About
Aquatic Wildlife Co in South Windsor, Connecticut has earned a loyal following across the state — and beyond — for its carefully curated selection of freshwater and saltwater fish, live plants, and aquarium supplies. Owner Derek and his team, including standout staff members like Mandy and Warren, have built a shop where genuine passion for the hobby is evident the moment you walk through the door. The livestock selection spans a wide range: clownfish and anemones for saltwater enthusiasts, flowerhorns and pearl danios for freshwater keepers, and a steady supply of axolotls that draws families from as far as Massachusetts.
One customer drove home with a juvenile albino axolotl named Marshmallow after a phone call confirmed exact morphs in stock — the kind of personal service that defines this shop. Mandy's expertise in saltwater setups has helped newcomers confidently launch their first reef tanks, from choosing cleaner shrimp to dialing in equipment on 20-gallon systems. The plant section is a real draw.
Tiger lilies, hornwort, and a rotating variety of aquatic plants keep planted-tank hobbyists coming back, and multiple reviewers report strong, healthy growth from stock purchased here. The rock selection — particularly dragon stone — gets special praise, with one customer spending a happy half-hour selecting perfect pieces for a 55-gallon aquascape. On the equipment side, Aquatic Wildlife Co stocks serious hardware, including Red Sea tanks like the MAX G2 XXL, backed by knowledgeable warranty support.
Derek personally helps customers choose filtration systems tailored to specific setups, whether it's a community tropical tank or a habitat shared with a side-neck turtle. The store is compact but immaculately clean, with well-maintained tanks and fish that show minimal stress. Weekends can get crowded — weekday visits are recommended for a more relaxed browsing experience.
With fair prices and staff who genuinely care about the animals they sell, Aquatic Wildlife Co has earned its reputation as one of Connecticut's best aquatic shops.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Tank SetupConsultationDelivery
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Axolotls regularly in stock with multiple morphs available
- Red Sea tanks and premium equipment with hands-on warranty support
- Standout staff including Mandy for saltwater setups and Warren for equipment installation
- Excellent selection of dragon stone, live plants, and aquascaping materials
- Clean, well-maintained tanks with healthy freshwater and saltwater livestock
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Place sucks, the fish die after a day. They don’t look to healthy at the store. What they going say bring a water sample and play for an hour sampling the water. And very overpriced as well.”
— Box Watches1.0a day ago“Decided on a whim to take a drive to the store to check out the inventory and maybe add to my tank. The staff were incredibly polite, patient and helpful. Their fish and equipment selection was fantastic”
— Chris Roy5.02 weeks ago“Kinda pushy with it comes to buying stuff here. Bought my $2000 redsea tank from them and they gave me $100 store credit which was nice”
— RobertFPV3.04 weeks ago“My daughter went there this last weekend to get an axolotl. Their website search functionality wasn't working (early Jan 2026), but I called the store and the man I spoke with was super friendly and let me know they had several axolotls in stock and which morphs (i.e. colors) they had. This was helpful because we were coming down from MA, and I didn't want to get my daughter's hopes up on just "they might have something". When we got to the store, the staff were great to work with and answered all of my daughter's questions and gave us some great advice. We took home a juvenile albino, which my daughter named Marshmallow.”
— Mike Bartley5.0a month ago“Excellent selection of aquatic fish salt and fresh as well as coral and all the accessories you will need.”
— alexrad19855.0a month ago“great customer service and great prices, alot of inventory.”
— Hi Fonitics5.02 months ago“I learned the hard way that you have to double-check advice from store employees. I bought Hornwort/myrio and was told to bury it in substrate or use root tabs. Being new, I didn't know any better, so I buried it in substrate and watched it all melt away. I eventually looked it up and realized it shouldn’t be buried. I just wish the staff had better knowledge.”
— Mohammad Khairul Islam1.02 months ago“Great experience! Friendly owner, what a great selection of plants and fish. Would highly recommend this store to anyone”
— Jordan Klein5.02 months ago“The staff was awesome getting us setup with a new axolotl!”
— Pauline Meacham5.02 months ago“I go here all the time. I love the selection of fish and equipment. Owner is a really nice guy and answers any of your questions. He is very knowledgeable so dont hesitate to ask any question no matter what it is!”
— Racheal Taylor5.04 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (860) 648-1166 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Aquatic Wildlife Co.