Cichlid Express/ Daytona Aquarium Fish Store

Fantastic experience: All of the fish in this store look happy, healthy and well cared for. The owner helped me decide on the best fish to add to my aquarium and was extremely patient with my questions and knowledgeable. I recommend this place for novice to experienced aquarists!

Fantastic experience: Great customer service!!! Got 5 fish n they r doing great couldn't b happier with my purchase thx.

Fantastic experience: Ever since I found this store, I have completely stocked my 125 gallon with their fish! I always receive healthy and beautifully colored fish. I’ve found all of the fish on my list, plus more! Billy and Brittany are amazing people with lots of knowledge about cichlids, I highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: I feel like a kid in Toys “R” Us in this store so many beautiful fish and the staff is amazing

Fantastic experience: Very clean, fish are well loved and well kept. Kid friendly! Extremely knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: This place was great. Billy was really helpful at helping us with our setup. Definitely recommend and I will be returning for future purchases. The best cichlid store I’ve been to. Thank you Billy for the fish will be seeing you again soon for German red peacock.

Fantastic experience: This is the best place in the area for African Cichlids. The owners are extremely knowledgeable and are great in helping you select the right fish for your tank. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Excellent selection, clean tanks, healthy fish, and great service!

Fantastic experience: One of the very best tropical fish specialty stores around!! The fish are in immaculate condition and they even breed some fish on site. 5 stars!!

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff and a fun place to walk around and look at things you will probably never see in nature

Fantastic experience: Hands down the best place to get freshwater fish, large and small. Just keep in mind that THAT is why you need to have patience when you go there. Very high demand to get the best fish and the best advice. :)

Fantastic experience: I started a 36-gallon freshwater aquarium 8 years ago and found Cichlid Express to be the best source for fish and advice. I was new to this hobby and probably needed more assistance than most people. Also, I don't live locally, and they are able to package the fish so they would handle the trip home safely. Their variety is stunning, the health of their fish is excellent, and the prices are great. They also have lots of supplies and gorgeous plants and decorative stones for the aquarium.

Fantastic experience: I've lived in the area for 10 yrs. Drive by this store at least twice per week; finally stopped in. WOW!!!!!!! In my 65+ years of being a "fish /aquarium nut", this is the cleanest fish store I've EVER BEEN IN!!! The tanks were spotless, the fish were happy, and the employees/owner? were friendly! If you want to add an aquarium to your home, THIS is the store to do business with!

Negative experience: Wasn't worth the money, why advertise the rainforest & charge that much money if you don't have everything complete, we were on vacation & I sure was disappointed, wish I went & done something else now.

Negative experience: very underwhelmed. not worth the price

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing! Not only is it a blast for your kids, but for adults too. The staff went out of their way to teach us about the critters and even touch some of them. Had my whole family smiling for an hour straight.

Fantastic experience: Dropped in to see the aquarium and what a great little find!!! They provide great enclosures for each of the many animals there and have a large aquarium hosting shark, morays, grouper, and many more. They also have a large selection of reptiles from dart frogs up to the American alligator. I particularly liked the monitors! Great place for adults and kids alike. The touch tanks are nice and it’s fun watching the kiddos exploring nature in a safe environment. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Jamie was very informative and had amazing customer service!!

Negative experience: For the price it is slightly disappointing. Add to this the audacity of the owner to bully our local small town business down the street by using the same business name as them. Daytona aquarium (also known as Cichlid express) right down the street has been operating under this name for 50+ years. The owner beat on his chest and essentially said he can do what he wants due to his deep pockets. Not a good way to embrace the locals.

Fantastic experience: We absolutely LOVE this store. A amazing local family runs this place and always goes above and beyond for us. Everytime I go in here they have some kind of shocking and interesting fish that you don't see anywhere else! Billy is a GREAT resource if you have any kind of fish medical question, and Brittany is the sweetest and most helpful person! 10/10 more than just a fish store this place is a great staple for the community.

Fantastic experience: I can't say enough nice things about this mom and pop owned staple of Daytona! They're the OG Daytona Aquarium. They truly care for their fish and customers. They have an amazing selection of fish, not just cichlids but Koi and community fish. They spend the time needed with each customer to ensure they're setting their tanks up for success, instead of just pushing sales. They've taught me a lot, especially as someone new to the hobby. If you're thinking about setting a new tank, go look around and chat with them first, you'll thank me. If you're a pro, I'm sure you've been there tons of times. My only warning is their selection will make you want to get bigger and bigger tanks, or multiple ones!

