








Tucked away in Kingston, Massachusetts with convenient parking behind the building, Lovely Pets Aquarium is a family-owned fish store that has become a destination worth driving over an hour for, according to loyal customers. Owners Steve and Marlea have built a reputation for genuine care — both for their livestock and the people who walk through the door. The store packs an impressive amount into a compact space.
Rows of clean, well-lit tanks hold a strong selection of freshwater fish — ember tetras, bristlenose catfish, bettas, goldfish — alongside live aquatic plants and striking pieces of driftwood that aquascapers will appreciate. The saltwater side is equally compelling, with live corals, octopus, and other marine creatures drawing visitors who linger just to watch. Multiple reviewers mention the store meeting both their freshwater and saltwater needs, and for some, its arrival meant finally ditching the chain pet stores for good.
One service that customers consistently praise is complimentary water testing. Bring in a sample and the staff will analyze it on the spot, offering specific guidance on tank health. , while the staff even offered to rehome fish that weren't working out.
The atmosphere is part of the appeal. Reviewers describe it as peaceful and welcoming, with a resident shop cat that has earned its own fan base. The staff is described as patient, never pushy, and willing to special order items they don't have in stock.
Pricing is generally considered fair, though a few customers note that not all tanks display prices clearly — expect the occasional surprise at the register. The store also carries a solid range of dry goods and supplies, reducing the need to shop anywhere else. For South Shore aquarists looking for healthy livestock, knowledgeable guidance, and a store that feels more like a community than a transaction, Lovely Pets Aquarium delivers.
Alexis Fay Williams
2 reviews
Great place, small but full of beautiful fish. The parking situation is great too as they have parking space behind the building. Will visit again.
Sarah Riddle
29 reviews
The staff is knowledgeable and kind. They stock so many fun varieties of fish and aquatic plants. The store is clean and easy to navigate. We have had great luck with all the fish we have brought here
Christopher Breining
28 reviews
Large selection of Fresh water fish
joe kelble
2 reviews
Women in here is extremely rude, #parkinglotpirate!
Lisa Kingsley
31 reviews
Nice family shop. Great selections fish and plants. Helpful and friendly. Plenty of parking out back!
Jesse S
35 reviews
Awesome place. They have pretry much everything. Super clean tanks, healthy plants and fish. Found an amazing piece of driftwood also. Cant wait to go back and check out some more stuff. Highly recommend checking this place out. Everyone was kind and the prices are fair.
Samarah Holmes
6 reviews
It stinks to see such a highly accredited business give such poor service. Especially since this was my first time at a local fish store. I was delighted to find out this place existed, first scoping it out the coming back to buy fish. It seemed very nice and the people seemed decently knowledgeable, i’ve been keeping fish for 7 years now. I saw the other reviews about parasites and fish dying from them but I brushed it off as possibly poor ownership of the buyers part. But nope. A few things… Their tanks have ich. Ich is a parasite fungus that affects aquatic scaled fish, not shrimp, not scaleless fish. It has a lifespan of about 4-6 weeks on a host, it is invisible until about the last week. Once it’s visible on the fish, it’s pretty much a death sentence for all fish in the tank. The fish (6 ember tetras and a bristle nose catfish- both from lovely pets) seemed healthy in their tank, and in MY established tank for about 2 weeks, until this weekend (3 days ago) i noticed ich. immediately i set up a hospital tank ($80) for the ember tetras, catching the ones I could. But unfortunately 3 of them died, I haven’t seen the catfish so that is unknown as of now. I called today, I didn’t ask for a refund, I didn’t really care, I just wanted to inform them of what happened- seeing how they would handle the situation. They told me “Ich is caused by stress, it’s not our fault, our tanks don’t have ich,” and, “if you did your research on ich you would know that, because you came in here all matter-o-factly.” Wrongggg. Ich isn’t CAUSED by stress. it is a parasite, not a sickness. Stress CAN increase the effects of the ich infection, causing early visible development. But ich is a living organism that has a lifespan and infects hosts. And my fish were infected long before I had bought them, given how the parasites became viable after 2 weeks. Anyways yeah but customer service, and sick fish. If you buy from them I recommend quarantining fish for a few weeks before adding them to your main tank. And for reference, my tank was already established with a 3 month old shrimp colony (ich does not feed on shrimp and will die off on them after about 6 weeks if it WAS present- which it was not.) And the only fish I had was from lovely pets aquarium. Second, the way they house their bettas is not ethical, promoting them in vases and glass apparatus’. Having them in a cup is fine for retail purposes, but don’t promote unethical ways to house fish. Because all it takes is one person to see a pretty fish in a flower vase and now everyone has a poor fish on the dining room table with no filter, no heat, and no swimming room. All in all, I wouldn’t support them again. I think they have a good gig going, and I know my review won’t mean much in the scheme of things. But at least take it with a grain of salt what I said. And god forbid something happens to your tank, don’t expect a pleasant interaction edit: found catfish! also dead.
Bryan Riendeau
55 reviews
Beautiful shop and knowledge staff.
Nunzio Napolitano
4 reviews
Steve and Marlea are amazing people, they truly care about their customers and their needs. Never any pressure and very knowledgeable. Very greatful we have them available in my area for all of my fresh and saltwater needs.
Jeffrey Nason
31 reviews
Very nice family owned business. Very clean and a great atmosphere as soon as you walk in.
Note: Store information and services may change. Always call (617) 786-1898 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Lovely Pets Aquarium.
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85 Summer St, Kingston, MA 02364
February 7, 2026
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