About
Mark's Ark in Taylorsville, Utah is a sprawling, old-school pet store that leans hard into its identity — think grunge rock on the speakers and aisle after aisle of live animals ranging from freshwater fish to reptiles, birds, tarantulas, and exotic pets. It's the kind of place where you can spend an hour just looking around, and many customers do exactly that. The freshwater fish selection is a clear standout.
Reviewers consistently call out the massive cichlid selection — "tons and tons of cichlids of all sizes" — alongside tetras, aquatic turtles, and a solid wall of aquarium supplies. If you're building or maintaining a freshwater setup in the Salt Lake Valley, the variety of livestock and equipment here is hard to match. The store also stocks fish food brands like TetraPro, though some customers have noted retail markups compared to online prices, and the store's strict no-return policy on dry goods has frustrated a few shoppers.
On the reptile side, Mark's Ark carries bearded dragons in multiple sizes, tree frogs, iguanas, and harder-to-find herps that enthusiasts drive from as far as Provo to see. The feeder animal inventory — rats, mice, and insects — is extensive, serving both reptile owners and falconers alike. However, the store draws polarized reactions.
Fans praise the relaxed atmosphere and genuinely enthusiastic staff who will walk you around the store and geek out over animals. Critics raise serious concerns about animal husbandry: small enclosures, inconsistent cleanliness, and staff members who sometimes lack species-specific knowledge on handling and care. Multiple reviewers described stressful interactions watching animals handled roughly, and some feeder animals have arrived in poor condition.
Mark's Ark is a Taylorsville institution with real character and an impressive breadth of live animals under one roof. The freshwater cichlid selection alone justifies a visit for fishkeepers. Just go in with eyes open, ask questions, and inspect any animal carefully before purchasing.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Massive freshwater cichlid selection in all sizes
- Hard-to-find reptiles and herps not available at other Utah stores
- Extensive feeder animal inventory for reptile owners
- Old-school pet store atmosphere with rock music and eclectic inventory
- Wide range of aquarium supplies and terrariums
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Just about literally a week ago I went there and bought two rats. I honestly should have turned away the moment I saw the male rats in their cage because they looked horrible. They looked sick and their fur was missing. And they didnt seem to take very good care of their animals. I was just excited to get some rats. I asked if they had females. And the did in the back. But they brought them to me in this nasty garbage bin that has never looked cleaned. Our rats where okay for awhile when we brought them home, but just last night one died. I think she already had some respiratory issues already. But I might not have noticed. I am a new rat owner. So I am still learning a lot. But I wouldn't recommend buying pets from this place. I honestly felt bad and I was really hoping that these rats would be okay.”
— Bethani Judson1.0a week ago“They have many sizes and types of Bearded Dragons and all kinds of reptiles and fish and birds and supplies. Go here 1st! Great selection of bugs & reptile food too. Its fun to visit... lots to look at!”
— Mark Greer5.0Edited 2 weeks ago“The divorced dad/cool uncle of the pet store world. Very old school. You’ll walk in and be blasted with nirvana and Alice In Chains. Loved the atmosphere and the care for snakes and fish was great. Everything looked healthy and you’ll find rarer herps you can’t find at other stores. I live in Provo but drove all the way to check it out I’ve wanted to go for so long. I geeked out at everything and enjoyed the friendly staff. Also great selection of tarantulas. Have a great selection of aquarium supplies and pretty much anything you’d need for your reptiles. TONS AND TONS OF CICHLIDS of all sizes if that’s your thing. Great selection of tree frogs and aquatic turtles as well, you won’t find this great of a selection of aquatic turtles anywhere in Utah. Every size terrarium you could ever need as well. Staff was so sweet and showed me around loved it here will definitely make the drive again to come back.”
— Dakota Estrada5.03 weeks ago“Excellent service, nice selection.”