Fantastic experience: They are extremely helpful. If you like freshwater fish, especially cichlids, this is the place to stock your aquarium. The variety is amazing! Check out our home tanks.

Fantastic experience: What an incredible experience. The staff was super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Definitely worth the money. There is a ton of different things to experience here.

Fantastic experience: Very healthy beautiful tanks great customer service

Fantastic experience: Great selection of healthy fish inn clean tanks. The staff was very welcoming and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: i drove an hour to visit store wanted to stock a 75 gal tank so glad i did. thought i knew what i wanted but i was mixing fish that really werent gonna get along so i picked 2 fish and let them pick 9 more that would get along together.he wrote down the names of the fish for me i looked them up online i cant wait to go back next week and let him pick out the rest for me

Fantastic experience: Only place I will get Koi from. Very awesome people. Healthy fish.

Negative experience: I dislike giving bad reviews, however, this aquarium is not up to par at all. There is one circle of tanks, a small amount of reptiles and an open petting area for horseshoe crabs and stingray. There are no large aquatic fish like sharks, dolphins, noting like that at all. There is no rainforests. When asked about it, I was told it was still under construction. I was highly disappointed. For 28 bucks a person, it's simply not worth it. You see every thing in 30 minutes.

Fantastic experience: The owners are super helpful and answer all your questions. They are very patient and helped us pick out brightly colored fish for our tank. Highly recommend this fish store.

Fantastic experience: We have been buying fish from Daytona Aquarium/Cichlid Express for 10 years!!! The owners are extremely knowledgeable about their products. Learn from what they are telling you. The fishes we've bought from them continually outgrow my fish tank!!!

Fantastic experience: Was not what I was expecting to see when I walked through the door! I was surprised to see an actual aquarium with fish. The guy working was amazing at his job and was surprised when I gave him a tip for a job well done. I highly recommend this spot for your fresh water aquarium & pond set ups!!

Fantastic experience: If you are a african cichlid enthusiast, take the drive, I drive up an hour and a half every time, and always come out with a box full or two of fish, love this place

Fantastic experience: Surprisingly fun! We went there with low expectations but were all pleasantly surprised at how nice this place was! There were several helpful and cheerful staff to answer questions we had about the various exhibits and there was more than enough to see and do to keep us busy for a couple of hours. Highly recommend for people of all ages..

Fantastic experience: Wonderful exhibition! I will be back. I highly recommend the experience!

Negative experience: We went there because we heard how good it was. We got through the whole experience in 20 minutes. The tickets were 60 dollars for two people. It is way over priced. The exhibits wete nothing to wright home about. Definitely would not pay for that again.

Fantastic experience: Daytona Aquarium is the best freshwater cichlid store around! We have purchased a large array of amazing and beautiful cichlids from here. Brittany & Billy are awesome and very knowledgeable!!!

Fantastic experience: The Daytona Aquarium is a one stop fish store and has been in the area for over 50 years. Family owned, second generation owner Brittany (daughter of the founder) is amazing and so knowledgeable about both fresh water and salt water aquariums for your home or business. We are so happy with their services cleaning and helping me to maintain my tank at home. Located on ISB West of I-95 they are the BEST!!!!

Fantastic experience: Great selection of cichlids and other small freshwater fish! All of the tanks are clean and well maintained. The owner Billy is very knowledgeable and super friendly! Highly recommend a visit!

Fantastic experience: Really nice price is an awesome fish

Positive experience: Was disappointed when I saw the collection of Koi, was told over the phone they were much larger than the ones they had when I got there

Fantastic experience: Said they are great seven years ago and they still are+++++

Fantastic experience: Are you looking to start your own cichlid tank? Then look no further cause you're in the right place! They are a family-owned business that has been here since Daytona was a small town! They not only cater for cichlid enthusiasts but also for micro tank owners like me! Highly recommended

Fantastic experience: We are so happy with the individualized time, service, and expertise we’ve received for setting up our freshwater aquarium. They have a beautiful selection of cichlids. Their fish look healthy and happy and our aquarium is doing great! Even the cat approves.

