About
AquaScapeOnline in Belleville, New Jersey has carved out a distinctive niche as one of the Tri-State area's go-to sources for piranhas and other hard-to-find freshwater species. The shop, run by owner Pedro and his team including Victoria and Junior, operates both as a physical store and a robust online retailer that ships fish nationwide via UPS overnight delivery. Their piranha selection is particularly impressive — red belly piranhas, caribe piranhas, purple diamond piranhas, manny piranhas, and Red Ruby Spilo piranhas feature prominently in customer orders, with specimens ranging from one-inch juveniles to massive 30-inch fish.
Beyond piranhas, AquaScapeOnline stocks a broad selection of South and Central American cichlids, African cichlids, saltwater fish, and other tropical species. Customers have praised their Electric Blue Jack Dempseys and Gold Diamond piranhas specifically. " Pedro has earned loyalty through personal touches — he's known to personally deliver fish to local customers after hours and has gone out of his way to ship orders placed late in the afternoon.
Multiple reviewers highlight that when you connect directly with the owner, issues tend to get resolved. That said, potential buyers should go in with realistic expectations about communication. A recurring theme across reviews involves delayed shipping, slow email responses, and difficulty reaching staff by phone.
Several customers report waiting weeks for updates on orders or refund requests. When shipments do go smoothly — and many do — customers receive healthy, well-packed fish that thrive for years. The store fills a genuine gap in the market for species like piranhas that most local pet shops simply don't carry, making it a valuable resource for dedicated freshwater hobbyists willing to navigate occasional logistical hiccups.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- One of the largest piranha selections available online, including red bellies, caribes, purple diamonds, and spilo species
- Ships fish nationwide via UPS overnight delivery
- Impressive variety of South and Central American cichlids and African cichlids
- Owner Pedro known for personal fish deliveries to local customers
- Fish ranging from 1-inch juveniles to 30-inch specimens in stock
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Purchased 400 dollars worth of fish from this place and had them shipped. This was in January in Pennsylvania. The fish arrived cold and we're very sick, never ate and eventually died. I spoke to the owner and of coarse he tried blaming me and would not do anything about it. He was also very rude. Im an experienced fish keeper and have been doing this for 30 plus years and tried to explain to him what he did wrong. I even followed his instructions to a t but he didn't want to help. I would definitely stay away from this place. There are a lot of good places to buy fish online but this is not one of them.”
— Thomas Urban1.0a week ago“Best place to order piranha and anything aquatic from! Pedro and his team are the best around! Highly recommend!!”
— Alexander Teston5.0a month ago“Answered questions months after buying . Very helpful”
— James Remsburg5.03 months ago“Very good ppl even tho they haven't got back to me in like 4 months”
— Pure Wash LLC5.0Edited 4 months ago“I would stay away from ordering from this store. My husband ordered piranhas and they called him to set up a shipping date and they agreed on one. They didn’t end up shipping them and when my husband called they didn’t answer until a couple of days later and said it was too hot to ship(okay but you need to communicate) and would do it the next week. The next week came around and they didn’t ship them again and my husband called again and they said they would ship the next day. Next day came and they did not ship them. He called again and they said they were busy and my husband told them to cancel the order and they agreed. Well they never refunded him and he has called again and sent 3 emails via their website and no response or refund. Well will be filing a claim on our credit card tonight.”
— Jenna1.06 months ago“Greetings I was looking forward to buying these piranha for a while the shop said they was young which I understood but I thought I was gona receive them on a Tuesday or Wed, & I has to call! & inquire the only time they called was for payment I ordered 10 red belly only got like 7 one died I wanted to order more but lack of communication I hope these last .awkward first impressions”
— SHAUN BROOKS3.09 months ago“Ordered a purple diamond P. 5" that was around $400. It arrived dead they sent another fish, which wasn't even the same species 3" was like a $100 piranha and told me it was a purple but clearly wasn't. Pretty pathetic if you ask me, owner needs to make sure staff is doing what they should.”
— Steve Wertenberg1.0Edited 9 months ago“Just ordered a baby 3” caribe piranha yesterday and even though I placed the order kind of late the owner still went out his way to get it shipped out to me . I literally placed order maybe around 5:30pm and with using UPS overnight shipping I already have the piranha with me settled into his new temporary tank . I’ve looked all over the web for a place that will actually deliver to my front door and always came to a dead end until I found aquascapeonline . I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to add new fish to their aquarium . they have a large variety of fish ranging from all different sizes . I for sure will be ordering a few more piranhas and a few different other species of fish from them .”
— Marc Gonzalez5.0a year ago“My fish died after purchasing it in less than 24 hours I let the store owner know he refused to replace the fish which his guidelines are. Would never purchase from him again.”
— Undis Closed1.0a year ago“Pedro is one of the best in the business!!!”
— Justin5.0a year ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (908) 634-0820 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting AquaScapeOnline.