About
Absolutely Fish in Clifton, New Jersey has earned its reputation as one of the state's premier aquarium destinations, drawing dedicated hobbyists from across the tri-state area—some driving 30+ miles past closer suppliers just to shop here. The store covers both freshwater and saltwater with impressive depth: South American cichlids like macmasteri apistogrammas sit alongside African cichlids, chili rasboras, and bettas, while the saltwater side stocks reef corals, frags, blood red shrimp, sexy shrimp, and hard-to-find specimens like pygmy geometric hawkfish. A charming koi pond inside the store delights visiting families.
The live plant selection is robust and clearly well-maintained, with customers reporting plants thriving weeks after purchase. The dry goods section is equally comprehensive, organized across clean shelves with everything needed to start or maintain freshwater and saltwater setups—from 12-gallon bookshelf tanks to supplies for 120-gallon reef systems. What sets Absolutely Fish apart is the team's genuine expertise.
Staff members like Eric, Henry, Robert, Mike, Brendan, and Robb are called out by name repeatedly for their patience and deep knowledge. Eric has guided complete saltwater beginners through equipment and livestock decisions without a hint of condescension. Mike earns trust by being transparent about fish health—the store holds back livestock that's being treated for illness rather than selling compromised animals, a practice that speaks volumes about their ethics.
Beyond retail, the store offers meaningful services. Their tank moving operation handles heavy rimless tanks with professional care, photographing setups to recreate them precisely at a new location and even trimming overgrown plants during the process. They also ship fish nationally through their Absolute Fish Naturals online store, with customers in states as far as Arizona reporting livestock arriving healthy and vibrant.
The store's quarantine practices and commitment to fish health consistently produce livestock that outlasts competitors. For anyone serious about the hobby in northern New Jersey, Absolutely Fish is the standard.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- CoralsReefCichlidsAfrican CichlidsLive PlantsPlanted TanksShrimpBettasKoiRare SpeciesInvertebratesDry GoodsAquarium Equipment
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Draws customers from New York and across the tri-state area for exceptional livestock quality
- Full-service tank moving with photo documentation to recreate setups at new locations
- Ships rare fish nationwide—including hard-to-source species like pygmy geometric hawkfish
- Transparent quarantine practices: holds back fish being treated rather than selling sick livestock
- In-store koi pond and comprehensive freshwater and saltwater sections under one roof
From keepers
Customer reviews
“The best place for saltwater and reef tanks”
— Kang Lee5.0a week ago“I spent many years being a saltwater aquarist before taking a long break-then I found Absolutely Fish. I travel from NY to this store for the excellent variety of Healthy fishes. Fantastic customer service and knowledgeable people working there. Henry was really helpful in helping me choose the right companions for my 120 FO aquarium - this guy is exceptional. I have a huge supplier 2 miles from me but would rather travel 30 miles to this store any day”
— David Owitz5.0a week ago“Excelente atención, buenos precios, gran variedad de peces, plantas y accesorios, buena ubicación, parqueadero disponible, en general 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟”
— Milton Ruiz5.0a week ago“Wide variety of choices, but at this point, most things are a bit too overpriced.(25 bucks for sexy shrimp? Like u can buy them online for 8 bucks each(. Lo they used to be a lot more reasonable Most workers are generally helpful, especially upper management (shoutout to Brendan and Robb: they are awesome, knowledgeable and friendly. ) But another group of workers stand around doing nothing. Like seriously they respond with straight up annoyance when I politely ask questions to “interrupt” their session of doing nothing. My main complaint is with that tall, nerdy glasses guy with bad posture/curved back who makes it clear that he doesn’t want there. He is rude, unhelpful, and for some reason thinks he’s god Jesus and Holy Spirit combined. Saw him standing around and politely asked, excuse me, and before I could get a word out he responds with “can’t u see I’m helping a hospital and does a self conceited scoff and shakes his head. Like who raised you? Cuz obviously they didn’t teach u basic manners Every single time, my interaction with him makes me leave with a sour taste. Avoid him at all cost, and to be frank, the store would benefit from firing him and the short, curly haired guy. If u hate interacting with people so much, find another job”
— Minkyu Kim3.0Edited 2 weeks ago“Moving an aquarium is not a DIY job. Absolutely Fish nailed it. We hired Absolutely Fish to move our heavy, awkward 80-gallon rimless tank plus a 20-gallon, and they were fantastic. Fair pricing, flexible scheduling, and true aquarium expertise. They handled our fish and plants with care, took photos to recreate the setup at the new house, and even trimmed back some overgrown plants. Everything was set up thoughtfully and professionally. If you’re moving and have a tank, this is the team to call. Highly recommend.”
— JohnLes ChanLowe5.03 weeks ago“Best in NJ”
— Eliezer Espinosa5.03 weeks ago“Ive come here from the city a couple of times and Ive been very fortunate to be helped by Robert twice. So first of all the place is well kept, we'll stocked and the employees are well informed. I do have to point out if you get the chance, ask for Robert, dude is awesome and incredibly knowledgeable and patient. Picture of my last frag and blood red shrimp from then.”
— Tolyk Cronrath5.03 weeks ago“I had a snail problem, over 100 snails in a 50 gal tank. They recommended a clown loach and in a little over a week, no more snails. Great selection of plants as well.”
— Mike Duffy5.04 weeks ago“Great people very knowledgeable they will help you out with any questions or concerns.”
— Jay K5.0a month ago“My favorite store to go to. Picked up a pair of macmasteri apistogramma and they are thriving and already breeding 4 days since adding them to my 40 gallon community. Definitely plan on stopping by and getting more as their selection of all fish ranging from South American to African cichlids are very wide and fantastic!”
— Eatafrank5.0a month ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (973) 365-0200 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Absolutely Fish.