I rate this store a 4 because my grandson and husband love it there .They do have everything you need and some of the staff mostly the manger have great knowledge and Advice on how to take care of your pets.Been going there for years. My grandson is Infatuated and loves it there and he only trust the staff there because I have taken him to other stores. But I only have one complain about 2 staff members that made me feel bad about having my grandsons water tested ,1 staff member refused to test his water because we been there many times to test, he told us no because they were wasting their drops and since we went the day before and had it tested .We only wanted to buy more fish since we weren’t able to get his aquarium right so I went ahead and bought my own testing kit there & some sand the nice manger came up to us and gave us more advice, So we went home and did what he said . In the morning I tested the water and finally it was great so I told my grandson he was ready to buy his fish my grandson still didn’t trust me on the reading and wanted to go and test his water again with the staff members he trusted. So I had his father take him ,The same staff member was there with another staff member,The manger wasn’t there at the time my grandson said ,Well they refused to test the water again and said after testing the water 5 times we charge 5 dollars , my grandson wasn’t going to buy the fish unless it was proven that I tested his water right so my Son paid the 5 dollars after the staff member said that his water wasn’t going to be good again. After the test the water was good so my Son paid 107 dollars worth in the store but felt very unhappy how the staff treated my grandson, they came to tell me about their experience in the store, my son said don’t ever take my son there again and give this people business , my grandson said to me grandma but I like it there a lot , his only 10 years old how can I explain to him when you go to a store and the staff are rude to you it’s not right to be treated like that ,we are paying customers and good business pay for their salary, if your not humble and Patient with your customers then they shouldn’t be working there ,that only makes the business look bad. My grandson is so heart broken this is the reason why I am writing this long review, I am a humble person I told my grandson don’t worry we will still visit the store again someday and he said I am going to feel Awkward grandma because my dad got upset ,then I said to him your dad had a bad experience there with the staff and he thinks you were treated badly . Hopefully when we return this doesn’t happen again if it does then we will take our business somewhere else and hope other customers don’t get treated this way only because of 1 or 2 staff members that don’t have Patient’s.

Excellent variety of fish, reptiles, birds, and other animals. No cats or dogs, but you will find rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, mice, rats, etc. They have a good stock of supplies for all animals they have in the shop. There is also a room where you can look at the different koi they have. After perusing a while, an older couple came in as we were looking at turtle accessories for our turtle Tesla. The couple started looking for the cheapeast turtle they could find. It sounded as if it were a gift to a very young child, the employee informed the couple that they had to have a set up ready for the turtle. The older gentleman made the claim they had a tank and everything ready. I didnt really believe that had a set up and Im guessing and the employee felt the same, they would require proof of a set up such as a photo. The couple didnt want to deal with the hassle so they left. That employee more than likely saved an innocent turtle from a terrible life. I will be coming back.

Great selection of fish, especially koi! The lizards are so hard to resist everytime I go lol Papa Jim's also has a great variety of supplies for all of your critters. My only qualm is the employees, or maybe just one, we were almost refused entry because our 16 month old didn't have a mask. Not even the airport requires a less than 2 year old to wear a mask. Not only that but the CDC states that a mask is a CHOKING HAZARD for an under 3 year old child. And he was very curt the rest of our visit. Fortunately, I have dealt with the manager before and he gave me excellent service along with helped me with all of my questions very politely and professionally, so I will be coming back for it's selection of aquatic plants and freshwater fish. But now I can't look forward to taking my son to a simple run to the LFS, which brightens his day so much because he loves counting and watching fish because I don't know whether we will be turned away or not.

Papa Jim’s Tropical Fish is definitely worth checking out. They’ve got a great selection of tropical fish and a great group of people running the shop. The employee's here are very informative, knowledgeable and kind people that will assist you in whatever stage you are in as an aquarist. I’ve had my first good size freshwater tank (29gallon) for almost 3 months now. Everything is looking great! I got some great advise from the workers. Not one fish I’ve gotten from them has died! Lol I’ve learned how to do just about everything I need to in order to maintain my tank on my own now. I also love the way the aisles of fish tanks are arranged so you can mix and match pretty much any fish in the same tank so long as it’s in the same aisle. Their store is organized, staff is friendly and the prices are great! What more could you ask for really?

