BEST Chicagoland Fish Stores! | Fish Store ROADTRIP! 🙌

[@Mrs.M-Aquatics]

Another very pleasant and easy-to-watch video! I would love to have any of these fish stores within a decent radius of where I live!

[@thesmallscape]

@@Mrs.M-Aquatics thank you so much! ☺️

[@thomasbarnes8827]

Love the fish store tours video and how you incorporated some good spots to eat at. You should do that more when your out to buy something new for your aquariums. I feel like nobody else is doing that. 👍🏽

[@GregWittstockThePondGuy]

“I ❤ YOUR JOB!”

[@thesmallscape]

Honored! 🙌

[@HappyOne2017]

That was fun to watch ❤ thanks 😊

[@thesmallscape]

Yay! 😃

[@Matthew_Does_To_Many_Things]

I’m in Gurnee and I always love going to fish planet even though it’s a little drive. I love their selection and prices! I always eye down those cute pea puffers.

[@thesmallscape]

Hi Matthew! Those puffies will steal your heart ❤️

[@nancylee189]

Thanks for taking us along!!! Should have given you my list😂😂😊😂

[@zeuslea1]

I've been going to Tropiquatics for 20+ years. It's so cool to see it in a person's stream. Definitely need to check out the others I have not been to. Thanks! I am looking forward to meeting you and Jason this weekend.

[@joannemcgriff2016]

Oh thank you for sharing your trip with us. I enjoyed it immensely.😁

[@bethfoort]

Great video! I have to add a vote for Ocean Design. The owners are very helpful, great selection, and most important their fish are very healthy.

[@lgottman418]

LOVE the live food bar idea and wish more stores would do that!! Only have a betta and snail and would love to give him live baby brine every now and then, but there is no small-scale way to do that. Love it I could go to a store and but small amount just for him.

[@erikm8372]

You should coordinate with some friends, or neighbors, or anyone you may know that also aquascapes or has fishes to feed. 😊 That’s what I did like… 8-10 years ago with some of my neighbors. One of them had large peacock/spiny(?) eels, clown loaches, plus a tank of pea puffers, various angelfish and a separate outdoor pool for Mbuna cichlids. He def had a need for readily available live food and didn’t want to go to the store a lot. So he was breeding some brine shrimp, while our other neighbor raised some tubifex worms… then our third friend raised live black worms. And I had a surplus of wingless fruit flies, which were really for my dart frogs, but there were plenty and the fish absolutely love them… they’re far better for the fish, I think, than any processed fish food. I mean, except good brands, maybe like Spectrum or Hikari. But even so, fish don’t need to be eating vegetable starch, wheat flour, soy flour, etc., it’s just not needed. It may be mundane, but those are the things that metabolize into sugars and get animals (and humans) addicted, unknowingly. To sugar. Starches. Flour. Bread! It’s in cat, dog, bird and fish foods! 🤣 and I’m not a celiac, I’m not gluten free, vegan, etc. Nope. I just know sh*t. Anyway, tangent, lol. Basically, we all just networked and traded or bought live foods from each other! Whenever we wanted!

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Thanks for sharing your trip. ❤😊

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

It's a tie between the first place and the last place!! Thanks for taking us along. 😊

[@thesmallscape]

Thanks for voting! 😊 I was happy to do it!

[@momo7gato]

Just made my day! I live in Chicago and really appreciate the tour of the local shops. THANKS

[@thesmallscape]

Yay! So happy to hear it 😊

[@ccsorn]

I love how you change up the videos enough to keep things interesting. Also, I have never even heard of neon kuli loaches.

[@nattergalen1000]

Back in the early 80s i worked at Old Town Aquarium, thanks for all the great videos!

[@cathyhendrix7552]

Hey Joanna I absolutely LOVE my gold tetras. I bought 6 of them and they look stunning in my 20 gallon long tank. You can see that bright gold stripe on their backs at least 15 feet away from the tank. You won't be disappointed with them at all. Mine were 5 dollars each, and well worth it. My favorite from your trip is the Dawn tetras. Oh my gosh they're STUNNING. And now I've just got to find some. I'm going to be obsessed with these little guys I just know it. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I had an amazing time. 😊

[@luciad5988]

Great tour! Thanks 😊

[@tree.65]

Amazing fish stores! I wish we had something like these in central Indiana. Thanks for sharing!

[@juliaheinritz3264]

Loved going on these local fish store tours with you. It is so fun!! I really have to move closer..lol💚💚

[@sosweetbaby4]

I go to Aquascape there you can buy their pond models for your backyard from 3k up to 20k the small planters styles couple hundreds. You can also feed their fishes and turtles. Buy plants rocks ornaments etc. They finance also. Very cool place to go. This video was fun 😊 Thank you 😊

[@twoface9959]

Another good LFS in Chicago I would recommend is Ocean Design Aquarium within the Norridge area if you ever get the chance.

