About
For more than 40 years, this family-run aquarium store has been a fixture of the Knoxville, TN fishkeeping community, and walking in still feels like stepping into one of the deepest livestock selections in the Southeast. Rows of tanks run from freshwater community staples to full saltwater systems, and longtime hobbyists — including fish-club members who have toured shops across the country — keep coming back for the sheer variety under one roof. On the freshwater side you will find African cichlids, pea puffers, and schooling tetras like black neon tetras, plus snails, shrimp, and even frogs for planted and community builds.
The saltwater room draws its own crowd: clownfish, damsels, coral beauties, and a rotating selection of corals that regulars call genuinely impressive. If you are after live plants, driftwood, or substrate for a new aquascape or a hospital tank, those are available in Knoxville, TN here too, alongside pond supplies, tanks, filters, and the dry goods to tie a build together. Staff knowledge is a recurring highlight — visitors single out team members like Scott for patient, expert help with stocking and water chemistry, and the shop offers on-site water testing that many locals rely on for routine check-ins.
Service can vary depending on who is working and the store stays busy, so it pays to sign in, be specific about what you are looking for, and ask for one of the more experienced hands. Pricing runs a bit higher than chain stores, a common trade-off at independent shops that invest in livestock health and selection. For anyone searching for cichlids, clownfish, corals, or live plants for sale in Knoxville, TN, this remains a cornerstone destination — a true one-stop aquarium store where freshwater, saltwater, and pond hobbyists can all find what they need in person.
Go in knowing your tank, inspect your fish, and lean on the staff who know their stock.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Aquarium in Knoxville, TN
Aquarium stocks cichlids, pufferfish, tetras, corals, reef fish, clownfish, shrimp, invertebrates, aquarium plants and freshwater, saltwater & pond fish for sale in Knoxville, TN. As an aquarium store serving Knoxville, TN, it also carries aquarium equipment and offers water testing.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Family-run for over 40 years with one of the largest freshwater and saltwater selections in the Southeast
- Saltwater room stocked with clownfish, damsels, coral beauties, and a rotating coral selection
- Freshwater livestock including African cichlids, pea puffers, and tetras, plus shrimp, snails, and frogs
- Live plants, driftwood, and substrate for aquascapes and hospital tanks, alongside full pond supplies
- On-site water testing and knowledgeable staff (regulars name Scott) for stocking and water-chemistry help
From keepers
Customer reviews
“People are very unfriendly didn't want to help you had to sign in and waited when there were several people standing around. Then when we finally got waited on we told the girl what and how many we want and the she didn't want to sell them to us sai d she would have to ask her boss? Finally we walked out and WANT BE BACK!”
— mike shorter1.02 weeks ago“Absolutely love this incredible store. They are all so friendly and helpful. The selection is great and we've enjoyed our fish, snails, shrimp, frogs, and plants from here!”
— Kayla Swilling5.02 weeks ago“STAY AWAY!! (read my response to theirs!) Bought a number of fish from this store and if they die, like ours did, they will not honor their "warranty." Lied to me when I brought the dead fish in (within the time period and all eight died) and water sample. All tests passed but they said the ammonia test was pending to come by the next day because they needed to let the ammonia test go beyond the five minutes you MUST test it at... no more. no less... and see "what happens." They marked it at .25% For that number, the water sample has to turn green at five minutes which it did not. Bull Crud! If the time goes beyond five minutes it invalidates the test. But they INSISTED I was wrong and they are the "experts." Guess all sources on the net AND the test kit manual are wrong lol. Total lies. We test our water every week and tested it before we took the sample in on all their metrics. All was good! Went back in the next day and lied to me again. The water test never went from yellow to green. Totally lied and said it turned green. Then said I had to come in with another water sample to test again (which is NOT stated on their warranty. And why would that matter... they already tested it and the fish are all ready dead lol. Just another hoop they want you to jump through "We wanna make sure all your other fish will be ok. yeah, right. Told them WE test our water and all is well. Like we want our fish to die that we’ve invested so much money in) They want you to give up). Shady bunch of people. We've spent a lot of money with them and when a group of fish (not the others we bought at the same time... all the ones that died came from the same tank) they totally will loose a customer over $50 (their actual cost WAY less) who has spent soooo much money with them. AND they refused... yes, refused to test the water in front of me from their own tank that the dead fish came from. They tested water from the sink and said this is what it is supposed to look like lol. Good grief lol STAY AWAY!! Used to be good people working there. Not any more. One more note… we found four dead fish Wednesday morning… so I took them with the water sample with me to work. Before I went to the store, my wife found the other four dead ones. When I got to the store, they said I had to come back the next day because the test needed a set for a lot longer (remember five minutes is the limit) and they needed the other fish even though my wife had texted me a photo which I showed them. I said I could FaceTime with my wife and show them the dead fish. Nope! Again fantastic customer service. Again another hoop to unnecessarily jump through. Read my other reviews. Always fair... and the majority always positive. JUST. STAY. AWAY. And my reply to yours: I stand by my word and the lies that were told … it was deceitful not just once but twice. there was nothing wrong with my water! I would not want more fish from you ever. Read my post again. We care about our fish and test our water regularly…. shame on you and your staff for lying to me and for your reply. My reviews are always honest unlike your staff. You cannot gloss over this terrible treatment of a long term customer. Shame on you… post the video of your staff member telling me Wednesday afternoon that the ammonium treatment had to stay a long time longer to fully develop (a lie) and come back the next day. Post the video of your other manager telling me the same thing that going past five minutes does not affect the test (another lie) Post a video of him forcing me to bring in the other dead fish when I offered to FaceTime my wife for her to show them the additional dead fish so I did not have to come back in again. Post a video of the manager saying the ammonia turned green and it did not and then testing sink water instead of agreeing to test the water from the tank itself. He refused to do so on multiple requests. Shame on you. The money isn’t what matters… It’s honoring your commitment to a once valued customer and holding your staff to integrity. Horrible!!!!”
— Brian P1.0Edited 2 weeks ago“Can always find what I need here”
— grer ham5.03 weeks ago“I had $200 of credit on my account. Myself & my wife are very busy, both nurses w special needs kids, lots of tanks, both fresh and salt, birds, other pets, etc; took our time to go back and use the credit, figuring it was a reputable place. Only to be told by the owner's mother (also his accountant) that it was mistakenly taken off by a female staff member (who, she said, was later fired for these mistakes) that we were out of luck. Even though it showed a small credit used off of that credit. From here on in EVERYONE that I talk w is told not to go there, and why. Now, mysteriously, the owner denies this staff member, and their system. Your lies are catching up w you.”
— Greg O'Brien1.0Edited a month ago“Of course went in for substrate, came out with plants and driftwood for a hospital tank. 🤪”
— adrienne samartino5.02 months ago“Excellent customer service with experts in all things aquarium!”
— Don Frederick5.0Edited 3 months ago“This place is a joke and crappie service stood for a hour no help after writing a name on the white board like they asked and got skipped over”
— Hillary Steakley1.03 months ago“Scott is super awesome and amazing. Always super helpful when I have questions.”
— William “Popplez” McHenry5.03 months ago“We live over an hour away from this store. I called in to check to see if they had a type of snail and a type of fish and they couldn't be bothered to check for me. They told me I had to come in to look for myself. Definitely won't be back to the place.”
— Rebekah Wallace1.03 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (865) 588-2073 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Aquarium.