Ely's Tropical Fish

Ely's Tropical Fish in Florham Park, New Jersey has been a family-run institution for over 35 years, drawing loyal customers from across northern and central New Jersey — some driving all the way from Sussex County just to browse the aisles. Don't let the modest storefront fool you: inside, the inventory is stacked deep with freshwater and saltwater livestock, live plants, aquarium hardware, and pond supplies that rival shops twice its size. Owner Steve and his son run the operation with hands-on expertise that customers consistently praise.

This isn't a place where you'll get a shrug when you ask about cycling a shrimp tank — one reviewer recounted how staff walked them through their options and even sent them home with a bag of cycled aquarium water to rescue struggling shrimp. That kind of triage-level care is hard to find. The freshwater selection is the real draw.

Ely's stocks everything from specialty guppies and pagoda snails to koi for backyard ponds, and the livestock is reliably healthy. Multiple long-time customers note the quality of the fish is consistently high, attributing it to Steve's careful sourcing. If something isn't in stock, he'll order it — though reviewers say that's a rare occurrence.

Rare species pop up regularly enough that seasoned hobbyists make repeat visits just to see what's new. Pricing runs a bit above big-box stores, and customers acknowledge that openly. But the consensus is clear: you're paying for healthy animals and genuine expertise, not just a bag of water with a fish in it.

For a 35-year-old family business that still has customers raving about individual snail purchases, that premium seems well-earned. Ely's is one of those stores where a quick trip for fish food turns into an hour-long conversation about water chemistry and tank design. If you keep aquariums or a koi pond anywhere in northern New Jersey, it's worth the drive.