Ely's Tropical Fish

Natalia Ramos

2023-06

This was my first time visiting this store and I am blow away. The store is clean, organized, has a great variety of fish, healthy fish at a good size, good small selection of plants, and good selection of aquarium equipment. The staff is also very friendly. The store is bigger on the inside than what you’d think from the outside. I will definitely be back again soon!!!!!

Anthony Palladino

2024-04

Steve always has some unique unusual stuff. Staff are very helpful. I’ve been going to him for almost 20 years. Extremely knowledgeable, and they also just like to talk shop which is great for the hobbyist. Fish are always healthy and well conditioned. They’re pros in the aquarium hobby.

Daniel Nazzaro

2024-04

Been coming here for 30 years, first the father's place and now his son is continuing to keep an excellent business floating (bad attempt at a pun). His fish are excellent in selection and health. He has tropical, marine and pond. Remember to bring in a water sample for testing.

Alfonso Vivar

2023-05

Just visited the store looking for a vampire shrimp and finally got one for 40 dollars. The price was a bit on the high side but it's ok for a rare shrimp. the tanks here are not the cleanest of surrounding fish stores privately owned but they were ok. Please read other reviews customer service is not their top attribute so keep that in mind. I don't think it matters much if you know what you are looking for and just want to stop by grab and go this is the right store. If you want to talk about fish and share anecdotes about the hobby not the place for that.

Morgan Sussman

2023-05

Absolutely amazing place. My kids and I love going to Ely’s. Looks small from the outside but it’s busting wall to wall with maybe 1000+ different species of fish to look at. All very healthy with crystal clear water. Great selection of exotic orandas. Will be back to check out the others. Thanks!

Jess Paz

2024-01

My partner and I purchased a water filter here a few months ago, and we've recently started wondering if the way we placed one of the hoses is correct. Since we were going to stop by anyway to purchase gravel for our turtle, my partner decided to ask the owner about the hose placement, and he was shut down and interrupted as soon as he started asking. The owner seemed so annoyed and told him to call the manufacturer. If he had just let him finish, I'm sure he would've been able to help us because they use the same kind of filters in the shop. It was very disappointing. The young man helping in the shop wasn't any better with the attitude when asked about the gravel. They both seemed to be in a bad mood and were very rude. This isn't the first time my partner was treated this way by the owner, but we figured he was having a bad day the first time it happened. Now we understand he's just a rude person overall. We ended up not purchasing anything and leaving. We will try to purchase online instead, it'll probably be cheaper anyway.

Marlon Rodriques

2022-05

Great service the min you get in the door. A friendly cozy atmosphere. Lots of great selections on display. Def check this place out. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾P.S. finally got a rope fish

Lauren

2024-03

Super rude - called just to learn more about owning fish and the man who picked up was as unfriendly as could be - made it clear he couldn’t be bothered to talk on the phone - I will not be purchasing any equipment or fish here. Too bad because it’s local…

Vincent Parmese

2023-06

Ely’s is a great place to get pond productsI was helped by the owner with getting the correct products to help reduce the green algae in my pond. Also picked up some barley bales and fish food. Very happy with both the service and products that I need to keep my pond clean and my fish happy

Lauren Klemp

2023-12

He’s a knowledgeable guy. Helped me a few times with illnesses in my tank. He has a solid selection of fish as well as supplies.

Wang Chong

2021-05

Great store with a lot of guppy selections. I am a big fan of guppies, and practically visited almost all the fish stores within 1 hour drive distance. Ely's guppies are always in great condition, exceptionally beautiful and healthy. The owner really knows how to take care of the fish!

Di Ana

2023-05

My husband and I have been there twice, and we loved it. Mike is super helpful, and is always willing to give good fish advice. They have a great selection, and it's super cozy inside. They now have life long customers.

Sal

2024-02

Great selection of healthy fish and a nice staff.

Juliet LaVigne

2023-05

There is a huge variety fish for extremely reasonable prices. The people who work here are so nice and helpful with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I came here when I first started the hobby and I've been to other places, but this one is by far the best and I always come back.

Rob Ziomek

2024-01

Knowledgeable and helpful! Love this place. Great variety of aquatic life and plants.

Jessica Liatys

2023-07

This place has a very wide variety of fresh and salt water fish. The people who work here are super knowledgeable and very helpful.Make sure you ask for some pellets to feed the koi outside!

Dark Soull

2023-05

Was in here today for the first time to get some items for a pond that I just built. The staff was extremely helpful , friendly and knowledgeable. Incredible selection of fish. Awesome experience.

Abdulla Sheikh

2020-05

Don't go on the external looks of this place. This is a aquarium lovers heaven. The staff is great and helpful.

