About
Tucked into the small town of Clinton, Illinois, J Squared Aquatics has quickly become a destination shop for freshwater hobbyists across central Illinois — the kind of place people happily drive 45 minutes to reach. The store is compact but thoughtfully curated, with pristine, aquascaped display tanks that double as inspiration for customers building their own setups. Reviewers consistently note the absence of any unpleasant odor, a telling sign of meticulous maintenance practices.
The livestock selection leans freshwater with real depth. African cichlids are a strong suit — staff member Jamie has earned a reputation for helping customers build out full stock lists for tanks as large as 75 gallons. Bettas are well-represented, and the store occasionally sources more exotic species like puffers.
Live plants get particular love from visitors, and the shop stocks Aquarium Co-op products, a brand with a devoted following among planted tank enthusiasts. Driftwood, feeders, fish food, and general supplies round out the inventory. What truly sets J Squared apart is their quarantine protocol.
Multiple reviewers highlight that fish are quarantined before sale and that the owners ensure livestock isn't hormone-injected for artificial coloring. They're transparent about their care practices, which builds genuine trust. The shop also offers complimentary water testing for customers cycling new tanks, walking them through the process step by step rather than rushing a sale.
Owners are hands-on and deeply engaged — they'll hold a fish as sold if your tank isn't ready, respond to messages between visits, and take time with kids learning about the hobby. One customer credits J Squared with keeping them in fishkeeping altogether. The store also maintains a small reptile room with quality supplies and healthy animals.
For anyone in the Bloomington area or broader central Illinois looking for healthy freshwater fish, honest advice, and fair prices, J Squared Aquatics is well worth the trip to Clinton.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Rigorous quarantine process for all fish before sale
- Free water testing service for customers cycling tanks
- Stocks Aquarium Co-op products
- Beautifully aquascaped display tanks throughout the store
- Strong African cichlid selection with personalized stocking advice
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Great customer service and great prices. The staff is beyond knowledgeable and will.help u make ur aquarium dreams come true!!!!”
— Nik Harney5.0Edited 3 days ago“Small local store with plenty of choices of fish. A small reptile room, well set up and filled with wonderful supplies.”
— Andrea Manner5.03 weeks ago“Amazing selection, great fish!!!!”
— Tony Baker5.0a month ago“Met them at the Tri-County fish swap. Wanted to ask a couple questions about the puffer that they had. Mind you , at this puffer is that their store was given to them for free! And they wanted a $150 for it. The puffer is worth it. But we are trying to have a conversation with them. There blowing you off ,so they can sell some little things on their table, I find very rude. After creating and making a million dollar aquatic store and also taking reptile of the year for all of us and Canada by exetera I personally would have never treated a customer like this!!!! By the way most vendors know we purchase a lot of fish from them.”
— Greg Dodd1.03 months ago“Amazing service and selection, very different from near by shops n I’m for it! Great prices and fish and I’ll definitely be a frequent customer.😄 EDIt. This place is awesome still after a year of great service n great people they can get just about anything in there little shop that you can imagine n they always have something cool to catch your eye! Come n visit them!!”
— Hayden Snyder5.0Edited 7 months ago“I came down from Bloomington to visit this sweet little store. The tanks are all very nicely kept with locally sourced fish, meaning they're very healthy. Each tank has been aquascaped and looks gorgeous!! I'm definitely stopping here first from now on for all of my aquarium needs. Thank you for all you do, J Squared!”
— Jessica Schoen5.0Edited 7 months ago“Really nice place! Nice variety of products! Good prices! I love the plant selection! I will definitely be back!”
— Ben H5.09 months ago“Very knowledgeable with the animals thank you.”
— Ryan Kennedy5.09 months ago“Me and my family love this place! They are extremely nice and good with the kids. I am getting back into the aquarium hobby setting up a 75 gallon and they have been amazing. Jamie has been great in helping me pick my stock list of African cichlids. I admire how transparent they are about their care and quarantine practices. If J squared Aquatics was around when I was in the hobby previously, I probably never would have left the hobby”
— Mitchell Buckley5.010 months ago“I recently got a betta fish from here, and my service was amazing. The store is beautiful and the fish are mostly in great condition, some have been there for a while though. The workers were very nice and helped us with everything we needed.”
— Destiny Stevens5.0a year ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call ahead to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting J Squared Aquatics.