About
Pet's Playhouse is a family-owned, locally owned aquarium store and Cedar Rapids institution with what longtime regulars call the biggest fish selection in town. Walk in and you'll find both freshwater and saltwater livestock under one roof, and it's the saltwater side that gives the store its reputation. Reef keepers come for black ice clownfish, galaxy rainbow anemones, and a rotating coral selection — the kind of saltwater livestock for sale in Cedar Rapids, IA that's genuinely hard to find outside a dedicated reef shop.
One regular even reported a galaxy rainbow nem that split into two after she brought it home. Freshwater shoppers get the everyday staples too, from community fish to goldfish, plus the dry goods and equipment that round out a tank. The store leans on hands-on help: staff have repaired a customer's canister filter for free and walked him through using it properly, and others mention real cycling and stocking advice for new setups.
Reviewers describe the crew as friendly, educated, and genuinely invested in the animals — the sort of people who'll pull a critter out for a closer look if you ask. There's far more here than fish. Macaws, bearded dragons, snakes, bunnies, ferrets, and other small animals fill the floor, and families regularly stay an hour just watching the parrots.
Niche needs get covered too — one shopper found springtails ready to go when nowhere else had them. Low-cost, on-site vaccination clinics for dogs and cats add a practical reason to stop by. If you're hunting for saltwater fish, corals, or freshwater stock available in Cedar Rapids, IA, Pet's Playhouse offers what a big-box store can't: real local expertise and a community-rooted, walk-in experience.
It's the place Cedar Rapids folks drive across town for, whether they need crickets, a clownfish, or just a light bulb.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Pet's Playhouse in Cedar Rapids, IA
Pet's Playhouse stocks corals, reef fish, clownfish, anemones, goldfish and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Cedar Rapids, IA. As an aquarium store serving Cedar Rapids, IA, it also carries aquarium equipment and offers equipment repair, aquarium consultations and water testing.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Largest fish selection in Cedar Rapids, spanning both freshwater and saltwater livestock
- Saltwater standouts including black ice clownfish, galaxy rainbow anemones, and a rotating coral selection
- Family-owned with hands-on staff who have repaired a customer's canister filter for free
- Low-cost, on-site vaccination clinics for dogs and cats
- Wide range of animals beyond fish: macaws, bearded dragons, snakes, bunnies, and ferrets
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Easy to see why they're going out of business looking at the state of their fish tanks 🤮”
— George Medina3.0a week ago“Your business is total garbage and I'm glad I was notified by the city that you are closing your business soon. I was there for a brief inspection and your tanks were fifty and your pets appeared to be malnourished. I recommend that no one support this businees prior to their closure. They were reported to the state a few times. Nothing further to discuss. Glad yoyr getting out of the business.”
— Andrew S1.0a week ago“Seeing the owner on here bashing negative reviews days before the business was set to close (probably due to the negligent conditions some/a lot of the animals and fish were kept in) is so embarrassing! Hopefully lessons in maturity and humility were learned here.”
— M L1.0a week ago“Very friendly staff and a great selection of animals! The staff is educated and care about the animals.”
— Sella5.02 weeks ago“Negligent”
— Ross1.03 weeks ago“I want to be able to recommend local pet stores like this one to other pet lovers like me, but the way they are keeping their animals is completely inappropriate. There is a large cockatoo in a cage that is barely large enough for a conure as soon as you walk in the door. Two of their large snakes are labelled "not for sale" and are housed in tanks that are too small for them to fully stretch out with inadequate water dishes and no hide. This is a great disservice to these incredible creatures, which thrive in room-sized enclosures with places to hide and climb. Their rabbits were crammed into tiny guinea pig enclosures, again with no hide and labels that indicated that there were up to three rabbits in the one cage. I want to see their animal care improve because their staff seemed friendly enough. Contrary to Pet's Playhouse's response, they are not following Iowa code when housing their animals. Iowa code specifically states "The animal should be housed or caged in a manner that allows the animal to perform the normal behavior patterns of its species and prevents disease, liberation, or accidental injury to the animal and the public. The animal should have adequate food, shelter, ventilation, and lighting for its species. Appropriate sanitation measures must be taken. Food supplies and bedding materials must be adequate, appropriate, and sanitary." A snake obviously cannot perform its natural behavior patterns to any extent when it is crammed into a tank that has zero enrichment.”
— Noah Seebeck1.0a month ago“Absolutely W pet store, they got some nice bunnies and an amazing fish section”
— Silvereyeduchiha5.02 months ago“I used to go to Pets Playhouse all the time for fish. They had a very large variety of good quality fish and at reasonable prices. I haven't been for awhile as my fish tank went down. I recently bought three fish tanks and was looking to stock with fish and since having a very good experience with Pets Paybouse previously I thought I go there again. When I went to their new location I was so disappointed! The premises were filthy and so were their tanks! The fish they had looked very lethargic and there was very little variety of what they did have and the prices were high! I find out later that the company has changed hands which explains a lot but is not an excuse for the conditions of the premises or fish quality! Will not be purchasing from there for sure!”
— Lisa Turner1.03 months ago“I needed springtails. They had them read to go. I saw a large variety of animals and supplies and the staff was readily available 🤙🏾”
— Drake Hickok5.03 months ago“Awesome place for all your pet needs!”
— Steven Mumby5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (319) 396-0635 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Pet's Playhouse.