About
Milwaukee Aquatics is a small, locally owned fish store on Milwaukee's map that earns the kind of loyalty chain stores rarely do. Owner Travis and longtime staffer Chong — now joined by Sal — are the heart of the place, known for unhurried, genuine conversations about fishkeeping. " The shop keeps a solid freshwater lineup.
You'll find guppies (including the larger females that are hard to track down elsewhere), green Cory catfish, angelfish, basic cichlids, goldfish, koi, axolotls, and an assortment of snails. Bettas live in proper tanks here rather than the tiny cups you see at big-box stores. Saltwater fish are stocked too, though freshwater is clearly the focus — making this as much an aquarium store as a fish store for Milwaukee, WI hobbyists.
Live plants are a genuine draw: shoppers regularly report bringing home healthy specimens, and during summer the store carries large aquatic pond plants for sale in Milwaukee, WI. On the practical side, each display tank runs its own filtration, which regulars say cuts the risk of cross-contamination and sick fish. Prices are a recurring highlight — frozen fish food well under big-box pricing, plus supplies and the occasional reasonably priced used tank or piece of equipment.
What brings people back is the personal touch. Travis is the type to spend twenty minutes on the phone helping someone who inherited fish they knew nothing about, and first-time keepers consistently leave educated rather than upsold. If you're hunting for axolotls or healthy live plants near me in Milwaukee, this is a character-filled little shop worth the trip.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Milwaukee Aquatics in Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Aquatics stocks axolotls, cichlids, betta fish, goldfish, koi, angelfish, livebearers, invertebrates, aquarium plants and freshwater & saltwater fish for sale in Milwaukee, WI. As an aquarium store serving Milwaukee, WI, it also carries fish food and aquarium equipment and offers aquarium consultations, aquarium setup and water testing.
- Livestock & products
- AxolotlsCichlidsBettasGoldfishKoiLive PlantsAngelfishLivebearersInvertebratesFish FoodAquarium Equipment
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Bettas kept in proper tanks instead of tiny cups
- Individual filtration on every display tank to limit cross-contamination
- Hard-to-find larger female guppies and green Cory catfish
- Healthy live plants, plus large aquatic pond plants in summer
- Competitive pricing on frozen fish food, supplies, and used equipment
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Great little place, friendly clerk.”
— Mj Simons5.02 months ago“👍”
— Lewis Hicks5.02 months ago“It was kind of a neat little spot, they didn't have a lot, but the owner was friendly and educational.”
— Tappy Tibbon4.03 months ago“Nice store and lots of plants, good prices, cute fish. The guy there was super nice and friendly, no pressure at all. I'll be coming back. :)”
— Eva Rodriguez5.03 months ago“My family and I purchased an axolotl yesterday from Chong and Sal. Both gentlemen did a fantastic job sharing their experiences with axolotl care and only sold us what we needed to care for our new family pet. If you are in the market for a new aquatic pet, come to Milwaukee Aquatics.”
— Anthony Larsen5.03 months ago“On Google it suggests he has rare freshwater fish for sale. There are more rare fish at petco than at this store. Majority of tanks were empty with fish that did not look happy at all. The immaculate tanks were nice with barely any fish in them or tanks without lights. This store should definitely not be on anyone’s list to stop to shop. What a waste and the owner I’m sure is capable of getting anything in just like any other store but it sure would be nice to see great selection like the Google description states rather than be pathetic and fooling someone to drive 40 minutes for NOTHING.”
— Brent Thelen2.06 days ago“Definitely a place for fish aficionados, with many specialty fish. But I am a new fish owner who just wanted to set up a tank for my 7-year old son who wanted to buy one fish with his Christmas money. The owner set me up with a nice 10-gallon tank, filter, and bubble wall for a great price to get things started. Even more than that, he shared his expert advice for starting up a tank, which proved to be awesome. Will continue to go back when we have other needs.”
— Matt Wood5.0a week ago“Very nice store and the fish look like they are very healthy. The customer service is amazing. Over all the prices are good and the fish are good looking.”
— Nova Janik5.02 weeks ago“Honestly this place is disturbing. There’s koi fish in 5/10 gallon tanks. The axolotls have nothing in their tank, no covers and hardly any sand, with a blue light shining dead at them. There was a dead koi fish floating in the small tank it was literally left to rot in. I think anything you get from here would be a rescue but then you’re supporting this hack job of a store and will probably bring home a pet you’ll have to fight diseases off. The prices are good because they treat their animals horribly. The tanks aren’t a taken care of well. I honestly am floored this place has anything above a 1 star. Edit to respond to owner. Very true I came in this Saturday 10/11/2025, run your cameras back boss. I could tell you exactly who was working. And how is it not true when I have pictures, do you want them posted with the time stamp? Be more professional before animal welfare is called on you. Axolotls need coverage and places to hide, if you knew anything about amphibian care, yours in their empty tanks look miserable. You took pictures of them under the blue light to prove they want to be there but show a picture of the tank so that we can see there’s no where FOR THEM TO GO to get away from the blue light, that is what my picture shows. But a blue light and a literal handful of sand thrown in there is proper axolotl care, please cite your sources Owner. You can see in my picture the whole tank has the blue light exposure, why don’t you post pictures once they’re being properly cared for. I’ll be happy to provide time stamps creep to dispute your timing claims. Additionally, I posted the picture with the koi that’s in the 10 gallon tank next to your dead floating fish regardless of its breed, it’s dead. There were two other tanks with kois in the same size tank, What’s the excuse for those being in a 10 gallon and looking stressed because they can hardly move. Hey owner, do you know how big koi’s actually get or what’s the excuse for these being in a small tank? When was the dead one cleaned if I came in Saturday and it’s only Sunday 10/12, and please be so for real when you respond with your weird lies. Added the time stamp of your dead fish friend 👍🏽 and if you check the time, I came in at the end of your hours of operation, still dead boss.”
— Angelo1.03 months ago“I stopped in a little before closing a few weeks ago and received great customer service as well as detailed advice on getting the fish I purchased as a gift to make it back home with me on a 10 hour drive the next day. All fish made it home alive and survived and added 3 hours for a total drive of 13 hours due to severe storms thanks to the advice and directions of the store owner. I so appreciate the 5 star customer service and will stop by for all my fish needs when visiting the area again. Thanks again!”
— Rebecca Jones5.0Edited 4 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (414) 719-5025 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Milwaukee Aquatics.