very helpful service. Great selection of fish

Josie Krish

Very informative staff. Every time when my husband - frank and I go there - we always go to Steve. Steve is very helpful and very knowledgeable. He is the BEST. ????????????????

Jakey_P97

Best place to go to for your fish and fish needs. Their products will reduces the risk of any snail infestations in your tank. Fish are kept at a healthy standard. the staff and team are welcoming and nice and knowledgeable about your needs. A definite must if you're a first-time fish owner, they have great deals for aquarium sets as well as an awesome option for extended warranty.

Jolene Edwards

Love going here just to look at the fish

Kevin Sheppard

Great place for fish and reptiles and supply's

Jessica R Newhook

They don't hire women in the fish room because "women belong on cash because cash can be replaced. The fish room leads to business, and women aren't competent enough to handle that"

Lucas Edwards

Great service, the employee's are very helpful. I went in today to buy an emerald crab, even though they where out of stock the employee's told me when a shipment is coming in so I can get it. Also I would like to add that I bought 2 fish here about a year ago and they are doing great.

Cameron McArthur

I love it here, always a variety of fish & products.

Dmitri Tsvetkoff

Nice place. Friendly. Have lots of stuff. With pants I brought from there snails and detritus worms.

Matthew Lacrette

Great shop, although some of the staff always seems depressed and too busy to answer questions. I assume it’s because of all the new fish keepers asking “odd” questions but I’d be turned away from the hobby with an attitude like that if I hadn’t been in the hobby as long as I have.

Dolly Odelia Oswago

Well stocked with lots of variety. Knowlegable staff. Definitely worth a visit!

Shahul Hameed Akbar

Prices are inflated and since they operate on a franchise model the store credit you get for returned items are valid only in the respective location.

Felipe Neto

I love Big Al's. They have everything you would need.

Brad Grisdale

All staff are friendly and knolagable about everything in the store and always ready to help out when you need anything. Will always go here to get what I need for my fish.

A.J.R.T McNabb

UPDATE: SAME THING GOING IN HERE. Unacceptable. Tanks are in poor condition. I counted 15 tanks with dead fish in them many more looked filthy and overcrowded.. Staff standing around doing nothing in the fish room. I was one of 3 customers in the store and no one was addressing this? A woman with two kids and no fish knowledge saw the pretty Discus fish and asked for some on an impulse buy. The staff gave her misinformation about Discus. Stating that wouldn't grow bigger than the 3 and a half inches thay they were already...told her they were sensitive and that's about it. This poor fish is leaving with this woman, doomed for death. She already stated her Angels always end up dying. Sold her the fish anyway... Absolute nonsense if you ask me....this store needs a major reboot. Staff are not trained properly at all. It's all about money to them. Don't buy your fish here...

Jeff Carter

Knowledgeable friendly helpful staff. Big section of aquariums in fish. Good place

Samantha Harris

Love going here. I love looking at all the fish! Only down side is it makes me want to buy every type of fish they offer lol

Isaac

Crazy large selection. Best fish & tank store in Barrie hands down

Julie Tutic

This location is clean and very helpful, we come here everytime we come down South.

Dan Ross

Nice place. Wish they had more planted freshwater aquarium items (ex, more c02 options, low iron rimless tanks, better led lights, better plant options). Love visiting this place.

Adam “Draznar” Goode

I love to visit Big Al's. The environment is clean and the staff are always very friendly and willing to assist.

Rosanne Purnwasie

I came here to get my son set up with a tank for an axolotl. I did some research before we arrived. The reps who work there are very knowledgeable about the aquatic species they have and helped us get everything we needed to set up the tank. We are still completing the cycle for the tank before buying the axolotl. We would drop in periodically to see what colours they have. The reps are very helpful and made my visits very pleasant.

Becky Kraft

Ive been coming here for like20 years since childhood. They sold me diseased fish as a child. And as an adult they sold me a guppy with camallanus worms. Which ruined all my other guppies. Yes thats right. Big Al's knownly or ignorantly sells sick fish, and worst of all to unknowable people. Not saying all pets stores do this already. Anyway the point is. They caused around 10 deaths of my guppies. And when i asked for 2 new guppies for free or discount. I was denied. Im glad 20 years customer gets denied discount or replacement. I only asked for 2. Not all 10 that they got killed cause they sold me a worm infected fish

Syed Uzair

Best aquarium store PERIOD. Being an amateur at keeping fish, this store has very helpful staff. Not only they give you good recommendations but they are customer centric. They also have a very big variety of fish and some reptiles. I've had my 55 gallon tank for almost a month with a mixed variety of fish and they thrive based on the recommendations I got for their staff.

Fiona Haller

Just returned from purchasing a betta fish with my daughter. The COVID protocols are enforced well and they offer various options for purchase/pickup. I had emailed earlier in the week regarding a specific colour and they emailed photos of different fish. We arrived tonight and they brought 3 different ones to the door. We left with a fish and a heater. I've shopped there previously and the staff are knowledgeable, the store/tanks are clean and the customer service is excellent.

Sean Morhan (Snakeman69er)

Amazing selection of live fish and accessories, aquarium's and supplies

John Slemko

Good selection of fish to choose from. Usually more in non-Covid times. Excellent supplies inventory

Kristen Stark

Very knowledgeable friendly staff.