Fantastic experience: Billy was awesome! He worked so hard and was so helpful with everything we needed! Definitely recommend coming in and being helped by him! Very kind, hardworking, and passionate about his work! Beautiful koi and other fish! If you are shopping for tropical fish at the best price around definitely come here!

Fantastic experience: Nice people,great selection of fish.

Fantastic experience: Hands down the best place to get fish. They are so knowledgeable about their fish and you can see their passion for them when they talk to you. You can also see it in the quality of their fish, that they truly love what they do. They take the time to teach you, they'll even write it down step by step for you. They aren't going to let you get fish that won't do well together just to make a sale either. They will help you make sure you're making the best decision for your tank and fish. Brittany and Billy really are such good humans. They make it a point to get to know you and even have little goodies for your kids. I wouldn't go anywhere else, even if the prices were cheaper. You can't beat their quality , knowledge and passion.

Fantastic experience: The B & B team are Awesome!!

Fantastic experience: I can't visit this store enough. I came here with my wife about a year ago for the first time and was amazed at how nice their fish were, how nice the people were, and the selection. Our local fish store retired, so we will be making our rounds more often to the Daytona Aquarium eventhough we are from Ocala. The drive is a small sacrifice for the quality of fish and products they have!

Fantastic experience: Super friendly staff, outstanding selection and very healthy fish. Purchased two gorgeous Tanganyikans and a good size Hap. Priced about right considering selective African Cichlids are sought after.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff and owners. Extremely helpful and great assortment of fish and water plants

Fantastic experience: Came in to buy some fish and fell in love with the store. They are so fun! The selection is wonderful. Will be back to get some more fish to fill my 72 bow tank. Thank you Brittany for taking the time with me and not rushing the process.

Fantastic experience: This place is amazing! The livestock is gorgeous and the staff provide out of this world customer service. This is the only place to buy freshwater livestock.

Negative experience: First time here, won't be back, needed about 1k in fish to fill my tank and girl behind counter only chatted with her friend and older guy just kept giving us dirty looks, no one offered to help us, oh well, more fish stores in the area.

Positive experience: Showed up expecting an aqurium. It's a fish store specializing in Ciclads. Cool place, but the name is very misleading.

Fantastic experience: Very nice place. All the fish tanks are clean. They take care of their fish. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Nice selection. The fish look very healthy. I give them a 10. We will be going back.

Fantastic experience: Have many beautiful and rare cichilids.. They are very knowledgeable and Super friendly. Had everything we needed from fish to the fish food amongst many other aquarium necessities. Will definitely be back for more of those beautiful exotic water pets. And can wait to share this awesome find with all my aquarium loving friends and family.

Fantastic experience: Down to earth fish store, the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about their fish! When I was there the store was very clean, No algae build up on any of the fishtanks. They have a great selection on cichlids and koi fish since they do alot of the breeding in house. I would definitely recommend cichlid express to anyone near daytona / Orlando.

Fantastic experience: This is the best fish store I have ever seen ❗️The owner actually breeds some of the fish. The process can take a couple of years of DAILY attention to get the fish to sellable size. It is obvious how this family-owned company feels about life. I feared for the store after the last two hurricanes, but it is even better than before. You don't have to buy anything, so go take a look. It's close to the exit off I-95. 3131 West Speedway Boulevard

Fantastic experience: Expert experience owner, great fish and advise. would highly recommend if your in fish hobby! (6stars)

Fantastic experience: Very happy with the great African cichlids that I just got from Daytona Aquarium. Billy was very helpful in getting me an awesome group of fish. Will definitely return for a few more. Happy I found my new fish store .

Fantastic experience: Hands down best customer service ever! Billy and his crew are amazing! They always have the best fish!! Best fish/aquarium store in Volusia County!

Fantastic experience: My first time to purchase from cichlid express. I got this big boy VC10 and he is super nice. Good quality fish!

