About
Bert's Pet Center is a family-owned fixture in Ashland, KY that fishkeepers across the tri-state line treat as a destination, with regulars driving in from Huntington, West Virginia and across Ohio just to see the tanks. On paper it's a full-service pet store — birds, reptile supplies, crickets for the leopard geckos, even cockatiel nail trims — but the aquarium department is plainly the heart of it, and visitors routinely call it the largest freshwater and saltwater fish selection in the region. One recent shopper who drove over from Ohio stopped in and walked out "amazed," praising the clean fish tanks and the great staff.
The freshwater side runs deep. You'll find blue rams, otocinclus catfish (the algae-eating "Arnold" cats one customer came in for), Gardneri killifish, mystery snails, and so many guppies and other livebearers that a longtime regular jokes about stocking his "1000+ guppies" here. The saltwater and reef side is just as serious — corals, live rock, and oddities like the moray eel that recently caught a visitor's eye.
Owner Jim has personally swapped out problem live rock for coral-covered pieces and cleanup crews at no charge, the kind of hands-on accountability you don't get from a chain. If you're hunting uncommon species for sale in Ashland, KY, this is the aquarium store people name first — and if they don't have something on hand, staff will order it. " The tanks are generally clean and well cared for, the aisles are packed old-school tight with aquarium equipment and supplies, and the mom-and-pop atmosphere is a big part of the draw.
A few visitors note the store can feel overwhelming, prices run a touch high, and the no-refund policy on water-touched goods is worth asking about up front. Still, for serious aquarists across eastern Kentucky, Bert's remains a fish store worth the drive.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Bert's Pet Center in Ashland, KY
Bert's Pet Center stocks corals, live rock, catfish, livebearers, rare and hard-to-find species, invertebrates and freshwater, saltwater & pond fish for sale in Ashland, KY. As an aquarium store serving Ashland, KY, it also carries aquarium equipment and offers aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Largest freshwater and saltwater fish selection in the Ashland, KY tri-state area
- Owner Jim personally resolves issues, including swapping problem live rock for coral-covered pieces at no charge
- Stocks uncommon livestock — blue rams, otocinclus catfish, Gardneri killifish, even a moray eel
- Knowledgeable staff who patiently field pond, freshwater, and saltwater questions
- Family-owned, old-school atmosphere; staff will special-order what's not in stock
From keepers
Customer reviews
“I have a 8 inch Red eared alider turtle that I had just bought a new tank for because it outgrew my last tank. I came to Berts hoping to find a basking platform because his old platform was too small and the turtle cant get out of the water and dry off/bask anymore. I found a floating basking platform that stays in a small area using suction cups. I decided to buy it as it was the only thing they had. I took it home, washed it off and put it in my turtles tank. He was warry of it at first, but he finally got up on it, it sank with him on it. I tried messing with it multiple times, but it wouldn't support my turtle. I was going to take it back today after a week of trying to get my turtle to basking on it. I was told by the person at the register, " I cant refund anything that has touched water, im sorry." How do I know if it works or not without touching water? I was coming in to buy a 600gph+ filter with fish, plants and the whole fixings for my other tank, im sure glad I had this experience because everything I was about to buy was going to touch water... Im usually 100 percent small business but I'll be taking my business to places that return/refund crapy equipment even if I did put the stuff in water. Maybe the sinking floating platform should have had some sort of buoyancy inidcator, maybe something that says it will sink with more than 1 gram of weight would have been nice. The box only said that its a floating basking platform, not that it only supports a cricket. The box was devoid of any information, the owner is obviously after bucks, not righting wrongs. P.S. Don't buy the basking platform, its just a 40 some dollar painted peice of spray foam that is somehow heavy.”
— Ross Daugherty1.0Edited a day ago“Clean environment with friendly staff!! Recommend to anyone!!”
— Robinlee Eversole5.05 days ago“Thought i had already left my negative review but apparently not. I live 40 minutes away and decided to make the drive up here a couple weeks ago. I used to come frequently before things went downhill, so I gave it some time and decided to give them another shot. I bought a rock, plants, and fish. The rock was a very small $7 rock, but it's the principle. I was in a rush to get the fish home and acclimated, thinking they put the rock in the bag, only to find out they did not. I call, they confirm it's there and was left on the scale. I did not plan on coming to ashland again the next day but did anyways because I'm not going to just give away my money, but I might as well have. I come in, explain the situation to a worker and ask if, due to the inconvenience and price of gas, I could get a discount if I buy more things. He goes, talks to the other lady working, and he said she says she'd credit the cost of the rock on what I purchase. Great! Well I get up to the register, spend another $60 only for her to tell me she was refunding me for the cost of the rock. The way it was worded I figured I would receive the rock still considering the fact I was so inconvenienced due to THEIR worker not putting the rock in the bag. Long story short, just buy all of it online, way better luck and quite a bit cheaper at the end of the day. I will never give them my business again. Not including 1 of the 2 Gardneri killifish and 2 mystery snails were already sick and have passed now. The other killi hasn't passed just yet, but it wouldn't shock me.”
— Tyler Vest1.03 weeks ago“Just visited this awesome pet store. Very clean nice fish tanks lots of fish great staff highly recommended I’m from Ohio just stopped by and was amazed nice place”
— Brian Craft5.0a month ago“We used to love this place but we just left there and they accussed my 3 year old duaghter of pooping all over their floor in their bathroom. She did not poop on their floor and it was super innaproriate for him to accuse her of that anyway. We will not be back which is a shame because we go there all the time. My daughters love going there to see all the animals. We love the workers there but the guy that just accused us is really rude. Such a shame.”
— Josh Hamblin1.0a month ago“"Extremely disappointed and frustrated. My daughter and I picked out a tank, put money down on layaway, and I got her excited about bringing it home. Her face lit up when I told her. When I went to pick it up, the owner had already sold it out from under us with zero notice. Had to break my little girl's heart and tell her we weren't getting it after all. Terrible business practices—unprofessional and disrespectful. I immediately took my business elsewhere and won't be back. Do not recommend this place if you value honesty and basic customer respect. Save yourself the headache and shop somewhere else."”
— Clint holt1.02 months ago“Love this place”
— Megan Holsinger5.03 months ago“I appreciate the staff at Bert’s! They’ve always been so helpful and friendly! I love bringing my children and grandkids by just to stroll and look at all the beautiful creatures!”
— Lisa Griffith5.03 months ago“Great place to get your new family pet”
— Christopher5.03 months ago“Have a large selection of fish, and birds. The animals were well taken care of and the employees were eager to help.”
— Maddy5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (606) 325-4205 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Bert's Pet Center.