Trudon Riddle

If you ever need anything for your aquarium, stop by this place! They have everything you need, from supplies, to filters, to fish, to plans, to corals, to snails, to shrimp!! They have it all!

Ayla Brombach

Awesome if you are into aquariums. Their fish selection is superb.

Soohyun Kim

I like the selection of pet fish and how helpful the staff is.

Christopher McMahon

Amazing selection of supplies and and fish for aquariums. Very helpful and friendly staff. Good prices also. My favourite store for fish by far. Thank you.

Elizabeth Lambert

Guys in the back fish area just hang out and talk to eachother. It was next to impossible to get any help. The girl at cash was nice. Get it together guys.

Joe Fat

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Went to pet value and an independent store and they had no idea. Asked about water clarity and new fish and they had all the answers. Great job!

David Milne

Prices are more expensive than the the Scarborough sister store.Whitby store does not have the inventory other Big Al's stores do.

Scott Jarvis

Richard has been a HUGE help since we first adopted our Red Ear Slider and all the staff have been super helpful and patient with us on every visit!

Ray Neville

Lots of exotic fish and knowledgeable staff are very helpful.

Jesse Richardson

Friendly Knoweledge staff, ok selection of fish, lots of accessories

Karen Clewer

Great place to visit, even if you're not buying. We can always find what we're looking for and spend a long time just looking at all the fish!

Angie Touchette

Great service. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Always so helpful and kind. Great products and decent pricing.

Sean Cody (CrazedHumanoid)

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, healthy fish and plants aswell.

Nick Smith

They didn't have the product I was looking for. Super worms for my bearded. Only HD dead ones he hates eating dead worms.

Fuffer Nutter

Always helpful workers there and really the best selection of fish anywhere!

H Banks

The big box of aquarium supply stores. A place for experts and newbies. Friendly staff with the experience to help anyone. Well stocked clean store. I come for the deals usually leave with more.

Dave Irwin

Great selection of products but quite pricey compared to other pet supply stores.

Greg Littlejohn

Best selection of fish for miles.

Alexandrea Clark

Good selection of fish... Exchange only policy on merchandise (no returns)

Justin Pham

Decent staff that will help you find what you need ????

Alucard

Great place, lots of variety.

Chantal D. G.

If you keep aquariums, reptiles or creepy critters big Al's is the place! I don't find them overpriced for a specialty store which is nice and they're in a relatively convenient location on the Oshawa/Whitby border. The staff is quite knowledgable and they have a great selection of products and critters (although I'd be happy to see more reptiles, amphibians and arachnids - their fish selection is awesome though).

Krzysztof Adamiec

They have a large selection but I found the staff there generally annoyed if you ask them any questions regarding the fish. Wish my four year old had a better first fish buying experience.

Taylor Jones

Love the staff here, very friendly. Great prices !

Francis Tremblay

Good over all customer service was a little slow thow

kelli yang

Whitby Big Al's has all the aquarium supplies. Friendly and helpful staffs to answer all my questions.

Luigi Stallone

Quantity and variety of fish was good. Information concerning fish should be improved (too dark and too small to read easily).

Ariee Cupcog

Love this place. Even if your not buying anything always so fun to look at all the fishies they have

Laurie Zabolotny

Always helpful staff and great selection of supplies and fish

Sean Rees (Sean Reads)

Great shop! Like going to a little version of Ripley's aquarium.

Tina Nason-Cirone (DUTCHESS)

I love Big Al's !! I've been a customer there for many years ???? Customer Service is always cheerful and knowledgeable. ..thanks Big Al's!

Adam Gibson

Great store, lots of fish, very knowledgeable and friendly staff.

mark gabriel

I am a big admirer of Cardinal Tetra and in Barrie only Big Al have them.

lburnett1111

If you want an aquarium, this is the place to go to. Staff are very knowledgeable and friendly.

L Johnson

Many variety of dishes to choose a bit pricy great staff knowable and willing to help

Phillip Tilley

This place is awesome staff are friendly such a huge selection I highly suggest them

Kell N

Didn't have what I wanted and counter staff was as always too cool to help and ignored us

mark english

Grew up going to this place on weekends. You need fish? They got fish. You need aquarium? They got aquarium. You need light for aquarium? Guess what? They have that too.

Monica Wierzbicki

Always interesting. So much to look at. Great place for all your aquarium needs.

Ryan Foster

Always great service..never feel like I am being "over sold" or "up sold" on products...listen to your needs and provide proper product

Maxx Bonnefoy

Fantastic care taken of facilities and livestock. Very good Aquarium supply store

Dave Dawe

Great store with very friendly and helpful staff!! Store is well stocked.