It's an ok place personally the only thing that bothers me are the betta fish. They have them in small containers and advertise them with small containers that you can buy them in. I actually bought on of their bettas but please inform yourself before buying one. They need a 5 gallon and up, heater, and a gentle filter for bettas with long fins. I'd prefer if they were displayed in aquariums with live plants and show people examples of what they could do. I also noticed that they had multiple bettas on their lowboy aquariums with gold fish and plants. That was very disappointing to see. I don't know much about reptiles so I can't say much. The betta thing did bother me quite a lot though.

This shop has the largest selection/array of exotic animals of any pet shop within the city limits. This shop also has lower prices than any pet shop in town on most supplies and livestock. The guy who owns it is super friendly and gives great customer service. However, the reason I can't give five stars is when the owner guy isn't there-- the other guys give pretty poor customer service and are happy to condescend or just make you feel unwelcomed. They kinda give the vibe that they would really you rather leave so they can go home early. Then again I only come on Sundays so I wouldn't want to be working either. Notwithstanding I will return for the killer prices and selection.

I find this place disgusting and sickening to my stomach and heart. The fish look hungry as you pass by them. I saw a gerbil and a hamster looks sick and sad alone in separate cage. I was told they loves being alone. Both gerbils and hamster do better in groups not alone. The only 2 good things I can say about this pet shop is they want a new pet owner to show responsibility by showing proof they have a big enough habitat for a pet I don't know why that's required when they don't guarantee the said will be healthy when a customer buys it. The Bettas are in a glass vase instead of little plastic cup. No cameras allowed I know why now. :( Sickening and disgusting. I won't be back

Hopefully they read these reviews. You shouldn't bring animals into your store, unless you're going to set them up properly. Salamanders are not a dry environment animal. Asian forest scorpions are not a dry environment animal. That is not a red headed agama. Your uro doesn't look happy or healthy. I came in to in hopes making a fish purchase and left because of the overall care of the exotics. I run a collection far greater than what you have and not a single one of my animal cages look that bad. Not a single one of my exotics look that stressed. Educate yourself before bringing a living creature into your store. I vote with my dollars and my reviews. You failed.

I am finally beyond happy. I've been wanting an actual alligator gar baby for a long time now. Cast netting almost all of Brownsville and Los fresnos looking for a baby. Had the chance to visit San Antonio this past weekend and went to a few local fish stores and was impressed by this one the most because how clear their tanks were! Made the trip back with the gar and hauled back home as fast as I could to get them home safely. Late valentines gift, but was worth it so much! Will be going back in the near future to see what else they get while I was away. Highly recommend their customer service.

I just got two baby sulcata tortoises and they are adorable! The only problem was, i had to wash em a bit because there was poop and the pellet bedding stuff stuck on their shell. Also, they had no water in their tank, and we're very thirsty when i brought them home. They went straight to their little dish and started drinking the water. I had to refill it twice. They also do ask you for a photo of the habitat/ enclosure to make sure that you have the right stuff for them. 4/5 stars for me, but the service was amazing, and the health of these cuties was perfect.... Enough

Every fish or invertebrate or crustation etc we have ever purchase has been super healthy over the many many many years I have shopped here. Their prices are great and yet competitive. Their fish if sick are quarantined properly so you can see that they treat them well. They are careful about what they sell to folks for their animals and make sure the customer is educated and had the right set ups etc. But they dont upsell you just to make money. And bloody honest with you if you have questions which I love!!! Products you won't find anywhere else

I love this exotic pet store. I go here at least once a week for feeders. I’ve also bought pet mice, shrimp and some fish from here. The staff is amazing and super kind. I always feel welcomed every time me and my husband visit. I would totally give this store five stars but I am taking off one because the parking is hard to get into. I don’t necessarily think it’s the stores fault but other drivers do block the entrance when they’re not supposed to. Because of the other drivers it does make it an inconvenience to get in the parking area.

