Tucked into the Warwood neighborhood of Wheeling, West Virginia, Mom & Dad's is the kind of family-run shop that feels like it's been part of the community forever — because it has. Split into two halves, one side houses a charming gift shop stocked with candles, plush toys, and decorations, while the other is a compact but well-curated pet store with a focus on tropical fish. It's a combination you don't see often, and it gives the place a character all its own.
The fish selection spans both freshwater and saltwater species, with reviewers consistently praising the health and quality of the stock. Small tropical fish are a strong suit, and longtime customers report buying fish here for over a year without a single loss — a testament to how well the animals are cared for before they leave the store. Linda and the rest of the staff are frequently singled out by name for their knowledge and willingness to help customers make the right choices for their tanks.
Beyond fish, Mom & Dad's carries birds, feeder insects like crickets and worms for reptile owners, aquarium supplies including air stones, and food for a range of pets. It's become a go-to alternative for locals who don't want to drive to the mall for basic pet supplies. The store will also special-order items they don't have in stock, which speaks to the level of personal service you get at a place like this.
The space is admittedly snug — customers note it's packed wall to wall with merchandise — but that's part of the charm. Prices are generally described as fair, and several reviewers emphasize the importance of supporting this small business over big-box alternatives. For Wheeling residents looking for healthy tropical fish, reliable pet supplies, and genuinely warm customer service, Mom & Dad's delivers on all counts.
Personal Touch The Fish Superstore looks modest from the parking lot, but step inside this Princeton, WV shop and the scale catches you off guard — five separate rooms lined wall to wall with aquariums. More than one visitor has admitted being amazed at the sheer number of fish tanks packed into this family-owned business, which has grown into one of the largest independent aquarium stores in southern West Virginia and a longtime fixture in Mercer County.
Freshwater is the heart of the place. You'll find community fish, cichlids, and bettas for sale in Princeton, WV, alongside aquatic plants for planted tanks and a rotating selection that keeps regulars coming back. Pond keepers have a real reason to stop by too: the store keeps koi and pond plants available in Princeton for anyone building or refreshing an outdoor water garden. Saltwater hobbyists will find tanks here as well, rounding out a livestock selection that is genuinely broad for a town this size.
Beyond the fish, Personal Touch leans into its full mom-and-pop pet-store roots, with snakes, reptiles, birds, and small mammals filling out the rooms. Browsers love meeting the resident "shop pets" — a 50-year-old parrot and a couple of enormous pythons among them. On the practical side, it stocks new and used aquarium equipment at reasonable prices, a budget-friendly touch for hobbyists piecing together a setup, and if something isn't on the shelf the staff will track it down for you.
What customers mention most is the people. Reviewers repeatedly describe the staff as friendly, patient, and happy to talk through fish compatibility or bearded dragon care, and families with kids are made to feel at home. It is the kind of local aquarium store where folks will drive a couple of hours just to walk the rooms. For anyone in the Princeton area hunting for freshwater fish, koi, or gear in person, it remains the go-to stop.
Tucked into the hills of Bluefield, WV, The Aquarium is a locally owned, in-person aquarium store run by owner Robbie (Robert), whose hands-on knowledge of fishkeeping has built a loyal following — some shoppers driving close to two hours just to walk through the door. Recent visitors keep coming back for the same reason: as one June reviewer put it, the owner "is very helpful and very knowledgeable" and clearly "cares about the animals in the store."
Freshwater is the heart of the shop. Hobbyists have walked out with Mustard Gas bettas, albino cory cats, plecos, goldfish, and angelfish, and Robbie is known for talking through which species can share a community tank before you buy. If you're hunting for angelfish or bettas for sale in Bluefield, WV, this is the kind of counter where you can ask what pairs well in a 75-gallon and get a straight, experienced answer. Saltwater fish are available too — one recent regular noted he'll "continue to go here for my saltwater needs."
Beyond fish, the store stocks reptiles like bearded dragons and ball pythons, small animals including guinea pigs and ferrets, and live feeder insects — super worms, horn worms, and Dubai roaches — for keepers who need food on hand close by. Dry goods, tanks, fish food, and the basic equipment to get a setup running round out the shelves, and new inventory tends to arrive almost weekly, so the variety is genuinely impressive for a quiet rural area.
What sets it apart from big-box competitors is the personal touch. Robbie greets people warmly, fields phone questions about tank troubles, and will special-order items he doesn't keep in stock. Reviewers repeatedly describe him as honest, fair on price, and someone who wants animals to land in good homes — one even brought a sick ferret back to health before it found a family. The shop is small, no-frills, and cash only, but for aquarium hobbyists across southern West Virginia, The Aquarium is a real local resource backed by an owner who takes the time to do things right.
Inland Reef Pet Store is a family-owned aquarium store in Cross Lanes, WV that has earned a loyal following across the Kanawha Valley — some hobbyists drive nearly two hours just to stock their tanks here. The name nods to the heart of the place: a deep, well-tended fish room where the freshwater and saltwater fish selection is the main event, backed by shelves of aquarium supplies and equipment.