Samantha Grant

Good customer service and great fish

Brittany Esguerra

Completely disappointed in Big Al's I purchased 4 fish on Saturday and by Wednesday I notice one of them was showing signs of Ick. I immediately did research and started treatment in the hopes that I could save my new fish and old ones. Today (Friday) I can see that it has spread, so so so disappointed! I Called big Al's to see what they do in situations like this because it seems clear to me that the fish I purchased must have been compromised from when I got them. To my surprise the person I spoke with disputed with me on the phone that there is NO way that the fish I purchased from them was compromised when I purchased them and then told me all fish carry Ick, and that they must have been stressed in my care why they got sick. the whole conversation on the phone was just as stressful as finding out my fish have Ick. furthermore he explained that they only have a 5 day death guarantee. LESSON LEARNED! don't buy fish from Big Al's, they do NOT stand by there fish! What I should have done is let them die instead of treat them so I could bring them back in 5 days and get my money back. As the staff pointed out on the phone, today is day 6..... which means Big Al's can wash there hands. I spent a total of $21.42 on this visit to Big Al's and the last list I will ever go back.

Alana Fearnall

Saw a few dead fish in the tanks. Some of the goldfish tanks, or fancy goldfish tanks, had sick fish resting on the bottom...or about to die. Salt water cared looked OK. Good selection on aquariums, decorations, and supplies. Just not a fan of the fish care here.

Rose Henderson

Who doesn't love big Al's. Nobody

Rob

Good selection. However the tank I bought didn't come after 2 weeks of ordering it, when I was originally told it would be 2 days. I ended up being given a floor model still dirty with sand in it and they were rude to me when I asked for a discount.

Peter Sluys

Always has what I need and fairly priced!

Natalia Ospina

Great place for fish stuff.

Sam Hammer

Amazing staff in the back, very knowledgeable and helpful! Have lots of information about both fresh and salt water fish and always a pleasant atmosphere when I shop there! 5 stars and Highly recommend shopping for live stock BUT the front is a different story...one time I was purchasing a fish and the cashier (seemed new) asked the manager for help and he refused and had told her to ask someone else and there wasn’t anyone around. Not how a manger should treat employees. I would love to make this a 5 star but for that I have to say 4 and a half

GrenadeMagnet

This place is amazing! Quite a large store of it's kind. Many different varieties and species. Fish are all very healthy and they definitley care about their customers satisfaction. Staff was all very helpful and friendly.

DIYREEFER'S PARADISE

Poor customer service fish tanks are full of pest specially the marine fish. I WOULD RECOMMEND PLZ GO TO SCARBOROUGH LOCATION ONLY.

Jeremy Gillard

Nice aquarium store. Very clean.

Matteo Gpro

Great place clean knowledgeable and kind. Good selection. ****Ken is the man with the plan. Need help advice he's truly amazing guy! Look forward to see him when I'm around.

Errol Williams

My granddaughter loved it and got some fish there.

Nathan Daggett

Sad state. Used to be an amazing LFS.

Laurie Heath

I went here to purchase frozen rats to feed my Ball Python as someone recommended Big Al's to me. Having never been here I was happy to see that they have a variety of reptile supplies although their major focus is aquariums/fish. Loved walking through the aquarium part of the store & looking at their selection of fish. Overall, the store is well-laid out, clean, & organized with helpful sales staff.

chaitanya inapurapu

Staff is very helpful and as always one stop for pet's shopping

Laura (iBubbles)

I had been looking everywhere in Ontario for the white 32.5 gallon fluval spec, and they had it in stock!

Rob Tyo

There aren't a lot of options around for true aquarium enthusiasts. Thankfully this location is excellent. We've kept fish for years, but we'd not had any in some time. Dropping back into it, the rep at the store was truly excellent and provided sound advice both on fish, inverts, plants, food and chemicals for my plants. Highly recommended.

Jason Lessard

Went in to purchase a Beta fish for my 10 year old son. Gentleman who helped us was very knowledgeable and pointed us in the right direction for all the accessories that we needed. They have a great selection of both fish and aquarium accessories as well

Rattiest Boot

Literally love this place everyone is so nice it’s such a cool place to go even just to look at what they have

Dylan Henson

Absolutely fantastic service. Each person who works there is extremely knowledgeable with regard to aquarium and terrarium keeping. Highly reccomend if you have any issues with your current aquariums, wish to purchase a new one, or if you want new fish. I trust this place with my fish lives.

Michelle Q

The staff is very knowledgable and helpful. Store is well stocked and organized The variety of everything beats any other fish store.

jessica lawrie

Favorite place to buy all fish and aquarium needs. Travel from muskoka just for the store

Patricia Menary

Wonderful to shop in. Great variety of fish

drsergen

Been shopping here for years always have a great selection.

Mike Stolarchuk

Great selection of fish and aquatic products, phenomenal staff with an abundance of knowledge and convenient location.

A M

Very nice! Super helpful! Got very happy fishies from here!

Nathanael Tendam

Friendly staff and good product.

Neal Jensen

A great place to buy fish. A gentleman who works there by the name of Mike is super helpful and knowledgeable. He alone gets 10 stars. Thanks Mike for all that you do.

Chris Panting

because they have great stuff and everything u need

Katy Abrams

Staff are very helpful and during busy time they are sure to acknowledge all of their customers and assurw them they will be with them as soon as they can. Tanks are kept clean. a lot of products and options to choose from.

Allan McIntosh

Great service. They always have what I need.

Cory “CO2K” Burns

Bought a small starter tank for my 4 year old son 3 months ago. The filter motor stopped working. Brought it in. They tested it and then no questions asked, replaced it at no charge. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend Big Als with that kind of friendly service!

