About
Houston Aqua on Westheimer has built a loyal following across the Houston, TX area for its deep freshwater selection, healthy livestock, and a team that genuinely cares about the hobby. Regulars drive in from The Woodlands and well beyond — a 45-minute trip is common — because the tanks here look cared for rather than neglected and the advice is honest. The shop is best known for its shrimp: neocaridina cherry shrimp kept in planted tanks where they graze actively, plus it's cited by local hobbyists as the only place in Houston stocking Sulawesi shrimp.
If you're searching for freshwater shrimp for sale in Houston, TX, this is the spot fishkeepers point to first. Beyond shrimp, the livestock roster runs deep — bettas, fancy guppies, pea puffers, discus, axolotls, snails, and a rotating mix of rare and colorful tropical fish that other shops don't carry. The aquatic plant selection draws particular praise; one longtime planted-tank keeper found five species she'd never grown before.
Hardscape, substrate, and the everyday supplies a new tank needs round out the floor, and pricing earns steady compliments, especially on shrimp, plants, and harder-to-find fish. A recent addition has expanded the store into saltwater, with a new marine setup and saltwater fish joining the freshwater displays — and customers single out the coral among the standouts. That growth has Houston Aqua looking like a full aquarium store now, not just a tropical fish store.
The people are the throughline in nearly every visit. The owner is usually on-site and known for candid, patient guidance, whether you're stocking your first betta tank or sourcing quality discus. Staff like Alex, Adam, and Treit get called out by name for walking shoppers through stocking choices and going out of their way to help carry purchases out.
Adam also handles tank-maintenance and cleaning for regular clients around town. For Houston, TX fishkeepers who want healthy fish, plants, and shrimp available in person — plus guidance you can actually trust — Houston Aqua delivers on nearly every front.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Houston Aqua in Houston, TX
Houston Aqua stocks betta fish, discus, shrimp, invertebrates, livebearers, pufferfish, rare and hard-to-find species, axolotls, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Houston, TX. As an aquarium store serving Houston, TX, it also offers tank cleaning, tank maintenance and aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Deep freshwater shrimp selection — neocaridina cherry shrimp kept in planted tanks, plus the only Sulawesi shrimp stock in Houston
- Strong tropical roster: bettas, fancy guppies, pea puffers, discus, and axolotls, with rare and colorful fish others don't carry
- One of the best aquatic plant and hardscape selections in the Houston area at fair prices
- New saltwater setup with marine fish and coral expanding the longtime freshwater lineup
- Named staff (Alex, Adam, Treit) and an on-site owner known for honest, patient advice; Adam offers tank cleaning and maintenance
From keepers
Customer reviews
“great store, great selection, owner is cool and knowledgeable , all the aquariums look clean”
— Kenny Huynh5.02 weeks ago“Lwk best aquarium supply store in houston”
— mikael arkit5.03 weeks ago“This is a great place for fresh and salt water pet fish. A very friendly staff truly helpful and allows you space and time to make your own decision”
— Clarence Malveaux5.03 weeks ago“New to the area. Definitely my go-to spot”
— Jae Yun5.0a month ago“Nice people and beautiful fish and fair price”
— LangThang TV5.02 months ago“Follow-up to my previous positive review: Pros: My first experience with this store was very good. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I even spoke with the owner a couple of times and found him approachable and nice. The store has a good selection, and initially I felt confident purchasing shrimp here. During my first shrimp purchase, I bought about 20 Neocaridina shrimp. Most of them died despite careful drip acclimation over 3+ hours. At the time, I assumed the losses were due to the large TDS difference between the store’s water and my tank and did not question the source further. Cons: On my most recent visit, I purchased 12 shrimp and noticed live planaria in the bag after bringing them home but before starting acclimation. I immediately returned to the store with the unopened bag. Planaria are widely considered one of the most dreaded pests in the aquarium hobby because they prey on shrimp, especially shrimplets, and can wipe out breeding colonies. Once introduced, they can be extremely difficult to eliminate and often require medication that kills snails, disrupts the tank, or in severe cases leads hobbyists to completely reset their tanks. While returning the shrimp, I also noticed planaria present in other shrimp tanks at the store. I was advised that adding guppies or assassin snails could help control the issue, but those are not appropriate solutions for dedicated shrimp tanks and do not address the root problem. To their credit, the store did provide a cash refund (minus tax), which I appreciated. However, the interaction felt somewhat dismissive, and I was made to feel like I was overreacting by requesting a refund, even though introducing planaria into a shrimp tank would be a serious risk, not to mention a giant hassle. I’ve had aquariums for over 20 years, and I’m not overreacting. Do your research on this. Final thoughts: I still believe the store has strengths and helpful staff, but shrimp hobbyists should inspect livestock carefully before purchase. For those maintaining shrimp colonies, visible planaria in shrimp systems is a significant concern and should be taken seriously. My original review: I had heard a lot of good things about Houston Aqua, and the online reviews were consistently positive, so I decided to make the 45-minute drive to pick up my Neocaridina shrimp from there. The store did not disappoint. The tanks were very well maintained, especially the shrimp tanks. In many stores, I’ve seen shrimp kept in bare tanks with sand and a sponge filter, mostly just grazing on the filter. At Houston Aqua, all the shrimp were in planted tanks and looked active and healthy, happily grazing on the plants. That really stood out to me. Just two days before, I had visited another store where I saw several dead shrimp in the tank and the ones still alive were lethargic and resting on the sand. I decided to wait and try Houston Aqua instead, and I’m glad I did. Alex helped me out and was fantastic. He took his time, answered my questions, and even threw in a couple of babies for good measure. The shrimp I purchased were juveniles, which is exactly what I was looking for. Four days later, the shrimp are generally ok. I’ve had 3 or 4 that have died despite a drip acclimation, but my water params are quite different from that of the store. Hopefully they’ll stabilize. I don’t blame the store for this though. Pricing was fair, quality was excellent, and the staff was great. I walked out a very happy customer and will definitely be back when I’m ready to stock my other tank.”
— DC2.0Edited 2 months ago“Great customer service”
— Johnny Nguyen5.02 months ago“Great customer service no one better in the game I recommend anyone new in the hobby to come here !!!”
— Zuz ψ5.02 months ago“Terrific shop, very knowledgeable and passionate staff.”
— Roy Williams5.02 months ago“First thing you notice is algae. Hair algae in quite a few of the tanks. Green spot algae in a few. I was tempted to buy some plants but I don’t want to take home hair algae. Quite a few of the tanks with fish were also pretty dirty. Found a tank with ich that wasn’t marked “sick” or nfs. One of the employees was also pretty rude but nothing super offensive. It was just okay and the tank conditions could be better. Probably won’t come back.”
— V2.02 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (832) 888-9497 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Houston Aqua.