Negative experience: What a disappointment. I was looking for angelfish because I had bought some beauties in 1997 and had bred them for years. Since I'm starting tanks again, I called from Orlando to get an idea what types they carried. That was two weeks ago and the owner said he had a shipment coming in and it had an assortment of types, which excited me. I was going to start with a new batch of angels from a place I had had an excellent experience before. So I called the day after he received the new shipment and learned that he has a two week quarantine period which I've never heard of before. I've been raising tropical fish since the 70s and unless there is a new disease, it was an extreme over precaution, but I was willing to risk the new fish because of the quality in the past. I also asked during my call what types he had received and it sounded just like I was looking for. That was until I drove over to Daytona from Orlando and saw he had none of the types he had said for sale. He had some in a display tank but they were not for sale. Then, of those that were close to the type I was looking for, they had strange fin abnormalities or washed out colors, nothing like I had purchased before. That is, except for the display tank where none were for sale. Others may not be as quality considerate as I am but after making two calls, confirming what I was after, and driving about 100 miles round trip, I will never trust this store again. What's sad to me is that in the summer of 1972 I worked at this same fish store and told the owner but he didn't seem to care. I guess you have to live in Daytona to buy the fish you want. I hope others have better luck than I did.

Fantastic experience: Great first experience. Billy was a huge help and really knows his stuff when it comes to aquariums and specific concerns of aqua-care. My only regret is it took me almost 10 years to finally walk into this very unique aquarium store that specializes in freshwater exotic fish. There's no doubt I am going to make this aquarium store my go-to whether it is livestock, supplies or solid advice.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing shop for quality cichlids. Great selection of both African and New World, all being top quality specimens. Billy is every bit the charmer that the other reviews state, and was beyond helpful and pleasant the entire time. I drove all the way from Orlando just to pay them a visit and it was well worth the trip. Thanks for the beautiful fish, you officially have a loyal customer for years to come.

Fantastic experience: This store is great when you are looking for a true to the hobby fish store. They truly care about upholding a higher quality standard. I’ve been looking for a nice Deep Water Hap for ever and they had a beautiful one. The color of the fish was outstanding less then 2 hours after being placed in the tank. Billy is very knowledgeable and knows exactly what it takes to having a crystal clear and thriving tank. The building is warmer inside and it’s because they focus on the quality of the fish and creating the best environment for your future tank mates. Highly highly recommend I’ve been coming here for close to 6 years now.

Fantastic experience: Nice shop! Tanks are super clean and the owner(?) was nice. They are 1/2 store and 1/2 fish farm. Their primary focus is African Cichlids but they have other types of fish as well, such as Rainbows, South American Cichlids, a good variety of Angelfish, and a good assortment of Synodontis types (angelicus, featherfin, multipunctatus). They also have a typical assortment of community. No saltwater fish at this store. Prices seemed to be in line with what I normally see. There were a few nano tanks with some common small fish like neons and white cloud mountain minnows. Since the staff were busy bagging for a customer from Tampa, I didn’t get an opportunity to check out the farm operation but he did show me some nice long fin green dragon and super red Ancistrus. Well worth the drive, especially if you are in the market for African Cichlids or some larger South Americans.

Negative experience: Be careful here, the Google ratings are way off! Benefit of the doubt maybe they sell good low end fish, but I doubt that too. I spent just under a $1,000 with them for a fully stocked peacock/hap all male tank. Billy has no idea what he’s doing and is terrible at communicating with a buyer. Several of my guaranteed males were feed hormones that turned out to be females, and the rest died shortly after leaving me with one lone peacock. I traded it in with a reputable local fish guy and spent another $1,000 getting quality fish. I strongly recommend you do the same first before spending any money here. You’ll regret buying from them, just my honest opinion. I’d give a negative review if I could.

Fantastic experience: This is the only place to buy cichlids. Lots of choices and fair prices. We got two Yellow Labs and two Cobalt Blues today. Opens earlier on Saturday.

Fantastic experience: Got an entire HUGE tank of fish here and the kids said it was a great experience and they are happily swimming in it now in Jax!

Fantastic experience: Great Quality fish they are amazing. Billy is great to work with and on my last order he was up pretty late to make sure I got my order next day. Thanks Billy

Negative experience: Be Careful - Note my words, they will cheat you if you don't know what you are buying from them! I bought six Peacock African Cichlids, 22.00 dollars a piece. The owner told me that it will start showing colors in a month or two. More than six months have passed but the fishes looks the same. Even the size of the fishes did not much. Finally, I took them to the fishy business, a store near my house and they said that only two of them are African Cichlids (peacock) and rest are not even Cichlids. I had a ridiculous experience with them; I am warning you to be aware of them.