Sarah Blackley

Specifically thank you to the young woman in the back that helped me out yesterday. My son was having a really hard time listening to me, running off every time I turned my head to look for fish. She was so gentle and sweet with my son. She took the time to talk to him, let him pick out our fish and saw that he was so drawn to the kio( I had questions that she answered all of as well. But what really stood out is she let my son feed the koi. My wee man was so delited and was amazing for the trip home. All he talked about was feeding the fish. Thank you so VERY much for being an observant person and realizing when a parent needs help. Thank you thank you thank you!

Steve Mignardi

Nice place is nice and clean with a good selection. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable

Kennith James

Fantastic service, knowledgeable and friendly! Helped solve fish food issue, tank cleaning inquiries and light bulb replacement.

barb spina

I love watching all the different fish. The staff was friendly and the service was great.

Arielle Paige

Great prices but the staff made me feel like I was bothering them with asking for assistance. Also had differences in posted price and the price coming up on the register which they corrected once I pointed it out and physically took them to the display.

Jennifer Olver

Great and friendly employee's, huge selection of products and livestock. Has everything you need! You can earn points towards product purchases/discounts. Garenteed to have LOADS of new or different livestock available! Definitely raises the bar in other competitive companies ???????????? A must go to store. Highly Recommended to everyone!! Hard to walk out without a purchase. Also is a happy and satisfying place to work!

SUNSETNHL

Staff are very helpful and they have an amazing selection of fish and reptiles

Paul Bondy

Beautiful store they had a lot of very different types of fish. Our son loved seeing all the different coloured fish. Most importantly the store was well kept the tanks were clean and all the fish looked healthy.

Stephen Schattin

You wake up wanting to put together a fish tank. Your first stop should be here. Realize you are not buying fish for a month though. Bad for the fish.

Jessica Hunt

Great selection, not outrageous prices and knowledgeable staff.

Hayden Hollis

Great people and are willing to help with any problem

Ian Sammons

Good prices. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

Kerry Head

Great selection of fish, friendly staff

Matt Andison

Well organized defenetly lots of fish to choose from I'm from Ottawa and I like this place bigger then our location

Sharon Hulmes

All kind of neat things in this store with a wide variety of live fish.

dave delan

This place has the worst customer service.once they take your $, they could care less about the live stock or animal you got from them.their staff tell you one thing on the phone but the story totally changes when you go there in person.the management team is even worst and super rude..i will never shop there again.

Warran Grin

What a fantastic store with a lot of stock, however we were very disappointed with the level of service we received. Coming into the store, we were not greeted, and the people behind the front desk were on their phones texting. Sadly, this was the only place in town which had the cichlid food we needed. We purchased the fish food, but we probably won't be back unless the level of service changes.

John Connell

We just rebuilt our pond and needed some fish to put in it. We showed up, told the young man what we wanted and he made some suggestions ended up walking out with 12 fish and three plants. Staff always seem very knowledgeable about their products. We really enjoy going in there. Would recommend this store to anyone.

Hail F

I went with a friend who needed supplies and was looking to buy some fish. The staff seemed really informative and the store was decently stocked. They didn't have enough of the fish we were looking for, but we bought the few that they had.

Barbara Viklen

Has a good selection and decent prices. They will try and get stuff in for you so ask if you can't find it.

William Bernier-Facey

Super fan of Al's. Great customer service and everything you'd ever need for you aquariums

Emily VL

I’m guilty of going in the first place as I don’t usually like to endorse exploitation of animals. At first it was interesting to see all the tropical fish. Tanks seemed clean and well kept but the reality is we shouldn’t be robbing the ocean of these beautiful creatures. They don’t deserve our exploitation and for the love of god please put the poor beta fish in something larger than a cup. Come on guys. Is money really worth the cruelty.

Tim Lascak

Friendly and knowledgeable staff, have most things enthusiast want.

nate kaplinski

Amazing best fish store in town . Wouldnt go anywhere else

Leigh Payne

Got helped out by a young guy. Very knowledgeable and informative. A really big help and a credit to your staff.

Stephen Kraan

Returned some large cichlids to store so i could start over. Our sales associate was very attentive.

Sheethal Vikram

Good place to find your aquarium needs.Staffs are friendly and helpful

Dave Gibb

My wife and I have been buying fish here for our 3 tanks for 10 years. Always been helpful and good advice. Just bought 200 bucks worth of fish the other day. No issues at all and will continue to buy there. I think if you want there to be an issue you can find one. They're fish. They die sometimes.

A G

Friendly staff nice selection, best aquaria supplier in the area

Frank Thickett

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff, everything you need to set up or maintain your tank

Walter Reid

Fun friendly staff. So many fish! And everything you need for aquariums from beginner to advanced

Red Graham

Gone downhill big time. Nothing but bad experiences lately, and multiple issues per visit. Time to look elsewhere.

Hadi Servat

I was not expecting this veriety of fishes in Barrie, staff were nice and our little fish are still happy

Richard Chin Fatt

I bought a fresh water plant for my fish bowl. Great Service, a bit pricey.

