The Waterfront

Walk into The Waterfront in Salt Lake City and the first thing you notice is the silence of a well-run operation — no funky smell, no cloudy tanks, no dead fish floating in corners. Every aquarium is crystal clear, meticulously maintained, and stocked with healthy, active specimens. It's the kind of place that makes you want to start another tank, even when you swore you wouldn't.

Owner Louis has deep roots in Utah's fishkeeping community — some customers recall buying pacu from him on KSL classifieds a decade before the brick-and-mortar shop existed. Today, The Waterfront has earned a reputation as arguably the best local fish store in the state, drawing hobbyists who happily drive nearly an hour from places like Spanish Fork just to browse. The freshwater selection is where The Waterfront truly shines.

Alongside bread-and-butter community fish, you'll find stingrays, oddball exotics, and rare species that simply don't show up elsewhere in the region. Their shrimp selection gets frequent praise, and cichlid keepers will find solid stock — though some wish for even more variety. Bettas are housed in properly sized, decorated tanks rather than sad plastic cups, a detail that speaks volumes about the store's ethos.

They also carry an impressive driftwood selection and live plants, and staff members like Taylor will actually demonstrate aquascaping techniques to help you visualize layouts at home. The Waterfront operates a competitive online store with shipping, and multiple out-of-state customers report receiving fish in excellent health. They'll special order hard-to-find species, notify you when something arrives, and even sex fish for you before shipping.

The shop also practices quarantine — they won't sell a fish unless it's in top condition. Staff members including Louis, Taylor, Jay, and Stephen are consistently cited for their patience, passion, and deep species knowledge. They'll stay late for a customer rushing from work, take in fish that need rehoming, and spend real time talking through stocking plans.

The Waterfront isn't just a store; it's a community resource that takes fishkeeping seriously.