Aquarium Shops in Dubai & Sharjah: Where to Buy Fish, Tanks and Marine Supplies (2026)

Dubai's aquarium shops cluster in three older neighbourhoods: Karama, Deira and Satwa, with a second group in Bur Dubai. These are walkable areas where several shops sit within a few minutes of each other, so you can compare stock and prices in one trip.

Karama has Green Desert Aquarium (a freshwater shop and a separate marine branch), Feathers and Fins, and Fragrance Flowers & Aquarium. Deira has Jasmin Fish Aquarium, Natures Garden Aquarium and Jassina Fish Aquarium & Birds. Satwa has Tamam Aquarium, one of the highest rated shops in the city.

Newer areas have single shops rather than clusters: Aquarium Lives in Al Barsha (inside Lulu) and Al Warsan, Think Fish in Dubai Investment Park, Aqua Art in Al Quoz, Pet Wonder Ornamental in Downtown, and Reeflections in Silicon Oasis.

The full list with ratings, hours and directions is at onepasspet.com/dubai/aquarium.

Rating alone can mislead when a shop has a handful of reviews, so this list pairs the rating with the review count. All figures are from each shop's public Google profile.

Dubai, by review count: • Tamam Aquarium, Satwa: 4.9 from 1,020 reviews • Famous Aquarium and Pets, Bur Dubai: 4.4 from 811 reviews • Aquarium Lives, Al Barsha: 4.5 from 484 reviews • Think Fish, DIP: 4.3 from 432 reviews • Green Desert Aquarium, Karama: 4.0 from 370 reviews (marine branch 4.5 from 107) • Jassina Fish Aquarium & Birds, Deira: 4.1 from 323 reviews • Pet Wonder Ornamental, Downtown: 4.6 from 190 reviews • Feathers and Fins, Karama: 4.9 from 143 reviews • Reeflections, Silicon Oasis: 4.4 from 110 reviews • Aquarium Lives, Al Warsan: 4.7 from 100 reviews

Small shops with very high ratings, worth a visit if you are nearby: Aqua Art in Al Quoz (4.9 from 53) and Jasmin Fish Aquarium in Deira (5.0 from 50).

If you are willing to drive to Sharjah, the scale changes. Red Star Aquarium has 4.5 from 13,643 reviews and Al Hadiqah Al Maeyah Ornamental Fish has 5.0 from 3,738, both far larger than anything in Dubai. Star Aquarium in Al Majaz (4.1 from 933) and Al Rayan in Al Nahda (4.8 from 68) are also there.

Start with freshwater. A freshwater tank forgives mistakes that a marine tank does not: water chemistry is simpler, the fish are cheaper to replace, and the equipment list is shorter.

Marine (saltwater) tanks need a protein skimmer, a reliable heater and usually a chiller in the UAE, plus salt mix, a refractometer, and much stricter water testing. The livestock is also several times the price of freshwater fish.

If you do want marine, buy from a shop with a dedicated marine section and ask how long the fish have been in the shop's own tanks. Green Desert's marine branch in Karama and Reeflections in Silicon Oasis both specialise in marine and reef stock.

UAE tap water is desalinated. It comes out very soft, with little of the mineral content (hardness and carbonate buffering) that many fish and a stable pH depend on. Ask your shop which conditioner and, if needed, which remineralising product they use for their own tanks, and match it.

It is also chlorinated, like most city water. Always treat new water with a dechlorinator before it touches the tank.

Summer is the bigger threat. Room temperature in a Dubai apartment can pass 30°C when the AC is off, and a tank follows the room. Freshwater fish tolerate a few warm days; marine and reef tanks usually need a chiller. Keep the tank out of direct sun and never on a balcony.

Power cuts and AC failures while you travel are the common way tanks are lost in summer. If you go away for more than a few days, ask a neighbour to check the tank, or ask your shop whether they offer holiday maintenance.

How long has this fish been in your tank? Fish that arrived this week are still stressed from transport and more likely to die in the first days at home. A week or more in the shop is a good sign.

Do you quarantine new arrivals? Shops that do will say so readily. It is the single best predictor of not bringing disease home.

What water parameters is it kept in here? Matching your tank to the shop's water reduces the shock of the move. Ask for temperature and pH at minimum.

Will it get along with what I already have, and how big will it grow? Many "small" fish sold in Dubai shops are juveniles of species that outgrow a standard tank.

Can I see it eat? A fish that eats in the shop is a fish that is settled.

Is Sharjah cheaper than Dubai for aquarium supplies? Shoppers often report lower prices and wider choice at the large Sharjah shops, but stock and prices change, so compare on the day. Factor in the drive and the risk to fish in a hot car.

Where do I buy a custom or large tank? Several Dubai shops build tanks to order. Aqua Art in Al Quoz and Reeflections in Silicon Oasis are known for planted and reef setups; ask any shop on the list whether they build custom.

Do Dubai shops offer tank maintenance? Many do, on a monthly visit basis, especially for large or marine tanks. Ask when you buy; it is easier to arrange with the shop that set the tank up.

Where can I find all the shops with ratings and directions? Every aquarium shop we list across Dubai and Sharjah is at onepasspet.com/dubai/aquarium, with ratings and review counts from each shop's public Google profile.

Last updated: 2026-09-18