About
Tucked into Garden Grove, Cali's Tropical Fish is the kind of independent aquarium store that keeps Orange County hobbyists coming back — a husband-and-wife shop where the owners are fixtures behind the counter and regulars describe them as warm, patient, and genuinely knowledgeable about both freshwater and saltwater care. It's a real enthusiast's stop in a region otherwise dominated by big-box chains, and customers routinely turn up looking for species the larger pet stores simply don't carry. The inventory leans hard into the planted-tank and nano world.
Reviewers single out the aquarium plants as a particular strength — diverse and fairly priced — alongside driftwood and substrates that make this an easy one-stop for an aquascape. The livestock list runs from rice fish, fancy goldfish, bettas, and koi to Colombian zebra plecos and guppies, with a fancy shrimp selection that draws hobbyists specifically. " If you're hunting cherry shrimp or rice fish for sale in Garden Grove, CA, this is a far better bet than the chains.
The space is clean and well-organized, with display tanks reviewers call gorgeous — genuine aquascaping inspiration rather than just a sales floor. The saltwater side rounds things out, so reef-curious keepers can find livestock here too. A couple of notes worth knowing: pricing can run above average, especially on livebearers like guppies, and sharp-eyed shrimp keepers have occasionally flagged planarians in invert tanks, so it's smart to ask before buying inverts.
For Garden Grove aquarists building a community tank or diving into planted aquascaping, Cali's delivers real variety and hands-on guidance under one roof.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Cali's Tropical Fish in Garden Grove, CA
Cali's Tropical Fish stocks shrimp, invertebrates, goldfish, betta fish, koi, livebearers, plecos, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Garden Grove, CA. As an aquarium store serving Garden Grove, CA, it also offers aquarium setup and aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Independent husband-and-wife shop with knowledgeable freshwater and saltwater care advice
- Standout aquarium plant selection plus driftwood and substrates for aquascaping
- Fancy neocaridina and cherry shrimp praised as vibrant and hardy, a draw for shrimp keepers
- Carries hard-to-find species like rice fish, Colombian zebra plecos, fancy goldfish, bettas, and koi
- Clean, well-organized store with gorgeous display tanks as aquascaping inspiration
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Great selection of fish and shrimp! Definitely needs more shrimp!”
— Adrian Ibarra5.0a month ago“Went in to look as I never see Tropical Fish stores anywhere. I hope they are in the process of remodeling the place. They seem to have regular customers. Having worked retail pet and fish stores I personally would not buy fish there. The store is in need of upkeep on their tanks. The stock is light and lacks variety needed for my personal taste. But is probably fine for novices being heavy on live bearers. I will be setting my tanks up in a few months and will pass on coming back.”
— Gail Wilkins-Sponheim4.0Edited a month ago“Very nice 👌”
— ahmed ali5.0a month ago“I cannot recommend Cali’s highly enough. As a science teacher, I rely on them as my primary source for maintaining my classroom tanks. Keeping a school aquarium healthy and diverse is no small feat, but the quality of their livestock makes it much easier. Their fish are consistently robust and well-cared for, showing no signs of stress or disease—which is critical when introducing them to a sensitive educational environment. I have been particularly impressed with their neocaridina shrimp; the colors are vibrant, and they are incredibly hardy. Whether you are a hobbyist or an educator looking for reliable, high-quality specimens, Cali’s is the go-to spot. Their expertise and the health of their stock are unmatched!”
— Lauren Helm5.02 months ago“Cá đẹp, ông chủ đẹp trai 🥰🥰🥰”
— Khả Như5.02 months ago“Very neat store for the hobbiest...lots of aquascape”
— Jeanette Anderson5.0a week ago“I believe owners are a couple. Very nice interactions multiple times. Friendly and knowledgeable about their fish. Just hard to understand due to heavy accent (asian). My fish had babies and they accept donations. Highly recommend fish store.”
— Mike Noel5.02 weeks ago“He is a terrible owner and manager both him and his wife lie my Son more than $600 worth of supplies and he didn’t come to set it up. He lied nothing was done, but he sure took the money. . Shame on you for ripping people off all he said is call the company, but you are the owner of that Store. He does not make sense and if you ask him for your money, he will not return your money so he is a person that rips people off. I am sure I am not the only one that he did this to someone should investigate his business.”
— Greta Corona1.03 months ago“The owner was terrible order way over $600 worth the supplies and the owner didn't even set up anything . When asking the owner he said he know nothing about it. Shame on you for ripping off people shame on you I give it a zero zero zero zero terrible person”
— Greta Corona1.03 months ago“Planarians in the shrimp tanks as of 10/28/25, I'd avoid getting anything from those tanks until it's cleared up. It's a nice fish store and I'll keep shopping there.”
— Alex Matsumoto3.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (714) 583-8612 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Cali's Tropical Fish.