Rudy Bakker

2023-05

I no longer live nervous Ely's and haven't been there in over fifty years.I was in town for a wedding and stopped by to take a look.Still like I remember..Good quality for the serious aquarist

yanni kebabjian

2023-05

Hands down the best and my favorite fish store! The staff is incredibly helpful the fish are well cared for and the selection is always top tier!!

Frank Punturieri

2023-05

I haven't been here for many years but visited as I'm setting up a new tank. Tremendous number of fish to select from but some prices are way out of line. Saw same fish at half the price. I sent them an email from there website but never got an answer. Still if you are looking for variety this is the place.

Nicole J Rossetti

2024-02

They have a big selection and they're very knowledgeable

Geneva Bonny

2020-05

All the locals know that if you’re setting up a tank or trying to revive a dying one, you get your fish at the big box stores. Once you’ve serious about adding interesting, healthy, mature fish, you go to Ely’s. The owner and staff are knowledgeable and the selection is wide and very tempting- you almost want to overstock you’re tank because it’s so hard to limit your choices.Yes, it’s snug inside and not very pretty inside or out , but I’m not there for comfort. I want good sized, interesting fish that are going to survive in the water specifications of my tank.For you naysayers who need friendly, attentive service all day, every day, it’s not going to happen (Visit the big box stores instead.)I’m not making excuses, but the owner is what he is. Somedays he’s chatty, but most days he’s restocking fish and merchandise, or cleaning the tanks, and you need to go to him and start a conversation. Once he gets to know you, he can chat up a storm.And last, but not least, there’s the pricing. I live on the Morris/Essex county border and I am unaware of any fish stores with the variety and good size of fish that Ely’s has. Therefore, Ely’s prices have to be looked at as relative to the prices and quality at the box stores and those of the single, stand-alone storefronts. There’s no comparison, so you either pay the prices (for what cannot be a very lucrative or easy business to run) or find someplace else to buy fish.Remember that you are going there for the knowledge, selection and quality of fish, and you won’t be disappointed.

William Sharlow

2023-05

I've been here three times now and I'm going back too. Not sure why people are saying the owner is rude, he's always been nice to me. Great selection of tropical fish and everyone looks healthy too.

Brad Gilbert

2022-05

Fantastic, ever-changing selection of fish of all types, and a great stock of hardware and supplies to boot. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful (and just a nice guy in general). This is the first place in NJ I recommend to friends looking for a place to start their own aquarium.

Christopher Moran

2019-05

It really is a great place. It has almost everything you need (with the exception of some of the rarer, more specific fish). In my opinion it has the best selection of any fish store within about a 20 mile radius. The workers are friendly and helpful. Some issues are that it is very cramped inside the store- lots of narrow spaces and tiny rooms. Also, they have shelves of tanks that range 4-5 different levels high. To see some of their tanks, one must literally get on their knees to view a tank that is literally a few inches from the ground. Lastly, this place is not cheap. I would heavily advise against buying tanks, stands, filters, or any aquarium supplies from here. Prices at chain stores are much better. Their fish aren't cheap either, and are typically 20-50% more expensive than fish at chain pet stores. However, if you are like me and looking for some rarer fish that chain pet stores do not carry, this is definitely the place to go.

JohnEmm

2019-05

As you will see, if you read below, the owner can come across a bit surly at times, or at least indifferent, but I take that with a grain of salt. He loves his business and knows his stuff, and apparently he's not there to make friends, but when you get him in the right mood he will give you all the time in the world. Either way the store is fantastic and, as so many others point out, with a great selection of really healthy fish. You can't improve on Ely's for selection and quality. Been coming here since the 1960's.

Dori Matthews

2022-05

Amazing place! The owner will walk you through every step of the fish process from tank setup to taking care of the fish. He will test your water for you and help you get it right for your new babies. Tons of amazing and beautiful fish inside plus everything you need to take care of them.

Questor 7932

2022-05

You must be doing something right. My family moved to Florham Park in 1964, just before I turned 5. All these years later, almost 60, your store is still there. At one point we had a fish tank, and I'm pretty sure they came from your store, as I remember being in your place several times. I also have a memory of leaving your store with bags of water with fish in them. My siblings and I each got to pick out our own fish. Unfortunately, my 2 swordfish committed suicide by jumping out of the tank. Maybe they just wanted to go exploring. We all moved away several decades ago, but I was looking up some info about my old town on Google Maps, and it was nice to see that your business is still there, in spite of the town getting a lot more developed over all of those years.

Sidney Brown

2023-05

Love the selection. Knowledgeable and pleasant owner. Decently priced. Rarer selections may cost a little more. Great for pond necessities. Great place.