This place is the worst! I purchased a bearded dragon the day after Christmas and 3 days later it died. From the moment I brought it home it was clear something was wrong with it but there are signs everywhere that say"no refunds" so what was I supposed to do. They sell bogus reptiles and don't give refunds because they know it. That is a terrible policy. Petsmart has a grace period but unfortunately none of the petsmart in town had them. Now my son is left with out his Christmas gift. I would give zero stars if I could.

if I could give this place less then a one star review I would… as much as me and my family love this business, we will no longer do business with this company. Employees are rude and disrespectful to there customers not only to me but to a few other customers that I witnessed and their fish look hungry and die within a day like mine did… I am not the type of person to leave bad reviews on not only businesses but small local businesses and as a small business owner myself I am disappointed at this disgusting business!

The customer service was undoubtedly the worse I’ve had and the animal enclosures are atrocious. I pointed out to the guy that the Amazon tree boa needs a stick or something in the cage to climb in since they’re arboreal and he said there was nothing he can do about it. Secondly I was on google showing my boyfriend something and he came up saying “you can’t take pictures” rudely. I can see why. They’d have no customers if they could see how malnourished and poorly their animals especially reptiles were taken care of.

They want to sell reptiles, but refuse to let you hold them and won't even hold the reptile themselves. The lady we talked to insisted that the bearded dragon was stressed out, however he was not. I had my sister with me who is a complete nerd when it comes to reptiles. She has 2 beardies and a tegu. She knows their behavior and he was not in any type of stress. He had nice color, was very beautiful looking but I refuse to buy a reptile or animal if I can't see how they behave with people.

I bought a Savannah Monitor from Papa Jim’s one week ago and after doing months of research I bought the right tank and had the correct temperature which was measured with a gauge but unfortunately he had parasites as he passed within a week of having him. I’m extremely disappointed as they required a picture of the cage and whole set up to make sure the baby would be safe, but they didn’t realize the vendor they had bought from was selling baby Savannah monitors with parasites.

Bought two Butterfly goldfish for 24.97 each, I haven’t had the fish not even a week one of them died I had both fish in the same tank the other one doing really good, I call the store talk to lady on the phone I told her and explain to her what happen with butterfly black gold fish, she said I don’t know what could of cause it, they sold me a sick fish,(that’s what happen) they don’t let u replace ur fish, it’s a rip off, never again buy my fish from this store.

What a wonderfully pleasent place. We went in for a filter we couldn't find else where. The gentleman that was behind the counter was very helpful and knowledgeable. We ended up not making a purchase as our filter system is out of date. But we gained more knowledge about our fish and what they need. The store is very well stocked and tanks were in great shape, my only regret is not having tank space at home for all the cool fish I wanted.

Huge variety of fish! We bought beautiful cichlids. The only thing I didn't like was the associate grabbed water from a plant tank for the fish bag. It was dingy and a different temp than the fish were in. I was afraid of losing them of shock, they get stressed enough by being caught and transported. Luckily they are still alive but for one it was tough and go for 24hrs. The family was pretty clean but crowded with fish and reptile tanks.

First time visiting this store. Drove down from New Braunfels. My wife and I were instantly impressed with the cleanliness and condition of their animals and fish. The staff was very friendly and helpful. So far this is the only store I've found with a good healthy selection of fancy goldfish and koi. Prices on animals and products are better than average. I will be back and recommend this store to anyone looking for a quality pet store.

personal very unprofessional, they employee I encountered was very rude, look impatient, like if he was being forced to deal with the consumers, and at least in one of the their tanks with goldfish, they had ich, and when I brought it to the employee attention, he completely dismissed it without even looking at the fish to at least check them out, really bad experience, and in top of that, they are overpriced! definitely not going back!!

Really cool place has a lot of variety of fish reptiles and other animals. Bought a turtle there and they actually checked to make sure that I had a proper environment for it and gave me a paper with a bunch of info about turtles. Good to know they care about the well-being of the animals and not just profit. I like to visit different pet stores just to see what they're all about and this one so far is my favorite.

I'll never shop here. Owner or the owner's son was rude AF. Said we had a total of ten minutes to browse around or find what we need and then leave. I was going to buy two Sulcatas. They had two....one was flipped over on it's back and had dry feces hanging from it. Signs of poor diet and poor care. I love to support local business but this is definitely not one I'll be shopping at or purchasing anything from.

