About
Carter's Pet Mart is a sprawling, old-school pet emporium on Stockton's pet-supply map, and for Central Valley aquarists its fish room is the real reason to make the drive. This is as much an aquarium store as a pet shop: rows of freshwater tanks sit alongside a saltwater section stocked with marine fish and corals, so whether you keep a community tank of glofish or a small reef, there is livestock for sale in Stockton, CA without an hour-long trip to the coast. Regulars come in for live fish, the aquatic plants the staff are forever restocking, and the tank gear to match — heaters, filters, food, and treatments crammed floor to ceiling in classic Carter's fashion.
What keeps people loyal is the in-person help. Shoppers single out the fish-section crew by name — Ronni earns shout after shout for going out of her way ("she always helps whenever I need something"), and the broader staff get praise for being genuinely pet-knowledgeable and eager. One recent visitor stopped in for supplies for a rescued juvenile red-eared slider and left "very impressed by the prices," a refrain you hear constantly: most reviewers find Carter's noticeably cheaper than the big-box chains, with a far deeper selection than the national stores can match.
The store is more than fish, of course. Parrots greet visitors with a cheerful "Hi," while reptiles, birds, guinea pigs, and small animals all share the crowded floor, and affordable Sunday vet shot clinics plus walk-in nail trims pull in dog and cat owners too. But for anyone searching for freshwater fish near me or saltwater fish and corals available in Stockton, CA, this is the kind of densely stocked, family-run shop — "the Carter's are doing it right," as one regular put it — that rewards an unhurried, hands-on visit.
Bring your water questions and plan to browse the rows.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Carter's Pet Mart Inc in Stockton, CA
Carter's Pet Mart Inc stocks corals, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Stockton, CA. As an aquarium store serving Stockton, CA, it also carries dry goods, fish food and aquarium equipment and offers aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Combined freshwater and saltwater fish room with marine fish, corals, live aquatic plants, and glofish
- Fish-section staff — Ronni especially — repeatedly praised for hands-on, knowledgeable help
- Prices regularly called cheaper than the big-box pet chains
- Affordable Sunday vet shot clinics and walk-in nail trims on-site
- Densely stocked, family-run old-school pet emporium serving Stockton and the Central Valley
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Excellent service. Always helpful. Ronni is the best employee there. She always helps whenever I need something”
— Nickel Pickel5.0Edited 2 days ago“They sell sick animals i just bought a monitor lizard not even a week later it died . Hasn’t ate sense i bought it and they wanna tell me its nun they can do d so dont buy they animals. They wanted my $80 cage i BOUGHT to take in my genie pigs as well like why couldn’t i bring them in a box ?”
— Ann Marie1.06 days ago“I went for the first time to buy some materials for my recently rescued juvenile red ear slider turtle and I was very impressed by the prices of the items! I love how the store looks and the vast variety of items! I will definitely shop here again whenever I need stuff!”
— Grecia Cisneros5.0a month ago“A very nice pet store awesome 💯”
— R. Daniel Gonzalez5.02 months ago“Horrible customer service in the fish room. My wife and I spent 30 minutes waiting for someone to help us only to be ignored by the TWO workers there. Not once while we were there were we acknowledge or even asked if we needed any help. They would help the other customers that were just arriving and when it was only us left, they would walk around us and start doing other things like stocking the aquatic plants or just starring at the fish. Granted, we never spoke up and explicitly asked for help,as we both get a bit anxious when it comes to asking for help. I'm only giving it 1 star because I'm upset about the customer service in the fish room. The overall store is amazing. We've been here many times and the only problem we have is the fish room, 8/10 times we're either ignored or no one is around to help.”
— Phantoms Pain1.0Edited 2 months ago“Best store in town hands down. Best prices best service and amazing employees. The Carter’s are doing it right!!!”
— Tyler Carter5.02 months ago“Can to get our catalog nails clip and found out it was dirty old storage room where they have the mop and buckets and behind the door was kettle where they hold the animals. I wouldn't recommend having your cats have their nails cut.”
— Ching Ng1.02 months ago“I visited this store for the first time on Friday with my mom, and unfortunately it was a very uncomfortable experience. I drove 45 minutes specifically to find Stella & Chewy’s stew, which is the only brand my dogs eat. I was actually really excited at first—the store is big and has a great selection. However, almost immediately after walking in, I got the feeling that we were being watched. At first I tried to ignore it, but it quickly became obvious that multiple employees were following us around, pretending to stock shelves while staying close to us the entire time. I’ve worked in asset protection before, so I can recognize that kind of behavior. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and anxious, especially since I already deal with social anxiety. At one point I even told my mom I wanted to leave because it felt like they thought we were stealing, but we stayed since we didn’t drive that far for nothing. When we finally checked out and were leaving, several employees stood near the entrance just staring at us, which made the situation even worse. I’ve never felt so judged and unwelcome in a store before. What should have been a positive first visit turned into a stressful and upsetting experience. I won’t be coming back and will just continue purchasing elsewhere.”
— AyDAiSy1.02 months ago“Have gone there several times. Friendly and have pretty much what I needed”
— Frank4.02 months ago“Has everything you need”
— Stephen Benson5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (209) 957-6278 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Carter's Pet Mart Inc.