Fantastic experience: It was great Billy was very knowledgeable and answered the questions I had and the selection of fish was off the wall!

Fantastic experience: If you need water lilies or other aquatic plants, koi fish this place has it all. Got some cool decorations for my koi pond.

Fantastic experience: Great selection of healthy fish. Decent prices.

Positive experience: This is a great little fish store. The people are great too. They have a large variety of fresh water fish. The place has that small business feel to it, with wooden shelves, old school price labels, and prices written in sharpie. You can tell they care for there fish.

Fantastic experience: Drove from Jacksonville and it was worth the drive. Large selection of beautiful healthy fish.. Billy was extremely friendly and helpful. He had some of the fish I had been searching for for years. Billy is very knowledgeable. He made my day. Thank you Billy I will be back.

Fantastic experience: Super nice staff, very knowledgeable on cichlids. Worth the trip.

Fantastic experience: Awesome lfs store especially if you're in the chichlids huge assortment . really friendly staff ...happy to answer any questions. pretty good selection of supplies as well. That was really cool it was a nursery out back where some of the fish are actually bred and raised

Fantastic experience: Amazing selection of beautiful cichlids and other tropical freshwater fish. Billy was knowledgeable, patient, and answered all my questions. Will definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: I love this place they have the best fish around. They even have a beautiful black cat I was playing with when my husband was shopping

Fantastic experience: I love this shop! Two very hard working guys who are always ready to sit and talk to you or give you knowledge. They never seem like they are un interested because you can tell how they have such a passion for the hobby and shop. I live 4 hours away but still make my way to the shop every so often because I have yet to find a better fish store. If you love cichlids and want a very healthy fish then this is your one stop shop to go to. I give this place a solid 10/10!

Fantastic experience: Today was first time at Dayton aquarium. Billy helped me find beautiful cichlids. Great prices and best cichlids I've found in volusia.

Fantastic experience: I have purchased fish from these guys since the 80's!! We recently have been having them air freight Cichlids to us in Atlanta. Fantastic quality - and great job with the bagging process. Much better than other locations we have purchased from around the country. Billy does a really good job taking care of his customers. Outstanding!!!!!

Fantastic experience: Iam just lost for words so let me try theses guys made a sad day into one of the best day in my life iam so happy i meet you guys trying to Express my feelings about my experience there only one word you guys are the best when it comes to fish and you guys took your time and choicest fish i every seen or had in my life i can't tell you how happy iam thank you.

Fantastic experience: Lots of awesome cichlids, they also have other fish but they mostly specialize in cichlids. Very friendly and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Well knowledge staff. Various selection of fish. Beats petco or petsmart

Positive experience: Nice place, stop in to see all the fishies for sale! No saltwater, all freshwater. Very friendly staff!

Fantastic experience: Awesome place if you like cichlids you'll be in heaven. The staff are great and Billy was awesome. Extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. If you are looking for cichlids this is your go to place.

Fantastic experience: I absolutely love this store , I could spend all day in there , they always have everything that I am looking for and good prices on everything .

Fantastic experience: Enjoyed these guys shop is great everyone has a lot of knowledge and I will be back

Fantastic experience: Beautiful display and selection of Cichlids, pleasant and greeting staff. Bummer they didn't have Saltwater fish, but if I had a Fresh/Brackish tank, this would be a great place to shop.

Fantastic experience: Nice place, good selection and willing to order something for you if they can.

Positive experience: Good quality and selection of fish also very friendly staff

Fantastic experience: One of the best if not THE best fish store in town!!! Great staff and awesome fish !!!! Highly recommend!!! They also have some aquarium and pond plants for sale!!!!

Fantastic experience: I am always greeted friendly. They answer all my questions, and are always ready to help. It is clean and well-kept and it's the only place I go for my fish and supplies ..

Fantastic experience: An amazing assortment of fish! Very pleased every time.

Fantastic experience: Clean store! Very knowledgeable and funny. Will be returning to this store. Great prices too.

Fantastic experience: A great place and nice guys. Their tanks are all really clean and have substrate and decor for the fish, they really care and take pride! Not like ur average fish store. Can’t wait to come back.

Fantastic experience: Planning on doing cichlid tank. They have a large selection ..good prices ..courteous employees and most important all the fish looked extremely healthy