E & N Pet Paradise Shop

First time I used Unilocal and I’m not letting my experience with this store fly by.
I was looking for local fish stores in the Bronx since I’m too busy/​lazy to travel elsewhere for my aquarium needs. This was one of the few stores I came across from searching. Here’s my (albeit somewhat exaggerated) experience going here.
When I first entered the store I was greeted by two people: an old guy and a younger looking man.
Me: «Hi. uh… do you happen to have snails I could use for my aquarium?»
Old guy: «Snails carry parasites and diseases! Why would you want your fish to get sick?!» He then said in patronizing and condescending tone: «You probably just looked up these things on the Internet and wanted to buy them.»
Me: «OK then… so do you carry shrimp?»
OG: «Shrimp also have parasites so we don’t carry them.»
After being annoyed for a while I was about to leave… but I had one last question to ask the holier-​than-​thou apparent aquarium expert.
Me: «Do you have live plants?»
OG: «Plants aren’t easy to keep in an aquarium. You have to have warm water and lights or they die easy! You wanna know why I don’t keep plants? Because I don’t want people to come in with their dead plant and ask for a refund!»
That’s when I left, feeling extremely irritated. The reason I came here is because I was looking forward to making my aquarium a more lively and natural one. The guy doesn’t seem to understand that there are different types and species of snails, shrimp, and live plants. AKA what he said about parasites and warm water doesn’t necessarily apply to all snails, shrimp, and plants. It seems like he has no trust whatsoever in his customers, assumes every single one of them don’t know any better, and thinks he knows what’s best for them.
After all this I ended up going to a chain store. Never coming here again.

Don’t let the small size of this shop fool you. Packed with everything you could possibly need for your aquarium, customers rave that this is the place to go in the Bronx for a comprehensive selection of fish and supplies. Don’t see something you are looking for? Just ask, chances are if it belongs in an aquarium, they have it.

Augie, the owner, is a fast talking man whose heart is in the right place and has no bull… about him. His store is small and crowded but everything has its place and it is clean with well-​tended animals. I was looking for an English Budgie – hard to find – and he told me he had tame young birds which he did. I brought my beautiful little guy home on Wednesday and, just as Augie promised (I was skeptical cause the bird was in a cage with other birds and is about 6 mos. old) he is tame; already perching on my finger and letting me take him out of the cage at day 3. When I asked for a small amount of the seed he was feeding the bird to take home he gave me a large bag – gratis.
I am so pleased to know there is an independent pet store like this (fish and birds, occasionally other small animals like guinea pigs) whose owner is knowledgeable, kind, trustworthy, and who truly cares about his animals. Don’t think twice about stopping in!

The fish died in 4 days. Don’t know if it was the store’s fault, but her previous fish lived for more than 2 years.

This store is small but the knowledge and service are second to none, I’m glad I took the trip after a friend suggested this store to me, now its my go to place for all my aquarium needs.

As mom and pop as it gets. They have it all, except dogs. The selection of fish is second to none. For such a small store, they easily compete with the chain pet stores.
A literal hole in the wall. Ask for theowner, Augie. He knows what he is talking about. He doesnt work there part time like the teenagers in Pet Land. He knows his stuff because its HIS store.