Freya Warrior

I have come here for my turtles amenities. Honestly, this place is sooo nice! It has great prices, and exceptional deals. I used to go to Petsmart before this, but when I came here for the first time, I was very shocked because Big Al's has more choices for reptiles and fishes than in petsmart. Definitely reccomend Big Al's to others.????

Mark McLenaghan

Knowledgeable staff. Good quality products. Fish are hard and long lasting.

Mandy Branham

This place is a great stop with kids. Lots to see and look at. The staff was great and very friendly. We picked up more items that we had went in for and the experience was what it was all about.

Amar Rajput

managers are very knowledgeable and the staff are usually pretty helpful. I've been coming to big als for probably close to 15 years and don't see myself stopping anytime soon

Gavin Steiner

Some staff can come acoss pretty "too good to serve you" but most are friendly and the stock is great.

Norah Adams

Really cute guy works there! Also they have great customer service and a wide variety of fish, reptiles and equipment.

kyra moreau

Best place to go for all fish needs. Has a MASSIVE tank full of all kinds of big fish that everyone can enjoy!!

Don McNair

Just about all you could needfor your aquarium Helpful and knowledgeable staff

Christine Lovatt

I had to replace a fish and they did with no problem! Good service and nice staff.

Desiree Pennells

Great place to get stuff for my saltwater tank. However if your looking to buy a tank, go to petsmart, you will save a lot of money.

Stephanie Robinson

Great place to shop for aquatics. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Always helpful.

Lauren Collins

Love this store. Great quality. Great service.

Anne Tapley

Lots of fish to choose from. Knowledgeable staff and the checkout staff are friendly too!

Hunter Mabee

My wife and I spent 45 minutes waiting to be helped... I ended up interrupting a worker asking where I could find what I was looking for, and than waited about 20 minutes in line....

Steve Shew

Great staff, lots of equipment on stock and fun little fish to see.

Lahnice Brereton

Love coming here to get all the nessecities for my california king snake. Staff here will also recommend better things for your cage.

Lindsay Black

Love the service here. Very friendly staff

craig maidens

It was fun went to buy a Beta fish and products.

Jamie Thomson

Great staff purchased a tank stand light and lid and they kindly without being asked helped and loaded everything into my car even with the active snow.

Realistically Dazed

Great Selection GREAT Prices & Very Helpful Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff.

Erin Makes

Great location. Lots of friendly staff available and very clean.

Mason McIsaac

Access to a great variety of fish and tank necessities and a large collection of amazing fish

Jay

Great selection. Love coming here

Rachel Ann

Everyone at this location was so so helpful and understanding and knowledgeable - they are clearly well-versed in aquatic pet care and very kind to everyone who needs to ask a thousand questions. I’d always rather go here for fish (etc.) supplies and questions instead of somewhere like PetSmart. If you take your kids they will learn a lot from the staff!

Jennifer Berg

Best Big Al's location yet by far. I have shopped at many locations but the Barrie store exceeded my expectations. Clean, friendly and all the fish looked healthy. Not one dead fish spotted. I'm going back this weekend to buy more fish. It's worth the 80 minute drive.

P S

Love this place. Great staff and very informative and helpful. Very clean and great selection of fish!!

Jeff MacLeod

Location in Brampton has bigger, better selection. But it's convenient for this area.

Diane Mitchum

I could live here.

DUN HUN

Seems best prices and selection fish from here all lived fish from pet smart 1/2 died

Ali Khaky-Kazzazy

Awesome store and exceptional staff; friendly and competent and always ready to provide correct information/ stocking suggestions. Great store to start the hobby or just to check out the sweet fish!

Yathu Karunailingam

This place always finds it way to get unique corals and marine fish, just like the Saga one. The manager is truly an amazing person, super helpful and caring for his costumers. I now have gotten 2 different corals from this Big Al’s and they are all doing well. I also got 2 different fishes, shohal tang and a yellow tang. I trust these guys when it comes to my reef tank. They are expensive but you will get healthy animals. Next time if your looking for new addition, go check this place out!

Michael Bloomer

I've been going to Big Al's for a long time. Different locations all over Southern Ontario. Now I'm up in Simcoe County so Barrie is my go to location. I have nothing bad to say about any location. Very knowledgeable, good selections of fish and accessories. For all my aquarium needs it's Big Al's for me.

Kenny Phillips

Great place to just see some fish. Always stocked with unique fish and products

Colin Jacobs

Beautiful place to visit. Friendly staff. Lots of products to choose from.

Nodieskys Gonzales

Really hard workers in that store . Everyone .they will help you with all you needs . Honestly guys . Lots of knowledge. Thank you

The Mad Reviewer

Best place to get freshwater and saltwater fish and aquarium supplies. Fish and plants are healthy, and they will not sell new arrivals until they are acclimated. Most of the staff are knowledgeable, and are eager to help. Prices are better than most other pet stores and they have great sales. Why only 4 stars? Last time I was there I noticed a few tanks with dead fish laying on the bottom, which had been there long enough for the other fish to almost completely eat.

Olivia Stewart

A cool place just to come and look at the fish and shark. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Cameron Carpenter

Only place to get all of your aquarium needs. Staff is friendly and very knowledgeable aswell.

Amina Northey

It was really good. The guys were really helpful that I got the right fish for my tank. So far he's doing okay ????

