About
Adam's Pet Safari is a sprawling, old-school pet shop in Chester, NJ whose fish department pulls aquarists from well beyond Morris County — one regular says he drives close to two hours just for the selection and service. While the store carries everything from reptiles and birds to small mammals, freshwater fishkeepers come for the livestock and the hands-on advice. Owner Adam and his staff are the recurring stars of the reviews: customers credit them with knowing their animals cold and walking shoppers through a purchase without the pushy upsell.
One visitor went in for a single aquarium plant and left with three plants and three fish after a long, genuinely helpful conversation about plant care and fish compatibility. The freshwater selection is broad and a little adventurous. Alongside community staples and a betta section that several reviewers single out as cleaner and better kept than the chains, the store has been spotted stocking freshwater stingrays — an exotic find that's hard to track down locally.
If you're hunting for live aquarium plants or hard-to-find freshwater fish for sale in Chester, NJ, this is the kind of independent fish store that rewards aquarists who know what they want. Prices on plants and livestock are frequently called reasonable, and the inventory rewards a slow, in-person browse. Worth setting expectations: this is a packed, busy, multi-species shop, and some visitors find it cramped, disorganized, or strong-smelling — the fish and betta sections tend to fare better in reviews than the rest of the floor.
Still, for Chester-area hobbyists who value a knowledgeable owner and a deep, unpredictable selection over big-box anonymity, Adam's Pet Safari remains a genuine local resource. Stop in, talk to Adam, and see which plants, bettas, and freshwater oddities are available in Chester, NJ that week.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Adam's Pet Safari in Chester, NJ
Adam's Pet Safari stocks betta fish, rare and hard-to-find species, aquarium plants and freshwater fish for sale in Chester, NJ.
- Livestock & products
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Owner Adam and staff repeatedly praised for deep, no-pressure advice on fish and plant care
- Betta section noted as cleaner and better maintained than chain pet stores
- Broad freshwater selection that has included hard-to-find freshwater stingrays
- Reasonable prices on live aquarium plants and freshwater fish
- Draws aquarists from up to two hours away for the selection
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Gave me and my daughter, an amazing deal, $100 charge for what a normal pet would’ve charged $500 or more. Amazing.”
— festivequirkymama5.0Edited 6 days ago“I took one quick walk around with high hopes and immediately felt let down. Empty boxes and dirty tanks are every where. Lots of the tanks were disgusting. I have never walked into a pet store that smelled so bad until this one. The animals were definitely stressed out. They were not being housed properly or taken care of. Some tanks had wayyy too many animals in them. While other tanks were so dirty the glass was all messed up. It was clear nobody had cleaned them for a very long time. If you are able to avoid this place, you should avoid it at all costs. All the other low ratings of this place are true. It was so disheartening and sad to see the way these animals are being treated. This place was so messy, disorganized, and cramped. There was barely enough room to walk. I genuinely don’t know how this place is even open at this point. I also saw they had a lot of Freshwater sting rays. I hope they have a permit for them!!”
— Victoria1.02 weeks ago“Lady that helped us was very nice. She knew everything about the animal we bought and gave us great advice. Would recommend to anyone 10/10. Also had the coolest selection of animals/ fish!”
— Clara Donnelly5.02 weeks ago“Adam went above and beyond to help us! He is so knowledgeable and helpful.”
— Kelly Perron5.0a month ago“Place is disgustingly filthy and the animals are not being properly cared for”
— M1.0a month ago“My doggie loves going there!”
— Lana M4.0a month ago“Terrible prices terrible service! Bag of hay is more than double amazon or away. Stay away!!!'”
— Daniel Vince1.0a month ago“Great local store for anything pet related. Adam and the staff are great.”
— Brian Galves5.02 months ago“Large variety of fish and reptiles.”
— MELISSA G5.02 months ago“I went in there with the intention to buy a reptile, as I did a few years back. I thought they were terrible a few years ago and seems the housing situation for the animals there just got more worse since the last time I've been there. Animals are crammed into tiny little enclosures and I was ignored for quite some time and then I tried finding somebody and I was still Shrugged off so, it's all good. Took my money and left. I asked about the snake in the picture that wasn't even labeled and basically was told that it's their breeder snake and that it's worth thousands of dollars. Like telling me the way I couldn't afford it anyway. Only if they knew, I was going to go all out and with a full setup for whatever reptile I had picked out and all the bells and whistles but, whatever. Unfortunately the only one who missed out in the situation is the reptile themself because I'd like to get the hell out of there if I could”
— Melissa Van Vorst1.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (908) 879-8998 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Adam's Pet Safari.