— Ben Kirk5.03 weeks ago“Unfortunate situation since Ive come here a few times for a feeder rat to feed my Ball python. Today my boyfriend had gone in and got one to feed my snake. There was an unforgivable stench like no other pet store you've been in. I know animals are stinky as I've owned dozens of them before but the smell had my boyfriend gagging. The cages seem to be cleaned maybe once a month, and with the animals being kept in such small terrariums it wouldn't take long for them to start becoming unsafe for those pets. The few times I've gone here to get a rat for my snake he doesn't seem interested in eating it and I've had to take them back several times. He doesn't seem to have any issues with other ones I've gotten from other pet stores. Today I found out why. We fed him like normal and he wasn't interested in eating it for a while so I went to remove the rat and put it in a holding bin until I try again. I did my best not to scare it but as soon as I got near it, it bit me. I've never seen a more aggressive and scared rat. I understand they are being sold as food, though this is a fancy rat. A rat meant to be kept as a pet. A living breathing creature. It's tail was absolutely covered in its own and I'm sure other rat poop. They have to be abusing these rats and mice and whatever else they may have to no ends. After reading other reviews regarding the aggressive and scared pets I'm going to assume that's the case. Domesticated animals like they sell SHOULD NOT be having such extreme temperment issues THIS often. The people working here have absolutely no idea how to handle these animals. This is absolutely unacceptable. Go somewhere else for your animal needs. Do your research. Don't settle for crap like this.”
— Mialee1.04 weeks ago“one of a kind pet store with all of the things I want for my pup Ramblo. The staff was really cool too”
— rosalia garcia5.0a month ago“Moldy turtle food. I saw a giant iguana in a way too small of an enclosure at one point. Same with some of the snakes. They had spiderwebs inside of some enclosures and if you point it out they say it’s fine. You nicely make them aware of an issue they shrug you off. Just do better please.”
— Rese J1.0Edited a month ago“I visited Mark's ark.i today I purchased some Tetris pro tropical fish crisp I don't buy this stuff very often but I bought it from them and the price was $29.99 a can. I got home and my dad said that this was way too much money he can get it on Amazon for $18.99 for two. 6.70 OZ. Can's. When I called Mark's ark back and asked him if I could Return it.that it was too much money he said they don't have a return policy he told me that I would have to keep it or get in store credit I told him I didn't want either one they just told me that's the price of retail !. that's a cop out .is ripping the customer off and I guess if they're okay with that not a good place to shop then.”
— Roland1.0Edited a month ago“This review is 14 years past due. I was recommended by a friend here for my first pet, where I brought home Princeton. I remember whomever helped me was so kind and made jokes about how if I needed anything to reach out, unless he was evil, then he couldn’t help me haha. Princeton is still with me today. He’s been to 26 American states, lived in 4 different ones and is still healthy and going strong which is everything a pet owner would want from adoption. We’ve rescued two other cats in that time who unfortunately passed away (not from here) so feeling grateful for our 14 years together and wanted to share my gratitude! Hoping he makes it to his 20’s! Don’t let his RBF fool you!”
— Chantelle Rowley5.0a month ago“I went in today and asked to hold a female rock iguana which generally have a fairly mild temperament. I was told by the attendant that she was feisty which I thought odd but when he went to pick her up he did several incorrect things. He grabbed her from the top like a predator would which severely stressed her out he also proceeded to grab her way to hard scaring her further. Then just tosses this incredibly stressed animal at me she immediately try's to escape due to how scared she was he manages to grab her again and gives me attitude as if its my fault that this animal is freaked out. I proceeded to take control of the situation and calm her down. I took the time to ask the attendant questions on the animals diet, recommended enclosure size, and maximum size all of these questions he had to pull his phone out and google showing he knows nothing about this animal. So TLDR if you want to buy an animal from a group of guys who have no basic idea of how to handle a reptile and know nothing about the animals they own then please spend your money but I know that Mark's Ark only thinks of their animals as a price tag which is very sad those animals deserve better than these fools”
— Rodney Padgette1.0a month ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (801) 261-0466 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Mark's Ark Inc.