The best pet store I've been in. I witnessed someone trying to buy a turtle on a whim and the clerk was professional but firm in telling them they would only sell the animal with proof that the person has the necessary equipment for a turtle habitat. I've seen many turtles die or get let loose in the wild because they didn't have the proper care at home. I appreciate the way Papa Jim's does things

I wanted to purchase a rabbit for my home. Most people will buy on cuteness, but if you get one that does not like to be held or played with then what do you have? The store didlet me know I have to just point and choose. Even if I paid first I can't hold to see which is the right fit for me and my family. They did have variety but will not be going back when they dont care about the customers.

I decided to check out this store, I was really surprised how much the African cichlid fish were over priced. When I went to pick up my fish that I ordered online I noticed that one of them was floating in the bag and the bag itself was filled with fish poop. This place was a big disappointment. I will continue to order my fish from The Ifish Store online, better prices and better selection.

This place is terrible. I walked in trying to get a fish for my mother-in-law’s little daughter so I can video chat her so she can tell me which one she wanted and they started saying I couldn’t record. I was never recording. I was FaceTime Nelly say that you can’t FaceTime The science do not say you can’t call somebody by video terrible service, the Fishlock hungry

This place is awesome. All the staff greet you and will help you with all your fish/reptile needs. They have a great selection of fish and products. All the aquarium plants I’ve bought there have flourished. Great quality products. The parking is in the back so you don’t have to fight for street parking. Great place for all your fish keeping needs.

spent 50 dollars in fish they died in less than a week , i been having fish for years so im very familiar on caring for them. Never had this problem with fish from other pet stores.The owner wasnt reasonable on replacing or giving money back. After reading these reviews doesnt look like im the only one who had this problem with this store

This place had horrible servic,was run by two kids with no manager in sight smh.. and if that wasnt enough, I saw they rushed an elder in a wheelchair out of their store because he took too long getting his supplies,he was in a wheelchair hes slow! Give him a break, and Water was everywhere on th floor, kids could trip! This place is horrible!

After reading all the reviews I will admit, I was a bit nervous when I went to check out this store. All my worries went away when I went inside. the customer service was amazing and the animals were awesome. All in good shape. I got some African cichlids and they are happy and healthy. Will definitely be giving them more of my business.

I usually find so much comfort in this place I love this so much, but today I went in there & went to buy 5 dozen of feeder fish & over 15 fish were dead even before I left the store, I'm not the type to complain so I didn't but I'm very very disappointed, the man that was working looked like he Was very miserable & hated to work

Seems to have improved somewhat. However they had like 15 budgies in a tiny little cage that didnt set right with me and it was not a tall cage at all. All enclosures were descent. But they are still selling tiny little red eared sliders that are less than 4 inches and that's only legal for educational purposes I do believe.

Great prices and varied selection. The fish are split into aisles based on their aggressiveness so it's easy to make sure two species are compatible. They have reptiles, spiders, crabs, frogs, small mammals, birds, and even koi and other pond fish. All of the staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. Overall awesome place.

I have lived in San Antonio all my life and never knew of this place, and boy have we been missing out!! Get prices with amazing deals and most of all GREAT customer service. There are a variety of fish to choose from which were very well taken care of and most of had clean water to swim in. Will definitely go again!!

Awesome selection of fish and reptiles really pleased but one of the guys was really rude and he kept touching his hair and I even think I saw him pull out his product to fix his hair can't remember his name I think it was Henry or Huron. But besides that great prices and he seemed very knowledgeable

I was impressed by the large selection they offer. They are pricy though. Iam disappointed on how some aqauriums had dead fish, or on how the reptile cages had broken screens D: The teenage guys up front are too occupied on there phones :( Maybe it was just a bad experience but I highly doubt that.

Rude customer service, watch u from a distance like a creep, follows and watches like if ur stealing, rushed me when picking my fish and the store was empty. Then I wanted to get other fish and was told to hurry and get all my fish together or will be charged for bagging. Never going there again.

Wide range of fish, you'll most likely find what you came for. Have a good selection of reptiles as well. The tanks have a few dead fish but most all enclosures look decent as for as pet store enclosures go. Lots of supplies and equipment for tanks and reptiles and pretty helpful staff.