Walk in and you'll find a clean, easy-to-navigate floor plan with clearly labeled tanks. Shoppers come for community aquarium fish and livebearers like guppies, but the live plants are what regulars rave about — healthy foot-long sword plants (which have sold for about $10) and Java Fern that, by several accounts, actually thrive once they get home, plus a running buy-two-get-one deal on plants. If you're hunting live aquarium plants for sale in Cross Lanes, WV, this is the shop locals point you toward first.
The staff are the store's strongest asset. Reviewers describe them as friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested — the kind of people who'll talk you out of a bad stocking decision before you waste money, double-check fish compatibility, and make sure you leave with everything your aquarium needs. One customer even had the shop special-order a Zoo Med enclosure at a competitive price, the sort of above-and-beyond help that's hard to find at a big-box chain.
Beyond the water, Inland Reef doubles as a full exotics destination, with reptiles, ball pythons, bearded dragons, birds, tortoises, and a surprising invertebrate corner stocking tarantulas and designer isopods. Prices run better than fair across the board, often well under chain-store markups.
For aquarists searching for a local fish store near me around Cross Lanes, WV, Inland Reef pairs a genuine freshwater and saltwater selection with the kind of hands-on, in-person advice that keeps its regulars making the long drive back.
Exotic Jungle Pet Supply has anchored Morgantown's pet scene for roughly 40 years, and it remains the kind of sprawling, lived-in shop that no big-box chain can imitate. Walk in and the place feels more like a menagerie than a store: tortoises ambling across the floor, resident animals like Pearl greeting regulars, and room after room of livestock and supplies packed deeper than you'd expect. It's the local alternative Morgantown, WV fishkeepers reach for when they want something the chains simply don't stock, and some customers happily drive close to an hour to get here.
The freshwater fish department is the real draw. The owner is known for constantly bringing in new and different fish, and regulars praise the quality of what shows up. You'll find a solid cichlid selection, including the larger, show-size specimens that are hard to track down, plus bettas, albino plecos, and electric blue rams for sale in Morgantown, WV. Live aquarium plants are another strength: one shopper had a staff member hand-pick plants for her tank, ask the gender of her betta, and send her home with healthy stock that had her fish building a bubble nest within days. If you keep reptiles or feed live, the feeder fish here are a local fixture too, with regulars repeatedly calling them the best feeders around at fair prices, and there's a genuinely nice selection of driftwood for aquascaping.
Service tends to be what people remember. Staff greet you at the door and take time to answer questions, whether you're choosing your first betta or stocking a planted tank. As an honest heads-up, a steady minority of reviews flag cluttered aisles and tanks that aren't always pristine, so it's worth a close look before you buy. Even so, for hands-on guidance and the fancier freshwater fish available in Morgantown, WV that the chains don't carry, this long-running family-run fish store keeps a loyal following coming back.
B V Southside Aquarium has been a fixture on Parkersburg's south side since the 1990s, and the loyalty shows: one shopper recently noted he's been coming "since the 1990's," while another counts thirteen years of visits that, in her words, helped foster "my love for fish and reptiles." Despite a name that leads with "aquarium," this is a full-service pet shop in the Mid-Ohio Valley, but the freshwater fish room is its heart, and it's the reason hobbyists keep walking back through the door.
The tanks draw consistent praise for being clean and well-kept, with reviewers calling the displays "amazing." Stock leans toward approachable community freshwater livestock: gouramis, mystery snails, and a rotating wall of fresh fish that a recent visitor summed up as "lots of fresh fish" at "good prices." If you're hunting for freshwater fish for sale in Parkersburg, WV, this is one of the few independent fish stores in the area still carrying live aquarium stock rather than only dry goods.
And the dry-goods selection runs deep. Longtime customers point out that BV stocks aquarium equipment, substrates, cycling products, foods, and odds-and-ends the big-box chains skip, handy when you're setting up a new tank and want everything in one trip. Staff are happy to talk through tank setup, substrate choices, and freshwater care, and the shop has built its reputation on that kind of hands-on, in-person help. Reptile and amphibian keepers also lean on BV for feeder crickets and frozen feeders, with one regular calling them the "best crickets around."
Beyond the fish room, the store houses birds, reptiles, puppies, and small animals, making it a genuine one-stop animal shop for locals. Feedback isn't unanimous, and some reviewers raise concerns about livestock care and pricing, but a deep bench of regulars keeps returning for the variety, the fair prices, and clean tanks you can browse in person. For freshwater fish and aquarium supplies near me, Parkersburg keepers have leaned on this Southside shop for decades.
418 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505
Pet Works in Morgantown, West Virginia is primarily a pet supply store focused on dogs and cats rather than an aquarium or fish shop. Based on extensive customer reviews, the store specializes in natural and premium-brand pet food, treats, toys, and grooming services — particularly their popular self-wash dog bathing stations. While the store maintains a clean, well-organized appearance and carries items like deer antlers, salmon skin treats, harnesses, and ID tags, there is no meaningful mention of fish, aquariums, aquatic livestock, or related equipment in any customer feedback. The store also partners with Homeward Bound, a volunteer rescue organization, to display adoptable cats. Pet Works operates multiple locations including their Suncrest store in Morgantown and a Cheat Lake location with grooming facilities, plus a Fairmont branch. Because this store does not appear to sell fish, aquatic plants, corals, or aquarium supplies, it falls outside the scope of a fish store directory.
