Online Tropical Fish Store & Pet Shop serving the San Diego area. We specialize in Aquascaping, Flowerhorns, Arowana, Cichlids, Rare Plecos, Discus & many other rare & exotic Tropical Fishes from all around the world! We also carry a huge variety of f...
Is Pet Zone Tropical Fish legit?
Pet Zone Tropical Fish (petzonesd.com) has a 2.7 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 101 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Animals & Pets and its reputation is poor. 48% of reviews are 1 star, a relatively high share; The business has replied to 81% of negative reviews; Reviews mostly discuss Product, Quality. Last updated 2026-08-12.
What reviewers say
AI generated
Most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Consumers generally appreciate the broad selection of available aquatic animals and useful website information. Many people note that shipments arrive quickly and items are usually well packaged for transport. Reviewers frequently mention that healthy creatures successfully adapt to their new environments.
However, some customers also noted serious difficulties when trying to get in touch with support. Some people experienced frustrating delays or long shipping times that left orders unfulfilled. Buyers occasionally found themselves receiving dead animals or items that failed to match descriptions. Others mentioned missing parts in their packages or a lack of proper temperature controls.
Auto-generated from all reviews of this business. For reference only.
Fish arrived dead. Can not get anyone to respond to my emails.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-08
Hi Jeffrey — we’re sorry to hear about the DOA and the frustration with communication.
We reviewed order #35238 and can confirm the DOA claim was already resolved and taken care of per our Live Arrival/DOA policy. If you’re still not seeing the resolution on your end (or have any remaining questions), please reply here with the best email to reach you and we’ll resend the confirmation and details.
Policy reference: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
I ordered two Tiger Oscar’s. I paid for next day shipping. They both arrived dead. Both bags had very cold water and the fish looked very bad. I tried contacting Pet Zone through email and was told to call them. I have called several times and received a recording that’s useless. Needless to say I don’t recommend Pet Zone!
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-08
Hi Charles — we’re very sorry to hear the fish arrived in that condition and for the frustration you had reaching us.
We reviewed order #35245 and can confirm the DOA claim was already resolved and taken care of per our Live Arrival/DOA policy. If you didn’t receive the confirmation (or would like us to resend the details), please reply here with the best email to reach you and we’ll send it over right away.
Policy reference: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
Wrong fish was sent and they didn’t do anything about it but to be fair ain’t much you can do
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Eric — we’re really sorry to hear the wrong fish was sent. That’s not the experience we want anyone to have. If you can message us with Reference #35050 (and ideally a photo of the fish and the bag/label), our team can review the shipment and work with you on a solution — whether that’s a replacement, store credit, or another appropriate resolution. We appreciate you flagging it and we’d like the chance to make it right.
Hi William — we’re really sorry about that. If a fish arrived unwell and passed shortly after, please message us with Reference #34995 and include a couple photos and your water parameters (temp, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). Our team will review it and assist you according to our Live Arrival/DOA policy.
My fish died he next day. It would not eat and seemed sickly.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Mary — we’re really sorry to hear that and we know how upsetting it is to lose a fish so quickly. Please message us with your order details (Reference #35071) and any photos you have so our team can review what happened. For transparency, our Live Arrival/DOA policy applies based on the shipping method selected, and USPS shipments are not covered under the live arrival guarantee. You can review the policy here: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
Hi Anthony — sorry for the confusion. According to the carrier tracking for Reference #35033, the package shows as delivered. Please message us with your order info and confirm your shipping address, and we’ll help you check next steps (ex: delivery location details and what to do if it was misdelivered or stolen).
Almost a week later no contact, to find out they did not even have the fish in stock.
It took me multiple attempts to get in contact withyou and it was almost a week after my orderto find out that you did not have any of the fish I ordered. Very disappointing.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Hal — we apologize. If an item was out of stock, you should have been notified quickly, and it shouldn’t take multiple attempts to reach us. Please send us a message with Reference #35044 and we’ll look into the timeline, confirm the resolution (refund/replacement options), and make sure you’re taken care of.
