About
Tucked in a basement along Kissena Boulevard in Flushing, Kissena Aquarium Inc. is easy to walk past if you're not paying attention — the narrow staircase entrance belies what waits below. Step inside and you'll find a densely stocked, well-maintained operation that's been earning loyalty from Queens aquarists for well over a decade.
The freshwater selection is the real draw here. Reviewers consistently praise the variety — fancy guppies with unusually colorful females, cardinal tetras, green terrors, gouramis, barbs, cichlids, and Panda Corydoras that arrive healthy and thrive in home tanks. The live plant section stands out for both quality and pricing that undercuts the big-box chains.
Betta enthusiasts swear by the vitality of the fish here, with one customer reporting their Kissena-bought bettas outliving online-purchased fish by a full year. There's even an albino axolotl that found a happy home thanks to what appears to be responsible sourcing from reputable breeders. The saltwater side is smaller but growing.
Coral frags seem to move quickly — one visitor noted the volume suggested strong sales — and the marine fish selection, while not as deep as the freshwater inventory, rounds out the store's offering for hobbyists running reef and nano tanks. Long-time customers have scaled from 20-gallon freshwater setups to 120-gallon saltwater builds entirely with livestock and supplies purchased here. Sam and Jacky, the staff most frequently mentioned by name, are clearly the heart of the operation.
They'll walk first-timers through a complete aquarium setup and engage experienced hobbyists in detailed conversation about livestock compatibility and care. The atmosphere is relaxed — multiple reviewers mention browsing just to look at the fish with zero purchase pressure. A few caveats: the store doesn't offer guarantees on fish purchases, and a handful of reviewers have reported ich issues, so quarantining new arrivals is wise practice.
Supply and equipment prices run higher than online retailers, so plan accordingly. But for healthy, affordable freshwater livestock and genuinely attentive service in Flushing, this basement shop has earned its loyal following.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- CoralsCichlidsBettasAxolotlsLive PlantsInvertebratesShrimpGoldfishKoiTetrasCatfishLivebearersTangsRare SpeciesAquarium EquipmentFish FoodMedications
- Services
- Tank SetupConsultation
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Exceptional freshwater selection including fancy guppies, cardinal tetras, cichlids, green terrors, and Panda Corydoras
- Healthy bettas and albino axolotls from reputable breeders
- High-quality live aquatic plants at competitive prices
- Growing coral frag and saltwater fish section
- Knowledgeable staff — Sam and Jacky — known for personalized setup guidance
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Very friendly and helpful”
— Kevin Marquez5.0a week ago“Un lugar perfecto para comprar todo tipo de peces y muy economico”
— Hiphop Tapiav5.0a week ago“1st time visited Fair prices Generous varieties of fish Knowledgeable Fish of interest: Gouramis, cichlids, barbs.”
— Rafael Shakarov5.03 weeks ago“Really nice to work with, good service, knowledgeable people”
— Ariel Krikheli5.0Edited a month ago“It was my first time there. I got few healthy yellow shrimps. The place is very clean and organized. Sam was helping me around. He is such a polite and respectful man! Will be back soon..”
— Rami Alnabhani5.0a month ago“Huge variety of fish great staff & awesome prices”
— Donald s5.02 months ago“I am in love with this place. I came to this aquarium store a couple of months ago to pick up some aquatic plants for my betta tank, but I saw an albino axolotl and ended up getting her, along with a tank setup and some food. The man that was in the store, Sam, was very nice and engaging. A month later, I’ve upgraded my axo’s tank and she’s growing and thriving. My axolotl that I purchased from here must come from a reputable breeder because she is doing very well here (and axolotls are extremely hard and tedious to raise) 🥹 I am so happy and I plan on going back, even just to look at the fish. Seriously, you can just go in there and look at the fish (no pressure to buy.) Sam is really great, thank you!”
— Shay5.02 months ago“Best fish store for fresh water I have been too their saltwater selection is not as good. I bought 13 fish for my aquarium and I did loose 1 unfortunately but I took a risk with that one because I wanted a particular color. They have a nice selection of fancy guppies there females are especially colorful. The cardinal tetras are very nice as well. What really stood out to me was the quality of the plants and the price way better than petco or petsmart. Not the most variety of fish but what was available was solid and price was on par with everyone else. Customer service was good the lady was nice and got us the fish and rang us up quick. Prices on supplies and food is high get that from the internet. Overall will return and happy with the fish even a week after.”
— LostM5.02 months ago“A true mom and pop store, with very well maintained aquariums. Wide selections of fresh water tropical fishes, invertebrates,plants, and saltwater fishes and coral. I can see they must be selling well on the coral fracs, because there are a lot. Only weak spot is the slimmer selection of fancy goldfish, but there are still 4 or 5 tanks of goldfish. It will be my go to shop from now on.”
— Ye Cheng Lin5.03 months ago“Good experience, needed to buy koi fish, he gave me no warranty on the fish of any kind. Price was fair.”
— Marlon Colorado5.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (718) 358-0761 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Kissena Aquarium Inc.