About
For more than 25 years, Aquatic Specialties has anchored the greater New Orleans fishkeeping scene from its longtime home in Kenner, LA, and the latest reviews show owner Keith and his crew still setting the bar. Hobbyists from across the metro and the Northshore make the drive for what regulars call the cleanest tanks and healthiest livestock around — no fishy smells, no betta cups, just immaculate displays that the staff quarantine before anything goes up for sale. This is as much an aquarium store as a fish store, and the saltwater side is where it shines.
Reviewers single out the exotic, hard-to-find marine fish — schooling bannerfish among the recent finds — and a coral selection that includes freshly fragged torch corals, which reefers call the best kept in the area. Carlos is the go-to for sourcing specialty saltwater gear, while Josh has a gift for walking nervous reef newcomers through care in a calm, reassuring way. "They have taken the anxiety out of owning a reef tank," one customer wrote this spring.
The freshwater room holds its own. You'll find neocaridina shrimp, smaller cichlids with a Neotropical lean, bettas, and walls of healthy community fish for sale in Kenner, LA, alongside lush live plants like hygrophila and anubias plus mystery and nerite snails. Searches for freshwater shrimp or rare fish near me routinely end here — one aquarist of 50 years calls it the best aquarium shop around.
Beyond livestock, Aquatic Specialties keeps a huge supply of frozen fish food, dry goods, and RO/DI water, and offers free water testing, tank-setup advice, and in-home maintenance — technician David has serviced some customers' tanks for decades. Recent store upgrades have only sharpened the experience, with longtime regulars noting the refreshed layout and broader selection. Knowledgeable, fair-priced, and genuinely invested in your tank, it's an easy first stop for New Orleans-area aquarists.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Aquatic Specialties,Inc. in Kenner, LA
Aquatic Specialties,Inc. stocks corals, reef fish, cichlids, shrimp, invertebrates, rare and hard-to-find species, betta fish, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Kenner, LA. As an aquarium store serving Kenner, LA, it also carries fish food, dry goods and aquarium equipment and offers tank maintenance, aquarium consultations, water testing, fish quarantine and aquarium setup.
- Livestock & products
- CoralsReefLive PlantsPlanted TanksCichlidsShrimpInvertebratesRare SpeciesFish FoodBettasDry GoodsAquarium Equipment
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Over 25 years serving the greater New Orleans area; owner Keith keeps records on regulars' tanks
- Standout exotic saltwater fish and corals, including freshly fragged torch corals and a well-kept reef section
- Deep freshwater lineup: neocaridina shrimp, smaller Neotropical cichlids, bettas, and live plants like hygrophila and anubias
- Spotless, quarantined tanks plus free water testing, tank-setup advice, and in-home maintenance
- Knowledgeable crew (Keith, Carlos, Josh, Brian) and recent store upgrades praised by longtime regulars
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Always get good customer service and they have a wide variety to choose from.”
— Frank Ballesteros5.0a week ago“Very knowledgeable and very helpful and very healthy fish and corals and clean and organized store”
— OU812 Reefing5.0Edited 2 weeks ago“$6 for a female endler.”
— Samsung Galaxy S20 FE1.02 weeks ago“One of the best kept reef fish stores around, entire crew are a pleasure to do business with. I always recommend them to all of my friends in the reefing hobby.Keep up the great work guys.”
— Lester Kelly5.0Edited 3 weeks ago“I love going to this place”
— Jessica Parker5.04 weeks ago“Awesome fish selection, the store is maintained very well, all the tanks look CLEAN! Picked up 3 Schooling Banners. They make a great addition to my 300!”
— Jady Guidry5.0Edited a month ago“Great store and very outgoing employees. Seems like they always have what you are looking for at a good price. Have tons of fresh water and saltwater to choose from. Wide selection from fresh water plants to some amazing beautiful corals. Highly recommend checking them out.”
— Brandon McCoy5.0a month ago“Great selection of both fresh and saltwater fish. I know nothing about salt water so everything I'm referencing will be just freshwater. Good overall variety of species for community and non-community tanks. Knowledgeable staff. Great selection of freshwater plants. I've done a couple of transactions at this place but the recent upgrades have made at a much better experience.”
— Nicole G (Nicole)5.0a month ago“Great selection of marine life and products!”
— Patrick Adams5.0Edited a month ago“The fish selection is amazing and same for the plants. I bought hygrophila on this visit, and anubis about a year ago, plus a mystery snail and nerite snail. When I get a bigger tank in the future I hope to get some more fish. The staff and owners are very helpful. They have quite a selection of both fresh and saltwater animals, including neocaridina shrimp.”
— Nathan Cuny5.0a month ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (504) 443-1576 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Aquatic Specialties,Inc..