About
Off The Hook Exotics Pet Shop sits in Ambridge, PA, and while its name leans toward reptiles, it has built a loyal following among local freshwater fishkeepers, too. Owners George and Nina, along with staff member Mike, run the place with a hands-on, education-first approach that regulars say you simply don't get at a big-box chain. Walk in and the space is lined with display tanks; customers are welcomed to take their time, ask questions, and watch volunteers socialize the animals.
On the aquatic side, this is a freshwater fish store at heart. Cichlids are the standout — shoppers have come home with bright blue-eyed cichlids for sale in Ambridge, PA, and the crew is happy to spend the time chasing a stubborn fish out of a display tank. You'll also find live water plants available in Ambridge, PA to round out a planted setup, plus the tanks, enclosures, and supplies to walk out fully equipped.
Longtime fish buyers note that George and Nina treat them with genuine kindness every time they start a new tank. The exotic side is where the shop earns its name. The selection spans snakes (including venomous species), bearded dragons, geckos, iguanas, tortoises, and frogs including Pac-Man frogs, plus spiders, parakeets, and other birds.
Feeders are a real strength here — live mice, rats, and harder-to-source options like flies make it a reliable stop when other shops come up empty. They'll even board your reptile while you're away on vacation. Recent visitors keep emphasizing the same things: a clean, cozy, pleasant-smelling space, a knowledgeable crew that takes real time with newcomers and kids, and so much to look at that people happily make the drive in from Wheeling, WV and well beyond.
Whether you're picking up your first gecko or restocking a freshwater tank, the Off The Hook crew makes the in-person trip worth it.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Off The Hook Exotics Pet Shop in Ambridge, PA
Off The Hook Exotics Pet Shop stocks cichlids, aquarium plants and freshwater fish for sale in Ambridge, PA. As a fish store serving Ambridge, PA, it also offers fish boarding and aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Fish BoardingConsultation
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Freshwater cichlids, including bright blue-eyed cichlids, for sale in Ambridge
- Live water plants in stock for planted freshwater setups
- Owners George and Nina plus staff member Mike known for patient, education-first help
- Huge exotic lineup: snakes, bearded dragons, geckos, tortoises, frogs, and birds
- Hard-to-find feeders — live mice, rats, and flies — reliably stocked
From keepers
Customer reviews
“I recently got a ball python at an expo that was supposedly on frozen thawed mice and I had a suspicion she was on live cus I couldn’t get her to eat frozen along with my baby green tree python so I called them and asked if we could bring them in and they gladly said they’d help they got are new ball python to eat and we found out that she was actually a he as well and they where more then helpful with figuring out what was going on with are green tree baby as well all is well and good with him too but it’s a very lovely place everyone’s super super knowledgeable and kind and helpful I’d recommend this place to anyone close or far the drive is 100% worth it in my opinion we’re about an hour an a half away one way plus unlike a lot of other stores it smells very nice and has a very cozy feel and they have a ton to look at as well and they definitely have a spot on the top of my list the people are awesome here and helped me out a great deal THANK YOU OFF THE HOOK!!!!!!”
— Skylar Richter5.07 hours ago“Very cool store lots of snakes lizards and spiders friendly staff.”
— Patrick Flaherty5.04 days ago“I’ve only been there once but what I saw in the fish filter was horrific. It was some type of lizard that was compacted into a ball/ cube and was just in the back of the hob. Plus the tank was used by fish. Plus the place is disorganized and I saw them handle frog with unclean hands/ drop onto floor and they lost a lizard while I was there. Will not be back”
— Alysa Hyatt1.03 weeks ago“Awesome place, knowledgeable, kind of pricey tho.”
— Chris Pasikowski4.0a month ago“Loved the store. Owner was very helpful. Ended up buying a parakeet because it was the only one that seemed like someone didn't want it and gave it to the store. Owner had a big cage to go with it. I didn't need it and she was cool about it and still gave a fair price for the bird. I drove all the way from Wheeling WV. The store didn't disappoint at all. They had just about everything. It was great to check out. Will definitely be stopping back again.”
