ABOUT CHRIS'S FISHES
Chris's Fishes is a family-owned online store offering top-quality freshwater tropical fish, premium fish foods, live freshwater aquatic plants, and essential supplies to keep your aquarium thriving. We're passionate about helping fellow hobbyists succeed - whether you're just starting out or a seasoned fish keeper.
~ Our Fish ~
At Chris's Fishes, we specialize in high-quality freshwater species, with a primary focus on Corydoras, Plecos, Fancy Guppies, Shrimp, and — most recently — Rasboras. Our breeding program is continually evolving, introducing new and exciting varieties as we grow. The majority of our stock is home-bred in our dedicated fish room, which currently houses over 175 tanks. We also work closely with a trusted network of local breeders who share our commitment to healthy, vibrant fish. To ensure a broad and diverse selection for our customers, we supplement our offerings with carefully sourced fish from reputable U.S. wholesalers and bio-secured fish farms overseas. This allows us to maintain both quality and variety while supporting responsible aquaculture practices. You can count on us for healthy, well-cared-for aquatic life backed by passion, experience, and a strong commitment to excellence.
~ Our Fish Food ~
After years of raising fish, we kept running into the same problem: finding a food that not only provides a well-balanced diet & keeps our fish healthy but also excites them at mealtime. We personally tested countless other foods before finding this one, and the difference was immediate. We now offer a wide variety of nutritious foods that fish truly love, and just as important, we made sure it's affordable. And the feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive: Chris's Fishes fish food is simply superior - and their fish agree! At Chris's Fishes, our premium fish food is a staple in our fish room. We invite our customers to give it a try and see firsthand just how much your fish will love it!
~ Our Plants ~
A great addition to any tank setup, our plant varieties are suitable for freshwater aquariums, with a focus on hardy, low-light specimens that are easy to care for, whether you are a novice or seasoned tank enthusiast. In addition to enhancing the natural beauty of your aquarium, live plants offer practical benefits: they provide essential hiding spots for fry, and they serve as a safe refuge for your egg layers and scatterers. Healthy, vibrant, and functional - our plants support both the aesthetic and biological balance of your tank.
~ Thank you ~
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our customers and local aquarium clubs for the vital role you’ve played in our success. We sincerely appreciate each and every one of you. Together, we’re doing more than just raising fish—we’re helping keep the hobby alive for the next generation. It’s our shared passion for fishkeeping, education, and community that makes this journey so rewarding. We're truly honored to work alongside you to inspire, teach, and grow this amazing hobby. Let’s keep spreading the love for aquatics—one tank at a time.
MEET CHRIS
Chris is the visionary, mastermind -and self-proclaimed mad-scientist- behind our operation. He oversees every aspect of the business from breeding, feeding, & tank maintenance to packing orders, maintaining customer service and updating social media. He's the driving force that keeps everything running. Although Chris started operating under the name Chris's Fishes just a few years ago, he has been involved in the hobby for over 40 years. His passion for breeding started with a pair of bettas he had as a ten-year-old boy. The fascination of successfully breeding those bettas had him immediately "hooked". Luckily, Chris's dad always had an aquarium or two at home and taught him the basics of the hobby and provided him with plenty of reference books to read and learn. In the 80's and 90's, Chris and his dad, were regulars at the local fish clubs' meetings and auctions. Over the years, Chris has cared for and bred many species of African and South American cichlids, angelfish, discus, bettas, guppies & lots of other livebearers, as well as corydoras, plecos, tetras, rasboras, and too many others to name. For several years in the mid-nineties, Chris operated an aquarium & pet store in New Britain, CT. Wanting to spend more time raising his young family, he decided to take a break from the fish business (although never completely without a tank in his house). As his children grew older, Chris found himself back into the hobby, slowly adding more & more tanks, His fish room currently occupies 300 square feet and houses about 175 tanks.
In 2014, Chris began competing in the IFGA (International Fancy Guppy Association) where he acquired considerable knowledge about showing guppies. Passing a written exam in 2016, he became an IFGA assistant judge. Then in 2017, Chris became a full IFGA judge after passing the visual exam, and that same year, he was the Grand Overall Male Runner-Up. In 2019, Chris won the Grand Overall Female Championship. He has also won and placed in multiple color-class championships between 2014 through 2019. In 2020, it became nearly impossible to participate and judge at in-person shows causing Chris's judge status to become inactive as of 2024, however his passion and knowledge of guppies remains. In the future, he hopes to be able to return to judging and showing guppies and reunite with the IFGA members he was honored to share the hobby with.
Currently, you can find Chris at any number of club events in the eastern US states where he enjoys sharing his knowledge & passion for the hobby and offers a nice assortment of his livestock and fish food. He immensely enjoys spending mostly all of his free time in his fish room, attending to his breeding program and always contemplating how many more tanks he can add! In his spare time, Chris is busy working a full-time job separate from the fish business, spending time with his family, and sharing every meal with his Golden Retriever, Holly.