[@stoneysscapes7544]

YEAH !! I have been wishing you to do this for a few years and it's perfect timing since today is my birthday and I love Chicago so I can't wait to be able to go to all LFS that are in your video. Also I have to go to Milwaukee on the way back from Kohler for a very long day of playing the River Course @ Blackwolf Run !!! Thanks Jo and Jason for a whole lot of the great content and sharing the super lives of the Aquascaping Diva and his Amazing wife 😊

[@thesmallscape]

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and brand new year! 🥳 I’m so glad you’ve wanted this video -makes me so happy to hear it!

[@robloxplayers43]

Love all those places. I also found another place called Beyond The Reef located in Schaumburg that I enjoy stopping by and recommend checking out

[@tedriggs1513]

I love going to tropaquatics. Been going there for years. It is good to see the love for the place. I work in St. Charles and it was surreal seeing video of you driving right by my work.

[@msbranen6261]

This was fun! Thanks

[@norbertthoens3561]

Schöne Tour durch deine örtlichen Zooläden! 😀Grüße in die USA aus Deutschland! 🙋‍♂

[@bonniegoodwin5653]

I went to one of those places but that place in Elgin seems like a good place to visit. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

Thank you for the visits

[@lizettebusquets4305]

Thanks for taking us along! I'll be at Aquashella on Sunday, so maybe I'll be able to say hi. 😊

[@thesmallscape]

Woohoo! You’d better say hi!! 😊👏

[@UncleSmileys.Aquariums]

Nice, your lucky to have those places. I like a fish store with a good hardscape collection. The LFS around me do not offer much. The last place you went was really nice. Thanks for sharing!

[@thesmallscape]

Thanks for watching - just love your name! 😆👏

[@cherylbelott]

Thanks for the tour! A lot of time and miles! I’ve been hoping to visit Aquascape and Zooxae. 😊

[@thesmallscape]

You’d love them 😊. I think Noel said she was going to try and get to the Chicago Aquashella next year, it would give me a good excuse to tour you both around ! Wishful thinking…

[@cherylbelott]

@@thesmallscape That would be one FUN tour! 😊 It would be cool too if you and I could find a good midway spot to meet up sometime, perhaps for some coffee and thrifting. ☺️

[@stoybenxi7395]

I will also put forward the Aquarium adventure in Bolingbrook, IL. Been my local for years and never had a bad fish or plant from them.

[@thesmallscape]

Yes, we’ve been to both that one and the Schaumburg one (both by an IKEA too -woop!).

[@Soccerchick66]

Great video--- fun to go on a fish store tour. ( love the cursive font, by the way).

[@DirtyArnie]

Yes Fish Planet rules and they are the only store that actually has good prices on many items.

[@mizukage796]

I'm going to aquashella this weekend! So excited! Perfect timing for this video!

[@thesmallscape]

Woohoo! See you there! We will be at the Primetime Aquatics booth 😊

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Golden Aquarium on Archer/Ashland is my favorite here in the Windy City.

[@thesmallscape]

We rarely get to the city, Tom, but would love to see it someday!

[@Scaperoot79]

Hi Joanna! Hope you're having a great week🙂 Great video!

[@FrugalFishkeeping]

I only recently discovered Fish Planet after seeing Jason's video last year. My most frequented store is Birds & Beasts in Crystal Lake. It's a true old school mom & pop pet store where I got my birds and many fish and reptiles. Great selection of fish and great customer services.

[@thesmallscape]

Thanks for the reminder! It’s on the list to visit 😊

[@FrugalFishkeeping]

@@thesmallscape Patrick is the fish dept manager so ask for him if he's there. A couple other of my local standby sources are my local Petsmart in Kildeer. My friend is the manager there and they have a decent selection of fish. My other one that is a last resort (sad to say) is AA. I don't like being negative so just the initials but I think you know who they are. See you at Aquashella on Sunday if you're going to be there. Jim

[@Whips_World]

I know all those places!

[@thesmallscape]

@@Whips_World and I’m sure they know you too! Or should…. 👏👏👏

[@carolebraswell982]

I was in Chicago a few years ago for Aquashella and now I will know where to go when I come back! Thanks!!!

[@DavidTorres-fb9lh]

I would recommend aquarium adventure ! They have a great selection of fish , plants and aquascape material 😊

[@stoybenxi7395]

A man of culture

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Enjoyed the adventure!

[@jamesparadigm]

💚💚💙💙

[@kylekania3827]

Surprised I haven't run into you around the area yet. Didn't know you lived near me

[@JKFishKeeping]

Great stores!

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

OMG- big fan of these LFS. I go to them all about once a month! So much I could say, all flattering, but let me just add that all three of these LFS sell different live foods, and even if i buy nothing else I always get some some of that. Second, you MUST add Ocean Design Aquarium to this list. Located on the northwest side of Chicago, Tony (the owner) is about the nicest most helpful fishmonger you'll ever meet. Plus he knows his stuff!