Bradley Ferguson

Lots of fish and aquarium supplies. Friendly staff.

Elaine gilpin

Staff are unhelpful. They just assume you will know how to use and maintain their products. If you're new to aquariums they deny the warranty they encourage you to purchase with the product. They'll sell you a replacement bit don't acknowledge the emouees neglect and provide any sort of credit or discount on new product. Very disappointed

Nick Schembri

Nices one I been in ... very clean and maintain

Louisa Szymanski

Good store, attentive staff. Their fish seem well cared for. I've been buying aquarium supplies here for years and they do not disappoint; I will choose this place over PetSmart every time.

Maceyyy J

Very professional, beautiful fish. I’ve had my tank for a little over two months and my fish seem to be doing fine :)

Crystal Kirk

If you want fish .. this is your location! Wow! So much to see, great staff and a huge variety!

Katrina Barker (Kay-cei)

Very friendly, clean, organized and quiet. Very nice looking fish and great prices for what you get for that said price.

Darrell Clarke

The staff here are always knowledgeable. Never had an issue with any of my fish purchases. Always willing to help and give great aquarium advice.

Alex Smith

Amazing inventory of fish and tank needs. Also have a wide selection of food too. The staff was awesome and very knowledgeable. They were able to assist me in the 6 new Monos I got as well as the plants and able to explain abit of the fish nature too. I definetly will be going back to get more fish in the future too add to my tank. Plus they have an amazing tank set up to distract you while your product is being bagged

Peter Newnham

The pros downstairs are underrated in their wealth of knowledge and how freely they offer it to us noobs. Gave my kid a colouring book and let her feed the koi. They don't have to do that. It's not Ripley's. Class act.

Ashley Mutch

Love visiting big Als. So much selection and very knowledgable staff.

Kevin Trommeshauser

Only interested in making sales. Bought a bearded dragon “kit” and other equipment pretty much a throw away of 300 as everything in it was unfit. Don’t bother with this place they have no clue.

Ben African Cichlids

Knowledgeable staffs, lots of choices, All fish look healthy.

Erika Bermeo

Great selection. Knowledgeable employees. Friendly staff and healthy fish.

mike kameka

Great selection of fish and supplies, salt water section is ok.

Ovcharka

Actually so amazing and massive and really cool products

Erik Crighton

The best fish place you can go in Barrie.

April Masson

Very friendly staff, helpful and they have a wide selection of fish, live plants and products for their care. Some items are a bit exp, but their sales are decent! We always stop here to get our aquarium needs!!

Allyce Margaret

Staff are unhelpful and unfriendly, except maybe one of them. You work in a place that specializes in aquatics, so if you can't help with basic questions, you should probably be working at McDonald's instead. Also, as someone said a few weeks back, they take fish for free, but do not do trade ins. Also, their VIP cards are NOT valid at the Scarborough location. Hate making the trip to Kennedy Road, but will, as this place is garbage for their staff alone.

Brenda Boily

They had what we needed for our Beta, Frankie Two Fins, and helped us with some great advice.

Holly Sunderland

Theirs so much selections, and the staff are very helpful

Chloe Fournier

Lots of fish, good service, great staff.

Clarence W

It's really a mini aquarium, they have tons of selections of fishes, also shrimps, turtles and snails. They also have some reptiles too. It's a great place to bring your kids for a visit.

Sam Jackson

Been going to this locations for many years. Prices on everything from Maintanance to livestock products are good

Its Sid

Very helpful staff

Laura Carter

Depending on the day of the week will be tank quality and service. My most recent visit was a huge change, helpful happy staff that seemed interested in what I really needed. Beautifully clean tanks with happy fish throughout the store! The young girl who helped me was absolutely amazing.

Dave Stell

I found the staff very knowledgeable and although it's a little pricy, they have a great selection - best in Durham Region.

Sarah Taylor

The staff at Big Al's are very helpful and happy to answer any questions you might have! Whether you are going in to just watch the fish and the sharks, or to buying a fish for your child. They will answer all your questions!

Infant Tree

Great place to shop. Sarah helped me and she truely is a gem, shes very knowledgeable in all the departments keep up the great work young lady!

Kemeko M

I feel bad because I've never bought anything from here. But when my partner and I had no money and nothing to do we'd have a little date and look at all the fish. It's beautiful there, and staff has always been friendly. I've owned fish in the past and although I've never bought from them I can say their prices are same as anywhere else. They have a huge selection of fish, plant life, and everything you could possibly need to set up a whole ecosystem at home.

Andrew Rickaby

Great selection and very knowledgeable staff awesome location just off of Highway 2

ICEMAN -HOCKEY75

Very professional and have great knowledge !