2 of the fish had bent spines. All 15 fish died in their own water within 5 minutes of opening the bag. Hadn’t even had the chance to start a drip acclimation.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2025-11-01
Hi Lauren, we’re truly sorry to hear about your experience — that’s definitely not the outcome we want for any of our customers. Fish loss on arrival can happen for a variety of reasons (such as temperature shock, courier handling, or oxygen depletion during transit), but we always stand by our Live Arrival Guarantee and want to make things right.
Please reach out to our online fulfillment team at [email protected] with your order number and a quick photo or video of the fish upon arrival so we can review and assist you with a replacement or refund right away.
Our goal is for every customer to have a great experience, and we appreciate the opportunity to make this right for you.
— The Pet Zone SD Online Team
I ordered one of the platinum dwarf frogs from this website and it came in fast, alive, and is doing well. However, the frog I actually received is a blonde dwarf frog instead of the platinum. I emailed the help email and they responded in a very unprofessional manner (I had to email again for clarification to understand what the first email response meant) and told me that the blonde and platinum frogs are the same, even though they're listed as 2 different frogs on their website.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Stefani — sorry for the confusion and for any frustration caused by our email communication. We’re glad the frog arrived safely and is doing well. Please message us with Reference #34607 so we can review the order details and the listing/variant and help with a resolution.
Pet Zone has many many fish to choose from and useful info on each one.
I received them quickly and they were all healthy and ready for their new home.
Second try, with overnight shipping this time and all fish are ok after a couple of weeks now.
It is recommended in the webpage and in the guarantee's statements. It might be useful for first time buyers a flag if overnight shipping is mistakenly not chosen.
I thought I ordered 4 pieces of manzanita wood. I think ordered 2 pieces XL and 2 pieces L. What I received was a box of 4 pieces of single branches, no side shoots, approx 12 inches and a bunch of pieces all 2-3 inches. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this. I suppose it technically meets the description but is definitely not what I was hoping for.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Joseph — sorry it didn’t meet expectations. Manzanita is listed as assorted and piece shape/branching varies; the photos on the listing show examples of what can be received, and the pack-out reflects the selected size tier and price point. Please message us with Reference #34651 and a photo of the pieces you received — we can review and help you find a better fit. For more specific/branchy “show” pieces, we also have WYSIWYG options (exact piece shown) at a higher price range.
Worms were shipped without ice packs. Whether by mistake that the store won’t take responsibility for or on purpose which is very unethical- cruel even if they are worms. Packaged correctly with cooling, priority mail arrives quickly enough, no need for overnight. However, if they had arrived DOA packaged correctly with ice packs then I would take responsibility for the selected shipping. These worms never had a chance , again either by mistake (hopefully, but own it) or with full knowledge, which is very poor business practices.
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Steven — per our Live Arrival/DOA policy, USPS (bare minimum) shipments are not guaranteed for live arrival, and that shipping method was selected for this order. Policy here: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
If you message us with Reference #34617 and photos of the packaging, we can still review the pack-out and respond directly.
There were no worms in the bag. It was a single plastic bag that smelled rancid and whatever liquid was in it leaked all over the inside of the box.
Ordered 10/1 and received "item" on 10/14
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Gerald — we’re really sorry to hear that. A leaking bag and arriving empty is not acceptable, and we understand how frustrating that is. Please message us with Reference #34397 and photos of the box/packaging as received so we can review it with our shipping team. For transparency, this order shipped via USPS, which is not covered under our Live Arrival/DOA guarantee. You can review the policy here: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
That said, we still want to look into what happened and respond directly.
Hi Max — we’re sorry to hear that. For transparency, this order shipped via USPS, which is not covered under our Live Arrival/DOA guarantee. Our policy is here: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
If you message us with Reference #34526 and include photos of the packaging/contents as received, we can still review what happened and respond directly.
The black worms arrived dead and rancid and sent 2 emails and no reply
Reply from Pet Zone Tropical Fish2026-01-10
Hi Thomas — we’re sorry to hear that, and we also apologize if your emails weren’t answered in a timely manner. For transparency, this order shipped via USPS, which is not covered under our Live Arrival/DOA guarantee per our policy: https://www.petzonesd.com/live-arrival-guarantee/
Please message us here with Reference #34249 and photos of the packaging/contents as received so we can review what happened and respond directly.
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