[@zacharychristman171]

I've been to that one store you showed on the video witch is in Lombard il and i haven't been in that store in 4 years last time i was there they had a little bit of predatorty fish like arowana and a clown knife

[@Outside-InAquatics]

I still have not made it to zooxae. I really need to. My new favorite Chicago spot is Animal Krackers one of the prettiest fish shops I have ever been to.

[@jefftucker9225]

I live about a 5 min ride from Zooxae, they have a lot of nice fish and hard to find fish, the prices are a bit high but I still stop in once a week at least and pick up something

[@ladyt1866]

Thank you for doing this. I grew up in Bloomingdale .,Definitely miss the fish stores up there.

[@thesmallscape]

@@ladyt1866 you’re so welcome 😊

[@katm8122]

We only have two small stores that I am aware of in Pittsburgh. The one closest to me doesn't have much in the way of nano type fish. I have to drive about an hour to the other one, but it has a really nice selection. You are lucky to have some nice options that are close.

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

Priorities, I could have come to Aquashella, but got carried away with my other hobby (Minerals) and ran out of money. 😕 Thanks for sharing these though, I do plan on making it up there soon.

[@Genetic.messiah]

i love tropiquatics!! i remember when they had rabbits & kittens occasionally. also, MOTW coffe is good, they have really good macaroons. but Qahwah House is my favorite cafe in lombard lol

[@thesmallscape]

Thanks for the tips! ☺️

[@tentyme1]

Exact measurements…then proceeds to measure with hand 🤣😂😂🤣 just bustin chops Johanna 😁

[@thesmallscape]

lol - I guess you didn’t catch my sarcasm. 🫢😆

[@erikm8372]

9:19 what are those pink and purple Java fern-looking plants?? Lagenandra? I need to find me some of that btw. Also… even though I’m 100% committed to dirt tanks with live plants, weekly water changes, and my whole little "system", I’m also a definite supporter of some artificial plants! 👍🏽 I mean, as long as they don’t have jagged plastic edges, that LOOK fake, or are sharp for fish.. or obvious connecting parts or joints, or segmented areas that can’t be hidden easily… I guess you can always find a way, file them down, cover them, something… but it’s useful for sure, especially if you want instant lushness but don’t use CO2, or you just don’t want to wait for say, _Cabomba_ or _Ludwigia_ to grow-in and mature. And even things like _Bacopa_ or _Rotala_ I’ve seen available in convincing fake options! I would normally choose _Crinum thaianum_ (onion plant) as a "grassy" option, as it’s so vigorous, and I’ve never had luck with _Vallisneria_ strangely. Even in dirt… Crinums do very well as dried bulbs planted in dirt. Maybe too well some would say… but then that’s another incentive for the fake options, the grasses, or the jungle Val’s. You can easily create an instant, tall backdrop with it, without needing to think about it being pruned, divided, relocated, or dying back…

[@AlhanaTsuki]

Love Fish Planet, just wish I was a bit closer to it. I tried going to Tropiquatics but when I went they had no plants or shrimp which is what I went to look for. Then when I checked out with just a small amount of petrified wood (I wanted to support a LFS even if they were out of what I wanted) the workers made me feel like I was a waste of time. Have not been back.

[@itsbobhi]

Shout out to Sea Escapes in South Elgin!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

About 11 minutes into the video, we're those Mangrove trees? Looked just like my two.

[@thesmallscape]

Maybe? I’m not familiar with them. Very pretty 🤩

[@carlwagers9829]

Man, I wanna go to Aquashella so bad! Mabey, next year I'll be able to make the drive.... Anyway, great video!

[@thesmallscape]

Hope you get to make it next year and now you’ll be prepared 😊

[@carlwagers9829]

@@thesmallscape you know, they should have one in Saint Louis where I live 😂

[@jerrygoebel9152]

I'm constantly amazed to see aquarium stores selling rock for $4 per pound when you can go to a local garden supply and get landscaping rock for about one-tenth the price. I get all my rock for 34 cents per pound.

[@thesmallscape]

A great source, yes 😊

[@jalvarado0481]

❤🎉👍🎊

[@q.d.mcgraw]

Sitting areas? Room to walk past someone else in an aisle? Clean? Most of the stores around metro Detroit aren't like this, they hardly have room to run a mop down the aisle.

[@crittergirl3647]

@4:35 - what kind of fish were they, please?

[@chia_pet7121]

The snail was creepy, but the rest was nice.

[@dm0909]

“Infamous Fish Planet”???? adjective: well known for some bad quality or deed. Fish Planet is the greatest, owner is always willing to chat and make recommendations. Also likely to run into Chicago Aquatic Plant Society members who are more than willing to talk.

[@jamesjamesnet]

Nice video love it

[@thesmallscape]

Thank you! 🙏