Kelli Baker

We've had A LOT of issues with this place. It isn't all bad, there's some staff in the back who are great, but there's been some major issues. One time, yrs ago, we had run errands all day in Barrie, I was in several parking lots all over Barrie and all the parking lots were clear of ice. We saved Big Al's til last of course because we had planned on getting fish. When I stepped out of the car, as I put my foot down, I slipped on a huge patch of ice ( it wasn't even really a patch, the entire parking lots for them was ice. ) I grabbed onto the car door to try to prevent my fall, but I fell. I was in a lot of pain, went to the doctor and was diagnosed with multiple torn muscles and whiplash. I told Big Al's and they ignored me. I received NO response, no apology, nothing! Recently, with the pandemic, we've calling several times a day, no answer, ever, so my husband drove all of the way there, a half hr drive 1 way & waited outside for 20 mins as they got the 1 fish he asked for. He asked for a siamese fighter and said he'd like a regular priced fish, like 7.99, not a 20 dollar fancier fish, so they said they'd get the fish ready. The bill was for a $20 fish.

McKenna S

This place is the best and service is amazing

Danni Mote

Wonderfully helpful staff. All very friendly and knowledgeable. Despite being busy, staff acknowledged us and were timely. Great variety of fish and everything you could possibly need

My guy tony wang (your pal)

This location is probably the best one of all of the other big al's in the gta because there are knowledgeable staff that have experience in a variety of fish, plants, and equipment. The staff are also very kind and respect the customers, followed by their adult sense of humor. They, however, have reasonably priced stock, but can be more pricy. The stock themselves are not always in good condition(because certain local suppliers that occasionally supply them), but they do their part in quarantining the stock. This is one of the smaller big al's with less displayed dry goods (most of the stuff is in storage), but this is a great aquarium stores that i might even consider to be as good as many LFS out there. side note: I tried to make this review as formal as possible xD

marlene glass

Awesome customer service. Greated as soon as I walked in. Great selection of products and fish. Love the displays of the aquariums which showcases so many options and.products. Appreciate the cleanliness of the entw tstore.

Terence “Wizard” Jones

Great variety of fish . Lots of help on the floor. Would like to see octopus here.

Mac Peters (Macpeters)

I mostly come for the crickets, but it's always fun to see all the beautiful aquarium displays and fish

Colin Lewis

Really great fish and aquarium store with helpful staff

MrJohnbb

Lots of helpful staff and great selection of plants and fish

DoctorJT

You can expect high quality fish and reptile products sold here, but it can get a little pricy at some times.

Life Of B

Ordered a chiller from these clowns, went to pick it up when the delivery came and low and behold they didn't order it. Huge waste of time took two days of driving there and I just decided to order online. Terrible customer service. Won't be back. Well maybe to look at fish lol to buy elsewhere

Andriy Shcherbatyuk

This store is a castrated version of what real Big Al's should be. Reptile department is grossly underrepresented. Just go to Scarborough store and look for yourself ! Maybe fish lovers would disagree with me...

Jessica Curry

Good variety of products, but does not carry feeders for reptiles. This location only carries feeder fish.

Mike Goodwin

Great help from the sales staff here. They know what they are talking about. Highly recommended.

Konoza Services

Knowledgeable staff on pond products took the time to ensure we had the right equipment

Yanique Bisson

I went there to return a fish that died after I just got it (1/3 died) then I went looking for more fish I ended up buying 3 bettas that I'm calling resues. The males are kept seperated from one another but still have fin rot, the females are all kept together in a 10g. I was there on the 21st of Sept. and there tank was full of 20-30 beautiful girls, some already looking half dead, fins attacked off from the other more territorial girls and fin rot. When I was looking at the same tank today I saw 10 maybe in there. All the others died. The saddest part is all the fish could of survived if they took better care of them. I see all the other more expensive tropical fish being cared for but not them. Its 10$ for a months worth a treatment for the ENTIRE aquarium at Walmart and your not even willing to do that to save 20 something lives and makes 200+ more dollars. It just doesn't make sense. The man helping me told me they get treated with aquarium salt but thats like treating cancer with lollipops. It won't work and they will die.

Sean Harvey

Good selection of fish, plants, supplies and decorations. Knowledgable and friendly staff.

Keith Mackenzie

Overall a good experience and some friendly staff. Keep an eye on the weekly specials to get some deals, especially if you have kids who tend to need more fish often

Vida7109

Staff have no idea what they are talking about the selection is poor and the service was nonexistent. Very disappointed

Kelli Polsinelli

Just care about selling fish not if they will survive in you set up.

Lori Flowers

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Great variety of fish and fish tank supplies and decor.

Brody Wood

Sick place... but where did that shark go! Lol

Phil Muller

Great selection, knowledgable sales staff

Denis Bergeron

Friendly staff and large selection of fish and supplies.

Matthew Mancini

Clean store, large selection, helpful staff. I've attached my aquarium build to this review. Bought everything from the store except the 10 gallon tank. I would have given them 5 stars but their prices are bit higher than the online stores, specifically Amazon. I wanted to support local however so I bought with them. I would recommend this store for your aquarium needs.

Alexey Alekseev

Great place to buy a pet fish and any accessories. Staff is friendly and very helpful. Purchased my 5 years old first Betta and she just loved it!

T “GU” W

The staff are incredibly rude, unfriendly and provide zero help whatsoever. If they even bother to acknowledge your existence, they act like they are doing you the biggest favour in the world by providing you with a modicum of their job required duties. I drive 45 minutes further away to a different Big Al's to get basic service, something the staff at this location have no knowledge of or care to provide. Petsmart is miles better than this joke of an operation and that says it all.