Large selection. I absolutely LOVE that you are required to either purchase a starter kit or show proof before they sell ANY animal to you. To me, this is a bug green flag! I didn't purchase anything as it was my first time there and I was just looking but I'm excited to go back!

The employee wae EXTREMELY knowledgeable! I had a million questions in regards to purchasing a bird and he had an answer for everything. Purchased a bird along with the cage and accessories and am very pleased with my experience. I highly recommend for anyones pet needs.

This place is the worst! I purchased a bearded dragon the day after Christmas and 3 days later it died. They sell sick reptiles and don't give refunds because they know it. That is a terrible policy. And there customer service sucks!! Do not buy from this place!

The guys that work there only buy and sell animals (their exact words) we don't know the sex of the animals nor do we handle them.... You think they would be more educated and have a better attitude. Hope you all have a better experience if not please post here

Rudest customer service ever, the short chubby Mexican guy with glasses was completely rude for no reason I wouldn’t recommend this place I’d def recommend a petco or pet barn! The fishes are cool but the employees are beyond rude and don’t even give u the time

Super helpful.. everyone! Less aqaurium decorations than expected.. but said they were waiting on a shipment. Very knowledgeable. Warned me to not buy certain items which showed me they were mindful of my experience over just making a sale. Pleasant visit!!

This place is pretty great for exotic animals. Tarantulas. Frogs. Lizards. Tons of fish. They have feeder insects as well. Reasonable prices. Place is kept clean. And doesn’t have that strong animal smell that most pet stores like this usually have. …

Every time I enter, they greet me and help me with anything I need.Great customer service! Very informative. Attentive to the needs of your pets. Helpful in understanding how to care for your pets. Affordable and great quality in animals and products.

Man it's been more than 20 yrs that I've been at Papa Jim's Tropical Fish.To me it's still a cool place to go look for both fresh and salt water fish,turtles,bird's and food to feed your critters.Great customer service and very helpful employee's.

Good selection of pets and supplies. Bought a frog from them and it died but I don't think that was their fault. They tried to help by making sure we got everything he needed and were knowledgable about caring for him but he just wouldn't eat.

I just bought a Shubunkin goldfish and a Ranchu. There beautiful and so sweet . They have a great selection . The staff was super helpful. I am totally buying more pets from here. I have also gotten a sulcata tortoise, rabbit, guinie

Worst experience ever my husband went in yesterday to go purchase fish and ask the manager for guidance and direction how about to go about the fish the manager told him just to use the same water, we woke up this morning to all of our fish

Lots to offer but the turtles I bought there died within a few weeks and killed off the other turtle we'd had for over a year. Don't know what happened. Inexpensive but I wasn't happy with the turtles I bought. Buy at your own risk I guess.

I've never made a bad review, I've never complained, especially about a local business. I am beyond distraught, there were SEVERAL dead bettas who had obviously been very severely neglected. The rats were piled ontop of eachother and they

Awesome place so many fish reptiles birds ginnie pigs rabbits mice and all the supplies you would ever need here all of it here right here at Papa Jims tropical fish its great almost a zoo ild pay to get in no joking its a great place and

Great staff that are very knowledgeable and if they aren't sure they will happily admit it but will always try to find the answer. Great selection of aquatic life and reptiles. All enclosures and tanks are spotless and full of healthy

Unfortunately i spend well over 100 bux and the guy still couldn't respect me ..... all ALL my fish bags had holes.and leaked all over my 2017 Silverado.... and soaked into the seats .. to the amp under the seat had to replace a fuse

They are amazing I got tank there it cheeper then most store and they make sure the turtle live in a good habitat that suit there need they have a kit as well which is a very good idea i edvise to go check it out if you want a turle

This is a great pet shop. Lots of variety here. Only reason I didn't give five stars is I wanted some adult tropical fish for my established tank and most of their fish are young, not adult. Beautiful Bettas! Lots of reptiles too.

Showed up at opening hours and they were closed . Came at 1235pm and they were closed for lunch. Seems like punctuality and access to the store may be an issue here. Wish there was more spots around me to get exotic pet foods.

My son and I stumbled upon this place and fell in love with it. The best customer service ever. The staff is very knowledgeable on all the animals, from the fish to the baby ducks and baby chickens. Reasonable prices too.

