The Fish Room

Tucked into Fort Dodge, Iowa, The Fish Room is a father-and-son operation where owner Tom has built a loyal following through honest advice and genuinely healthy livestock. This isn't a polished chain store — it's a working fish room where the person selling you a cichlid can also diagnose why your tank's parameters are off and send you home with exactly what you need, nothing more. The freshwater selection is the backbone here, spanning goldfish, cichlids, bettas (including striking Black Orchid varieties), pea puffers, and koi.

One customer's 20-cent goldfish was still thriving seven years later — a testament to the stock quality. There's also a growing saltwater section, and a traveler passing through on the way to Nebraska found Instant Ocean priced below big-box competitors. The store has been expanding its planted tank and micro tank offerings, including harder-to-find plants like duckweed.

One of the most charming details reviewers mention repeatedly is the koi feeding experience. Kids line up to toss food to the big koi while parents browse the aisles, and it's clearly become a local tradition. Multiple families describe it as the highlight of their visit.

Beyond fish, The Fish Room carries reptiles — bearded dragons, chameleons, Russian tortoises, Asian house geckos — along with feeder crickets and frozen fish food. Supplies and dry goods are stocked at prices reviewers consistently call more economical than competing pet stores in the area. Tom's willingness to take in overgrown fish that have outgrown home tanks speaks to a genuine care for the animals, not just the sale.

Several reviewers specifically call out his honesty: he won't upsell you on equipment you don't need, and he'll walk you through proper tank setup and fish compatibility before you leave. For Fort Dodge aquarists who'd otherwise face a 90-minute drive to Des Moines or Ames, The Fish Room is the real deal — local knowledge, fair prices, and fish that actually survive the trip home.