Jason Huygaerts

I've been going here for 25 years. Wonderful store, great service. It's like going to a zoo for fish and reptiles. Beautiful salt water section. Huge variety.

Amanda Meneely

Was just in the Whitby location and noticed a lot of dead fish when we tried to tell the staff we were rudely anunbed and said they were all new fish there wouldn’t be any.. I tried to point out the dead fish and they wouldn’t look.. Upon leaving the store my husband was asking about the policy if they die and the same gentleman came to the till and asked what the hell our problem was... in front of a little boy.. my husband got very upset and told the man we will never be back I can’t believe the staff are allowed to talk to customers that way.. especially in fro t of children. We will NEVER BE BACK

Sydney Lane

Today I recieved really good customer service from (I believe his name was Matty) he was super cool and helped me pick out my Beta!

Tamara Pedersen

I would not buy from these people. My daughter spent a fortune there on glow fish last night before she got home 2 died in the bag. After we climatized them the other 3 slowly but gradually died. We returned this morning and they blamed the water in our tank!! Hello, how did two than die in water from THEIR STORE tanks. The staff are clueless on these fish. I called Scarborough for a second option and they even disagree. On line it states they need a drip system to be climatized and that they are very sensitive to relocation......details a knowledgeable staff member should have informed us on. Staff never explained any of it. Nor did they ask any conditions about our tank like they use too such as size how long the water/ tank has been set up. I wouldn’t even give them one star but had to to do something. They are clearly out to gouge you, taking young kids money. These fish are not cheap....shame on the staff.

Kevin MacKenzie

When you want knowledgeable staff with the information you want and need to make your hobby and pets a success, go see these people.

darian perez

Great store the staff are very helpful and the fish are beautiful they help you chose what tank to get and help you know stuff about the fish you are getting

Penny Dulmage

Great staff all your fish needs in one place

Rebecca L

Had an amazing interaction with Nathaniel today. Encountered his stellar service over the years, I've been a frequent shopper for a long while now. Although the staff here is always amazing, I hope that you are aware that despite our challenging times, Nathaniel always has a positive, helpful and uplifting approach to customer service. So pleased to see him still at this location. He is always a joy to deal with. Thanks to all of you during this time of trial, and thank you Nathaniel for always being there with a smile, even if it's behind a mask.

Rolmyster

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Wide variety of fish and live plants. Aquarium accessories and fish food are available.

Rita Chan Pan

The staff is knowledgeable for what we are looking for, he is patience and helpful.

Bill Allen

I bought

Lila White

Some of their stuff is a little expensive compared to the big chains.

Deron Emmanuel

Love this place. The best fish and accessories

Chas Wink

Friendly people and happy fish!????

marilyn pruesse

Quick helpful service and very friendly Meant to ask if they knew that bamboo blooms in water

Raj Nava

Great place, lots of selection of fish. Friendly staff.

Paula Sparks

I love this place. They have so many beautiful healthy fish to choose from.

Tina

Love all the fish! Unfortunately, we weren't there looking for fish, but definitely a great stopby.

Ken S

Big al s is the only place I go the staff are great and informative and professional ????

Lindsay Stevenson

Great place good service lots to choose from

Trish T

I have a large tank iv have for some time and I have spent alot of money at this place, on a good day the service is ok. But 80% of the staff is rude!!!! Like so rude it's makes you feel like your not a paying customer but someone who is irritating to them. I purchased a fish for my community tank, they told me he would be fine(not aggressive) but the fish attacked all the other fish in my tank. So I brought him back before he killed someone in my tank and they gave me the hardest time saying I suldnt have put him in there BUT THEY SAID IT WAS OK. Anyways I spent 30 on the fish and they only gave me 5 dollars back..........sooooo upsetting. ..I think I will be taking my business elsewhere from now on.

Bob Dole

Some staff was not very helpful and kinda unwelcoming.

Alan Rush

Very helpful and informed staff to help in specific problems of keeping an aquarium. Highly recommend.

Josh Smith

Best place to buy fish in my opinion, huge selection, helpful staff and healthy fish what more do you need to know.

Michael Young

Friendly, helpful, great prices, and well informed staff.

Muhammad Shahid

Good place to buy fish stuff. Price little cheap compare to Toronto.

Adonis L. (kc.dad.sportster)

Lots of selection. Staff helpful when available. Poor experience during a flouresent bulb swap...guy insisted it was my fixture and placed the bulb I returned back on the shelf...the new bulb worked perfectly so it wasn't my fixture. I get trying to be helpful but listen to what your customer has to say...we are actually right sometimes :)

Conrad Sayer

Waited outside for an hour

John T

Had a nice inventory of reef fish today. I was able to pick up two heniochus diphreutes and a forcipiger flavissimus!

George Simpson

Been going there for many years best place to get fish and supplies

Mark D

Nice place, lots of selection. great staff! been there multiple times with the kids.

Kartik Radhakrishnan

Aquarium related stuff all at one place. Great fish variety, artificial and real water plants and much more.

Nikki G

Love dis place. Geta all my stuff here.

Jerry Anthony

Pleasant experience. Friendly staff. Nice weekly specials

Carol Wiles-Romans

Very courteous and helpful staff. This is the place to get all your fish bowl, fish tank or fish pond needs.