This was an alright location that offers a variety of creatures. The day we visited the initial odor when you enter the business was very strong of rodent cages. The staff was helpful and chiclid's were reasonable priced.

Recently got into the hobby of rasing fancy goldfish. Went to 6 or 7 stores around town but options are limited. This place has the sest selection for fancy goldfish in San Antonio. Price is fair too! Will recommend!

Been going here for over 20 years, great selection and I've always been satisfied with the customer service. Always something new every month. It may have changed owners but still is a great place to visit.

Awesome fish collect and the most friendly staff I have ever met. There collection of animals beat any chain store. I wish i could give them a ten star review. YOU MUST GO HERE FOR ALL YOUR FISH NEEDS!

Amazing place to purchase crickets and other critters for my pet chameleon been visiting this location since I was a child. I recommend everyone to experience the pet loving experience at Papa Jim's.

I was kind of hesitant to go here because of all the bad reviews. I have to say the customer service was excellent! They have a great selection. They were not rude at all. Very friendly and helpful.

Great fish store. Very clean & organized. Prices are a bit high compared other stores but nice selection & varieties of pets, such hamsters, lizards, snakes,turtles, love birds and koi and gildfish.

Had been buying fish there and they were dying. After talking to a very knowledgeable young man there, he suggested some things to try with my fish and so far they have worked. Thanks! …

We were a little hesitant to stop because of some of the reviews. Glad we did. There were many choices of healthy fish. The staff was educational and helpful. Will definitely be back.

Great little pet store with a wide selection of fish and other pets like guinea pigs,rabbits,rats,nice and even birds! The employees were very friendly and that's always a plus!

Went to get water treatment for fish tank seen alot of different fish and birds and reptiles amphibians for sale and everything you would need for them there great store.

love this place all ready got a tank and bunch of fish and live plants and must I say they beat alot of prices out the park can't wait to go back for more on my tanks

Great selection of fish. They also have birds and reptiles. The deal on parakeets is great. That's what we did for our Christmas. I will be back for fish though

Good service, everyone was Very helpful and gave us great advice and instructions on how to properly care for our granddaughters first "non petting" pet .

A lil sad that almost every aquarium had a dead creature in it.. didn't buy anything cause I was scared to bring home some kind of diease or illness

Very nice and friendly staff, the whole store was nice and clean and the animals were so well kept. Will definitely come back for future purchases.

Great customer service, they were very helpful with all our issues and questions. My daughters school project came out great thanks to their help.

Rude behavior from staff. Absolutely no friendly staff. If you want to feel unwelcome or have someone ruin your day go to this place.

Got my blue masked lovebird here! They have great service and are very nice and respectful. I would definitely come back here again.

Nice place but the guy didn't let us see the fish smh still had time before they closed but was rude about it. Buying elsewhere

They will rip you off!! I just bought 2 large rats for over $15 and they are not much bigger then mice! Definitely a rip off!!

People were very friendly and knowledgeable. Will definitely be coming back to purchase the pet of our choice when possible.

Affordable pets and every single one purchased from there has worked out incredibly. Places very clean and well-stocked

Cute place. And I love how they have divided the categories of their fish from aggressive to non aggregate selections.

Short stout Hispanic Employee was so rude and arrogant we had to just walk out. Won't be going back!

Friendly staff and clean store! Literally some.of the cleanest tanks in a pet store I've seen.

Awesome choice of fish to pick. They also sell fish aquariums great place to go see fish

They AL ways have what I need and are very knowledgeable, THE store is always clean.

Great shop for this side of town. Reliable supply of items, great customer service.

Beautiful fish! Had them for quite sometime now. Bought for my son, he loves them.

Bunny is doing quite well. Edit: after almost 2 years bunny is still going strong

Very nice people clean store great selection would definitely recommend

We purchased Goldfish for our pond here. They are all doing very well.

Great Atmosphere and friendly staff, wonderful, beautiful animals ❤️

Great place to get all kinds of aquatic friends! Friendly staff too!

Friendly customer service, very knowledgeable, one stop shop..

It's a good start place $ is's a little high for somethings.

Great place nice and clean very knowledgeable staff

Rude and unfriendly. Overpriced