One of the most unique freshwater aquarium fish stores you will ever encounter! Blending a hobbyist passion and an entrepreneurial dream does not always come to fruition. Though that is exactly where this story begins. A young man in pursuit of obtaining the most unique and healthy specimens of tropical fish available was a culmination of a history of raising and keeping fish in his parents basement. Having journeyed repeatedly to Malaysia, Singapore, Lake Malawi, and the tropics of the Amazon River, our founder grew his knowledge and craft. He decided to pass that love of aquatic life into the public venue, where he witnessed there was an appreciation and desire for tropical fish. Believing in the power of the local small business, a retail store was born in Portland, Oregon. Dubbed the Wet Spot Tropical Fish, the name pays homage to the reality that occurs when working with over 400 tanks—things are bound to get a little wet!


Nearly 22 years later, we continue to stay true to our roots of not sacrificing quality for quantity, while providing the aquatic loving community with the most unique, healthy, and varied assortment of freshwater fish. Our dedication and specialization in freshwater fish has resulted in an unparalleled selection of fish, both popular types and exotic fish that one would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Our passion has culminated in being the largest freshwater aquarium store on the west coast. People drive for hours to shop at our store- but don’t worry, we also ship anywhere in the United States.


There are a variety of features that set The Wet Spot on a different tier than many other aquatic stores. One major thing is our selection, quality, and health of our fish. These three important factors in our fish livestock are provided to the public because we don’t trans-ship fish. When fish are shipped from around the world they generally arrive in pretty bad health – malnourished, stressed, and prone to sickness. That is why we do not bring them directly into our store. We have a separate holding facility where they are kept until they have recovered from the strain of their journey and are healthy. Another thing we do differently is that all of our tanks are individually filtered, NOT run off of one central filtration system. This allows us to control the health of each separate tank and limits the spread of disease. These are just a few things that set us apart from other stores.


If you come in for a visit, we have beautiful display tanks to entertain the whole family! Our show tanks have some of the most unique fish you will ever see. View our spectacular 500 gallon Lake Malawi microenvironment. Sit and enjoy our showroom and visit with Ruby, our Fahaka Puffer. Don’t forget to check out our adopted large Goldfish tank that include a variety of fish that have come from many homes and now reside in ours. We invest in promoting the aquarium hobby, assisting both novice and veteran customers, and supporting the growth of our regional community. Come in and enjoy much more than an aquarium store!