About
For more than 25 years, Franklin Aquarium Pet Shop has been the aquarium store Middle Tennessee hobbyists go out of their way to reach — regulars drive from Dickson, an hour and a half away, and cross the state line from Athens, Alabama, just to browse the tanks in Columbia. This independently owned shop keeps both freshwater and saltwater fish for sale in Columbia, TN, displayed in rows of clean, well-maintained tanks that reviewers single out again and again. You'll find bettas, anemones, and saltwater stock alongside trays of frozen mysis shrimp, plus live aquarium plants growing right in the display tanks rather than sitting in cups on a shelf — a detail planted-tank keepers notice.
What keeps people loyal is the staff. Visitors describe employees who greet you at the door, know longtime customers by name, and can talk shop on everything from water chemistry to saltwater tanks. One aquarist who'd kept fish for years called them "absolute fish wizards" who still taught him something new.
Mychelle walked a first-time rabbit owner through supplies from her own experience, Z earned praise for a professional, organized visit, and Sasha goes out of her way to make sure customers leave satisfied. In-store water testing is on hand for tank troubleshooting, and the team is happy to answer care questions whether you're picking out a snail or a green cheek conure on layaway. Fish are only part of the draw.
The same trip turns up bearded dragons, chameleons, Pacman frogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, and the live crickets and feeder insects reptile keepers need. Prices beat the big chains, a rewards program looks after regulars, and in warmer months kids are sometimes invited to help feed the outdoor fish. For anyone searching for a local fish store near me in Columbia, Franklin Aquarium delivers the selection, healthy stock, and hands-on expertise the big-box stores can't match.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Franklin Aquarium Pet Shop in Columbia, TN
Franklin Aquarium Pet Shop stocks betta fish, anemones, invertebrates, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Columbia, TN. As an aquarium store serving Columbia, TN, it also carries fish food and offers aquarium consultations and water testing.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Over 25 years serving Columbia, TN, drawing customers from Dickson and Athens, Alabama
- Freshwater and saltwater fish in clean, well-maintained display tanks
- Bettas, anemones, frozen mysis shrimp, and live plants growing right in the tanks
- Staff known by name — Mychelle, Z, and Sasha — and praised as 'absolute fish wizards'
- Live feeders, a rewards program, prices that beat the big chains, and an outdoor fish area kids can help feed
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Staff is very knowledgeable, helpful, and kind! You can tell that they pride themselves in taking great care of all of the animals, fish, etc that they sell! I would support them over chain pet stores any day! 🙂”
— Emma Holcomb5.019 hours ago“Having as many pets as we do i find ourselves in here quite often.our axolotls love the treats and food we get from here. We recently rescued a 7 year old ferret from here as well. Now our other ferret has a buddy. And our dwarf hamster is just the cutest.”
— Tim C5.04 days ago“Best place in town for pet supplies. I get everything i need for my guinea pigs here.Staff is awesome and prices are good.”
— Kristin Seabolt5.05 days ago“Was impressed with this stores inventory they have almost everything. Will be shopping here often.”
— roland smith5.06 days ago“I’ve been here plenty of times for my feeders for my reptiles but I finally caved in and got a fuzzy animal for once. Mychelle (sorry if I spelled it wrong girl) was AMAZING. She helped me with buying items with her personal experience owning rabbits that helped me better understand what rabbits are more likely to lean toward! As someone with previous pet store managing experience she did an AMAZING job!”
— Kylee Langa5.03 weeks ago“They now will charge you $4 to test your aquarium water...back in the day, it was courteous and on the house.”
— Shelly Hinson1.0a month ago“No notes. Great store.”
— C R5.0a month ago“They had so many cool and exotic pets, even a few different hamsters I've never seen before. Definitely the place to be!”
— Roddy Jarrar5.0a month ago“I Asked the staff multiple times over several weeks to draft up a complete list of everything necessary to get a 200 gallon Aquarium going along with pricing the Aquarium itself. The day that I was ready to make the purchase, I was told that they wanted $500 for than what two other places in middle Tennessee wanted for the exact same Aquarium. I mentioned that I still hadn’t received an email and stated that if we could get all this worked out, I was ready to run my card. Seven hours later at the end of the business day still no return call. Animal city in Murfreesboro happily took my $3500 and special ordered everything I needed. I saved $500 on the tank alone by being disregarded from the staff here. Many thanks! 🤣”
— Dustin Smith1.0a month ago“Love this pet store, amazing people”
— John Ramsey5.0a month ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (931) 388-2100 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Franklin Aquarium Pet Shop.