About
Clear Water Aquarium is a neighborhood fish store on Saratoga Avenue in San Jose, California, and one of the most respected spots in the Bay Area to buy healthy freshwater and saltwater livestock in person. Owner Ed and longtime staff like Eric and Henry have built a loyal following by caring about whether your fish actually survive after they leave the shop — one reviewer was grateful when a staff member refused to sell more neon tetras than their tank could safely support. If you've been searching for fish for sale near me in San Jose, the selection runs surprisingly deep for a small store.
On the saltwater side you'll find corals and marine fish, which makes Clear Water a genuine reef-friendly aquarium store as well as a freshwater shop. Freshwater shoppers can browse betta fish, neon tetras and other community tetras, goldfish and orandas, freshwater shrimp, and rare, hard-to-find species that don't show up at the chain stores. Aquascapers come specifically for the live aquarium plants, hand-picked driftwood, and aquascaping rock and hardscape that Eric curates himself.
Pond keepers are covered too: koi, water lettuce, and duckweed are available in San Jose, CA alongside pond supplies and filtration. The store also stocks aquarium equipment — filters, media, and gear — and the staff will help you match the right setup to your tank instead of upselling you. Beyond livestock, Clear Water offers hands-on help that's hard to find elsewhere: tank-setup guidance, water testing, and honest consultation on stocking and cycling.
Ed routinely sends first-time aquarists home with plants and a cycling game plan rather than pushing a premature livestock sale. Store dogs Ceviche and Peanut greet visitors, kids get personal tours of unusual species, and weekend trips often turn into a show for the whole family. 4-star rating across roughly 100 reviews, it's a working fish shop that treats fishkeeping as a community, not just a transaction.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Clear Water Aquarium in San Jose, CA
Clear Water Aquarium stocks corals, koi, betta fish, rare and hard-to-find species, shrimp, goldfish, tetras, aquarium plants and freshwater, saltwater & pond fish for sale in San Jose, CA. As an aquarium store serving San Jose, CA, it also carries aquarium equipment and offers aquarium consultations, aquarium setup and water testing.
- Livestock & products
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Owner Ed provides personalized tank cycling guidance and honest livestock advice
- Strong coral and saltwater selection alongside diverse freshwater inventory
- Staff will refuse sales if your tank can't support additional fish
- Carries pond supplies including koi, water lettuce, and duckweed
- Store dogs Ceviche and Peanut welcome visitors
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Avoid this place bad costumer service”
— Abel Mayol1.0a week ago“Service was so bad. We waited until one of the 2 guys until one of them was available mind you we were waiting for over 15-20 mins to be rang. The person who helped us was yelling at my husband asking which one he wants and as my husband was pointing to the fish he was yelling like he was in such a hurry. We are also costumers that patiently waited but the way how we were treated was so bad. definitely not worth going back here. He was not nice at all. I felt overwhelmed. This person does not fit to be a business owner/sales/ manager or whatever you are called! We will just take our business elsewhere.”
— Joselyn Gomez1.0a week ago“This is a great spot to get freshwater fish. I used to go all the time with my family to get fish and invertebrates. However, I haven’t stopped by in a while. Ed is really good guy and gives great information on how to care for fish.”
— David BLAINE5.0a week ago“I really enjoy going here and the staff are always friendly and helpful! The story is a bit on the smaller side compared to Neptune or Infinite so it’s a a bit harder to get help, but the staff are very knowledgeable and the wait is worth it. A kid who worked here helped me pick out some corys to add to my community tank and the corys are thriving! They also have a bunch of cool saltwater fish you can watch when you wait, including a lionfish and a puffer fish.”
— Elizabeth Wang5.0a week ago“Great fish to look at, different verities of fish and the owner is super chill and friendly. Cool store overall”
— Adrian Mendoza5.03 weeks ago“Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly! There are a good amount of fish, supplies, and tank decor 😌”
— Tater Mae5.03 weeks ago“I'm a cichlids guy. Not too much there but had some pretty cool, big , talapia buttikoferi. 👍🏻”
— Anthony Valenzuela5.0a month ago“I wanted to get gold fish for my pond and rather than just sell me what they have the staff explained for like 5 min how we should make sure the water is safe first. We’ll come back soon! Thank you.”
— Hertz5.0a month ago“Wonderful customer service. There was an algae problem while I was halfway across the country and a family member was taking care of things. He was able to suggest a solution, and have the fish ready to go some that they could be picked up. The entire team has been incredibly helpful as I return back to this hobby.”
— Maggie Harden5.02 months ago“Cool fishes 🐟”
— Gold chains & Diamond Rangs5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (408) 217-8069 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Clear Water Aquarium.