6th Avenue Aquarium is one of the larger local fish stores in san francisco. Atmosphere is somewhat messy and overcrowded, and not much customer service unless you go up to the front to ask for help. Generally the store owners have some knowledge, but not enough to trust unless they are beginner questions (do your homework online first).
Good place to buy dry goods and equipment as prices are generally lower than any other lfs closest to online pricing and they have a bigger selection than most other fishstores so you can compare in person.
Decent selection of saltwater and freshwater fish, with two levels of tanks (walk up the rickety stairs in the back left of the main level to see discus, rarer freshwater fish and fishtank selection). Again, generally one of the cheapest stores around for livestock too. They allow you to catch your own fish, but you have to be careful as they generally do not quarentine so you should quarentine yourself as they may have a higher chance of succumbing to illness. They generally get bigger shipments so there are fish that you sometimes can’t find readily elsewhere. Likewise with selection of inverts.
Coral selection is limited to a tri-level coral tank in the front of the bottom level of the store. Used to have a better selection, now generally limited to brownish softies (like zoas) and lps which are not that colorful. Sometimes come in with cool shipments of clams, RBTA anemones, SPS.. but again those are far and few between. Generally decent price on corals.
Can also find freshwater fish including discus, plants and koi there for a good price. Same caveat regarding picking carefully or coming back to check on fish over a period of a week as they throw livestock in tank and go for quantity over quality.
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SaltyDog Rating System: 1-5; 1=worst, 5=best
Store Size: large
Atmosphere: 2
Customer Service: 2
Ratio of Tanks: 1/3 Salt, 2/3 Fresh
Freshwater Fish/Plants: 3
Saltwater Fish: 3
Corals: 2
Dry Goods: 4

425 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118-2323

Telephone: 415-668-7190
Fax: (415) 668-7190
Website: http://6thaveaquarium.com/
E-mail: (go to the website's message area)
Cost: 0 USD per person
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00am-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-10:00pm

Tips:

Two tips:
1) This is the best place to go if you are in a bind with equipment failure of need a specific water treatment, etc. after hours. They are open until 10pm every night, 365 days a year (i know, once i drove out there on christmas eve after dinner for a tank emergency) and generally have a bigger selection on equipment than anyone else.
2) Every Sunday starting at 10am they have a ‘bag sale’ for saltwater fish directly from the sellers that are generally about 1/3 to 1/2 off. Used to be corals too, but they stopped doing this. Generally the more common fish, but still cool to find good deals, and sometimes better chance of surviving as they don’t need to be acclimated twice (store, then home). Get there at 10am for best pickings.

Type: Sights & Activities
Tags: fish store Avenue san francisco reef saltwater freshwater corals aquarium fishtank plants clement