— John M5.0a month ago“I haven’t been here in a few years but the last time I was every single snake was infested with mites”
— Justin Ruckert1.02 months ago“i bought my first gecko 03/20/26 and i was so happy. i know nothing about reptiles and every question i asked they answered and gave me everything i needed to make my Casper girl happy and comfortable. definitely recommend and will forever go back there!”
— Aya Biehls5.03 months ago“Great selection of exotic animals, including many species of snakes, frogs, tortoise, fish and many more. Always very helpful to answer questions. Many supplies also available for animals and enclosures.”
— E Moore5.0Edited 3 months ago“Too much to choose from. Definitely worth the drive. Gf decided on getting a pacman, now named Fred.”
— Jared Voorhees5.03 months ago“I used to really love this place, so I've been debating leaving this review for a while, but this store has gone so downhill. I decided I wasn't even gonna bother coming back after the last time I stopped in for superworms and crickets. I ended up waiting for over 45 minutes while the workers just carried on personal conversations with each other. I asked some girl there for help and she said she wasn't talking to me because she saw someone she knew come into the store and wanted to talk to him instead. I kept trying to get the attention of other people working there just to be ignored. It was incredibly rude and irritating to say the least. I would've left but my animals needed to eat and Petsmart was currently out of stock of live bugs. But speaking of live bugs, I used to prefer Off The Hook because their prices on live bugs were better. The prices have quickly gone way up and it's much cheaper to go to Petsmart. I've tried to be understanding and forgiving for this next issue as they tried to fix it. Ultimately the issue boils down to completely unsanitary and improper husbandry for the animals. Every single frog I've bought from Off The Hook has died within a month. At first I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe suddenly out of 26 years of owning amphibians I'm doing something incorrect. Then it dawned on me. The only frogs that I've gotten that were healthy were frogs I got elsewhere. The Colorado River Toad I got from Aqua World lived 10 full years and was happy and healthy as can be. I got random whites treefrog off Craigslist. It was extremely healthy until it was introduced to a frog from Off The Hook, in which it promptly died of a bacterial infection. The frog went through an incubation period before being put with mine,but turns out the frog had a serious bacterial infection and ended up dying when given back to the store for rehabilitation. They gave me another one and it died of the same infection after 2 weeks. In between all of this I had to completely gut a bioactive tank because it had been infected with whatever this bacteria was, so that was a ton of hard work and money down the drain. I've bought about 3 or 4 Pac-Man frogs from them just for each of them to die within 2 weeks. Once again, bought a Pac-Man frog from another store and it was perfectly healthy and had no issues. I bought 3 gulf toads and after a day or so it was very evident all 3 had severe metabolic bone disease. 2/3 died, but somehow I managed to save one but his growth is permanently stunted. Their little legs were literally paralyzed and I had to watch them attempt to jump just to flop over onto their backs or hurt themselves further. Another smaller issue I had that I tried not to think much of was the fact that the bigger guy (Mike I think?) tried to talk me into buying a tiny baby Colorado River Toad and told me I could house it with my fully grown one. I almost bought it, not because I was dumb enough to think you could house 2 together like that (I had spare tanks it could live in), but because they had the poor thing in a completely waterlogged tank with nothing in it but potted plants. No substrate, no hides, just water and soggy plants. This toad is also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad because it lives in the desert. They find oasis spots but primarily live in the desert. They're not bullfrogs. I honestly should've learned and put the pieces together much sooner, but I didn't want to think this family owned business that I've watched grow and expand was purposely selling sick and dying animals. I genuinely thought they cared and had their animals' best interest at heart, and at one point I'm sure they did. Clearly now they care more about profit than the lives of the animals they sell.”
— Ellie Grace1.04 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (724) 777-7688 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Off The Hook Exotics Pet Shop.