Zooxae

On a recent vacation to Chicago I visited probably the best LFS I have ever seen. Bias of course figures in here, so just let me say this store leans heavily on Aquascaping and not Monster fish. The thing which really impressed me is they do both fresh and saltwater. Their specialty is high tech aesthetic aquaria. So, if you live anywhere near Chicago or are just visiting put this LFS on your list of stops.

Yes, I speak of Zooxae, 222 Dundee Ave. Elgin, Il. 60120. Your source for high quality aquarium products. The photos below don’t do the place justice, but they do give you some idea of what to expect. It is possible to order online also and I linked that site above.

Now, lets review the layout of the store. Upon walking in they have couches next to an 8ft display tank with discus. The wall to the right has small nano-tanks and decorations. The check out desk is to the left. Venturing further into the store more display tanks lead past the front desk and by the windows. To say these tanks are breath taking would be an understatement. The displays offer ideas of what is possible and showcases not only their skills but the products they have to sell. This is the way it is done folks! The next room has mostly products and plants (both tropical and aquatic) along with displays and extends back to an area for aquascaping supplies, a dojo, rocks, driftwood, and substrates. Further into the store is another room with two entrances, the first one leads to long rows of tanks with both freshwater and saltwater livestock. They aquascape all the tanks in the store, including those with fish for sale. Plants can be found in most of the freshwater tanks. The saltwater tanks in the middle have corals while on the far wall they have the fish. The second entrance to this last area features shrimp tanks and a live food bar. That’s right, they have live food available for your fish and invertebrates. It’s done is such a fun way too. The selection of shrimp is extensive! They have small tanks as well, so you could get everything to set up a nano-tank, high tech or not.

I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with this most stylish local fish store! So see the photos below and drop in next time you are in the area and I will do the same.

Sequoia Elisabeth